Jim Rand is a 40-year restaurant industry veteran, having served in multiple operations leadership roles over the past three decades. Early in his career, Rand's hands-on experiences with Au Bon Pain, Einstein's, and Metromedia Restaurant Group provided unique insight into the day to day challenges of operating multi-unit restaurants in challenging start-up, franchise, and turn-around environments. From 2000 to 2016 Rand worked with Panera Bread.
For the first seven years, as a Franchisee and Operating Partner in Minnesota, Rand built and led a team that successfully opened and operated 27 Panera Bread Bakery Cafes. Upon successfully selling and transitioning the cafes to Panera, LLC, in 2007, Rand joined the company to lead their catering efforts. Over a nine-year time period, he was responsible for creating and implementing the strategic and tactical catering initiatives for Panera, LLC, resulting in multiple years of double digit sales growth. Rand joined P.F. Chang's in May of 2016, and developed and implemented a Catering program for the concept, as well as leading the initiatives for all Off-Premises Dining, including take-out and third-party delivery. He joined ezCater as Catering Practice Leader in January of 2018. Rand is responsible for building client relationships, providing insight on products for the ezCater platform, and helping operators better understand how to be successful with their catering efforts.
Are you thinking about joining us in Orlando? Hurry up! Catersource + The Special Event offers multiple registration packages for catering and events professionals at a low price. You will enjoy a full week of spirited people, ideas, and trends shaping the catering and events industry. Catersource + The Special Event Conference & Tradeshow 2023 is the ideal opportunity to meet live with your industry peers, create new business relationships, and learn powerful strategies for a successful 2023 and beyond. Register now before prices increase on March 3. Register with The Early Bird Rate
Currently, Rand is and Operating Partner with Act III Holdings, LLC and is responsible for providing Off-Premises sales leadership and advice for the Act III portfolio brands, including Tatte Bakery and Café, Life Alive Organic Café, CAVA, and BJ's Brewhouse. Rand is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison and is a devout Badger fan and Cheese-head. He resides in Bluffton, South Carolina with his wife and best friend for over 30 years, Sande, and enjoys golfing, boating, and spending time with friends.
You can hear from Rand directly when he speaks during Catersource + The Special Event (March 27-30 in Orlando, FL.
Building a Profitable & Sustainable Off-Premises Catering Brand
Tuesday, March 28 from 11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Building and sustaining a profitable off-premises catering business requires an end-to-end integrated strategic plan.
Creating a vision, investing in organizational capabilities, and executing with excellence are integral to the plan, and to your on-going results.
What does your brand stand for, and is it reflected in your catering offering?
Does your catering offering differentiate you from the competition, or are you just another box lunch or platter?
Have you built or acquired the necessary capabilities; human, technological, and physical that are required for growth and sustainability?
Does your team understand what is important to catering client, and are you proactively addressing your clients' needs?
Join Jim Rand and learn how you can answer these, and many other questions that are critical to building your off-premises catering brand!
