Looking to enter or expand in the U.S.? This session will provide the necessary background and up-to-date intelligence for any restaurant concept planning to enter or expand within this competitive marketplace. The session is designed to give you, the operator, insight into the U.S. foodservice market, including the current size of the market, trends in foodservice, who the successful restaurant operators are and who to watch. Additionally, learn what issues restaurant brands face when entering the U.S. related to the marketplace, distribution and local governments. After gaining a foundational understanding, walk away with an invaluable framework for your expansion strategy toolkit. 

As the industry rapidly changes to meet consumer trends and demands, it’s crucial for companies to evolve in order to succeed in the future. Greg Creed, CEO of Yum! Brands – whose brands KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell are global leaders of their respective food categories – will open the 2019 GRLC with a keynote providing valuable insights on trends in the quick-service restaurant industry and the role that culture and talent play in driving innovation, fueling results and building distinctive, relevant and easy brands.

As GRLC shifts focus to Singapore and the Asia Pacific region, so too do our philanthropic efforts. GRLC is honored to spotlight Project Dignity, an award-winning social enterprise and Asia’s leading community platform for experiencing local cuisine while doing good. Our focus is on Dignity Kitchen™, the world’s first food court run by people with disabilities and the socially disadvantaged. The company provides structured training for anyone serious about gaining street food skills. Join us to hear more about this incredible organization and how you can continue to have a positive global impact.

For the third year, Coca-Cola is proud to present the State of the Global Foodservice Industry. Attendees will have an exclusive look at the latest and most trusted global market foodservice data, generated and presented by Technomic, the world’s leading foodservice research firm. During this session, Technomic experts Joe Pawlak and David Henkes will reveal authoritative industry sales data and overarching trends that span the globe and are fueling industry growth. Rankings of the Top 150 global restaurant chains will be presented along with fact-based insight about the factors driving success among industry leaders. The latest consumer research spanning the globe will be shared. Learn the macro forces shaping future food and beverage usage and what drives global consumers to restaurants and what they expect from the experience.

James Quincey, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Coca-Cola Company, will talk about the enduring power of partnership, key consumer trends impacting the global foodservice marketplace, and the large-scale opportunities he sees for growth and greater value creation in the worldwide restaurant market. His speech will be followed by a one-on-one discussion of these and other topics with Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association.

Join Victor Gielisse, CMC, DBA, Partner in the CIA Consulting Group, as he explores with you Menu Engineering best practices and key opportunities in the tightly competitive food service and hospitality market. He will also delve into the ongoing challenges for operators of creating and implementing something new - a new product, process, service or perhaps a new business model. Explore the opportunities that operators face and the need to understand when a current practice adds value and at what stage to initiate another point of differentiation to stay ahead of the competition by delivering new value creation for their business. Take-aways from this session include:

• Understanding and improving upon your business innovation dimensions
• The value of using cross-functional teams and co-development process strategies
• Explore effective Innovation Management practices

Menu trends are emerging at a rapid pace and have never been more mobile across the globe. While it’s imperative that operators keep their offerings in line with current food and drink trends, it can be a challenge keeping up with the many food fads and crazes, as well as determining which trends are more lasting and how to adapt them to a specific market and segment. This session will focus on the key strategies that operators employ when adopting and adapting fast-moving menu trends for their local market. 

The Global Restaurant Leadership Distinction Awards are awarded to those restaurant brands that excel in the global marketplace through Innovation, Industry Service, Partnership and Expansion.  The Innovation category recognizes international success by crossing boundaries, staying ahead of consumer demands and enhancing operations, and GRLC is pleased to recognize four wonderful brands.  Join us as we celebrate these international stars!  

The boom of delivery, growing demand for off-premise food and drink, increased pressure from nontraditional competitors and hurried lifestyles have forced many operators to rethink how and where they set up and locate their restaurants. Today’s restaurant chains are tasked with doing more with less—servicing more dayparts, offering delivery and providing seamless ordering solutions—often with smaller kitchens and a tight labor market. This session will examine how leading operators are revamping their operations to address the modern industry landscape. 

Dr. William Tan has dared more in his lifetime than most of us would dream to attempt. He's an accomplished scholar, scientist, and athlete but realized, "winning medals, trophies or prize money should not be an end to itself. It should be a means to further goodness and to help people." Since then, he has devoted himself to championing great causes worldwide. He has helped raised more than $18 million on a voluntary basis for charities locally and internationally over the last 22 years.  Ultimately, his battles and fighting spirit have have transformed him into a more compassionate physician and invigorated him to dedicate his new lease of life to doing more for humanity. His journey of resilience and reinventing oneself to scale greater heights in the face of adversity continues to inspire many individuals and corporate leaders.

Just as consumers now expect more in terms of the food they eat, they are also beginning to take note of restaurants’ “green” practices for management of supplies, buildings and infrastructure. Major global and regional chains are making important changes and—importantly—promoting them aggressively, indicating that they have reason to believe “green” positioning resonates with their customers. Walk away from this session equipped with the forward-looking initiatives industry leaders are deploying to become more sustainable and build business off of it.

Given this extraordinary conclusion to an unprecedented gathering of global industry leaders, do not miss the final conversation at GRLC:  an assembly of four of the world’s smartest, most accomplished restaurateurs, interviewed by a highly-regarded foodservice business development veteran.  These visionary leaders will share what’s driving their respective companies’ growth as it relates to international opportunities and provide actionable insights they’ve garnered in their collective decades of leadership and foodservice success.  Each highly respected panelist will provide compelling imperatives for global growth through the power of partnership in the future.