4 Operators Sustaining Success in 2026

Today, fluctuating tariffs touch every corner of the foodservice industry—from French cheese to fryers. This uncertain landscape finds operators leaning into both novel ideas and tried-and-true community to achieve success in 2026.

“Everything’s costing more, so people are going out less,” says David Jackman, chef and co-owner of Wildweed in Cincinnati. “We’re helping people find the value so they want to eat in a restaurant as a respite from their everyday challenges.”

Jackman predicts that 2026 will be more of the same, given that fewer folks see Cincy as a tourism destination. Naama Tamir, co-owner of New York’s Lighthouse BK, opened two new concepts in the past 16 months and is riding a wave of varied success into 2026. The same sentiment applies to both Elliot Nelson, founder and CEO of McNellie’s Group in Tulsa, Okla., and Jess Anderson, director of business development at Oxford Commons in Florida. Some of their concepts are booming—and others are in a downturn.

Here’s how these four operators are bringing ingenuity to the table in 2026.

Building in Flexibility

Oxford Commons’ flagship property, Oxford Exchange, pivots from full-service daytime offerings to 200-person weddings in the evening—a tall order in an 1890s historic building. Anderson says the group’s primary 2026 investments will include attractive, semipermanent coffee shop-style equipment like nonrefrigerated pastry display cases. Most recently, at night, the team has leaned into wheeled equipment like roll-in ice wells, double-walled ice buckets and portable bars for seamless transitions.

“We’re finding in a lot of concepts that portability and something that can be used for many things is what we’re spending money on right now,” she says.

Bringing People Together

Yes, prices are up across the menu. But guests who chose to dine out in 2025 did so with gusto—and operators don’t expect that to change next year. Tamir’s latest concept, Birds, features two live music shows every night to packed houses. And Anderson says Oxford Commons’ Mad Dogs & Englishmen pub attracts 30 teams on trivia nights.

Nelson of McNellie’s says his group’s pub segments also are booming. He’s constantly evaluating draft lines and other equipment to help those spaces run more efficiently, minimize waste and serve more customers.

Operators also are leaning into their industry communities to help everyone’s business thrive. In 2026, Tamir will work with neighborhood restaurateurs to invest in high-end green technology normally accessible only for hotels and larger operations. At the top of her list: A hypochlorous acid generator that ionizes water into nontoxic disinfectant.

“It makes sense to bring three geographically close restaurants to invest or lease together,” she says. She’s optimistic that group investments like this one will support both the community and the environment.

Capturing In-the-Moment Flavors

Wildweed’s Jackman buys locally whenever possible and relies on a RATIONAL oven and new freezers to can fresh produce and uphold quality year-round. He also invested in wine fridges to help the operation maintain a consistent menu, navigate fluctuating tariffs and buy in bulk when prices are right.

That consistency likely factored into Jackman and Wildweed’s inclusion on New York Times and Bon Appetit best-of lists for 2025, as well as a James Beard Award nomination. But “those awards aren’t ego-driven,” Jackman says. “They’re awards that allow us to grow our business and mission, and support people in our community more.”