U.S. Restaurant Show is a Global Gathering

Something old, something new—this year’s National Restaurant Association Show, May 18-21 in Chicago, offers both. It promises, as always, to be a comprehensive showcase of leading-edge foodservice equipment, technology and trends. And this year the show is 100 years old, so planners are sprinkling the event with special occasions—such as a party Monday night—as part of the centennial celebration.

Last year’s show floor covered nearly 700,000 sq. ft., which was a record for the event, and this year, planners say they’ve added more than 5,000 sq. ft. The number of exhibitors has grown as well, now approaching 2,500 companies, of which approximately 25% are equipment suppliers. In addition, there are vendors that represent maintenance supplies, facility design and technology that ranges from POS to energy efficiency.

Returning in 2019 is the Kitchen Innovations Showroom, where visitors can scout award-earning developments in foodservice equipment, meet people from the organizations that created the innovations and hear from consultants and operators about the future of the equipment industry. These award recipients offer solutions to challenges that include safety, waste management, automation, efficiency and many of the other issues operators face, from back-of-house to front-of-house. See the entire photo gallery of KI Award recipients here.

Also returning to the show are the Innovation Hub, showcasing technological best practices and insights about important foodservice trends; Startup Alley, staffed by tech-savvy visionaries bringing creative ideas to foodservice; and the TECH Pavilion, full of advancements in mobile apps, mobile payment, POS, digital signage and more.

Visit the NRA Show website—nationalrestaurantshow.com—for more information.