Quick Informal Government Summit
Troy Hooper, CEO of Pepper Lunch, shares a have a look at his profession, his achievements and business traits forward of his look at Quick Informal Government Summit 2025.
Picture by Willie Lawless/Networld Media Group
June 13, 2025 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
In anticipation of the upcoming Quick Informal Government Summit, FastCasual.com is spotlighting panelists collaborating within the annual business occasion.
Pepper Lunch CEO Troy Hooper can be sharing perception on the “Profitability Beneath Strain: Profitable the Conflict on Rising Prices” session aimed toward offering restaurant house owners with the instruments and methods to navigate the difficult panorama of inflation and rising prices.
Occurring 20 years, the Quick Informal Government Summit has been the premier gathering for top-level restaurant executives trying to innovate, join and elevate their manufacturers. This 12 months’s occasion is going down October 5-7 in Austin Texas.
The summit is run by Networld Media Group, publishers of Fastcasual.com, QSRweb and Pizza Market. It’s one among a number of main business conferences all year long. Click on right here to register for the Quick Informal Government Summit. The following Networld Media Group occasion is the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit going down March 16-18, 2026 in San Diego, California. Prime restaurant leaders will spend two and a half days of networking, inspiring tales and confirmed methods.
Describe your present function
CEO of the North American holding firm for Pepper Lunch eating places and the co-CEO of the model globally.
What was your first-ever profession function and what’s one necessary lesson you discovered from it?
Busser, kitchen supervisor in first 12 months. I discovered the complexity of the operation of a busy nationwide chain restaurant and the necessity to grasp the talents for every function deeply.
What impressed you to work in your business?
I grew up within the development facet of the enterprise as my father owned development corporations specializing within the business. I turned a chef first, then a supervisor and labored my approach up the ladder.
What do you get pleasure from most about your present function?
New shops opening and thriving. Creating my HQ crew.
What’s a standard false impression folks have about what you do?
That I’m a determine head and do not handle the enterprise day after day or that I solely concentrate on the US.
What’s one profession achievement you are most pleased with?
Proudly owning my very own restaurant.
Who’s/was your mentor and what’s one necessary lesson you discovered from them?
I’ve had a number of who’ve molded me at totally different occasions in my profession. I’ve discovered self consciousness, the ability and significance of being curious, and constructing group.
What business traits do you suppose are at present over-hyped and why?
POS methods. I believe we’re shifting away from the POS as the middle of the enterprise working system.
What business traits do you suppose do not get sufficient consideration and why?
Provide chain and menu optimization. As a result of there’s large financial savings and model resilience that may be constructed there and there’s a large alternative for market differentiation by diverse product utilization.
What recommendation would you give to somebody simply beginning out in your business?
Be taught every half within the enterprise deeply.
When you weren’t working in your present discipline, what would you be doing as an alternative?
Be a resort proprietor in Fiji.
What do you do to have enjoyable exterior of labor?
Scuba diving.
Are you concerned in any charitable organizations that you simply want to inform folks about?
Not in the intervening time. I’m often on the board of not less than a number of. I can be partaking on this once more subsequent 12 months.
The place did you develop up and the way did your upbringing affect the particular person you might be right now?
Miami, Florida. It molded me with road smarts, a love of variety, publicity to cuisines of the world and delight in my metropolis.
What’s one attention-grabbing factor about you that even the folks you’re employed with each day most likely do not know?
I’m a licensed maritime captain able to driving boats as much as 150-plus toes lengthy and I’m a grasp teacher in all aspects of SCUBA.
