LRA Live!

It's been an unbelievable year for restaurants in Louisiana — I'm sure your company has had unimagined challenges and opportunities emerged.

Speaking of opportunities, the LRA has created LRA Live! A Recovery Marketing Event to deliver your company's message to restaurateurs, managers, purchasers and decision makers at a time they need it the most.

REGISTER, ATTEND, AND WIN!

One lucky winner per session will walk away with some of these amazing virtual door prizes!
Click the button below to see what's up for grabs, and then keep scrolling to register for sessions.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

9:00 - 9:25 a.m.

Create Your Restaurant
Comeback Strategy

Tough times never last, but with the right strategies in place, tough entrepreneurs do. As a restaurant owner, you need more than than just the answers to today's uncertainty; you need a PLAN! To ensure your comeback, Anne will give you the tools you need to develop a strategy that considers your tax, personal and business situations.

Session Sponsor:

Anne Gannon
Principal CPA
The Largo Group

Motivated to create a more efficient system for monthly accounting and tax services, Anne opened her company, The Largo Group, in 2016.

9:35 - 9:50 a.m.

What Makes Specialty
Coffee Special

In the time it takes you to enjoy a fresh cup of PJ’s Coffee at a local franchise near you, or New Orleans Roast at your favorite restaurant, PJ’s Coffee Roastmaster Felton Jones will teach you what makes a house or holiday blend so unique and delicious.

Felton Jones
Roastmaster
New Orleans Roast & PJ's of New Orleans

Felton joined the PJ's Coffee production team in 1993 under the direction of Phyllis Jordan, PJ's Coffee's founder. Fast forward through operations and quality control positions to 2003, when Felton achieved his status as Roastmaster & Coffee Buyer for PJ's Coffee.

10:00-10:25 a.m.

Engaging Today's Workforce with Cultural Intelligence

This session is designed primarily for unit-level and multi-unit managers to help employees, franchisees and independent operators increase sales, reduce costs and improve retention by learning to better engage multicultural employees.

Session Sponsor:

Gerry Fernandez
Founder & President
Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance

With over 35 years of experience in the industry, Gerry has held leadership positions with The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Hemenway’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar, The Capital Grille and General Mills, where he got his start in diversity and inclusion work.

10:35-10:50 a.m.

Beyond the Dish Pit with Auto-Chlor System

Learn how this third generation Louisiana-based company has adapted to the needs of its restaurant clients and how its culture of family is embodied by its team members and core values.

Session Sponsor:

Kirk Greenwood
Senior Vice President
Auto-Chlor System

Michael Eastman
Corporate Process Improvement Manager
Auto-Chlor System

2:00 -2:30 p.m.

How to Read Your Balance Sheet and P&L Statement

In this session, Patrick will teach restaurateurs how to read their balance sheet and P&L statements and explain how they work together to report the financial position of your company.

Session Sponsors:

Patrick Gros
Principal / CPA
Patrick J. Gros, CPA, APAC
Bienvenue on Hickory

Well known in the restaurant industry, Patrick J. Gros CPA APAC (“the Firm”) has over 45 restaurant clients in the Southeast region, including Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama. He serves as the current President of the Greater New Orleans Chapter of the Louisiana Restaurant Association and the President-Elect for 2020. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Bienvenue on Hickory in Harahan.

2:40-2:55 p.m.

Inventory in Your Restaurant
Why Is It So Important?

What is the correct amount of product to have on the shelves to maximize profitability? Fred will share the answer and will also reveal secrets about what the most profitable restaurants he works with are doing with their inventory.

Session Sponsors:

Fred Langley
Owner/CEO
Restaurant Systems Pro

Fred leads the Restaurant Systems Pro consulting services, coaching members, conducting seminars and overseeing the training and technical support team. He brings his experience as a chef and former restaurant owner helping operators revolutionize how they operate using Restaurant Systems Pro.

3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

How to Build an A-Team
in 90 Days

Bringing your ‘A’ game doesn’t just apply to sports — it’s essential for the hospitality industry too. Empowering your employees encourages them to arrive at work with their top attitude and work to the best of their ability. This session explains how to create a hiring system that attracts A+ talent to steer them (and your business) in the direction of success.

Session Sponsors:

Donald Burns
The Restaurant Coach

Donald Burns, The Restaurant Coach™ is the leading authority, author and international coach on how restaurant owners and operators go from just good to becoming exceptional. Donald is the founder & CEO of Off The Range Ventures, LLC, a behavioral based performance company, that works exclusively in the hospitality industry.

Thursday, November 12, 2020

9:00 - 9:25 a.m.

Leave Me Alone,
Handling Absences from Work

Managing employee attendance can be a struggle for any business. But often times, employers forget that certain laws may be triggered when an employee needs to miss work. With many businesses just coming back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to not lose sight of the laws and obligations surrounding leaves of absence.

Session Sponsor:

Michelle Anderson
Partner
Fisher Phillips, LLP

Michelle Anderson represents employers in all aspects of employment law in both state and federal courts, and before administrative agencies. Her practice focuses on representing employers against claims of unlawful discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, violations of leave and disability laws, and wage and hour related issues.

9:30 - 9:55 a.m.

10 - 10:25 a.m.

6 Questions Every Business Owner Should Answer Post -COVID

Since we started keeping records on pandemics, there have been 14 that took more than 1 million lives. Had it been possible to live through all of them we would have learned one thing for sure: Nothing was the same after they passed. Each changed the world in particular ways... COVID-19 will have its' own unique effect on the world, people, the organizations for which they work and patrons they serve. In this session we will address critical questions every business owner should answer to meet the next change.

Session Sponsor:

What the Election Outcome Means for Restaurants

Sean will report on the results of the November 3 election and then discuss the issues that will most likely be on the agenda of the majority party in the House, Senate and occupant of the White House. Regardless of the outcomes, the importance of our industry’s steadfast grassroots in 2021 is paramount to its revival.

Session Sponsor:

Helene Wall
Associate Director
HR/Management Consulting Services
Postlethwaite & Netterville (P&N)

Helene’s 20+ years of experience includes public, private and not-for private organizations across a wide variety of industries, with an emphasis on providing employment-based insight into areas of compliance, risk management, strategy and change. Helene’s focus is to help businesses align their workforce strategy with evolving business needs.

Sean Kennedy
EVP, Public Affairs
National Restaurant Association

Sean is the Nat'l Restaurant Assoc.'s senior-most executive in the development and execution of its multiyear strategy, directing all advocacy, federal and state lobbying, grassroots activity, policy analysis, and association litigation and Restaurant Law Center cases.

2:00 -2:30 p.m.

How Restaurant Marketing is Evolving in a COVID World

The world has changed rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and consumer's habits are evolving as a result. Whether it be dining in or take out, your restaurant establishment should be well-positioned in the consumer’s consideration set, rooted in personal connections, trusted safety measures and a marketing plan that helps your brand break through the clutter.
Join Troy Cox of Brand Society for a session and explore cost-efficient, but effective tactics that are rooted in sound strategy to drive on-premise traffic and online orders.

Session Sponsor:

Troy Cox
Managing Partner & Chief Strategist
Brand Society

Troy Cox is a partner and Chief Strategy Officer for Brand Society, located in downtown New Orleans.
His firm provides strategic market positioning with tactical traditional and digital media planning for various classes of trade throughout the Gulf South region. During his seven-year tenure with Brand Society, Troy and his team have developed and implemented successful and measurable marketing, advertising and branding efforts for dozens of restaurants.

register, attend, and win!

One lucky winner per session will walk away with some of these amazing virtual door prizes!
Click the button below to see what's up for grabs, and then keep scrolling to register for sessions.

3:00 - 3:35 p.m.

The Art of Being Indispensable at Work
Win Influence, Beat Overcommitment & Get the Right Things Done

Talent guru and bestselling author Bruce Tulgan will reveal the secrets of the go-to person in our new world of work. Based on an intensive study of people at all levels, in all kinds of organizations, Tulgan shows how go-to people think and behave differently, building up their influence with others—not by trying to do everything for everybody but by doing the right things at the right times for the right reasons, regardless of whether they have the formal authority.

Session Sponsor:

Bruce Tulgan
Bestselling Author
Founder & Chairman
Rainmaker Thinking

Bruce Tulgan is an adviser to business leaders all over the world and a sought-after keynote speaker and seminar leader. Bruce is the best-selling author of numerous books including Not Everyone Gets a Trophy (Revised & Updated, 2016), Bridging the Soft Skills Gap (2015), The 27 Challenges Managers Face (2014), and It's Okay to be the Boss (Revised & Updated, 2014).