A variety of San Antonio restaurateurs and hospitality professionals gathered for an “Accelerate” event hosted by What Now Media Group at NOLA Brunch & Beignets. The event provided a valuable opportunity for San Antonio’s restaurant community to connect and share ideas on navigating today’s competitive and rapidly changing market.
NOLA Brunch & Beignets, a popular New Orleans-style eatery located at 1101 Broadway Ste 120 in the heart of San Antonio, hosted the free event, bringing together dozens of representatives from businesses featured on What Now San Antonio. This included local restaurant owners and industry experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners. Attendees had the opportunity to network while enjoying delicious bites and beverages before participating in a presentation focused on strategies for growing and thriving in the food and beverage space.
The event was hosted by Mariah Medley, Director of Events and Partner Engagement at What Now Media Group, and featured a variety of notable restaurant owners and operators. Attendees included Nick Huerta, franchisee of Hawaiian Bros, and John Lopez, co-owner of Ginger’s Bistro, which is preparing to debut its Asian fusion concept later this year. Also in attendance was Brian Ching, owner of Pitch 25, who is bringing his soccer-focused sports bar to San Antonio following its success in Houston.
Other participants included Raymon Perry, owner of Bésame, a food truck park known for its bold Latin flavors and community-driven vibe, and Traciann Davidson, manager of The New Acadiana Cafe, a Southern-style restaurant with deep Texas roots.
Additional restaurant owners included Jesus and Ileana Salazar, the co-owners of Bitelo Brazilian Steakhouse, which is preparing to bring its authentic churrascaria-style dining to San Antonio, and Jairo and Hugo Gonzalez, co-owners of Makirrito, a modern fusion concept that creatively combines sushi and burritos into one handheld dish. Agustin Guzman, franchisee of Pokeworks, was also present, discussing plans for the brand’s aggressive regional expansion with up to ten new locations in the works.
Representatives from several of What Now Media Group’s Preferred Partners attended to provide expert guidance and support for operators at all stages of their business journey. Adam Merlino of Restaurant Technologies, Inc. shared cooking oil management solutions that reduce labor and improve kitchen efficiency. Dan Schrobilgen from Our Town America presented direct mail marketing strategies to help restaurants grow their customer base by targeting new movers in the area.
Daniel Contreras, owner of Contreras Building Group, connected with operators about navigating the complexities of restaurant construction and remodeling. Marc Cohen and Nathan Ralls from Global Payments spoke with attendees about flexible, all-in-one POS solutions tailored to meet the needs of growing restaurants. Meredith Miller of OpenTable discussed tools that help operators increase reservations and build customer loyalty through seamless dining experiences.
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 Mariah to delve even deeper into the conversation by discussing critical business points, such as having an exit plan and efficiently managing operations after expanding to multiple locations. After Mariah 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 provided a valuable platform for restaurant owners and industry partners to collaborate, brainstorm, and establish new connections. It’s clear that the San Antonio restaurant community is eager to continue innovating and evolving, and What Now Media Group’s Accelerate events provide the perfect space for these conversations to take place.
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.
