2025 Speakers

Sri Divel is the founder of The Culinary CMO, a full-service marketing agency that blends deep culinary knowledge with strategic branding to serve the restaurant and hospitality industry. The agency delivers a comprehensive suite of services designed to generate long-term […]

Kimberly has decades of experience working with some of the biggest brands in the restaurant industry, including Applebees, Chilis, Red Robin, Chicken Salad Chick and now Mellow Mushroom. From Operations, Training, Human Resources and New Restaurant Openings, Kimberly is a […]

Reem Fahoum is a seasoned marketing professional with a solid track record of consistently delivering results-driven content while nurturing strategic partnerships for high-quality brand exposure. With over 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry, she has extensive knowledge of […]

Olivia Fazzola is a seasoned operations leader with over 15 years of experience driving strategic growth, operational excellence, and team development in the hospitality and restaurant industries. Currently serving as Director of Operations at Nando’s PERi-PERi North America, she oversees […]

Lauren’s expertise spans restaurant operations and development; brand licensing; franchising; and consumer product development. In her career as counsel and corporate executive, she has established franchise partnerships, licensing programs, distribution, and supply chains for food and drug companies globally, and […]

Victor Fernandez, Chief Insights Officer for Black Box Intelligence, is the company’s most senior analyst, having studied the restaurant industry for over 20 years. He is responsible for delivering insights and products that provide restaurant companies the knowledge they need […]

Roberta Frierson is a Senior Technology Executive with over 25 years of success leading strategy, innovation, and operations to maximize the value that technology adds to organizations. She’s currently the Senior Vice President of Technology and Marketing for Bar Louie.

Eleni Kouvatsos Gates, MBA, APR is an award-winning strategic communications leader based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has extensive experience leading national communications strategy for both private and small-cap public companies, including Florida-based First Watch Restaurants. She currently serves as […]

Andrew Glantz is the Founder & CEO of GiftAMeal, a cause-marketing platform for restaurants that has provided over 2 million meals to those in need through its novel “food for photos” concept. For each photo shared through GiftAMeal, a meal […]

Scott Greenberg is a keynote speaker, author, and business consultant, specializing in leadership, team dynamics, and operational efficiency. His books, “Stop the Shift Show: Turn Your Hourly Workers into a Top Performing Team” and “The Wealthy Franchisee,” offer practical strategies […]