For restaurant operators focused on growing digital operations and off-premises sales, the fall trade show circuit might not be hitting the mark. That’s where the 3rd annual Food On Demand Off-Premises University comes in to help. Join us for a digital content series that is specifically created to help improve your operations. Best of all, you can view without leaving home—and rewatch whenever you want.
With 6 targeted webinars, Off-Premises University is designed to inform and educate restaurant operators on some of the most timely and critical off-premises issues affecting their business and the best practices to address them. Starting in October, Food On Demand will present a webinar every two weeks that features editorial-driven content with strategies and actionable takeaways to help restaurant operators build and optimize their off-premises operations. Learn from industry experts, restaurant operators, and of course our very own Food On Demand editorial team.
Agenda
How AI Shapes Google Discoverability
In today's AI-driven search environment, your Google Business Profile (GBP) is often the first impression a potential customer gets of your business. With billions of searches happening daily, and trillions of searches per year, AI is reshaping discovery by making search more conversational and intelligent. Instead of typing a simple keyword, users now ask complex questions, like "What are some good, kid friendly restaurants with vegetarian options and outdoor seating for a group of 15?" This shift means the goal isn't just to get a click, but to have your business cited and featured directly in Google's AI search experiences. Google's AI synthesizes information to provide a direct, text-based response, pulling details straight from your Business Profile. That makes an accurate and comprehensive GBP more critical than ever—the cost of inaccuracy is high.
Lisa Landsman, Google
Rev Ciancio, Salad House
Moderator: Jared Pfeifer, Food On Demand
Leveling Up Loyalty: Building Personalized Loyalty Programs For Success
Loyalty programs today are about more than points, they’re about personalization. This session explores how to use data and insights to create programs that reward the right customers and increase repeat visits.
Brian Buck, National Coney Island
Charles Gray, Paytronix
Sharyn Knight, Viva Chicken
Moderator: Bernadette Heier, Food On Demand
Winning at Drive-Thru and Takeout
Drive-thru and takeout have never mattered more—or been more complicated. From mobile pickup lanes to kitchen flow and delivery handoffs, operators are rethinking every part of the off-premises experience. Hear from brands on how they’re redesigning, adding new tech, and making smart changes to meet today’s customer expectations.
Lawrence Brown, Rita’s Italian Ice
Steve Smyth, Taco John’s
Moderator: Matthew Liedke, Franchise Times
A Data Look at the Industry Now
What’s really happening in the restaurant market? In this session we will break down the latest sales trends, traffic patterns, pricing shifts, and consumer sentiment to give operators a clear, up-to-date view of the industry—highlighting both today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.
Victor Fernandez, BlackBox Intelligence
Lisa Miller, Lisa W. Miller & Associates
Moderator: Jared Pfeifer, Food On Demand
10:00am CST
Session will be recorded at the 2025 Restaurant Finance & Development Conference and released on this date.
Watch Now
Unlock Customer Insights with Data to Increase Off-Premises Sales and Profits
Are you doing the most with your off-premises data? In this session we will explore how accurate data analysis can yield significant benefits. By upping your data game, you can put yourself in a better position to optimize your menu, establish healthy prices, design compelling offers, and more. Our panelists will help you convert data into actionable insights so you can get to work improving your business.
Abhinav Kapur, Bikky
Dan Lynn, Inspire Brands
Jim Bitticks, Dave's Hot Chicken
Moderator: Bernadette Heier, Food On Demand
1:00pm CST
Session will be recorded at the 2025 Restaurant Finance & Development Conference and released on this date.
Watch Now
Evolving the Restaurant Tech Stack: Balancing Legacy Systems for Future-Ready Tools
As tech moves faster than ever, restaurants are stuck trying to balance what’s tried-and-true with what’s next. This session dives into how AI and emerging tools are reshaping the game, why flexibility matters, and how restaurants should move beyond vertical-specific tools toward more flexible, horizontal systems. We’ll explore how smarter, more connected tech can unlock better decisions and boost profits.
Savneet Signh, PAR Techonology
Peter Newlin, Gastamo Group
Phil Friedman, Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill
Speakers
Lisa Landsman
Global Business Development, Google
Rev Ciancio
Chief Marketing Officer, Salad House
Charles Gray
VP of Product Management, Paytronix
Victor Fernandez
Chief Insights Officer, BlackBox Intelligence
Lisa Miller
President, Lisa W. Miller & Associates
Lawrence Brown
Chief Development Officer, Rita's Italian Ice
Sharyn Knight
Director of Marketing, Viva Chicken
Abhinav Kapur
Co-Founder and CEO, Bikky
Dan Lynn
Chief Commercial Officer, Inspire Brands
Phil Friedman
CEO, Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill
Savneet Singh
President & CEO, PAR Technology
Peter Newlin
CEO, Gastamo Group
Steve Smyth
Director of Restaurant Technology, Taco John's
Brian Buck
Director of IT, National Coney Island
Jim Bitticks
President and COO, Dave's Hot Chicken
Matthew Liedke
Senior Writer, Franchise Times
Bernadette Heier
Managing Editor, Food On Demand
Jared Pfeifer
Publisher, Food On Demand
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors for making this event free to attend.
Paytronix, an Access Group company, is the leading provider of guest engagement solutions for restaurants and convenience stores that seek to develop lasting relationships with their audiences. For over 20 years, Paytronix has grown its Guest Engagement Platform to seamlessly incorporate individual components of Digital Customer Engagement into a single, robust platform. This enables Paytronix clients to deliver consistent experiences, sophisticated campaigns by segments, and tailored 1:1 messaging. Today, over 1,800 brands rely on Paytronix to help them better engage their guests and create stronger brand preferences.
For over four decades, PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE: PAR) has been a leader in restaurant technology, empowering brands worldwide to create lasting connections with their guests. Our innovative solutions and commitment to excellence provide comprehensive software and hardware that enable seamless experiences and drive growth for over 100,000 restaurants in more than 110 countries. Embracing our “Better Together” ethos, we offer Unified Customer Experience solutions, combining point-of-sale, digital ordering, loyalty and back-office software solutions as well as industry-leading hardware and drive-thru offerings. To learn more, visit partech.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
Bikky is a customer data platform exclusively for multi-unit restaurant brands. With Bikky, brands like Dave’s Hot Chicken, Bojangles, and Playa Bowls have a clear understanding of how their marketing, menu, and operations impact guest traffic and frequency. By connecting with your entire tech stack—from POS to loyalty—Bikky delivers insight on up to 90% of your guest base, empowering you to make informed, fast decisions that drive incremental sales.
Questions?
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