One of the reasons Millennials—and everybody else—wants to be in Seattle is the mind-boggling variety of restaurants in this town, which is an essential part of the urban fabric. That's why we're excited to present Seattle Retail & Restaurant on Thursday, Jan. 28, at the Four Seasons.

Among our speakers will be Washington Restaurant Association CEO Anthony Anton, who tells us the biggest challenge facing the restaurant industry in 2016 is the reinvention of the restaurant business model, with new technology, new trends and unnamed costs impacting the traditional ways restaurants have done business. He says this year will see the birth of a new business model for the industry that will mature over the next decade.

Another challenge: the minimum wage. Anthony says his group is in support of an increase in minimum wage if it's done the right way. "We've learned through local discussions there are ways to support neighborhood restaurants and raise compensation for employees," he adds. "However, our state now has multiple different minimum wages, creating a checkerboard of wage laws that are difficult on everyone.” You can hear more from Anthony and the rest of our all-star panelists, including executive chefs and developers, at our Seattle Retail & Restaurant event on Jan. 28 at the Four Seasons Seattle, starting at 7:30am. Sign up here.