2023 NAFEM Show Guide: Industry Leaders’ Thoughts on The Show

“What I am looking forward to is the ability to get together with all our channel partners, face to face, and rekindle the partnerships of working together as a team, to provide our common customer with the best experience from all the channel partners. We all need to work together in the process and are a necessity, from specifying the correct equipment for the customer’s needs, (not just the lowest price) installation and starting up, so that when the customer takes possession of the equipment, it is installed correctly, it will do what the customer expects it to do, the utilities are correct and it is not in a place that will reduce the life expectancy of the equipment.”

—John Schwindt, vice president of operations, Hawkins Commercial Appliance Service

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“NAFEM is the most informative and necessary show that people in the restaurant equipment industry can attend. The concentration of manufacturers showing the additions to their lines and newest technologies is critical to our long-term development plan, and NAFEM is the best place to see all of this at once. NAFEM allows a high level of productivity by scheduling meetings with necessary partners all in one place, when normally it would take months to schedule, travel and have those meetings.”

—May Payne Cvengros, director of FF&E purchasing, fry cook and cashier, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers

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“I’m looking forward to just being able to see people again. The pandemic lockdowns kept us away from each other for some time. At NAFEM, I plan to meet with customers, walk the show floor with them and find out how things are going and just share ideas and best practices. I want to find out how to do things better.”

—David Stafford, president and CEO, Stafford-Smith Inc.

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“I’ve been looking forward to NAFEM for the past few years! It’s always a great opportunity to see new, innovative equipment. We are currently looking for equipment that can help improve cook times, increase throughput and reduce labor. We’re also looking for equipment that will help reduce utility costs and aligns with our environmental, social and governance goals.”

—Nadine Rodriguez, director of supply chain, Noodles & Co.

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“NAFEM is an industry institution like no other—an opportunity for our teams to coordinate with our vendor partners in an open setting. As always, we will be bringing 20-plus of our associates and will pack their days with training sessions, meetings, and no small amount of networking and fun. NAFEM is a chance for the ‘five families’ to meet on common ground. I, for one, can’t wait.”

—Marc Tell, CEO, Sam Tell Cos.

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“NAFEM is usually a demanding, hectic and yet exciting week all wrapped up into one. Beyond the show itself, it’s a full week, usually chock-full of meetings from dawn to dusk. That said, it’s a week that holds the promise of tremendous opportunity; the opportunity to learn about new products and what’s trending in the industry. The greatest opportunity, however, is to be able to reconnect with old friends, and also the potential to make new ones. If that wasn’t enough, the week’s capped off with the all-industry celebration, which usually is an outstanding event, where you have a chance to wind down with friends and teammates, and to celebrate the fact that you’ve ‘survived’ the week.”

—Stephanie O’Donoghue, principal, Rep Concepts

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“We’re at a time where we need to see innovation, and not just the ‘what’ but the ‘how.’ One of the things I talk to my team all the time about is, you can’t just bring something to a customer. You have to bring them the whole vision. How do they use it? What are the recipes? How does it support their business? And that’s what I would like to see at NAFEM.”

—Karen McCain, executive vice president, southern region, TriMark USA

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“I am most eager to reconnect with friends and colleagues. We always learn so much at the FCSI Symposium from both the speakers and our peers, and I am excited to be the FCSI TAD chair in 2023. The show is a ‘must do’ for any consultant and operator—really anyone in the equipment industry—to learn about all the new product introductions. We will be searching out solutions at the show to help our clients with their new design projects and renovations. Overall, it has always been a highly anticipated event and we are most excited to attend!”

—Christine Guyott, executive principal, Rippe Associates

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“At the top of my NAFEM to-do list every year is to search out my good friend Charlie Souhrada [NAFEM vice president of regulatory and technical affairs]. He is a great representative of NAFEM and a wealth of knowledge. Aside from networking, I love to dive into new product developments and existing product insights. There are oftentimes educational opportunities I take advantage of as I map out my agenda. I always leave NAFEM encouraged and inspired by the grandiose of our industry and the amazing people I connected with.”

—Nick Cribb, president, SAM Service

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“Our industry and the entire economy has changed dramatically and is not going back to how it was. We need to realize that and find new, innovative ways to meet our customers’ needs while realizing that their needs are also changing. It will be a challenging time, but challenge means opportunity. So, I’m looking forward to accomplishing these initiatives at NAFEM.”

—Patricia Bible, president, founder and CEO, KaTom Restaurant Supply

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“We will have six of us going, the largest group ever. I’m looking forward to connecting with manufacturers to learn more about how they have pivoted in this new world. The supply chain is more challenging than ever regarding predictability. Furthermore, with the ongoing labor constraints our nation and industry is facing, I want to learn about where we are going as an industry regarding robotics, automation. How can equipment help bridge the labor constraints and what can we take back to our clients to help them improve their operation?”

—Jameel Burkett, president, Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies

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