Influential people have told me for years that I needed to get to Phoenix for the Restaurant Leadership Conference (RLC).
Now that I’m here at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge for the Informa event’s 25th anniversary, I see the story isn’t just on the stage. It’s in the hallways.
At the top of this post, you can watch my live video from the event co-hosted with Troy Hooper, CEO of Pepper Lunch, a Japanese fast-casual brand with more than 560 restaurants in 17 countries.
RLC is full of power players just like Troy.
Marcus Viscidi from Informa shared the power of this event: there are roughly 950 executives attending who represent over 300,000 restaurant locations. That is massive scale.
But RLC has this unique way of stripping away the titles.
Troy told me about standing on the lawn on night one, having a casual conversation with a woman for ten minutes before realizing he was talking to the wife of Peter Cancro, the CEO of Jersey Mike’s.
That is the “secret sauce” of this event. Whether you’re a founder with five units or the CEO of a global powerhouse, you’re in the same “nooks and crannies,” having the same intimate conversations. We are all equals here, trying to up-level the industry together.
The Business of Being Human
For the technology partners and suppliers watching us, the lesson is clear: participate, don’t just pitch. Marcus and the Informa team have built a foundation where people can “build their own adventure”.
In 2026, that adventure included:
* Morning Connections: Golf tournaments, hiking, yoga, and even a gun club excursion designed to get people out of their shells.
* The Pickleball Shift: The Pepper Lunch team doubled down on the experience with a legendary pickleball party, featuring DJs and a full bar.
Why does a DJ at a pickleball court matter for your bottom line? Because you might spend three hours in a relaxed environment with a C-suite decision-maker. They might not be the one clicking “buy” on your software, but that top-down relationship provides the validation and access you need to move the needle.
Real Tech for Real Problems
When we did get into the Marketplace, the innovation was focused on one thing: Enterprise Scale.
I caught up with Kelly Esten, Chief Marketing Officer at Toast. They are the title sponsor this year (Cali BBQ Media is also a sponsor), and they aren’t slowing down.
Last year was about the kiosk; this year, they are showcasing a massive Enterprise Drive-Thru product.
It’s a clear signal that the “big players” are now looking for the same agility that smaller brands have enjoyed for years.
We also saw the latest from partners like PepsiCo, Restaurant365, Popmenu, and more — all focused on making your restaurant operations leaner and more connected.
The conversation doesn’t stop in Phoenix. Marcus and his team are already planning for RLC 2027, and the 2026 calendar is just heating up.
If you want to stay in the room where these decisions are made, you need to join us at:
* Food on Demand (Dallas): May 5th–6th. This is the place for anyone serious about the delivery and tech ecosystem.
* National Restaurant Association Show (Chicago): May 16-19. The “Super Bowl” of our industry. With 70,000 people and 700,000 square feet of space, it’s the only event that brings the entire food service ecosystem together.
RLC 2026 proved that when you lead with hospitality and intention, the business follows. Will I see you there next year?
