New York, NY, February 26, 2026 (FI NEWSWIRE) — The Food Institute today announced the launch of its inaugural Foodservice Insights Summit, a virtual event specifically designed for operators in the foodservice industry. The primary focus is on equipping operators with actionable data, real-time market intelligence, and strategic perspectives for senior executives working in the restaurant industry and broader foodservice ecosystem.
The event will occur on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Registration is required.
Summit Overview
Produced and hosted on The Food Institute’s virtual summit platform, the Foodservice Insights Summit will include the following sessions:
- 2026 Economic Outlook for the Foodservice Industry
- A Deep Dive on Consumer Need States
- State of the Restaurant Industry
- Technology Best Practices
- Trendspotting New Menu Items and Cuisines
- Operator Panel – Driving Growth in 2026
Why This Matters Now
The foodservice industry is under intense pressure — from inflationary cost structures and shifting consumer preferences to talent shortages and competition from digital-first delivery models. Traditional in-person events remain valuable, but a high-impact, scalable, virtual summit enables broad participation from executives who traditionally prioritize ROI-oriented engagements and decision-ready insights. It levels the playing field for global participation while eliminating logistical and travel barriers.
What Attendees Can Expect
Participants will walk away with:
- Data-driven trend analysis and benchmarks that inform capital allocation, pricing strategy, and supply chain planning.
- Actionable operator insights addressing labor, menu innovation, labor productivity, and customer acquisition strategies.
- Executive panels and expert keynotes unpacking macroeconomic headwinds and growth opportunities.
- Interactive Q&A for peer dialogue with C-suite and senior leadership across major foodservice constituencies.
Target Audience
This event is tailored for:
- CEOs, COOs, CFOs, and growth leaders in foodservice, hospitality, and F&B manufacturing
- Heads of strategy, insights, and corporate development
- Private equity and investment professionals focused on foodservice and retail portfolios
- Technology and data solution providers serving the foodservice ecosystem
Sponsors
“I’d like to personally thank our sponsors MenuData, iTradeNetwork, and Performance Foodservice for their support in helping to launch the Foodservice Insights Summit,” said Brian Choi, Managing Partner and CEO of The Food Institute. More information regarding the event’s sponsors can be found below.
About The Food Institute
The Food Institute is the leading independent source of data, news, and analysis for the food and beverage industry. Through timely intelligence, market research, and executive forums, The Food Institute empowers decision makers to anticipate disruption, capitalize on trends, and drive organizational performance.
Registration Information
Registration and full session details are available online here.
Sponsor Information
MenuData is a food and beverage intelligence platform powering the future of food and beverage innovation. We identify real-time global menu trends across emerging flavors, ingredients, and menu items using the world’s largest proprietary dataset of menu and ingredient data. By combining advanced social listening with generative AI, MenuData delivers actionable sales and marketing insights that help brands, restaurants, and manufacturers stay ahead of consumer demand and win in a rapidly evolving market.For more information, please visit www.menudata.ai.
iTradeNetwork is a supply chain data platform purpose-built for the food and beverage industry. By unifying procurement, traceability, and financial data across trading partners, iTradeNetwork enables manufacturers to gain end-to-end visibility, strengthen compliance, and operate more efficiently from ingredient to invoice. For more information, please visit www.itradenetwork.com.
Performance Foodservice is one of the largest food distributors and suppliers in the country, providing quality products, innovative technology, and custom solutions with a local touch to restaurant partners from coast-to-coast. An enterprise-wide team of sales consultants, chefs, and industry experts collaborate to serve independent owners and operators, along with a range of other foodservice customers. With nearly 70 years of authentic culinary expertise, Performance is a leader in pizza and Italian food, as well as the thriving Hispanic segment. For more information, please visit www.performancefoodservice.com.
Additional sponsor opportunities are available. For more information, please contact The Food Institute at info@foodinstitute.com
Press Contact
The Food Institute
Email: events@foodinstitute.com
Phone: (201) 791-5570
