On March 2nd, we hosted a live webinar featuring insight and perspective from Dan Simons, Co-Owner of Farmers Restaurant Group. The event was hosted by Brett Bernstein, CEO and Co-Founder of XML Financial Group, and in his must-see conversation with Dan, the audience got the inside scoop on restaurants directly from an industry veteran.

In addition to covering the current environment, the webinar also featured:

• Five behind-the-scenes stories of how the pandemic rocked the restaurant industry
• How restaurants are keeping diners safe from COVID-19 — and the difference between a clean restaurant and a sanitized one
• How Dan and others in the industry are pivoting in response to the pandemic
• What changes Dan sees for in-person dining in the future
• What this means for delivery services like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Postmates

Brett Bernstein, CFP^®

Brett is the CEO and Co-founder of XML Financial Group. He serves as the firm’s head of financial planning and manages the operations of the firm, including the firm’s M&A strategy. Brett is an active financial advisor assisting clients with his holistic approach to goal-setting and problem-solving. Prior to co-founding XML in 2004, he was a Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch, where he was designated Producing Sales Manager for a complex that managed over $5 billion in assets.

Brett is a serial entrepreneur actively investing in many start-up companies and has led his firm in acquiring two local wealth management firms. This entrepreneurial spirit has led Brett to be active at the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business as an Advisor and Subject Matter Expert. Additionally, Brett volunteers his time to the Bullis School’s entrepreneurial program, sponsoring the Capstone Entrepreneurial Shark Tank competition.

Dan Simons

Dan Simons is known for his energetic leadership style and passion for hospitality. An impressive career in the management ranks at several large, high-volume restaurants helped propel him toward starting his own firm, Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group (VSAG), which he founded in 2004 with mentor Michael Vucurevich. The two form a well-balanced partnership based on mutual respect and a shared vision that proved critical in their formation of Farmers Restaurant Group, which began with the first Founding Farmers in 2008.

As co-owner and skilled communicator, Dan is frequently called upon to serve as the voice of FRG’s growing collection of sustainable, farmer-owned restaurants. Every day, he works to educate guests and the media about the importance of family farming and sustainable operations, to share his hospitality industry and management expertise, and encourage responsible industry practices. Dan was named Ernst & Young’s 2018 Entrepreneur of The Year Mid-Atlantic for his business acumen, novel approaches, and success.

*This webinar is for educational and informational purposes only. Content is not intended to be a recommendation or solicitation for the sale or investment in any product, strategy or service nor should it be perceived as individual advice.