Women in Restaurant Leadership (WiRL)

#FlashbackFriday ?? At the Together Summit, this amazing group came together to build six brand-new bikes for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America/Middle Tennessee! ??? We think there’s nothing better than fostering collaboration while giving back to our communities (and having a lot of fun in the process.)This is what #WiRLPower is all about! ??????

Congratulations Amanda Potts, the newest VP of Marketing and Innovation at A&W Restaurants, Inc.! She comes to the brand with over 20 years of experience spanning the retail, service and restaurant sectors. ?? “A&W Restaurants has more than 105 years of stories we aren’t done telling. The iconic brand continues to grow, evolve and adapt with its guests, while remaining true to its rich history. As I join the A&W team, I’m dedicated to honoring the history that makes the brand unique and sharing new ideas, marketing strategies, and communications plans to take the brand to new heights and engage new audiences,” said Potts. “I’m honored to be a part of an organization with a strong foundation of loyal customers, passionate franchise partners, and a leadership team dedicated to A&W’s success.” This news follows the recent appointment of Betsy Schmandt as CEO and Meredeth S. Jones, CFE as VP of Franchise Development and Design ?? #WiRLPower Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/eq5BFX2r

Let’s talk a bit about what’s next for our Women in Restaurant Leadership (WiRL) movement. We’re going back to where it all started. This journey began as a networking reception within the sphere of a larger conference (two co-located ones, to be exact), QSR Evolution and the NextGen Restaurant Summit. Feedback I received on-site spurred the creation of a separate event, which launched in five months. And so, here are we today, two-plus years later. Firstly, the networking reception will return to Atlanta in September (more on this later), but I wanted to focus on another point. During a session at WiRL a few weeks ago, a speaker offered a piece of advice to fellow women in the room: Raise your hand. I don’t know if this is related to the growth of WiRL or not (I would guess it is), but that happened way more this year than ever before. This year’s lineup for QSR Evolution and NextGen has more women execs than we’ve featured thus far—by a major, major distance. And it all happened organically. That might be the clearest evidence yet of the kind of progress we’re hoping to make. For keynotes: Amy Ellis Durini, CMO, Taco Bell International Anna F., VP, brand management, KFC U.S. Neha DK, sr. director of marketing, Pizza Hut Global Kate Jaspon, CFO, Inspire Brands Debbie Stroud, CEO, Whataburger For fireside chats (one-on-one talks) Kieran Donahue, chief commercial officer, GoTo Foods Dena vonWerssowetz, CMO, Firehouse Subs Tatiana Lambert, CDO, Wendy's Then our WiRL: State of the Union panels are back (we made them at different times this year so you wouldn't have to choose): QSR: Kelly McCutcheon (moderator extraordinaire) Maggie Gordon, president, Dillas Quesadillas Jane Grote Abell, chief purpose officer, Donatos Shannon Iverson, CFE, VP of franchise dev, Taco John's Michele Maerz, president, Salata Tonya McCoy, VP of marketing, Angry Chickz Alexis Parra, cofounder, Nekter Jennifer Schuler, CEO, Handel's FSR: Toni Ronayne, President, Perkins American Food Co. Elizabeth Brasch, EVP, Marketing, Mellow Mushroom Roberta Frierson, SVP, Information Tech & Digital Strategy, Bar Louie Kristen Hohl, SVP, Marketing, SPB Hospitality Reem Fahoum, VP, Marketing, Heritage Restaurant Brands Moderated by Jennifer Loper, President, C3 Presentations: Liz Moskow is talking about the future of tech and hospitality. Courtney Leyes and Emily Litzinger will return to help you navigate post-election labor laws. Laura Livers and Sarah Beckett revealing the Drive-Thru Study results. Of course, there are amazing women all throughout other panels, speaking, moderating, and more, (I don't have enough tags). But a quick hint on the networking hour itself, which is always the first thing to sell out, so make sure to add it during registration if you're interested: We are going to do a very, very crazy theme. Stay tuned. I hope to see you all there as we continue to amplify the platform. We've come a long way in two years, but it's really just the beginning.

A Thursday bite of wisdom from restaurateur Yavonne Sarber, founder of Agave & Rye and BITE ME Cupcakery. #WiRLPower ?? Read her profile, written by Callie Evergreen, now: https://lnkd.in/eWAYRKK2

Happy #NationalWorkingMomsDay —?because every mom is a working mom. We see you, we hear you, and we're here to support you. ?? Tag a mom you appreciate down below and spread the love ?? We'll go first, with speakers from our Restaurant Moms on the Move Panel: Julie Zucker, Camille West-Hymes, Lyndsey Patel, Caroline Skinner, Jen Abernathy

Last weekend, Whataburger debuted its Whataburger Museum of Art (WMOA) at SXSW in Austin, Texas. President and CEO Debbie Stroud welcomed fans to the exhibit with a touching speech on culture, community, creativity, and love. “The WMOA exhibit is a declaration of a community that believes in the power of art and being stronger together,” Stroud says. “It brings together inspiration and ways to express human connection and explore what love really feels like. When people express their love for Whataburger through art, the answer is this celebration of creativity and community. It’s inspiring, and I hope it continues to grow.” ?? Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eWsht3pj

TODAY AT 3:30 P.M. EST: Join us for another #WiRLPower Hour session! If you're looking for a mentor to help accelerate your growth or eager to pay it forward and empower the next generation of leaders, this is the perfect session for you. ?? BUT... this isn’t just another webinar or virtual happy hour. It’s an interactive networking experience where you'll connect with industry leaders, exchange insights with peers, and get real-time mentorship. Here's how it works ?? ?? Breakout rooms switch every 30 minutes—keeping networking fun and dynamic ?? Direct access to top executives and experts ?? Actionable advice to level up your career ?? Networking with peers made fun and easy in a safe, casual environment This week's session is hosted by WiRL advisory board members (and mentorship experts) ?? ? Sheri Miksa | 5X CEO/President (BIBIBOP, Boneheads, Mazzio's, Robeks, Rubio's) & Mentor Program Leader, GLEAM Network ? Sunny Ashman, MBA | CEO & Founder, AmpliSKY Franchise Consulting ?? Spots are limited! RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/eRC4HqNu

For the SEASON ONE FINALE (can you believe that?!) of the #WiRLPod, we are serving up not one, but two episodes! ?? Elevating Women in Food ?? Satyne Doner sat down with Les Dames d'Escoffier International President Stephanie Jaeger to explore the philanthropic organization's initiatives, the power of mentorship, and her vision for the future of women in the foodservice industry. LISTEN HERE: https://lnkd.in/eCqz2r4D ?? Women Shaping the Future of Pizza ?? This BONUS EPISODE features PMQ Pizza senior editor Charlie Pogacar, stephanie swane, and Laura Meyer, diving into the future of pizza, innovation in the industry, and the importance of championing women in food. LISTEN HERE: https://lnkd.in/ez-FyaqQ Who do you want to see in season 2 of the official Women in Restaurant Leadership podcast? Thank you for being on this journey with us! #WiRLPower

To celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth, FSR editor Callie Evergreen recently profiled seven women leaders who are crafting culinary magic at Walt Disney World ? ?? Check out the full slideshow: https://lnkd.in/eN4xTvxb

Join us for another #WiRLPower Hour this Wednesday at 3:30 PM EST! If you're looking for a mentor to help accelerate your growth or eager to pay it forward and empower the next generation of leaders, this is the perfect session for you. ?? BUT... this isn’t just another webinar or virtual happy hour. It’s an interactive networking experience where you'll connect with industry leaders, exchange insights with peers, and get real-time mentorship. Here's how it works ?? ?? Breakout rooms switch every 30 minutes—keeping networking fun and dynamic ?? Direct access to top executives and experts ?? Actionable advice to level up your career ?? Networking with peers made fun and easy in a safe, casual environment This week's session is hosted by Women in Restaurant Leadership (WiRL) board members (and mentorship experts) ?? ? Sheri Miksa | 5X CEO/President (BIBIBOP, Boneheads, Mazzio's, Robeks, Rubio's) & Mentor Program Leader, GLEAM Network ? Sunny Ashman, MBA | CEO & Founder, AmpliSKY Franchise Consulting ?? Spots are limited! RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/eRC4HqNu