24th Annual Restaurant Executive Conference

from Fall 2023 UCLA Extension Magazine

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Tuesday, April 4, 2023 UCLA Covel Commons

What’s the Future? Recovery, Reinvention, Renewal. For the last 24 years, UCLA Extension has hosted the annual Restaurant Executive Conference for restaurant owners and executives. This one-day premier conference provides a unique, non-competitive forum to come together with industry experts, to learn, network and be inspired.

This year, Sam Fox, founder of Fox Restaurant Concepts, was presented with our Innovation Award and Maggie Baird, founder and president of Support + Feed, with our Foodmanitarian™ Award.

Another notable speaker included David Birzon, CEO of Snooze, an AM Eatery, as the morning keynote speaker. The “Hot Concepts” panel consisted of Mark Leavitt, co-managing partner and co-founder of Enlightened Hospitality Investments, Union Square Hospitality; Pinky Cole, CEO and founder of Slutty Vegan; Kim Malek, founder and president of Salt and Straw; and Peter Phillips, CEO and co-founder of Chip City. Main topics related to the theme, “What’s the Future? Recovery, Reinvention, Renewal,” focused on how the restaurant industry is recovering post-COVID.

The day concluded with a networking reception held on the outdoor terrace of Covel Commons. Visit us at uclaextension.edu/restaurant for updates on next year’s conference.