The emergence of virtual kitchens as a vital part of the restaurant industry has brought rapid change, new challenges, and great opportunities to an industry looking for solutions as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This two day event brought together leaders from national restaurant chains, ghost kitchen concepts, third-party delivery providers, technology solutions, host kitchens, private equity, equipment providers, marketing and branding experts, and industry analysts to share insights, form new partnerships, and network with industry leaders. Food ordering can be done online, not conferences.
"I am excited to see a conference solely dedicated to ghost kitchens. It is still the wild west for this new industry."
"I'm looking forward to learning from others in our industry about how we can make the very most of our ghost kitchen business opportunity."
"I look forward to hearing different perspectives about the possibilities and opportunities provided by this new wrinkle in the food industry. I dont know if ghost kitchens are the final step, but they will be a next step in what will shape how people consume food outside our standard four walls. This new outlook will serve as a platform on which new ideas, new efficiencies, and new processes will be created."
“As the restaurant industry continues to innovate, the Ghost Kitchen Conference is providing the perfect setting for the newest evolution of the restaurant business.”
"The restaurant industry is undergoing a massive transition right now — with ghost kitchens playing a pivotal role in supporting the future. I look forward to any conference that specifically highlights where entire industries are heading. The Ghost Kitchen Conference is just that. You won't want to miss it."
"Since the pandemic, the term 'ghost kitchen' has exploded, becoming somewhat of a catchall for any innovators in the off-premise restaurant delivery space. Right now there are a lot of different models out there and it will be very interesting to see which ones endure; it's not a one-size-fits-all model. The Ghost Kitchen Conference is a great way to discover how other hospitality leaders are coming up with new ways to recreate the restaurant experience in more efficient ways across the spectrum of restaurant categories."
"The ghost kitchen industry is here to stay. Events like the Ghost Kitchen Conference are essential for our industry's growth, to allow everyone an opportunity to share ideas, discuss trends, learn about new models and celebrate success. Ghost Kitchen Brands is happy to participate and I look forward to meeting lots of people and sharing our story."
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Conference Speakers
Nabeel Alamgir
Co-Founder & CEO
Lunchbox
Geoff Alexander
President & CEO
Wow Bao
Wade Allen
Senior Vice President of Innovation
Brinker International, Inc.
Nick Avedesian
Founder & CEO
BOLT Kitchens
Chris Baggott
Co-Founder & CEO
ClusterTruck
Michael Beacham
President
REEF
Alex Canter
CEO & Co-Founder
Ordermark
Marc Choy
CEO
Ghost Kitchen Brands
Jonathan Christerson
National Specialist
Brixmor Property Group
Jodie Conrad
Chief Marketing Officer
Fazoli’s
Pete Cook
President & Publisher
OnTrend Concepts
Adam Demuyakor
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Wilshire Lane Partners
John DiLoreto
President, North America
Flipdish
Victor Fernandez
VP of Insights & Knowledge
Black Box Intelligence
Dan Fleischmann
Vice President
Kitchen Fund
Alp Franko
Founder
The Local Culinary
Ralph H. Goldbeck
Regional Director
Kitchens To Go
Justin Green
VP of Hospitality & Strategy
Milwaukee Bucks
Gje Greene-Wallace
Director of Marketing
Neighborhood Ventures
Ryan Gromfin
Founder
The Restaurant Boss
John Ha
Founder & CEO
Bear Robotics
Aziz Hashim
Founder & Managing Partner
NRD Capital
Scott Heim
President
Middleby Ventless Cooking Solutions
George Kottas
Founder & CEO
Ghost Kitchen Brands
Rom Krupp
Founder & CEO
onedine
Nancy Kruse
President
The Kruse Company
Eric Lavinder
Chief Development Officer
WoWorks
Paul Mangiamele
Owner, Chairman & CEO
Legendary Restaurant Brands
Corey Manicone
Co-Founder & CEO
Zuul
Roy McKinnon
Director of Channel Alliance
ShiftPixy
Pedro “Pete” Mora
Founder & CEO
Fajita Pete’s
Randy Murphy
Founder & CEO
FourBurner Technologies and OrderB4
Rishi Nigam
CEO
Franklin Junction
Massimo Noja De Marco
Founder
Soigne’
Dino Northway
Senior Manager Off-Premise Dining
Portillo's
Zack Oates
Founder & CEO
Ovation
Juan Orrego
Founder & CEO
Cuboh
Carl Orsbourn
COO & Co-Founder
Juicer
Andy Perez-Benzo
Founder
Sfumato Holdings
C.J. Ramirez
EVP Marketing Director
Dog Haus / The Absolute Brands
Kenneth Rourke
President
REEF
Meredith Sandland
CEO
Empower Delivery
Tyler Shin
Founder & Managing Member
Revolving Kitchen
Joey Simons
Senior Vice President of Operations
C3
Atul Sood
Chief Business Officer
Kitchen United
Samuel Stanovich
Vice President Membership & Alliances
IFBTA
Deidra Suber
General Manager, Midwest
CloudKitchens
Anna Tauzin
Principal
The Good Kind
Devin Wade
Co-Founder & CEO
Crave Delivery
James Walker, CFE
Senior Vice President - Restaurants
Nathan’s Famous, Inc.
Emily Williams Knight
President & CEO
Texas Restaurant Association
Event Schedule
Thursday, June 17, 2021
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 6:00 am | Exhibitor Setup |
| 8:00 am | Breakfast Buffet |
| 8:30 am | Welcome Remarks • Peter Cook, President, OnTrend Concepts |
| 8:45 am | Industry Overview • Victor Fernandez, VP of Insights & Knowledge, Black Box Intelligence |
| 9:30 am | Successful Ghost Kitchen Approaches: Panel Discussion • Anna Tauzin, Chief Revenue & Innovation Officer, Texas Restaurant Association [M] • Corey Manicone, Co-Founder & CEO, Zuul • James Walker, SVP of Restaurants, Nathan's Famous • Geoff Alexander, CEO, Wow Bao • Wade Allen, SVP Innovation, Brinker International |
| 10:30 am | Morning Networking Break in the Exhibit Hall |
| 11:00 am | Brand Development & Digital Marketing Strategies • Roy McKinnon, Director of Channel Alliance, ShiftPixy [M] • Jodie Conrad, CMO, Fazoli's • Deidra Suber, General Manager, Midwest, CloudKitchens • Zack Oates, Founder & CEO, Ovation • C.J. Ramirez, EVP Marketing Director, Dog Haus / The Absolute Brands |
| 11:45 am | Grocery & Ghost Kitchens Panel • Peter Cook, President, OnTrend Concepts [M] • George Kottas, Founder & CEO, Ghost Kitchen Brands • Eric Lavinder, Chief Development Officer, WoWorks • Chris Baggott, Co-Founder & CEO, ClusterTruck |
| 12:30 pm | Networking Lunch | Interview with Michael Beacham • Meredith Sandland, Author, Delivering the Digital Restaurant [interviewer] • Michael Beacham, President, REEF |
| 1:45 pm | Delivering the Goods Panel • Samuel Stanovich, Vice President Membership & Alliances, IFBTA [M] • Devin Wade, Co-Founder & CEO, Crave Delivery • Dino Northway, Senior Manager, Off-Premise Dining, Portillo's • Nabeel Alamgir, Co-Founder & CEO, Lunchbox • John DiLoreto, President, North America, Flipdish |
| 2:30 pm | Technology Panel • Carl Orsbourn, Author, Delivering the Digital Restaurant [M] • Alex Canter, Co-Founder & CEO, Ordermark • Rom Krupp, Founder & CEO, OneDine • Massimo Noja De Marco, Co-Founder & CEO, Piestro • Rishi Nigam, CEO, Franklin Junction |
| 3:15 pm | Afternoon Networking Break in the Exhibit Hall |
| 3:45 pm | Ghost Kitchen Design • Nick Avedesian, Founder & CEO, BOLT Kitchens |
| 4:00 pm | REEF Case Study • Kenneth Rourke, Executive Vice President & Head of Enterprise Brands, REEF |
| 4:30 pm | Roundtable Discussions • “Guest Feedback: The Secret to Successful Ghost Kitchens” moderated by Ovation • “Fundraising” moderated by Cuboh • “Creating New Revenue Streams & Building Brand Value” moderated by OrderB4 • “From Grill to the Wheels as Fast as Possible with Robots" moderated by Bear Robotics • “Logistics for Multi-Vendor Virtual Food Halls” moderated by Bbot • "Choosing the Right Virtual Brand" moderated by Virtual Dining Concepts • “Using 3D Virtual Tour Technology in Construction & Marketing” moderated by Adaptive Property Solutions • “Engaging the On-Demand Workforce to Overcome the Staffing Crisis” moderated by ShiftPixy |
| 5:45 pm | Networking Reception Sponsored by |
| 7:00 pm | Reception Closes Evening Open for Client Dinners |
| 7:00 pm | Informal Happy Hour Hosted by |
Friday, June 18, 2021
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 6:00 am - 8:00 am | Exhibitor Setup |
| 8:00 am - 9:00 am | Breakfast Buffet |
| 8:30 am | Welcome Remarks • Peter Cook, President, OnTrend Concepts |
| 8:45 am | Capital Markets Panel Discussion • Andy Perez-Benzo, Founder, Sfumato Holdings [M] • Aziz Hashim, Founder & Managing Partner, NRD Capital • Adam Demuyakor, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Wilshire Lane Partners • Dan Fleischmann, Vice President, Kitchen Fund |
| 9:15 am | Menu Development Panel • Nancy Kruse, President, The Kruse Company [M] • Paul Mangiamele, CEO, Legendary Brands • Gje Greene-Wallace, Director of Marketing, Neighborhood Ventures • Joey Simons, Senior Vice President of Operations, C3 |
| 9:45 am | Morning Networking Break in the Exhibit Hall |
| 10:15 am | Case Study: Choosing the Right Location and Equipment for Your Ghost Kitchen • Scott Heim, President, Middleby Ventless Cooking Solutions [M] • Marc Choy, President, Ghost Kitchen Brands • Ralph Goldbeck, Regional Director, Kitchens-To-Go • Jonathan Christerson, National Specialist, Brixmor Property Group |
| 10:45 am | Local & Regional Restaurants Panel • Ryan Gromfin, Founder, The Restaurant Boss [M] • Pete Mora, Founder & CEO, Fajita Pete's • Alp Franko, Founder, The Local Culinary • Justin Green, VP of Hospitality, Milwaukee Bucks • Tyler Shin, Founder & Managing Member, Revolving Kitchen |
| 11:30 am | Key Takeaways Panel Discussion • Emily Williams Knight, Chief Collaboration Officer, National Restaurant Association [M] • Atul Sood, CBO, Kitchen United • Juan Orrego, Founder & CEO, Cuboh • Randy Murphy, Founder & CEO, OrderB4 • John Ha, Founder & CEO, Bear Robotics |
| 12:00 pm | Conference Closes |
| 12:15 pm - 3:00 pm | Exhibitor Break Down |
| 12:30 pm | Departure for Optional Post Conference Outing: "Lunch Reception & Tour of Middleby Innovation Kitchens" (Bus to the Middleby Innovation Kitchen…busses will also shuttle attendees from the Middleby Innovation Kitchens to DFW Airport or back to the Hyatt Regency)  |
Conference Venue & Lodging | Hyatt Regency Dallas
Located downtown next to an iconic Dallas landmark Reunion Tower, Hyatt Regency Dallas is a gateway to the best of the city. Live, work and be yourself at our inviting, contemporary hotel near the Dallas Convention Center and within walking distance of many tourist attractions, including Dealey Plaza and the Historic West End. With easy access from Dallas’ commuter rail (DART), access from either Dallas area airport is convenient (and saves you money from needing to rent a car or pay for downtown parking).
Hyatt Regency Dallas • 300 Reunion Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207 • (214) 651-1234