The Restaurant Finance & Development Conference (RFDC), which is held November 10-12, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV, is a leading annual event for restaurant owners, operators, and financial executives focused on the business and financial aspects of the industry. Held each November in Las Vegas, the conference features educational sessions on finance, investment, expansion, operations, technology, and strategy, led by industry experts. It brings together lenders, investors, franchisors, and multi-unit operators for high-level networking and insight into capital markets, growth opportunities, and performance improvement strategies, making it a key forum for understanding and navigating financial trends in the restaurant sector.
Riley Lagesen, Chair of GT's Restaurant Industry group, will moderate two sessions during the conference. The first session will take place on Monday November 10, 2025 at 12:30 pm-1:30pm PST which will explore the challenges restaurant brands face in securing capital for expansion. The discussion focuses on best practices for selecting advisors and investors, structuring growth, and negotiating investment terms, offering strategic insights to help emerging restaurant brands position themselves for sustainable success.
The second session, on November 11, 2025 examines how restaurant brands can successfully expand into non-traditional venues such as airports, universities, corporate campuses, hotels, resorts, and entertainment spaces. Panelists share insights on identifying the right opportunities, understanding operational challenges, and navigating partnerships to drive growth through these dynamic and often untapped development channels.