Operators seeking the key, not just to weathering the current economic storm, but to thrive going forward, got plenty of advice from seasoned pros at the 11th annual Restaurant Hospitality Concepts of Tomorrow Conference. The latest edition, set in the foodie paradise of San Francisco, zeroed in on grit, creativity and a return to basic values as important tools to surviving what has become the battle of the fittest.

Leading off was Joe Micatrotto, founder and former c.e.o. of the Buca di Beppo chain (a Richard Melman Concepts of Tomorrow Award winner) and now a partner in Micatrotto Restaurant Group. Micatrotto, recounting his nearly four decades in the industry, admitted that he considered himself “the Forrest Gump of the restaurant business,” thanks to sharing the company of great people throughout his career.

SHOW AND TELL: The COT Conference pulled together insight from seasoned experts, an excursion to sample some of San Francisco's treats and opportunities to share and mingle.	Rich Melman
	Clark Wolf
Larry Mindel

Today, Micatrotto and his sons own and operate four Raising Cane's Chicken Finger restaurants in Las Vegas.

For operators who have survived the latest slump, “your competitive advantage today has never been better,” he told COT attendees. But this is no time to let up. “You need to work as though everything depends on you,” he advised. Operators who are thriving are being “aggressive, not regressive,” he observed. And they are good at reaching past the customer's stomach and to the heart, he added.

David O'Malley, who steers West Coast operations for Kimpton Hotels & Resorts, focused on service from an operator's angle. Kimpton, he said, begins by stressing fundamentals: Have we give our employees everything they need to know to do their job? Do they understand the concept? Do they buy into the corporate values?

O'Malley also acknowledged that guests are increasingly food and beverage savvy and that servers need to keep up with their knowledge level and curiosity. As a result, Kimpton has taken steps such as stepping up bartender training and running wine boot camps for waiters to hone their beverage knowledge.

COMFORT IS KING AGAIN

“We have re-entered the macaroni and cheese economy,” Clark Wolf, trend maven, declared. His message: Americans are flocking toward comfort food, and if you want to attract them, make sure at least part of your menu satisfies that craving. As Wolf pointed out, the main reason people visit restaurants is “to feel good,” according to a MasterCard study.

Wolf shared a number of suggestions for restaurants looking to excel:

• THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

  Remember you're in the food business, and your food needs to be very good.

• If you haven't adopted green practices, do it.

• People want real, simple food — fewer, high-quality ingredients.

• Is your restaurant portable? Think how you can make it mobile to compete in that growing segment.

• Good casual food comes from street foods — look there for inspiration.

A jobs recovery will be the key to when restaurant sales start growing again, predicted Dennis Lombardi, executive v.p. for foodservice strategies with WD Partners. Lombardi, a veteran restaurant consultant, examined the long-term effects a failing economy is likely to have on consumers.

Lombardi suggested that the worst may not be over until late 2010, and even then, “consumers will emerge, but they will have been changed by the experience,” he cautioned. In particular, baby boomers have realized they need to stash money away for their retirement. Quick service and casual dining restaurants will retain market share, but many belt tighteners are shunning fine dining.

Chef James Murray	Bill Main
Joe Micatrotto	Chef Chet Holden