“We’re seeing operators focus on innovation that has a very clear business benefit,” said Andrea Tenzca, Vice President of Marketing for Restaurant Events. “They’re looking for products and solutions that can help them control costs, operate more efficiently, address labor challenges and, at the same time, create a better guest experience.”
Those priorities will be reflected across the show floor. Tenzca said attendees can expect new food and beverage products and ingredients alongside labor-saving equipment, automation and technologies designed to improve productivity and profitability. Artificial intelligence will also be a significant part of the conversation, particularly as operators move beyond discussing AI conceptually and begin looking for specific applications in marketing, forecasting, customer engagement and restaurant operations. “Operators don’t have time to come to a trade show simply to browse,” Tenzca added. “They need to leave with ideas, products and strategies they can actually put to work in their businesses.”
That has shaped both the exhibit floor and more than 40 hours of educational programming. Topics include food and operating costs, employee recruitment and retention, leadership, restaurant marketing, customer engagement, leasing, profitability, AI and predictive marketing. Sessions such as the “90-Day Restaurant Rescue Strategy,” recipe-costing programs and Restaurant Management 201 and 301 workshops and a brand-new workshop for owners focused on how to build a great concept, The Wizard Behind the Curtain, are designed to give attendees takeaways that can be applied after they return home.
Restaurant owners may also find value in treating the Orlando event as a team building management development opportunity. “There is simply too much happening at the show for one person to experience everything,” explained Paul Pedrow, Vice President of Sales for Restaurant Events. “An executive chef may want to focus on ingredients, equipment and culinary demonstrations, while a general manager is looking at staffing, operations and technology. Your marketing person can attend sessions on AI and customer engagement while the owner or CFO focuses on food costs, leasing, profitability and growth.”
Pedrow said that approach allows teams to “divide and conquer,” then compare ideas and identify which opportunities deserve further evaluation once they return to their operations. For chefs, the ability to physically evaluate products remains one of the enduring advantages of an in-person industry event. “You can read about a new ingredient or piece of equipment online, but that is very different from seeing it demonstrated, talking directly with the supplier and understanding how it might work in your own kitchen,” Pedrow commented. “For an executive chef who is responsible not only for creativity but also food costs, labor, consistency and productivity, the show brings all of those conversations together in one place.”
A new Sunshine Plate Competition Stage, presented in partnership with the American Culinary Federation, will add another live-learning component. Culinary competitions featuring pork, seafood and beef will enable attendees to watch chefs work through ingredient selection, organization, timing, technique and presentation under competition conditions. The stage will also host the Hospitality School Showdown, featuring head-to-head culinary competitions among faculty from some of Florida’s leading hospitality management schools, including Florida State University, Florida International University, the University of Central Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University. “The competition brings energy to the show floor, but it also has a strong educational component,” Tenzca detailed. “Chefs can watch how their peers approach ingredients and technique and potentially take some of those ideas back into their own kitchens.”
Co-locating the Florida Restaurant Show with the Pizza Tomorrow Summit broadens the marketplace further. With one registration, attendees can move between the two events and explore technologies, equipment, beverages, appetizers, desserts, workforce strategies and marketing ideas that increasingly cross traditional segment lines.
“The pizza industry is incredibly innovative, and many of the products, technologies and operational solutions being developed for pizzerias are equally relevant to restaurants and foodservice operations,” Pedrow outlined.
The 5th Annual Pizza Tomorrow Summit programming will also include a live taping of the So You Want to Run a Restaurant podcast featuring California Pizza Kitchen CEO Rick Rosenfield, who will discuss The California Pizza Kitchen Story and distribute copies of the new book. The presentation is sponsored by Back of House.
For manufacturers and suppliers, the Florida Restaurant Show offers a unique opportunity. Food and beverage companies can sample products and put them directly in front of chefs and buyers. Equipment manufacturers can demonstrate performance rather than relying solely on specifications. Technology companies can show operators how a platform fits into real restaurant workflows.
“This is a face-to-face industry, and there is enormous value in putting a product directly in front of the people who make purchasing decisions,” Pedrow said. “Exhibitors can demonstrate products, provide samples, answer questions and have meaningful conversations that are difficult to replicate through digital marketing alone.”
Florida’s combination of independent restaurants, multi-unit operators, hotels, resorts, theme parks, tourism and continuing population and business growth has created a large and diverse foodservice marketplace. Restaurant Events’ partnership with the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association also gives the show a connection to FRLA’s approximately 10,000 members, including restaurants, hotels, national brands, suppliers and other hospitality businesses.
The upcoming Orlando event is produced and manage by Restaurant Events, LLC. The company has built a national portfolio of foodservice trade shows connecting operators, chefs, suppliers and industry professionals in key markets. Its Florida, New York and California Restaurant Shows will be joined in 2027 by the newly announced Carolinas Restaurant Show, debuting June 16–17 at the Charlotte Convention Center.
The Florida Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit will be held October 25–27, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. For additional information, registration and exhibit details, visit FloridaRestaurantShow.com for the Florida Restaurant Show and PizzaTomorrow.com for the Pizza Tomorrow Summit.
