More than 20 pizza industry leaders with stellar success records will take the stage at PMQ Pizza’s first-ever Pizza Power Forum on September 4-5 at the QSR Evolution Conference and NextGen Restaurant Summit in Atlanta. Their goal: to help pizzeria operators sell more pizza, move their restaurants to a higher level of profitability and performance, and live out their dreams of business success without all the stress.
The Pizza Power Forum is the only industry event that focuses solely on the needs of independent pizzerias and emerging pizza chains. Attendees will hear and share perspectives on igniting growth in the pizza business while networking one-to-one with their fellow operators and exploring the best practices for long-term success.
Click here to learn more about the Pizza Power Forum.
“The Pizza Power Forum will be an intimate and relaxed gathering of pizza professionals, designed for a true meeting of the minds,” said Rick Hynum, editor in chief of PMQ. “We’ll bring together smart, experienced operators from various backgrounds—single-unit restaurants, small but growing pizza chains and pop-up/catering pizzaioli—to lead the panels and get down into the nitty-gritty details of what it takes to succeed and grow in this business.”
The event will offer eight panel discussions featuring pizza visionaries who started with very little and followed their dreams anyway. Some, like Andrew Simmons of Mamma Ramona’s/Pizza Roboto and Erica Barrett of Dough Boy Pizza, are using automation and robotics to build the pizzeria of the future. Others, like Wilhelm Rodriguez of Papa’s Pizza and Alexandra Castro of Pizza With Ale, are pizzaioli focused on the pizza-making craft, with years of experience in teaching it to others. And many, like Michael LaMarca of Master Pizza, Zane and Brandon Hunt of Via 313 and Khanh Nguyen of Zalat Pizza, have grown their operations from a single store or even a food truck to a well-known name brand in markets around the U.S.
Educational topics and speakers will include:
Pizza and Beyond: Developing a Menu That Performs (Panel Discussion)
Speakers: Khanh Nguyen, founder and CEO of Zalat Pizza; Alex Koons, industry consultant, owner of Hot Tongue Pizza and co-owner of Purgatory Pizza; Zane Hunt, co-founder and co-owner of Via 313; and Alexandra Castro, Neapolitan pizza instructor, chef and consultant at Cooking With Ale.
Robots! The Present and Future of Automation (Fireside Chat)
Speaker: Andrew Simmons, owner/founder of Mamma Ramona’s/Pizza Roboto
Leveraging Technology to Build the Pizzeria of the Future (Panel Discussion)
Speakers: Erica Barrett, founder/owner of Dough Boy Pizza; Alessio Lacco, co-founder and co-owner of Atlanta Pizza Truck; Bruce Hershey, industry consultant and owner of Piper’s Scratch Pizza Shop
Marketing Masters: Making Your Brand Stand Out in a Crowded Field (Panel Discussion)
Speakers: Alex Koons, consultant and owner of Hot Tongue Pizza and co-owner of Purgatory Pizza; Sofia Arango, co-founder and co-owner of Atlanta Pizza Truck; and Bruce Hershey, industry consultant and owner of Piper’s Scratch Pizza Shop
Perfecting Your Dough: Tips and Tricks (Panel Discussion)
Speakers: Wilhelm Rodriguez, owner of Papa’s Pizza; Joey Karvelas, owner of Karvelas Pizza Co.; and Alexandra Castro, Neapolitan pizza instructor, chef and consultant at Cooking With Ale.
Culture Is King: Attracting/Retaining Employees by Being Cooler than the Competition (Fireside Chat)
Speaker: Alex Koons, consultant and owner of Hot Tongue Pizza and co-owner of Purgatory Pizza
Scaling With Integrity: How to Maintain Your Brand’s Standards During Growth
Speakers: Shahpour Nejad, president/CEO of Pizza Guys; Michael LaMarca, founder and president of Master Pizza; Khanh Nguyen, founder and CEO of Zalat Pizza; and Brandon Hunt, co-founder and co-owner of Via 313
Working ON Your Business, Not In It (Fireside Chat)
Speaker: Peyton Smith, owner, operator and pizzamaker at Mission Pizza Napoletana
“We’re especially excited to bring some new faces to this industry event and introduce our audience to strategies and models for business growth that are genuinely innovative—not just up-to-date but forward-thinking,” Hynum said. “The Pizza Power Forum isn’t about ‘good enough’ service or ‘good enough food’ or even ‘good enough’ profits and growth. It’s about transformative ideas and bold moves toward ‘better’ and, ultimately, ‘best.’ It’s about building your dream pizzeria company. And we’ve assembled the panelists who can tell you how to do it by starting where you are and with what you’ve got.”
One ticket provides an all-access pass to the Pizza Power Forum’s panel discussions, fireside chats, welcome reception, networking party and keynote presentations. Click here to take advantage of early-bird registration for just $99 per person through June 14, 2024. The regular rate, starting on June 15, will be $149 per person.
