The NRA Show. 2.6 million square feet of fried bites, breathable dress shoes and people filming robots. It’s one of the best spectacles in the business and gives us something to chew on every year.
We met futures and legends. Nervous entrepreneur handshakes with crisp branding and dreams of live interviews in the Informa Booth. Cool, collected veterans like one foodservice leader who was attending for his 32nd year in a row! It’s a tapestry of the industry all packed into breathtaking booths with that knee saving cushioned carpet. This year and every year we leave with what feels like 2.6 million square feet of new ideas. Here are a few of our favorite from this year.
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In the Information Age, budding restaurant brands hear it from all sides. Fried chicken is the number one selling item on DoorDash, you’ve got to have it on your menu. Alt meat is the future, you’ll struggle without it. Pizza is a high margin item, you’ll be rich if you can sell it. When you’re building a brand it can feel like you’re always behind, but restaurants who focus on fewer things delivered with excellence will always win. When a solid foundation of offerings continually delights guests, opportunities are earned to expand into new areas. Being selective about which information to adopt is tough, but will ultimately serve restaurants in the long run.
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Foodservice operators are like John Connor in the Terminator movie franchise. They could rise up and save the day but unruly technology keeps popping up with cool sunglasses and clever one liners to cause them problems. A restaurant’s tech stack can be a point of difference but with a ubiquity of solutions on the market, making it all work together can be a huge challenge. The options out there are amazing. AI voice ordering. Tiered loyalty with gamification. And yes, robots, although they still seem to have plenty of glitches. The problem comes with integration. If your tech stack doesn’t have a mission from SkyNet in the future, it can be chaotic. Being selective with which tech to pursue is vital in the current market. Perhaps someday we’ll see the good Terminator from T2: Judgment Day swoop in and be our champion, but right now it’s on operators to choose the right path when navigating foodservice tech.
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COVID made us value convenience in a whole new way. Everything during that time was so inconvenient, it had us seeking comfort in a whole new way and we were willing to pay for it because our dollars were limited in other places. After the belt tightening Q1 we saw for restaurant operators, convenience isn’t king. Its table stakes. When everyone is more convenient, flavor will still hold the crown. Flavor is what you do and convenience is how you do it.
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If you ever get the chance to hear Donna Hood-Crecca speak, take it. She’s a master of insights and this year during a panel on bar programs she dropped the knowledge that bars with good non-alcohol beverage offerings will drive more large party visits because the N/A drinker will have a weighted choice in the destination. This is so true across the foodservice industry. Like the N/A drinker, those with dietary restrictions are often put in the position to decide where a group will go to meet their requirements. Our office is no different. When we take our team out for lunch, we choose establishments that can cater to celiac, vegan and dairy-free diets. Options for these diners will win large parties for the foreseeable future.
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Foodservice establishments are getting larger and smaller at the same time. QSRs like Sonic and McDonald’s now have soda shops and coffee drive through concepts to contend with for share of throat. FSRs like Walk-On’s and Big Whiskey’s now have Eatertainment expanding the offering to include entertainment for the evening daypart. Maybe the most interesting development in all this category identity crisis is in QSRs and C-Stores. With the rise of EVs on the vehicle market, giants like Starbucks are placing EV charging stations in their parking lots to bring guests inside and provide value beyond the drive though and convenience stores are running LTOs and creating unique foodservice brands to entice guests beyond the pump. If this trend continues, how long will it be until the two become one? Convenience could have a battle on its hands for market share as more CyberTrucks and Priuses hit the market.
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We all know why people love going to Chick-Fil-A. Sure, the product is consistent and the menu is versatile, but they didn’t reach $9M AUV because they make good nuggets. They did it because they made service more than a word. It’s their calling card. Even the government relied on Chick-Fil-A operations to get advice on how to navigate administering the COVID drive thru vaccine. They just get it. Off the floor, the Chicago dining scene does too. We dined with clients at La Serre in the West Loop during our stay. It was like Episode 7, Season 2 of Hulu’s The Bear. The food was incredible and it met our expectations, but the way the restaurant made us feel was what made the difference. When one of our party visited the restrooms at La Serre, the staff saw that navigating through the busy dining room would be difficult and offered to take our guest through the kitchen instead. The staff didn’t blink, moving aside from finishing the brilliant red pepper sauce that accompanies their eggplant fritter appetizer in favor of showing respect to a visitor whose needs took precedence. They made it clear that our experience was the most important thing to them and that’s what sets them apart from the apathetic environments we’ve all experienced when dining out. We also saw plenty of great examples of premium self service experiences at the show, which can be another way to exceed a guests expectations. In a climate where service is hard to come by, if you deliver on it with excellence, the impact will not be forgotten.
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The weight loss drug revolution is in full swing. Ozempic sales topped $14 Billion in 2023 and according to drugmaker Wegovy, 25,000 new people begin weight loss drugs each week. Drake isn’t the only one using it (We’re Kendrick fans, folks). With the rise of these drugs comes a change in diets. High fat foods and alcoholic beverage are not recommended while taking Ozempic and GLP-1 drugs. Foodservice operators may continue to see a decrease in sales of menu items that don’t mesh well with them. The real question is how long this will be the weight loss trend of the day. Diet fads move quickly and operators will need to be selective on how they approach adjustments to their offering to accommodate them.
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During a session with restauranteur and coach Josh Kopel, Founder of FLO Hospitality, a light went off for us with one of his insights: Value is perceived. In a market where McDonald’s is calling the battle for guests a “streetfight,” the name of the game to win hard-fought diner dollars is in value. If guests are being more selective where they spend when dining out, they want to feel like they’re getting something special or they will choose to dine at home. Kopel posited as much in his talk, highlighting the importance of telling a story of value with the menu. Anyone can order a Tuna Crudo with tomato and shallots, but if you describe the dish with key points of difference, the value comes through. Maybe you use Ostera Caviar and describe it as the “Kobe Beef of Caviar” because its luxurious, buttery mouthfeel or “Sustainably Sourced Bigeye Tuna” for those concerned with wildlife preservation. Value doesn’t always have to be in price reduction like McDonald’s new and slightly underwhelming $5 chicken sandwich meal. As Kopel said in his talk, it can be in describing the effort that goes into an effortless process instead.
This year’s Show was a whirlwind of insights, excitement and possibilities. We had a great time and can’t wait to lace up our sneakers, steam our blazers and head out again next May. Cheers to all the hardworking foodservice pros who brought their A Game and the restauranteurs out there creating memorable dining experience. We love this industry and it’s always a pleasure to be immersed in the 2.6 million square feet of how the world enjoys food.
See you next year!
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Supper Co. is a full service advertising agency in the Midwest that specializes in foodservice and hospitality. You can check out our latest work at itssuppertime.com.
