When the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show kicks off later this week, my colleagues and I will attend the event looking for further examples of how innovation and technology continue to optimize foodservice operations.

Foodservice operators can choose from countless technologies that promise to drive performance improvements. But turning that technology’s potential into positive impact, like enhancing the speed of service, reducing labor costs and improving product consistency, is easier said than done.

The on-again, off-again, on-again story of U.S. tariffs remains a daily topic on the news and in general conversation. While many other businesses grapple with the uncertainty of the way tariffs impact their industries, foodservice can turn to a more recent challenging period as it tries to chart a plan forward.

If you attended The NAFEM Show last month in Atlanta, I don’t need to remind you that the idea of applying automation remains alive and well. You could see it clearly in many booths displaying innovative solutions related to automation and other advanced technologies.

With increasing environmental concerns, rising operational costs, and growing consumer interest in supporting eco-friendly businesses adopting sustainable practices has never been more important for today’s restaurant chains.

As 2025 kicks off, many experts have offered their predictions about what’s in store for the restaurant industry for the coming year.

The first weeks of any new year are rife with prognostications about what’s to come during the next 12 months. So I figured, why not join the fun?

As foodservice consultants, our clients often challenge us to provide an impactful return on investment, be it for a piece of equipment, a new design or even both.

A previous blog about AI order-taking in drive-thru explored the impact that it could have on labor.

When we are tasked with a problem to solve, the natural approach is to focus directly on how the problem was dictated to you and not dive deeper into the problem statement. Often, this tunnel-vision approach can lead to issues elsewhere, particularly when it comes to multi-unit operators. This is not uncommon in bottleneck management, also known as the “theory of constraints” (TOC).

No doubt today’s operating environment remains a pretty complicated one for restaurants.

As prototypes shrink, effective and efficient foodservice requires foodservice operators and designers to make use of every inch of space as Carlos Espinosa of Profitality Labor Guru explains.

With some multiconcept operators purchasing a variety of chain restaurants, co-branding has gained new life. For those who may not be familiar with co-branding, on the surface it’s not a difficult concept: A company seeks to operate multiple brands from the same location. Execution, however, can be a little more challenging.

Joe Carbonara’s recent article on potential really struck a chord with me. Potential is both a beautiful and scary concept.

Open kitchens are far from new but can represent an innovative way to address labor challenges.

The start of a new year is a time when people naturally assess their personal lives, including what they’ve accomplished and what they hope to do in the coming year.

The tactical benefits of using voice-activated ordering systems in the drive-thru are many.

Oftentimes in the restaurant industry, we find ourselves laser-focused on the task at hand. It’s a good idea to lift our heads, on occasion, and take a look around at other industries as they can teach us plenty, too. One specific story that piqued my interest as of late is the saga surrounding WeWork.

Artificial intelligence and automation remain two of the more intriguing topics in today’s foodservice industry. For example, there’s no denying the potential impact of voice recognition AI systems can have in the drive-thru and other automated devices. Many continue to wonder when the robots will arrive in foodservice, when the fact is they are already among us.

If you attended any foodservice-related trade shows recently, I am sure you saw many robotic arms and machines being used in kitchen applications like frying chicken or making coffee.

Artificial Intelligence has revolutionized numerous industries, and foodservice will be no exception.

April is the traditional start of the baseball season. And rightly or wrongly, many teams often feel how competitive they will be during the upcoming season will depend on their ability score runs, mainly via hitting home runs. It’s fun because I often encounter the same kind of thinking in the restaurant industry.

Four years in the making The NAFEM Show 2023 and the events leading up to it did not disappoint.

Is it time for restaurants to check out solar power?

With a new year fast upon us, you can’t help but wonder what is in store for the foodservice industry in 2023. I am very optimistic about this year, both personally and professionally. For one, having lived the last few years, I am convinced the restaurant industry is so resilient and strong, that we can endure almost anything; sometimes we even come through trying times stronger than we were before.

Recently, I was invited to a gathering of chain restaurant operators and the support centers of said chains.

Everyone keeps saying that automation and robots are coming. In reality, though, they are already here.

The idea that foodservice lags behind other industries when it comes to adopting new technologies is nothing new. But the fact remains that automation and robotics will continue to become a bigger part of providing effective and efficient foodservice operations. That point was never clearer to me than after having spent a few days walking the National Restaurant Association’s 2022 show in

We have made it! It is with great pleasure that I can say foodservice industry gatherings are back!

After a pandemic-induced, two-year hiatus, the National Restaurant Association’s trade show was back in business in Chicago. And, wow, did it feel great to catch up on some of the newest equipment innovations and, more importantly, reconnect with our great industry colleagues. There was so much to see and take in, but here are a few thoughts and observations.