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On October 14, five emerging restaurant concepts will compete for the title of The Perfect Pitch and a prize during the Fast Casual Executive Summit in Denver, Colorado.
The Perfect Pitch is a competition inspired by “Shark Tank,” taking place at the Fast Casual Executive Summit from October 13-15. Participants will present their concepts in five-minute pitches to a live audience and a panel of judges. After receiving feedback from the judges, the audience will vote for the standout concept that deserves to win.
Scheduled for 8:45 a.m. on Monday, October 14, 2024, the event will occur at the Sheraton in Denver, Colorado.
Below are the restaurant brands participating in this year’s competition.
GAI Chicken & Rice
GAI Chicken & Rice specializes in Khao Mun Gai, a chicken and rice dish originating from Hainan Province, located in the South China Sea. This dish made its way to Thailand, where it was adapted and enhanced with various spices. In Thai, Cantonese, and Vietnamese, “Gai” (pronounced “guy-ee”) translates to “chicken.”
Now available in New York City thanks to GAI Chicken & Rice, Khao Mun Gai is a well-loved meal throughout Thailand. Co-founded by Ace Watanasuparp, Alpha O Bah, and Chatchai Huadwattana in 2019, the brand serves chicken bowls with options of white or dark meat, sticky wings paired with rice, chicken tenders, and flavored wings alongside rice. Additionally, they offer salads, fries, sauces including sweet chili and ginger chili, and sides such as mac and cheese, roasted green beans, and roasted cauliflower.
Currently operating four locations in New York City, GAI Chicken & Rice has partnered with Vett3d, a franchising firm co-founded by Steve Lieber, who also holds the role of VP of business development at Florida-based BurgerFi and Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings. GAI Chicken & Rice is moving into franchising.
“Franchising our Thai chicken and rice concept allows us to expand its reach and share our unique flavors with a broader audience,” Suansilphong shared in a FastCasual interview in January 2024. “There are not many Thai fast casuals in the U.S. yet.”
Pasta Di Guy
Initially launched as a food truck in 2019, Pasta Di Guy transitioned to a brick-and-mortar location in Tampa Bay, Florida, in 2020. Subsequently, a second venue opened in Trinity, Florida, and a third location followed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in January 2024.
Known for its made-from-scratch pasta, the menu offers an array of pasta dishes, sauces, flatbreads, salads, sandwiches, and the popular cannoli. Their build-your-own pasta bowl is highly favored, and unlike many restaurants, Pasta Di Guy prepares its pasta fresh on-site instead of holding it in water.
Options for vegan and gluten-free diets are also offered.
Founder Guy Carmeli, who has Italian heritage, recounted his experiences with homemade pasta while growing up.
“When I arrived in the United States, I discovered that there were limited options for made-from-scratch pasta here,” he explained. “So I decided to open a place that could provide that.”
The brand began its journey into franchising about a month ago.
“We aim to expand and aspire to become the Italian choice for American families nationwide,” Carmeli added.
Much Ado About Pizza
Conceived in 2020 during the pandemic, Much Ado About Pizza was founded by educators Kira and Mark Zabrowski, who were looking for a creative outlet beyond online teaching. The pizzeria opened in 2022 in Pleasanton, California, and features a unique Shakespearean theme.
As an exclusively takeout establishment, pizzas are crafted in front of customers and baked in a conveyor oven.
The Zabrowskis were pleasantly surprised by the support they received from the pizza community, which often is very competitive. Although they faced a slow start, exposure from Yelp, which recognized Much Ado About Pizza as one of the top U.S. restaurants, surged their business’s visibility.
The brand is celebrated for its sourdough crust, made from a starter plus just flour, salt, yeast, and water.
“We maintain that purity because it’s better for digestion and more enjoyable to eat,” Mark Zabrowski explained in an interview with Mandy Detwiler from Pizza Marketplace.
Kira Zabrowski emphasized their motto, “‘No crust left behind.’ We continually work on improving our offerings,” she stated. “We try to use the best ingredients and include as many local products as possible, focusing on in-house production to ensure quality.”
In a highly competitive pizza market, Much Ado About Pizza distinguishes itself through its branding and commitment to community service. “We engage deeply with our community,” Kira noted. “As a small mom-and-pop shop, we foster local support. Customers often feel like family here; we know many by name and order.”
Shootz
Shootz, a Hawaiian barbecue fusion restaurant, operates three units across Southern California.
Founded in 2020 by Michael Dancel, Harold Walters, Christian Solomona, and Nolan Perez, the brand emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. With islander backgrounds, the founders believed that merging their heritage with Hawaiian cuisine would carve out a niche in the market. Their first restaurant logo and menu were sketched out on a napkin during a brainstorming session at a bar.
They secured a lease for a food hall opening that year, but the onset of COVID impacted their opening timeline. “Despite the challenges, we kept innovating and found ways to launch,” Walters recalled in a phone interview, explaining that their first location opened in September 2020 and generated $1.9 million in its first year from a modest 600-square-foot space.
Shootz focuses on delivering comfort food with personality, featuring signature dishes like Kimchi Butter Chicken Katsu and Spam Brulee Musubi.
Quality, flavor, and excellent service are priorities for the brand, which keeps its menu concise. Catering options for events are also available.
Walters indicated they plan to further saturate Southern California with two new locations slated to launch within three months. All three existing locations are operated by the original owners.
“The founding partners are still actively involved,” Walters confirmed.
Saigon Hustle
Saigon Hustle introduces traditional Vietnamese cuisine and culture to Garden Oaks, a suburb of Houston, Texas.
Founded by best friends Sandy Ghaffar and Sandy Nguyen, the restaurant concept was born from a college friendship, and Ghaffar was initially skeptical of its potential.
“Whatever we do, it better be big; we need to scale it,” Ghaffar asserted.
COVID delayed the project by a year, but before the restaurant’s public debut, they operated a cloud kitchen. Saigon Hustle finally opened its doors in February 2022.
Winning a competition backed by private equity firm Savory Group granted them $1 million in funding to develop the concept. A second Houston location is currently under construction, with plans to open in October.
With both founders being Vietnamese, Saigon Hustle presents a diverse menu reflecting their heritage, offering fresh, healthy, and flavorful dishes such as egg rolls, crispy chicken wings, salads, soups, Banh Mi, noodle dishes, and hot protein bowls.
Partnering with Savory Group, Saigon Hustle aims to mainstream Vietnamese cuisine by providing quick service, complete with a drive-thru; guests can expect to receive their orders within eight minutes.
“We’ve made Vietnamese food mainstream,” Ghaffar said. “I liken our concept to the Chipotle of Vietnamese food.”
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