GBQ Heads To Las Vegas For RFDC 2026

The GBQ Restaurant team  will attend the 2026 Restaurant Finance & Development Conference (RFDC) Nov. 9–11 at the Wynn in Las Vegas. RFDC is the restaurant industry’s leading financial event for owners, operators, CFOs, lenders, investors, and industry professionals. For our team, it’s a valuable opportunity to spend time with our clients, meet and network with industry leaders, and stay ahead of the issues shaping the industry. Keep reading to learn more about what we are looking forward to hearing. 

Topics We’re Excited To Hear About

• The post-election landscape: The conference opens less than a week after the Nov. 3 midterm election. That makes it one of the first forums to look at how the results may affect tax policy, labor regulation, and franchise oversight, all key factors in year-end and 2027 planning for restaurant operators.
• Transactions, valuations, and lending: Franchisee M&A remains active, and buyers and lenders are looking at opportunities more closely than ever. We are looking forward to discussions on valuation multiples, deal structure, and lender reporting requirements, where credible financial statements and quality of earnings analysis are essential.
• Consumer and operational trends: Shifts in guest frequency, value-driven spending, and the rapid growth of specialty beverage concepts all affect unit economics. Understanding these trends helps us advise clients beyond the numbers.
• Technology, data, and AI: Restaurants are using delivery data, automation, and AI more and more to protect margins and strengthen financial reporting. We’re eager to hear about new ways operators are putting these tools to work.

What We Are Looking Forward  To Most

The sessions are valuable, but the people are the best part of RFDC. We always enjoy the chance to spend time together in person. We look forward to connecting with our clients, meeting prospective clients, and reconnecting with the lenders, attorneys, brokers, and other industry professionals and referral partners we work with throughout the year.

If you’ll be at RFDC, we’d love to connect. Please reach out to our team by clicking on any of our bios below to set up a time to meet.

Hopefully, we will see you in Las Vegas, but if not, be sure to check out the November  edition of  Table Talk, our monthly newsletter  for restaurant owners and operators, to read about our key takeaways.