Presented by Technomic, this in-depth look at the industry will examine the state of the foodservice recovery in the aftermath of COVID-19.  The effects of the pandemic were unprecedented and have prompted considerable change.  Therefore, this discussion will highlight not only recovery performance metrics, but will also review how technology is supporting the most significant changes being made by the foodservice operator community and share operator priorities for technology investment.

Ghost kitchens are one of the top restaurant trends to emerge from the pandemic. They promise attractive benefits such as a low barrier of entry and operational efficiencies, but they’re also largely untested in a non-pandemic environment. Hear from experts about how restaurants can get the most out of this new format.

Create engaging and memorable digital guest experiences that drive new business and leverage delivery models like contactless and virtual brand. These initiatives can be executed by enabling restaurant team members with digital tools to streamline efficiencies.

As one of the world’s leading casual dining restaurant companies, Brinker International serves more than one million guests every day by more than 100,000 team members in more than 1,600 restaurants nationwide under the names Chili’s® Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy®.

Today’s rapidly changing guest expectations for convenience, service, and experience have fundamentally changed how restaurants operate. Brinker International wanted to reimagine its traditional approach to guest services, grow its digital presence, and examine what it takes to consistently deliver amazing, end-to-end guest experiences.

Join this session to learn how Brinker International successfully leveraged the latest digital technology to create new guest experiences, and the critical role that digitally enabling and empowering our large team member community to deliver on their passion to make people feel valued played in its success.

Today, your data is a key part of your brand’s business strategy.  If you can leverage it, brands can drive frequency and better overall results.   Join this lively panel discussion to learn how operators are using a variety of data and technologies to improve marketing and sales results both near-term and over the long haul.

Today's restaurants aren't just about great service, they're about collecting the right data to meet the guests on their personal journey and help them along their way. This guest journey takes many paths, including any combination of online, offline, on-premises, and off-premises. A true frictionless guest experience brings everything together, whether it's a mobile order that is delivered through a third-party aggregator, or an interactive menu viewed on-premises with the food delivered through a server.
 
Brands need the right technology to unify that experience across all touchpoints. Having marketing, loyalty, and online ordering isn't enough, it's about investing in the right technology platform that can amplify and advance the business, leading to more revenue.

If you’ve ever tried to make sense of your restaurant’s credit card processing statement, you probably need a stiff drink. Grab a mimosa at our session and learn how to read your credit card processor’s statement, determine if you’re paying too much, and more importantly, lower your costs. Don’t let a “set it and forget it” mentality get in the way of reducing your processing costs and saving thousands of dollars for your business. The hidden charges, tiered rates, multiple line items and fluctuating costs can all be very confusing at first, but once you learn the tricks of the payments industry and how to make sense of the billing, you’ll get a clearer picture of what you’re paying for, how to compare rates with other vendors, and get the best deal for your business. It may be time to switch credit card processors and we’re going to arm you with the right information to get the best deal possible.

The digital age is upon us and loyalty solutions are transforming the restaurant industry in unexpected ways. But architecting for longevity and adaptability requires a hard look at both today's realities and tomorrow's capabilities. Join Punchh and industry experts to hear firsthand experiences and strategies on implementing unique solutions to your operation's biggest challenges. From new mobile applications and omnichannel initiatives to improved business processes and integrations, learn how an integrated loyalty ecosystem can power differentiation for your brand and play a critical role in your operational success.

Digital transformation and innovation has never been more important than in the last year. From creating virtual brands to making physical changes to restaurant formats, successful brands were able to quickly pivot and keep their restaurants running. Join us to learn how to lead through change, prepare for unpredictable challenges and leverage your technical operations to drive efficiency and differentiation. 

Join subject matter experts from the Branded Team to hear real life case studies of how, as restaurant operators, they are able to leverage their own hospitality network and experience to vet and test the most current and up-and-coming technology and innovations, learn how their findings can help YOU. In this session you will hear about solving the most pressing everyday problems of operators, and how you can benefit.

For restaurant chains, consistently providing high quality and safe customer experiences is difficult to achieve, especially when facing staffing challenges. Top operators are increasingly rethinking and transforming a key operational lever: team execution.  Specifically, they’re investing in initiatives and technology that will give them an edge in both making store and field employees more efficient and that will raise the bar on the quality of execution across every one of their stores.  Melissa Wilson, Principal with Technomic’s Advisory Practice, joins Zenput’s CEO, Vladik Rikhter, in a discussion around insights from a 2021 research study that digs deep into the top challenges and operators are facing when it comes to improving employee productivity and store performance.

Free and Oracle? Yes, you read that correctly. We’ve made some bold moves to help restaurant brand partners combat competitive threats and rapidly improve their performance with free online ordering, Oracle Cloud Free Tier services and free public access to API documentation. Attend this session to learn how you can take advantage of our investments, what’s different about our cloud strategy and how to turn on new experiences for your customers that generate more transactions for your business, fast.

For the entire history of the restaurant industry, table stakes for success was location – a great trade area, access, visibility and signage.  Now that the virtual world is growing in importance, the physical characteristics  of a restaurant are not a sufficient condition for success.  The algorithms that shape consumers’ digital experience now shape consumers’ mealtimes.  Understanding how to use the algorithms to your restaurant’s advantage is critical for the new age.  Collectively, the industry also must decide how it wants to use the new power that it has.

For over 70 years, the drive-thru has been stigmatized with indulgence, unhealthiness, and laziness. But COVID changed everything. By December 2020, drive-thru lanes accounted for 44% of off-premises orders across the entire restaurant industry – with even health-forward brands hopping on board. But while the drive-thru evolved to add dedicated pickup and app-based ordering lanes, they’re still missing the mark on providing what is the biggest opportunity: to create a memorable, immersive and truly enjoyable guest experience. Join The Culinary Edge for an engaging discussion about the opportunity to meld the traditional with the disruptive to create the drive-thru of the future.

As restaurants look towards digital investments to help them deliver on new consumer expectations, it is imperative to focus on strategies that are authentic to your concept and category. When it comes to technology, one size does not fit all.

In this panel, executives from a leading QSR (Carl’s Jr. / Hardee’s), Fast Casual (Wingstop) and Entertainment brand (Dave & Buster’s) will share their thoughts on how to leverage technology to differentiate in a way that is core to their category.

Delivery and takeout are by now pillars of many restaurants’ business models. But these established services remain ripe for innovation and optimization through services such as geolocation, contactless ordering and pickup and more. Here’s how the services might evolve in the coming years.

The pandemic drove more diners to digital channels, giving restaurants more insight into their customers than ever. This session will look at how some operators are sifting through all that valuable information to help drive their business.

Labor has been one of restaurants’ biggest challenges coming out of the pandemic. Tech suppliers have stepped in with a variety of solutions, from AI-driven hiring to apps that enable on-demand pay—but does any of it actually work? Here’s how a few restaurants are using tech to help hire.

The CMO’s job has become inseparable from technology as things like social media, digital promotions and loyalty become key areas of focus for restaurants. Hear restaurant CMOs discuss their strategies around technology and marketing.

In 2011, all-time Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings took on his greatest challenge ever: Representing the human race against IBM’s “Watson,” the super-intelligent supercomputer specifically designed to beat the world’s best players at Jeopardy! When Watson won, Ken became the most celebrated person to lose his job to AI. He won’t be the last. In this fascinating talk, best-selling author and former computer programmer Jennings shares a behind-the scenes account of his epic battle with Watson. He also poses important questions for anyone interested in — or, thanks to Hollywood, terrified by — the idea of increasingly sentient machines that can reason and learn.