Show floor trends at the National Restaurant Show included products made with beets, and carbonated tea.
The 2018 National Restaurant Show ran May 19-22 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. This was the National Restaurant Association’s 99th show in Chicago, and it drew nearly 67,000 foodservice professionals and more than 2,300 exhibitors.
Here are five nutrition trends that were present at the show:
- Plant-based meat
- Beets
- Breaded vegan appetizers
- Carbonated tea
- Gluten-free breads, pizza and desserts
Show Highlights
Condoleezza Rice, the 66th U.S. Secretary of State, shared conversation with Association President and CEO Dawn Sweeney, and gave a speech about opportunity in America during the Signature 18 presentation. She also emphasized how necessary it is for us as a country to repair our divisions. The Alabama native also talked about her love for comfort food ‑‑ and anything fried.
A supersession on “The Future of Restaurants” featured futurist Daniel Burrus, Bear Robotics CEO John Ha, Winsight’s senior VP of content, Sarah Lockyer, and Caliburger CEO John Miller. The speakers addressed technology disruptors in the foodservice industry, including automation, social media’s power to drive sales, and delivery service. Penny the Robot also made an appearance.
This year’s show featured more than 100 education sessions, culinary demos and discussions at 11 different locations around McCormick Place’s convention center. The presentations focused on various subjects, including business operations, food and nutrition, beverage consumption, technology and workforce development.
