Kitchen Council Presents: An Evening with Willy Theisen
Join us for a new quarterly series where we feature and interview local, successful food entrepreneurs. Hear experts’ stories and advice for budding businesses in the region. If you are an aspiring foodpreneur, in the hospitality industry, or simply a foodie at heart, this is for you.
To kick off the series, we’ll interview Willy Theisen, Entrepreneur and Founder of Godfather’s Pizza and Pitch Pizzeria. Learn about what interesting circumstances landed Willy in Omaha and what professionally drew him to food. Hear about the trials and tribulations of growing a regional restaurant chain to creating a beloved local favorite.
Cost: FREE
Ticket includes admission, networking, beverages + light bites
6:00 – 6:30 p.m. | Registration, Bites + Beverages
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Program + Q/A
7:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Networking
_______________
Speaker Bio
Revolutionizing the restaurant business since 1973, Willy Theisen is an entrepreneur whose impressive resume includes Godfather’s Pizza and Pitch Pizzeria, among others.
Godfather’s was Willy’s first success, becoming the fastest-growing restaurant chain in the country from 1977-1979. GB Foods Corporation blossomed under Willy’s visionary dual-concept strategy in the 1990s while the 2000s saw Willy’s Barbecue Ventures, LLC, expand the Famous Dave’s franchise across the Midwest. Willy created Pitch Pizzeria, a successful Omaha-based venture since 2009.
All of Willy’s successes are a result of identifying a high growth category and developing it using evolutionary techniques. This approach has even inspired some of Willy’s own employees to become entrepreneurs, which Willy believes is his greatest success.
Willy has been a three-time Hall of Fame inductee. In 2001, Willy was inducted into the Omaha Restaurant Association Hospitality Hall of Fame. In 2013, Willy was inducted into the Omaha Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame. In 2017, Willy was inducted into the Nebraska Business and Commerce Hall of Fame.
_______________
Special thanks to our Kitchen Council supporters:
Conagra Brands
Iowa West Foundation
Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce
Iowa Economic Development Authority
Greater Omaha Chamber
Photo and Video Release:
By registering and participating in this event, you consent to the recording of your likeness, image, and/or voice and authorize the Greater Omaha Chamber to use photographs, video, and audio recordings containing your likeness, image, and/or voice in any medium for any purpose.
Need more information? Please contact Holly Benson Muller, managing director, at hbenson@omahachamber.org.