Attendees // Colorado Restaurant & Bar Show

10 AM – 4 PM MST

Show floor open

10 AM – 11 AM MST

Networking reception (Center of the Plate)

11 AM –  12 PM MST

Keynote Session: “Creating Culture: The Key to Hiring & Retention”
(Education room, across from booth 619)

It’s a challenging time to be in the restaurant industry. Employees — and managers, in particular — are hard to get and keep. Prices are at historic highs. Margins are leaner than ever. But you’re in this business for good reasons: You’re passionate about hospitality, food, and people. In this keynote presentation, business communication expert and author Shari Harley, founder and president of Denver-based Candid Culture, will share strategies and tactics for hiring and retaining employees who are passionate, too. She’ll dive into how to create an environment in which you can hold employees to a high standard, without worrying that receiving hard feedback will make them leave, as well as tips for developing a brand culture that inspires your employees to do their best work and stay with you for the long haul.

11 AM – 4 PM MST

Vendor demos (Center of the Plate stage)

2 PM – 3 PM MST

Education Session: “Doing More With Less: The State of the Industry in 2023”
(Education room, across from booth 619)

Efficient, flexible, fast: That’s what restaurant and bar operators must be in 2023 to make business work. Join data-guru B. Hudson Riehle, Senior Vice President of the Research and Knowledge Group for the National Restaurant Association, as he explains the latest data on current and upcoming trends critical to the industry’s success over the next decade and explores the opportunities reshaping the industry’s sales, workforce, operations, technologies, menus, and off-premises markets.

As the SVP of the Research and Knowledge Group, Hudson Riehle directs the Association’s consumer, economic, technology, market, human resources, tourism, and operations research, as well as overseeing its extensive knowledge center activities.

3 PM – 4 PM MST

Networking happy hour, sponsored by US Foods
(near US Foods, booths 521 – 517 & 620 – 616)

3:45 PM MST

$500 cash-prize drawing (Center of the Plate)

10 AM – 4 PM MST

Show floor open

10 AM – 11 AM MST

Networking reception (Center of the Plate)

11 AM –  12:30 PM MST

Education Session: “Full Plate: Labor Law Challenges in 2023 and Beyond”
(Education room, across from booth 619)

The restaurant industry continues to face increasingly complex compliance demands when it comes to new state laws — not to mention federal wage-and-hour law — and we know it’s difficult to stay on top of it all. We also know that if you don’t understand the law and how to comply, your business WILL suffer. Join Fisher Phillips attorney Todd Fredrickson, our trusted labor-and-employment-law partner, to learn what you need to know about federal and state law challenges, such as vacation and paid-time-off policies; the new FAMLI act and upcoming Colorado Secure Savings Program; the resurrected 80/20 rule; this year’s COMPS order and related wage-and-hour issues; pay, job posting, and tip-pool requirements; and how to comply with paid sick leave during the continued pandemic state of emergency. The information and resources provided in this session are crucial for Colorado operators of all sizes.

11 AM – 4 PM MST

Vendor demos (Center of the Plate stage)

2 PM – 3 PM MST

Education Session: “Inflation and Menu Pricing: Smart Strategies for Managing the Impossible”
(Education room, across from booth 619)

Food, alcohol, labor. Utilities, real estate, packaging. The cost of nearly everything you need to run your foodservice business has risen exponentially over the past three years, leaving operators faced with the impossible: fixing menu prices to cover costs without scaring away customers. Our panel of experts – two CFOs, a beverage director, and an industry consultant – will share their insights, experience, and strategies for menu engineering, making smart costing decisions, handling the dreaded surcharge dilemma, and a lot more. Whether you own or operate a mom-and-pop business, a restaurant group, or a national chain, you won’t want to miss this important conversation on a topic affecting us all.

Panelists: Samuel Aghbashian, Watercourse Foods, City O’ City, Make, Believe Bakery; Jim Hargrove, Shamrock Foods; Carlin Karr, Frasca Hospitality Group; Laura McGinley, Wahoo’s Fish Taco; moderated by Amanda M. Faison

3:45 PM MST

$500 cash-prize drawing (Center of the Plate)

Shari Harley, Founder and President, Candid Culture

Shari Harley runs Candid Culture, a training and consulting firm making it easier to tell the truth at work. Shari is bringing candor back to the workplace. Before launching her business, Shari led leadership development training for OppenheimerFunds, conducted customer service training for American Century Investments, and facilitated for Dale Carnegie Training. Shari is the author of the book How to Say Anything to Anyone, has a master’s degree in Communication, and taught leadership development at the University of Denver. Shari’s practical approach has led her to speak and train in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Dubai, and Australia. From ‘Making Meetings Work’ and ‘Delegating Better’ to ‘Managing Your Career’ and ‘Saying Anything to Anyone,’ Shari’s tips are sure to delight and inform in a real, direct, and very funny way.

Sam Aghbashian, CFO, Watercourse Foods, City, O’ City & Make, Believe Bakery

Bio coming soon!

Amanda M. Faison, journalist and editor

Amanda M. Faison has chased stories about food and restaurant culture for more than two decades. In addition to freelance writing and editing, Faison was the longtime food editor of 5280, Denver’s city magazine. She has published stories in national titles such as Food & Wine, Outside, Sunset, Elle Decor, and Travel & Leisure. Her ranch-to-plate feature, “Soul Food,” was anthologized in Best Food Writing 2010. She has also edited four cookbooks and has twice judged the James Beard Foundation’s annual cookbook awards.

Todd Fredrickson, Partner, Fisher Phillips LLP 

Todd is a CRA Legal Resource Center partner and one of a small number of Denver labor attorneys who practice traditional labor law, representing employers in union campaigns, contract negotiations, grievance arbitrations and unfair labor practice charges. He also tries employment cases before juries, judges, and arbitrators. His practice involves representing employers in various matters arising under such laws as Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), and Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA).

Todd regularly counsels clients on a spectrum of personnel management issues, with the goal of avoiding litigation. To that end, he advises employers on developing and enforcing proper policies, employee handbooks, and employment and compensation agreements. Todd also counsels employers on compliance with federal and state wage and hour laws. Much of his practice focuses on training supervisors, managers, and other employees on such issues as sexual harassment, discrimination, employee discipline and discharge, and investigation of employee grievances.

Jim Hargrove, Enterprise Restaurant Business Consultant with Shamrock Foods

Jim Hargrove is a 40-year veteran in restaurant-industry operations, covering nearly every facet of experience one could garner in a hospitality career. Jim served in virtually every hourly position available in his first seven years in the industry, from dishwasher and cook to busser, server, bartender, and more. After college, Jim set off on a career path in the industry by landing a job as an assistant manager with a large corporate chain. This launched a three-plus-decade journey through various restaurant companies, both private and public, in a wide variety of leadership roles.

Jim’s most recent operational experience was as President of Santa Fe Dining. In his role as President, Jim oversaw 12 stores with 10 concepts, with locations in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Through this experience, Jim developed expertise in cost-of-sale control, labor control, on boarding and training, budgeting, P&L analysis and impact, food safety, responsible alcohol service, purchasing and supply chain, employee turnover management, public relations, marketing, brand development, and contract negotiations.

After a lifetime of restaurant operations, Jim has now transitioned to a consulting role and is an Enterprise Restaurant Business Consultant with Shamrock Foods in Colorado. In this role, he is able to coach and teach other restaurant concepts and operators according to their specific needs to solve operational and profitability issues.

Carlin Karr, Wine Director, Frasca Hospitality Group

Carlin has been a member of the wine team at Frasca Food and Wine team since 2012. She oversees the award-winning wine programs at Frasca, Pizzeria Locale Boulder, Tavernetta and Sunday Vinyl. After graduating from the University of Colorado in 2008, Carlin moved to San Francisco, where she opened the restaurant Sons & Daughters as General Manager and Wine Director before returning to Boulder to join the Frasca Hospitality Group.

Carlin is recognized as an “Advanced Sommelier” by the Court of Master Sommeliers and she has been recognized in Food & Wine’s Sommeliers of the Year 2018, Wine Enthusiast’s “40 Under 40” in 2019, Forbes’ “30 under 30” in 2011, Wine & Spirits Magazine’s “Best New Sommeliers,” and as an Eater “Young Gun.” Carlin is a hospitality mentor for women in wine through Batonnage and a member of Les Dames des Escoffiers.

Laura McGinley, CFO, Wahoo’s Fish Taco

Bio coming soon!

Hudson Reihle, Senior Vice President, Research and Knowledge Group at the National Restaurant Association

As the Senior Vice President of the Research and Knowledge Group for the National Restaurant Association, Hudson Riehle directs the Association’s consumer, economic, technology, market, human resources, tourism and operations research as well as oversees its extensive knowledge center activities.  Frequently cited by major national and international news organizations and appearing on national television broadcasts, he has authored a variety of articles and serves as an information source and spokesperson for the restaurant and hospitality industry.

Mr. Riehle received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Skidmore College in New York and his Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  Appointed by the Secretary of Labor, he has been a member of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Business Research Advisory Council; a former Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Alexandria (VA) Convention and Visitors Association; a member of the Center for Food Integrity Consumer Research Advisory Panel and the Wharton Executive Advisory Panel; and is currently included in the current edition of Who’s Who in America.