TRENDS
9 Takeaways From the 2025 Restaurant Show
tions around the sale of THC-containing products. But the market is growing, particularly among younger consumers. “Over 50% of people under the age of 45 are swapping alcohol for THC at least once a week,” said Rick Schepp, general manager of beverages at Chicago- based Green Thumb Industries, a large national cannabis operator that has products in more than 100 retail locations. For snack loving consumers, small is big Fifty-six percent of consumers are replacing meals with snacks for financial reasons, finds the International Food Information Council (IFIC). Restaurants can take advantage of this by repackaging appetizers, sides and desserts, and charging less to bring in snackers. Rebrand the items as mini meals; create appetizer, side and dessert combos, appetizer flights and themed pairings. That’s just some of the advice presented in the Show education session, “Winning with Snack-Inspired Menus,” presented by Suzy Badaraco, president of Culinary Tides.
Kern also has his eye on non-alco- holic beverages, which commanded a bigger presence on the show floor this year than ever, saying he’d definitely seen a decrease in alcohol consump- tion in his business. He’s also navigating more split plates, whether driven by consumers on GLP-1 drugs or those seeking value. “It’s probably a combination of both,” Kern said. “Whatever their reason, the good news is it shows that consumers still want to dine out and they want that experience, we just have to adjust.” Technology-driven staffing solutions are always a crowd-pleaser at the Na- tional Restaurant Association Show, especially with the restaurant indus- try’s high turnover rate. One such trend that emerged this year: beverage auto- mation made with labor mitigation in mind. Eye-catching beverage technology included a robot barista that uses mo- tion capture technology to replicate an international barista champion’s ex- act movements for crafting lattes and espresso drinks; a soft drink dispenser that can customize ice levels and seal the drink in a spill-proof plastic cover- ing; a compact kiosk that can prepare smoothies in six flavors with customiz - able mix-ins and toppings. Keep an eye on this trend: Your Beverage automation emerges as top labor relief trend
restaurant drink order may be made by a robot sooner than you think. For THC beverages, it’s the wild, wild West There was a new exhibit area at the Show this year, one that reflects the changing way consumers are drinking intoxicating beverages. Welcome to the Hemp Beverage Pa- vilion, where a half-dozen or so exhib- itors were pouring samples of sodas, seltzers, canned cocktails and more during the Show’s first day, all spiked with varying milligrams of THC per of can. The sale of hemp-infused beverag- es is legal on the federal level due to a provision in the 2018 Farm Bill. States, however, have wildly differing regula -
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National Restaurant Association Show 2025
PHOTO CREDIT: i STOCK, HEATHER LALLEY
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