Betty Kaufman is Strategy Director at The Culinary Edge, where she leverages her expertise as a Certified Food Scientist, trained chef, and brand strategist to guide global restaurant and CPG brands in menu and product innovation. She has helped legacy brands, including Peet’s Coffee, PepsiCo, and Denny’s, refine their culinary identities, elevate their market presence, and connect more deeply with today’s consumers. Betty has also developed new F&B concepts from the ground up through a consumer-centric innovation process encompassing brand, menu, and design creation.
Whether opening unit No. 2 or 200, the real test of a brand is whether its identity holds as it grows. This session digs into how emerging and scaling concepts protect their core DNA while expanding into new markets, new formats, and new guest expectations. We’ll unpack the “portability” question (where does your concept truly fit?), and how to localize without losing yourself. From menu tweaks to design flexes to franchise vs. corporate growth paths, operators will share where they invest time, money, and energy to scale with intention.
