A variety of Miami restaurateurs and industry professionals gathered for an “Accelerate” event hosted by What Now Media Group at Bar Tulio’s. The event provided a significant opportunity for the Miami restaurant community to network and exchange insights on how to grow and thrive in a competitive market.
Bar Tulio’s, located at 2839 NW 1st Ave in Miami, hosted the free event, bringing together over two dozen representatives from businesses featured on What Now Miami. This included local restaurants and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners. Attendees networked over light bites and drinks before a presentation focused on strategies for business growth and operational success.
The event was hosted by Kyle Dondero, director of partner success at What Now Media Group, and featured a range of notable restaurateurs and business owners. Attendees included Brian Parenteau, owner/founder of Bar Tulio’s, who recently opened the concept; Alejandro Copley, co-owner of Alacruz Grill, an Argentinian fine-dining concept featuring family recipes; Brendon Sequeira, regional manager of Cactus Club Cafe, which is expanding from Canada into the Miami market; and Benji Knop, general manager of Ce La Vi Miami, bringing a premier global dining experience to the city. Several members from Cactus Club Cafe and Ce La Vi Miami joined their managers for this event.
Other restaurant owners included Dylan Levin, franchisee of H&H Bagels, who is excited to bring NYC-style bagels to the area; Haidar Hachem, co-owner of Shōjō’s Dojo, a recently re-opened sake and craft beer bar with a sustainable approach to food production; and Erick Mendianez, business development partner of The Wagyu House by Meat N’ Bone.
Representatives from several of What Now Media Group’s Preferred Partners attended to provide guidance and support to restaurant owners. Randy Pumputis from Auris (Heartland) discussed payroll and back-office solutions designed to streamline operations. Galen Nordin and Robert Jann from Easy Ice offered insights on efficient ice and refrigeration solutions for high-volume restaurants. Experts from OpenTable, such as Jo Espinal and Lauren Perez, shared strategies to improve reservations and guest management. Mackenzie Vivola from Our Town America presented methods to expand customer bases by marketing directly to new movers in local communities. Cat Hopkins and Horazceo Crawford from SpotOn discussed point-of-sale and payment systems tailored for both small and large operators.
The restaurant owners and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners shared valuable insights, operational highlights, and expert advice, creating an engaging and informative evening that was both enriching and beneficial for all attendees.
This led Kyle Dondero to take the conversation even deeper, discussing critical business points, such as having an exit plan and efficiently managing operations after expanding to multiple locations. After Kyle and the guests shared their tips, knowledge, and concerns, everyone became quickly interested in learning more about their businesses and how they could help one another.
This event served as a valuable platform for both restaurant owners and industry partners to collaborate, brainstorm, and form new connections. It’s clear that the Phoenix restaurant community is eager to continue innovating and evolving, and What Now Media Group’s Accelerate events provide the perfect space for these conversations.
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.
The industry-leading experts in What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners help new businesses open and existing businesses grow.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2025. 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.
