What Now brought Los Angeles-area restaurant operators, hospitality businesses, and industry partners together on Tuesday, October 13, at its Accelerate event. Held from 3 to 5 p.m. at Zinqué WeHo (8684 Melrose Ave.), the event was moderated by What Now Event Host Marian Ebhamen and sponsored by inKind.
The occasion welcomed 37 attendees representing 25 companies — 21 food and beverage and hospitality representatives from 14 businesses, and 16 individuals representing 11 of What Now’s partner companies.
F&B/Hospitality Attendees
Pocha LA — Los Angeles
Claire Risoli, owner of Pocha LA, attended the event. The restaurant had to close its doors a while back, but has shifted to catering services while it looks for a new home. They serve modern Mexican dishes.
Chicken King — Los Angeles
Tony TTT of Chicken King also attended the event. Chicken King is a specialized food service program designed to help convenience stores and retail locations sell Southwestern-flavored fried chicken.
Wine and Eggs — 6142 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232
Sarah Kassel, co-owner of Wine and Eggs, attended representing the specialty wine retailer, which has been planning a Culver City location. The concept will also have a wine bar component.
Tiki Kai — 8171 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
Alex Osorio and Dennis Doody of Southbay Hospitality Group attended the event. The group is developing a second location of its popular Hermosa Beach spot Tiki Kai in West Hollywood.
Metabolic Brewing Co. — 5135 Edison Ave. Chino, CA 91710
Founder David Fresquez and Co-Owner Kat Fresquez of Metabolic Brewing Co. were also present. The Ontario-based brewery recently expanded its presence, opening a Chino location.
Villa’s Tacos — Los Angeles
Lenny Gonzales and Garret Ginnever, marketing representative, attended for Villa’s Tacos. The Los Angeles chain has three locations and is known for its handmade blue-corn tortillas.
Changan Kitchen — 2851 E Eastland Center Dr, West Covina, CA 91791
Owner Rachel Geng and Jason Li of Changan Kitchen attended the event. The eatery just recently debuted its sixth location in West Covina, joining its restaurants in Ontario, Riverside, Chino Hills and Monterey Park.
Lobster Guys — CA & TX
Owner Michael Grajewski and Sydney Thompsin of Lobster Guys attended the event. Lobster & Beer is a casual, counter-service neighborhood restaurant brand with locations in Palms, Santa Monica, and Texas.
Los Angeles Padel Club — 3801 Lenawee Ave, Culver City, CA 90232
Steve Shpilsky, owner of Los Angeles Padel Club, attended the event. The facility is under construction and plans to debut in early 2027 with seven padel courts, a café, and bar.
Samuzora — 601 Moorpark Ave, Moorpark, CA 93021
Samuel Khosravi, owner of Samuzora, attended the event. The planned Japanese-inspired jazz lounge will pair a beverage-focused menu with live music and a distinctive interior.
Gloria by La Era — 13944 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Partner Edurne Fernández and Luis Haller attended to represent Gloria by La Era, an upcoming Mexico-based bakery planned for Sherman Oaks. It will serve bread, cakes, and various pastries.
Laidrey Coffee — Tarzana, Encino, Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks
Owner Gacia Tachejian and Erica Escalante of Laidrey Coffee attended the event. Laidrey operates cafés in Tarzana, Encino, and Agoura Hills, and is gearing up to debut its new Thousand Oaks location next month.
YAMA Sushi Marketplace — San Gabriel, LA, Sherman Oaks
Remi Ham of YAMA Sushi Marketplace attended the event. The specialized Japanese grocery store and grab-and-go seafood market has locations in San Gabriel, West LA, K-Town, and Sherman Oaks.
Izakaya Toki — 815 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Leonard Hayashi, co-owner of Casper Hospitality Group LLC, attended representing Izakaya Toki. The newly opened Japanese izakaya restaurant in DTLA specializes in binchotan charcoal-grilled yakitori, small plates, clay pot mushroom rice, and inventive craft cocktails.
Partner Attendees
Tagrisk LLC
Cameron Koch, hospitality risk specialist, and Gene Rotondo, hospitality and commercial specialist, attended the event for Tagrisk LLC. The independent insurance brokerage specializes exclusively in commercial insurance programs for the hospitality industry, including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and hotels.
Global Payments — Genius Point of Sale
Ryan Easter, district manager, and Jered Blount, SRM, attended the event representing Global Payments – Genius Point of Sale. The company provides payment processing and point-of-sale technology for businesses, including restaurants seeking tools to manage transactions and day-to-day operations.
DoorDash
Amy Berman, merchant lead at DoorDash, attended the event. DoorDash works with restaurants and other merchants on delivery, pickup, and digital ordering, helping businesses connect with customers through its platform.
Easy Ice
Anthony Zarco, sales manager at Easy Ice, attended the event. The company provides commercial ice machine services to businesses, including equipment, maintenance, and repairs through its managed subscription model.
SLIQUE Media
Ali Sepehri, sales manager, and Thomas Pham, President, attended the event for SLIQUE Media. The full-service social media creative agency specializes in marketing for the restaurant and hospitality industries, providing end-to-end services.
inKind
Jack Fargostein, account executive at inKind, attended the event, representing the event sponsor. inKind works with restaurants and diners through a platform that supports restaurant discovery, dining rewards, and hospitality-focused financing services.
Auris
Vanessa Gaytan, senior payroll advisor at Auris, attended the event. Auris is an all-in-one software platform that provides specialized payroll, workforce management, and HR services tailored for restaurant and hospitality teams.
SpotOn
Sawyer Turcotte, hospitality specialist at SpotOn, attended the event. SpotOn provides restaurant technology, including point-of-sale systems, payment processing, and business management tools for hospitality operators.
FIXE
CEO and co-founder Ryan Handel and Matt Greenberg, Director of Sales, at FIXE, attended the event. FIXE is a specialized, full-service restaurant bookkeeping and financial management company that serves hospitality businesses across the United States.
Top Tier Hood Cleaning
Brad Park, owner of Top Tier Hood Cleaning, attended the event. The company provides commercial kitchen hood-cleaning services, supporting food service businesses with the maintenance of kitchen exhaust systems.
Human Interest
Ivan Quezada, PAM, and Joe Medina of Human Interest attended the event. Human Interest provides retirement plan services for businesses, including workplace 401(k) plans.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 33 cities across North America, breaking news, and provides timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 33 cities annually.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2026. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
Click here for a complete list of our partners. To learn more about becoming a preferred partner, click here.
