Saturday, May 16
Second Annual Joint Hennessy/Hill Awards Breakfast
8–10 a.m. Sheraton Chicago Hotel
National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation 22nd Annual Salute to Excellence
6 p.m. Network and help honor the past, present, and future leadership of the restaurant and foodservice industry at this annual foodservice awards gala and banquet.
10–11:30 a.m.
Expansion
Is Franchising Right for You?
Now could be the time to grow your business by exploring franchise opportunities. If your concept is hot and your systems are reproducible, franchising might be the best way to expand and strengthen your brand. Experienced franchisors and the International Franchise Association share guidance on how you can build your new franchise system.
Noon–1:30 p.m.
Operations
Power Takeout
With busy lifestyles, your guests want convenience and quality, and if they can get it quick, even better. This workshop shares 10 vital steps to get your operation into the serious business of offering takeout. Kay Taylor from the Progressive Group Alliance, along with a panel of restaurateurs who have added takeout options, will walk attendees through the stages of building a takeout business into a lucrative, traffic-building success.
Marketing
Word of Mouth: 10 Ways to Get People Talking About You
Learn the 10 specific things that you can do to drive more traffic, at little or no cost, through word-of-mouth referrals. Andy Sernovitz, a leading word-of-mouth marketing expert, will tell you how to get your customers talking about how great your concept is.
Operations
The Future is Now: Elegant, Sustainable, Cost-Effective Energy Solutions
Run a sustainable operation. Richard Young, director of education and senior engineer at the Food Service Technology Center, will detail fast, simple, cost-effective ways to run your restaurant more sustainably and make a positive impact on your bottom line. John Rockwell, AIA, LEED AP, sustainability manager at McDonald’s USA, will take you on a virtual tour through one of the world’s greenest restaurants, the McDonald’s LEED-certified store in Chicago. Find out what works, when green makes sense, and how to move forward with sustainable design.
2–3:30 p.m.
Operations
Building Green: SUBWAY ’s Eco-Store
Put money back in your pocket while conserving energy and building a green restaurant. In this session you can hear the results of Subway’s Eco-Store test model. Brad Davis, equipment manager, IPC SUBWAY, and Tina Fitzgerald, director of produce and social responsibility, IPC SUBWAY, will share their experiences and compare the Eco-Store’s efficiency and green savings to other similar Subway locations. This exciting reveal will be moderated by Jeffrey Clark, consultant to the U.S. EPA’s Energy Star program.
Menu
Sodium and the Healthy Plate
Gain perspective on sodium-related challenges and opportunities. Sodium reduction is a major topic and will continue to be at the forefront of nutrition issues. The panel for this session includes Dr. Terry Mason, Chicago Health Department Commissioner; Robert Earl, M.S., R.D., vice president of Nutrition Policy, Grocery Manufacturers Association; Pam Smith, R.D., consultant, Shaping America’s Health; and Michelle Reinholm, International Food Information Council. They will provide insights foodservice operators need to know about sodium while the National Restaurant Association’s Sheila Weiss moderates.