Roundtable discussions will be facilitated by Lilly Jan, lecturer at the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration.

The economics of food businesses are becoming increasingly difficult to navigate. Rising operating costs, changing perceptions of value, shifting consumer expectations, constrained access to capital, and evolving growth models are forcing leaders to reconsider long-standing assumptions about how food businesses are built and sustained.

Topics include:
Rethinking the Economics of Food
How are rising costs, changing consumer expectations, and evolving perceptions of value altering the fundamental economics of food businesses?
Scaling the Magic
What systems, leadership capabilities, partnerships, and operating decisions allow a compelling food concept to grow without losing what made it distinctive?
Redefining What a Food Business Can Be
How are food businesses creating value through new channels, partnerships, communities, experiences, and relationships beyond the traditional transaction?
What Changes, What Endures, What Comes Next?
Which assumptions, business models, and industry structures are likely to change—and which elements of food, hospitality, and human connection must endure?