Growth and innovation at KFC UKI

Rob Swain, general manager

As the QSR brand celebrates 60 years in the UK and Ireland, KFC is investing £1.49bn in 200 restaurant upgrades, 7,000-plus new jobs, plus 500 new restaurants over the next decade. In this fireside chat, general manager Rob Swain shares why KFC is confident in its growth prospects, how it continues to innovate in a competitive fried chicken market, and its commitment to youth employment through its Hatch programme.

Azzurri Group: new brands, new tech and driving the core business

Steve Holmes, chief executive officer

Azzurri Group has branched out from its full-service Italian restaurant origins over the past two years, with the acquisitions of Mexican fast-casual chain Boojum, the UK master franchise rights to California-founded, and Nashville-inspired, chain Dave’s Hot Chicken and tech start up Openr. In this Q&A group CEO Steve Holmes discusses how the new business mix enables Azzurri to move quicker in fast growing areas of the restaurant sector, the potential for the roll-out of its newest brands, and how Azzurri is looking to drive forward its core businesses: Zizzi, ASK Italian and Coco di Mama.

Bill’s: the five-year journey of change

Tom James, managing director

When Tom James was appointed MD in 2022, he identified that Bill’s was well behind the curve on tech and innovation. Since then, his team has implemented major changes and driven significant growth, ensuring that all decisions on innovation are filtered through its brand lens. Tom will reflect on progress so far and share the plan to 2027, as well as the lessons he has learned from taking his team on a significant change journey.

People panel: translating soft skills into hard numbers

Hosted by Ceri Gott

• Fernanda Antonio, people & culture director, Caravan Restaurants
• Andrew O’Callaghan, people director, Dishoom
• Hayley Whitfield, people director, Pizza Pilgrims

People and culture may be viewed as ‘soft’ policy areas, but the right skills and execution can result in measurable improvements to business performance – and profitability. In this session, host Ceri Gott, culture and leadership coach and former chief growth & culture officer at Hawksmoor, will explore how a core focus on people is resulting in tangible benefits for operators.

Panel: Delivering digital brand experiences

• Nick Bamber, digital & data director, Domino’s
• Marcus Denison-Smith, CMO, Honest Burgers
• Mark Finch, director enterprise, Uber Eats UK&I

Deepening customer relationships outside the four walls of a restaurant has become a key focus for businesses in an increasingly digital world. In this panel we discuss how restaurant operators are evolving their loyalty offers, building a rapport with customers online and driving sales through delivery.

From bulb to blossom: Banana Tree’s journey to becoming a national brand

Kate Wilton, managing director

Three years on from The Big Table Group’s acquisition of the South East Asian brand, Banana Tree’s managing director Kate Wilton shares how the ethos and passion of the founder-led business is being retained as it embarks on the next stage of its growth journey, and why Big Table believes it has the potential to become a truly national brand.

Innovation showcase: Next gen restaurant concepts

• Wenjun Xiang, founder, Xi Home
• Seb Vince, founder, and Philip Eeles, investor, The Breadstall
• Tasos Gaitanos, co-founder, Brother Marcus

From pizza disruptors to authentic Chinese cuisine and all-day Mediterranean dining, this year’s innovation showcase features dynamic, up-and-coming operators who will share how they’re standing out in a crowded market. Tasos Gaitanos, co-founder at Brother Marcus – winner of Emerging Concept of the Year at MCA’s Hospitality Awards 2025 – will discuss how the business grew to a six-strong estate. The Breadstall founder Seb Vince, alongside investor and Honest Burger co-founder Philip Eeles, will present insights into how they’re upending the pizza market and Wenjun Xiang will share her successful journey from a 17-year-old entrepreneur to founder of Xi Home, and her plans to develop new concepts.

The Evolv Collection: a new chapter for its premium brands

Q&A with Martin Williams, chief executive

It was all change at the business formerly known as D&D London earlier this year, with the premium restaurant group revealing a new name and identity alongside the appointment of a new chief executive. During this fireside chat, CEO Martin Williams shares his vision for The Evolv Collection, under the ownership of Calveton and Breal Capital, including the potential to expand its Bluebird, Sartoria and Chop House brands.

Leaders’ panel: resilience and reinvention in turbulent times

• Kate Nicholls, Chairman, UKHospitality
• Gemma Glasson, MD, Wahaca
• Laura Irving, MD, JKS Restaurants
• Marcel Khan, CEO, Franco Manca

As the restaurant sector faces unprecedented shifts – from evolving consumer expectations and labour shortages to sustainability demands and economic pressures – industry leaders must adapt and innovate at pace. This high-level panel brings together senior executives from across the multi-site restaurant landscape to share insights, strategies, and perspectives on how they are navigating these challenges while positioning their brands for long-term growth.

Lumina Intelligence: market performance, consumer insight and menu trends

Maggie Davis, insight manager, Lumina Intelligence

Maggie will exclusively preview Lumina’s brand-new Restaurant Market Report, assessing market performance and unpicking the latest operator and consumer insights. She will share the menu trends and innovation shaping the channel and driving growth, and consider challenges and opportunities in the year ahead.

Restaurant sector financial landscape & deals

Graeme Smith, managing director, AlixPartners

Amid a challenging, cost-impacted restaurant market, what does the financial landscape look like for restaurant M&A activity? In this presentation, Graeme will give a forecast of the investment climate, consider what buyers are looking for from ambitious businesses, and explore the consumer trends and economic outlook influencing dealmaking.

Des Gunewardena: A third act in prestige restaurants

Des Gunewardena, founder & CEO, D3 Collective

Born in Sri Lanka, Des grew up in London and trained in finance, before meeting Sir Terence Conran in 1991. Their partnership transformed Conran Holdings into a global restaurant, retail, hotel and design group with annual revenues of circa £150m. In 2006, Des led a private equity-backed buyout of Conran Restaurants, which he evolved into D&D London, the luxury restaurant group that has opened German Gymnasium, 14 Hills, and 20 Stories and Queensyard in New York. After leading D&D London for 16 years, Des announced his new venture D3 Collective in 2023, a collection of individual restaurants collaborating with different investors, chefs and restaurateurs.

KFC: The secret recipe behind a £2bn chicken business

Meghan Farren, MD UK & Ireland

Following KFC’s acquisition of over 200 restaurants from EG Group earlier this year, Meg Farren shares her vision for the UK and Ireland, as it nudges towards £2bn in annual sales. She’ll explain how the deal represents a major opportunity for KFC to capitalise on its leadership position in a fast-growing chicken market, with significant potential. At the helm for two years, Meg will also delve into KFC’s approach to delivering the best-in-class experience for customers, and nurturing talent, as well as her focus on putting community engagement and social purpose at the heart of the business.

Innovation Showcase: next-gen restaurant groups

Phil Howard co-founder, NOTTO, Ellen Chew founder, Chew on This Group and Johnnie Tate co-founder and CEO, Yard Sale Pizza, Edson and Natalie Diaz-Fuentes, co-founders, Santo Remedio and Joycelyn Neve, founder and MD, Seafood Pub Company.

From new approaches to casual dining to the operators redefining age-old cuisines, we will hear from dynamic operators on how they’re standing out in the eating out market. The session features Yard Sale Pizza’s Johnnie Tate on successfully setting his brand apart in a crowded category, Notto’s Phil Howard on creating the pasta bar of the future, and restaurateur Ellen Chew on establishing a multiconcept, multicuisine group with some of the capital’s best known restaurants.

Five Guys: people, passion and innovation

John Eckbert, UK & Europe CEO

During its remarkable growth journey in the UK & Europe, John Eckbert’s greatest fear has been around diluting the intensity of the brand’s founding core as it scales. Yet as the joint venture approaches 300 sites in the UK & Europe, he will argue how with a highly talented team in place, Five Guys’ expansion has only stoked the passion around the brand, taking it across multiple cultures, geographies and economies. Eckbert will also share the unique approach to innovation within the confines of an established global brand.

Women’s leader panel: breaking the glass ceiling in sector leadership

The hospitality sector is hailed for its inclusive culture and meritocratic progression – but does that diversity extend to senior leadership roles? In this panel, some of the restaurant sector’s pre-eminent women leaders will discuss their own journeys, the challenges and opportunities for women and people from under-represented groups, and why nurturing a diverse talent pool makes perfect business sense for companies.

• Gemma Glasson managing director, Wahaca
• Laura Harper-Hinton co-founder & CEO, Caravan
• Su Sethi co-founder and chief people officer, JKS Restaurants

Panel: dialling up the flavour - menu engineering and new product innovation

As inflation and cost of living begin to subside, restaurants are being creative to entice customers back. In this panel we will hear how operators are innovating with food and beverage, which cuisines and products are on-trend, and how bold, regional flavour profiles are creating a more sophisticated dining experience.

• Matt Snell CEO, Gusto Italian
• Will Bowlby co-founder / executive chef, Kricket
• Anthony Ekizian culinary director, Rare Restaurants
• Ines Llerena del Blanco, pricing specialist, Pearson Ham

Fulham Shore: Re-envisioning Franco Manca and The Real Greek

Marcel Khan, CEO

Appointed CEO less than a year ago, Marcel Khan is going back to basics with leading sourdough pizza brand Franco Manca, and capitalising on the untapped potential for The Real Greek, now 25 years old. Digging deeper into the brands’ original inspiration, with a focus on culture, quality and provenance, he’ll share his strategic vision under majority shareholder, Japanese food group Toridoll.

Jeremy King: restaurateur renaissance man

More than two years on from his departure from Corbin & King, Jeremy King returns to the Restaurant Conference with a new venture, the third act of an illustrious career. With three new venues in the pipeline by early 2025, The Park, Arlington and Simpson’s on the Strand, the feted restaurateur and winner of MCA’s Lifetime Achievement 2023 will share how he had no hesitation in returning to the sector; his inspirations ranging from European grand brasseries to modernist architecture; and why despite being celebrity favourites, his restaurants are ultimately egalitarian spaces.

Popeyes UK – a great brand and a winning team

Tom Crowley, UK CEO

Nearly three years on from Popeyes' UK debut, CEO Tom Crowley will discuss the brand journey, exponential growth, and why he's determined to build something to be proud of. With more than 50 sites and counting, Crowley will also talk about learnings from the three-year journey, the unstoppable rise of the chicken category, and why the right brand, investor, and team is a winning combination to weave the brand into UK culture.

Insight session: sector opportunities, challenges, consumer behaviour and menu trends

Katie Gallagher insight lead, Lumina Intelligence

Katie will exclusively preview Lumina’s brand-new Restaurant Market Report, unpicking the latest in consumer behaviour in the channel and the future challenges and opportunities facing the sector. Using data from Lumina’s Eating & Drinking Out panel and proprietary Menu Tracker tool, Katie will highlight behaviour changes, price increases and food and drink innovation.

Panel – delivery dynamics and transformative tech

When it comes to convenience, delivery is baked into consumer expectations: in July 2024, restaurant delivery had seen 14 consecutive months of year-on-year growth. So how do operators win, to ensure incremental business and competitive advantage? Our panel will discuss optimising the offer, using white-label solutions to stay in touch with customers, and which new wider digital tech solutions are easing operations front and back of house’

• Matt Sheppard, COO Wingstop UK
• Maria Denny, CFO, Tortilla Mexican Grill
• Libby Andrews, Marketing Director, Pho
• Mark Finch Director, Enterprise, Uber Eats UK&I

Restaurant sector financial landscape & deals

Graeme Smith, managing director AlixPartners

How does the current economic backdrop impact the financial landscape for M&A activity? Is it a buyer’s or seller’s market? Graeme answers these questions and more, exploring the outlook for consumer and economic trends influencing restaurant deals in the short and medium term.