Rob Hill recently addressed the CFO Bootcamp during its annual meeting in Chicago.   The topic was Raising Capital for Emerging Restaurant Companies, and the presentation covered:

• noteworthy characteristics of exciting emerging restaurant brands,
• frequent pitfalls associated with emerging brand expansion strategies and
• typical evaluation criteria of investors and lenders to emerging restaurant brands. 

The CFO Bootcamp is held annually by SS&G Financial Services, Inc.   This outstanding event is one of the nation’s most intensive and popular programs for restaurant industry executives.

"It’s like getting an MBA in the restaurant business in two days," adds John Hamburger, publisher of Restaurant Finance Monitor. "It should be a required program for every accountant and financial executive in the industry."

SS&G is the only firm in the country to offer this award-winning, one-of-a-kind training seminar, customized specifically for restaurant executives. The curriculum – customized specifically from a financial perspective – consists of critical and practical information such as restaurant economics, accounting systems, technology and controls, "tax tips, tricks and traps", restaurant financing, compensation plans, plus other interesting subjects.   

"We don’t call this program 'bootcamp' for nothing," says Brad Saltz, director of SS&G’s Restaurant Services Group. Presented in small-group settings, it gives participants the added benefit of interacting and sharing important new ideas with their peers.  Bootcamp "recruits" have included executives from some of the most successful restaurants in the country including Houston's Restaurants, Bravo!, BW3, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Fired Up!, Legal Seafoods, Steak 'n Shake, The Palm, Lone Star, Famous Dave's, Pot Bellys, TGI Friday's, and many others.

Principals of the J. H. Chapman Group, LLC.  participate in the Bootcamp annually and typically bring their current market and transaction experience to the seminar.  “This is a worthy and valuable program for senior chain restaurant financial executives,” adds Mr. Hill.