important INFO
The Restaurant Catering Workshop begins at the Austin Marriot Downtown immediately following the Fast Casual Executive Summit. Day 2 of The Restaurant Catering Workshop will be held at the El Arroyo restaurant at 1624 West 5th Street in Austin.
Agenda
Tuesday // October 7, 2025
All attendees, sponsors, and speakers must check in at the registration desk and pick up a name badge. Please wear your badge at all times during the Workshop.
Host
Cherryh Cansler
Catering isn’t just a side revenue stream—it’s the future of restaurant growth. This session explores how first-party catering, corporate partnerships, and local sales strategies are shaping the industry. We’ll discuss evolving consumer behaviors, emerging technology, and how restaurants that invest in structured catering programs now will be the ones thriving in the years ahead.
Keynote Speaker
Kelly Grogan
The right tech can make or break a catering program.
This session will highlight:
- What restaurant brands need in a first-party ordering system
- How to track customer data & leverage insights for better outreach
- Best practices for integrating catering with POS & delivery management
- How AI & automation can support catering operations
Presenters
Erle Dardick
Courtney Smith
Darrin Winning
Meet fellow attendees, industry leaders, and sponsors over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
Wednesday // October 8, 2025
In a landscape where third-party delivery (3PD) platforms are critical to revenue but often misunderstood, this session will equip you with the strategies to take control. Learn how to position your catering menus for visibility, optimize platform algorithms, and drive high-margin transactions that work for your business. From promotions and photography to pricing and operations, we’ll break down the tactics used by top-performing brands to turn marketplaces into meaningful growth engines.
Key Takeaways:
- Platform-specific tips to improve visibility and conversion
- Understanding the ranking algorithm and leveraging it to your advantage
- How to use LTOs, bundles, and images to increase order size
- Navigating platform fees, menus, and operations for catering-scale fulfillment
- The roadmap to owning your data while building a 3PD strategy that scales
Customer retention is the new acquisition. This session explores how restaurant operators can leverage CRM tools and AI to better understand, segment, and market to their catering clients. From automated re-engagement flows and follow-up cadences to AI-driven lead scoring and outreach, we’ll explore how to stop leaving money on the table and start building relationships at scale.
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding CRM as a revenue tool, not just a database
- Building smart automation flows for catering follow-ups and reorders
- Using AI to score, segment, and personalize outreach
- Best practices for capturing, organizing, and acting on guest data
- Tools and tech stack recommendations for restaurants of all sizes
Marketing for catering is NOT the same as marketing for restaurant traffic.
In this session, we’ll break down:
- How to market directly to businesses, event planners & corporate decision-makers
- Email & social media strategies that drive catering orders
- Leveraging first-party channels to reduce reliance on third-party platforms
- Local store marketing ideas to build community partnerships
Presenters
Donna Magen
Brittany Mercer
Andi Ott
Max Richey
Scaling catering requires flawless execution—without it, even the best sales and marketing strategies won’t work.
This session will dive into:
- Best practices for order fulfillment & accuracy
- Delivery logistics that won’t slow you down
- Packaging and presentation strategies that impress clients
- How to set up catering-friendly kitchen workflows
Presenters
Allen Beck
Jerome Dees Jr.
Jessica Serrano
Ever had a catering order go horribly wrong because of tech issues? Share your stories, and let’s discuss solutions together!
Hear from restaurant operators who have built high-performing catering programs.
Topics include:
- Lessons learned from scaling catering in a multi-unit environment
- How to balance in-store sales with catering operations
- What marketing & operations investments deliver the biggest ROI
Presenters
Brian Bailey
Ryan Patchak
Brian Strayer
Attendees will have the opportunity to sit down with speakers and industry experts for a rapid-fire Q&A session on sales, marketing, operations, and catering program growth.
Become A Speaker
If you're an experienced restaurant executive who is open to sharing insights with peers from other brands, we'd love to have you join us as a speaker or panelist.