New dirty soda creations. State-of-the-art drink dispensers. Top-ranked chip brands.
Those were just some of the sights, sounds – and tastes – at the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. The Food Institute’s Brian Choi and Chris Campbell got to talk to experts from several major CPG brands to get the inside scoop on what makes their products so coveted – and how they stay on top of consumer behavior.
What makes their products so successful? And how do they seem to know just what the customer wants?
