CHICAGO – The Windy City served as the nexus of the foodservice industry May 17-20, as stakeholders gathered for the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show (NRA).
Held at McCormick Place, the four-day event featured the latest and greatest in foodservice innovation, ranging from international flavors to brand mashups to data solutions. Here’s some highlights:
International Flavors and Comfort Foods Combine
Many products on display in Chicago combined comfort foods with international flavors, resulting in memorable flavor profiles.
The Nestlé Professional Solutions booth had a variety of interesting and unique products on display, but their play on chicken and waffles was the perfect example of the trend. The chicken was tossed in a honey-harissa sauce before being placed on a mini waffle with sausage gravy.
Meanwhile, The Campbell Soup Co. presented four unique soup flavors that were exclusive to foodservice channels at an NRA press event. The soup varieties included chicken and dumplings, Mexican street corn, Caribbean-style jerk chicken, and harissa white bean.
Pizza Solutions Become Simpler for Operators
Chef Tom Moran, senior corporate chef for Nestlé Professional Solutions, shared three pizzas from the company’s portfolio with The Food Institute team. He highlighted the ease of cooking the products and their versatility.
Palermo’s Pizza, a major player in the frozen pizza space, highlighted its new frozen pizza crust called Pinsa. The dough is made with rice and soy flour, which results in a unique cell structure base.
The company shared both pizzas and sandwiches made with the Pinsa bread, with COO and CRO Peter Cokinos sharing that an automated facility was expected to launch later this year to support production of the product.
Beverages Steal the NRA Spotlight
Functional beverages were on full display at the conference, with Evolution Fresh sharing samples of its Evolution Fresh Functional Sodas. The high-fiber products were designed for soda drinkers who were looking for a better-for-you option.
Additionally, Olipop was on the show floor providing samples of its functional soda products. The company specifically highlighted its Ridge Rush, a new variety which fused lemon, lime, and orange juice flavors.
CBD- and THC-infused beverages were also available in the Beverage Pavillion. Señorita, a non-alcoholic THC-infused margarita brand, was one such example.
Brands Partner for Collaborations
Mike’s Hot Honey is a brand that’s leveraging its success to establish strong partnerships with other companies in the food space. The company highlighted a variety of its co-branded products at the show.
Mike’s Hot Honey founder Mike Kurtz specifically pointed to a recently-released and limited-time collaboration with Utz – Cheese Pizza Cheese Balls – which featured the company’s hot honey. He also highlighted a recent partnership with KFC.
C4 Energy, a maker of protein powders and energy drinks, also showcased brand collaborations. On the energy drink front, it showcased products incorporating the flavors of Jolly Ranchers and Hawaiian Punch. For its protein powders, the brand exhibited collaborations with Hershey’s and Reese’s.
Data, Analytics, and AI: Oh My
Placer.ai’s R.J. Hottovy noted that many of the people he spoke with at his company’s booth were looking for solutions providing operational efficiency.
Meanwhile, MenuData launched a new product at the show: MenuData AI. The menu insights company highlighted how the language learning model could allow users to ask questions and receive actionable insights curated from menu, social, and retail trends from across the food industry.
The Food Institute Podcast
It’s tariff time, and companies the world over are working to better understand how their operations will be impacted. Jodi Ader from RSM US LLP joined The Food Institute Podcast to discuss which products and inputs are currently subject to tariffs, and how to best mitigate supply chain risks.
