Operations
Seth Larsen, chief relationship officer at Cheba Hut Toasted Subs, is one of dozens of panelists participating in the upcoming Fast Casual Executive Summit.
Image: Willie Lawless, Networld Media Group
June 27, 2025 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
In anticipation of the upcoming Fast Casual Executive Summit, FastCasual.com is spotlighting panelists participating in the annual industry event.
Seth Larsen, chief relationship officer at Cheba Hut Toasted Subs, will be sharing insight on the “The $0 Marketing Plan: Driving Traffic with Creative Social Media Strategies” panel talk that will explore creative and cost-effective social media strategies to drive customer traffic and boost the bottom line.
Going on 20 years, the Fast Casual Executive Summit has been the premier gathering for top-level restaurant executives looking to innovate, connect and elevate their brands. This year’s event is taking place October 5-7 in Austin Texas.
The summit is run by Networld Media Group, publishers of Fastcasual.com, QSRweb and Pizza Marketplace. It is one of several leading industry conferences throughout the year. Click here to register for the Fast Casual Executive Summit.
The next Networld Media Group event is the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit taking place March 16-18, 2026 in San Diego, California. Top restaurant leaders will spend two and a half days of networking, inspiring stories and proven strategies.
Describe your current role
I serve as the chief relationship officer of CHēBA Hut Franchising Inc. I oversee brand development and growth at Cheba Hut as well as supporting marketing efforts, legal and strategic relationships at the headquarters office in Fort Collins, Colorado. Over the last 20 years at Cheba Hut, as both a franchisee and an executive, I have worn many hats and crushed the Cheba Hut Core Values.
What inspired you to work in your industry?
Food and authentic hospitality are what fills my bucket.
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
Sounds so stupid but making dreams become reality from franchise agreement signing to celebrating 10 year anniversaries.
What’s a common misconception people have about what you do?
That we don’t take the business serious because of our theme.
What is one career achievement you’re most proud of?
Building a team and scaling a brand with people better than me.
What industry trends do you think are currently over-hyped and why?
Kiosks — come on. If you want to order without speaking to someone (which I can truly respect) use the app or mobile website. Kiosks are anti hospitality and only create more friction. A memorable restaurant experience has never started at a kiosk. Smaller footprints, sterile environments. People still want authentic on premise experiences. It doesn’t need to be sterile. You can still make it cool.
What industry trends do you think don’t get enough attention and why?
Sound operations are the number one driver of success for all of the top brands. We are in the restaurant industry. Let’s not forget that. Front line employees are the ones making it happen everyday not some exectuive with four monitors at a desk.
If you weren’t working in your current field, what would you be doing instead?
Small boutique hotel and restaurant on the beach.
What do you do to have fun outside of work?
500,000-foot vertical feet of skiing/snowboarding annually. Live music. Go see more live music. Sports for my daughters. Travel like a boss when sports allow.
Are you involved in any charitable organizations that you would like to tell people about?
Last Prisoner Project. We are working toward releasing nonviolent cannabis offenders from prison.
