The RFDC speaker lineup includes, from left, 7Brew’s Nicole Miller Regan, RBI Chairman Patrick Doyle and NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
It takes capital to grow, and in today’s restaurant environment, operators need to be savvier than ever. For those who want to stay on top of what’s happening in the business and capital markets, the annual Restaurant Finance & Development Conference is where they can tap into expert insight—and the benefits of networking with leading lenders and investors.
Produced by Franchise Times sibling publication the Restaurant Finance Monitor, RFDC will be held November 13-15 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Educational sessions will cover a wide variety of financial, economic, technology, real estate and restaurant operations topics.
Keynote speakers include Patrick Doyle, executive chairman of Restaurant Brands International, who before joining the parent company of Burger King, Popeyes, Tim Hortons and Firehouse was CEO of Domino’s Pizza. During his time at Domino’s from 2010 to 2018, Doyle led the brand’s transformation into a digital powerhouse. He’ll kick off the opening general session on Monday, November 13.
Also taking the stage that day is Nicholas Bloom, a professor of economics at Stanford University and the co-director of the Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a fellow of the Centre for Economic Performance and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. He’ll tackle the topic of the future of remote work and what it means for restaurants.
Helping start the day Tuesday, November 14, is Jason Trennert, co-founder and CEO of institutional brokerage and advisory firm Strategas. Trennert is a regular guest on business news programs broadcast by CNBC, CNBC Italia, Fox Business News and Bloomberg TV. During his session, Trennert will discuss what restaurant operators should know about inflation, Fed policy and the prospects for credit in 2024.
Our lineup also features famed NFL wide receiver and Super Bowl MVP Jerry Rice, who will talk about his journey and how his success on and off the field stems from an incredible work ethic. Fittingly, Rice will speak during the MMB Success Breakfast on Wednesday, November 15.
Session highlights
Attendees will hear experienced restaurant operators detail how they’re building multi-concept portfolios and driving growth across their brands. Learn from Kamal Singh, CEO of Emerge (franchisee of Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, Sonic), Shehzaan Chunara, vice president of Chunara Group (Checkers, Dunkin’, Popeyes, TGI Fridays, Blaze Pizza and more), Nick Rhoads, co-founder of Heritage Partners (Wendy’s, Papa Johns) and Mike James, CEO of Guernsey Holdings (Sonic, Little Caesars).
This year the popular CFO panel will feature insight from: 7 Brew’s Nicole Miller Regan, James McGehee of Dave’s Hot Chicken, Little Caesars CFO Leigh Burnside, and Geno Orrico of Anchor Point Management.
On the real estate front, panelists will share their real-world experiences in strengthening portfolios and balance sheets, with an emphasis on collaboration with lenders, franchisors and landlords.
M&A-focused sessions will cover navigating the acquisitions path for growth, what experienced buyers and sellers have learned over years of due diligence and valuation work, and the outlook for 2024. Off-premises experts will tackle topics such as negotiating delivery contracts and share strategies to improve profitability.
