Headline speakers for the conference, which will be held at the Ham Yard Hotel in London on Thursday 5 November, include Tom Crowley, , Popeyes UK&I CEO; James Brown, CEO at Brava Hospitality Group; Baton Berisha, Gaucho Restaurants CEO; Gavin Smith, CEO at Pizza Pilgrims; Markus Thesleff, founder and CEO at Thesleff Group; David Page, chairman of Bow Street Group; and Anna Marie-Mason, divisional director - premium at Mitchells & Butlers.
Tickets are available to purchase now.
Popeyes’ Crowley will share the latest on the brand’s ambitious growth strategy and continued focus on innovation, while Brown will discuss the transformation of Prezzo Italian, the return of Jamie’s Italian and Brava’s growing portfolio of restaurant concepts, alongside the thinking behind its acquisitions and growth strategy.
Berisha will reveal how the 20-strong Gaucho group is driving repeat visits, evolving its customer proposition and building momentum towards a return to double-digit growth, as the premium dining brand enters its next phase of investment and expansion, and Pizza Pilgrims’ Smith will discuss the how the group is entering an ambitious new phase following a landmark period of growth, a return to profitability and a string of new openings.
Page will talk about his return to Italian casual dining with The Bow Street Group’s 25 strong Wildwood brand, his prospects for acquisitions and consolidation at his third and latest investment vehicle, and Marie-Mason will discuss how the Mitchells & Butlers premium brand has gone about calculated estate expansion and how Miller & Carter is capitalising on this demand to drive sustained sales growth.
The programme will also feature a leaders’ panel featuring Steve Holmes, Azzurri Group CEO; John Eckbert, CEO at Five Guys; and Lucy Worth, Mowgli CEO, that will consider how decisionmakers are navigating cost pressures, investing in their brands, building resilience, and identifying the next opportunities for expansion.
The event will also explore the potential for premium UK restaurant brands to expand overseas in a special panel featuring Joytin Sethi, chief executive at JKS Restaurants; Samyukta Nair, CEO and creative director at LSL Capital; and Dan Purnell, chief executive at Permanently Unique.
New sessions will be added to the agenda here soon.
To find out more about the event and to book tickets, please visit the conference website here.