The Table preps restaurant industry for the future

Starting July 8, The Table will present three days of programming, curated by the National Restaurant Association’s Expert Exchange steering committees in Finance, Tax & Audit, Food Safety & Quality Assurance, HR, Nutrition, and Sustainability, to help restaurateurs deal with the operating challenges now at hand.

This year’s theme, “Future Ready Restaurants Start Here,” is aiming to inspire restaurateurs to think about the future, improve day-to-day operations, and embrace new technologies that could help reinvent and grow their businesses. The event, to be held in Louisville, Ky., will also offer best practices for preparing the future workforce to be skilled and ready to compete in a new operating era.

Addressing the challenges ahead

Executives from across the country and various brands from all segments are attending the conference because of the programming’s relevance to the challenges their companies and executives face.
 
"This is The Table’s third year, and while we’ve always focused on supporting our industry’s professionals as they navigate their specific roles, we feel it’s more important than ever to address the current business climate and offer solutions that help businesses prosper and thrive,” said Michelle Korsmo, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association.
 
To help operators contend with economic uncertainty, higher costs on food and labor, hiring, and retention issues, while simultaneously satisfying a vacillating consumer base, the conference is concentrating on two important imperatives they’ll need to embrace: "unleashing breakthrough efficiencies" and ensuring their workforce is “future ready."
 
Ability to prepare the workforce to be “future ready" will define industry success. Today’s workforce, especially the younger employees, want to learn new skills and explore available opportunities. Programming at The Table will provide guidance to operators about how to connect with employees, understand their desires, and show them how to pursue the skills they seek, with the goal of having the next generation view restaurants as great places to build careers.

 Technology and MAHA also on tap

Speakers will include Texas Roadhouse CEO Jerry Morgan, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Chairman Marvin Kaplan, National Restaurant Association Chair Rich Schneider, and former KFC COO Monica Rothgery, who will share their thoughts on the business environment, what “future ready" success looks like, and how to lead with purpose. 
 
On July 10—the last day of the conference—three executives representing industry behemoths will headline a Fireside Chat on Leading Business Efficiency Through Technology. Five Guys’ Chief Information Officer Zerrick Pearson, Aramark’s Technology VP Ted Orman, and Lehigh Valley Restaurant Brands’ Chief Technology Officer Ed Kruczek will address how emerging technologies are transforming operational efficiency, provide examples of successful tech-driven efficiency strategies, and share actionable strategies to drive tech adoption.
 
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement and how it could affect the way restaurants do business will also feature prominently on the conference agenda. Laura Abshire, director of Food and Sustainability Policy for the National Restaurant Association, and Maggie Gentile, Vice President of Food and Nutrition Policy at Food Directions LLC, will discuss MAHA’s focus on specific foods and additives, and share the latest information on what to expect next.
 
The conference will also share the latest on the President’s budget reconciliation bill, which includes several tax breaks, extensions, and credits that will benefit the industry, and tax specialists will break down what the legislation means and the effects it could have on business.