Takeaways from the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show

Our team recently hit the 2025 National Restaurant Show, witnessing thousands of food service exhibitors and participating in dozens of education sessions.

After last year’s conference, our key takeaway encompassed a need for “back-to-basics” strategies: An operational refocus on purpose, people, core products, and LTO excellence.

Our key takeaway this year? Food service providers are expanding the definition of what the restaurant experience can be. And they’re doing that by leaning into food as sensory play. From colorful beverages to surprising flavor combinations, vibrant branding, and hyper-personalization, restauranteurs are catering to the whimsical palates of today’s more sensory-driven customers.

Tactile play meets hyper-personalization.

Whether via custom beverage dispensers or the Heinz REMIX machine, which allows users to put together unique dipping sauces, food service providers are gamifying the restaurant experience. Consumers can not only choose their favorite flavors but digitally create their own—allowing for hyper-personalized dining that gives the culinary keys to anyone with the ability to navigate a touch screen.

Gustatory play meets shock-and-awe innovation.

Meanwhile, product innovation gets bigger and bolder with flavor combos that border on “shock-and-awe” intention. Beverage innovation was big at this year’s Show. From PepsiCo’s mixology-inspired DRIPS to Coca-Cola’s Sprite+Tea hard launch, beverage big-wigs are recognizing Gen Z’s craving for experimentation.

In addition to beverages, our team taste-tested a variety of intriguing bites including Tajin mangonada donuts, Goldfish soft-serve, and pickle… everything. A word of caution: Just because flavors can be combined, doesn’t mean they should be (looking at you, Keurig-Dr Pepper Pickle Lemonade). Successful innovation will create intrigue without sacrificing product enjoyment.

Where can restauranteurs look for inspiration? According to Tara Fitzpatrick at FoodService Director: Universities and sports arenas. College food services and baseball stadiums are experimenting with novel flavor mash-ups before they hit mainstream dining. No surprise here, considering Gen Z is breaking all the rules and sports fans are all about the play.

Experiential play meets feel-good brand-building.

More than clever flavor or tech, the strongest brands are creating moments that connect emotionally with guests—and make them feel seen. Whether it’s a manager stepping tableside to check in or an engineered “wow” moment built for social sharing, the message is clear: experiences build brands.

We heard from several brand leaders on how they’ve transformed operations into their strongest marketing asset.

• Applebee’s increased manager visibility in the dining room to create meaningful touchpoints with guests
• Chipotle transformed crisis into positive brand perception through consistent, proactive storytelling with long-term brand health in mind
• Bolay reinforced its lost identity by getting back to its chef coat uniform, re-telling the brand’s chef-driven story
  

When experience becomes the marketing, every touchpoint—human or otherwise—should express your brand’s best self. If operators can take away one action item, it’s to create one moment per visit worth sharing.

Digital fragmentation and accelerated growth.

We couldn’t help but notice the rapid expansion of technology offerings at this year’s Show. Since 2024, an entirely new wing opened to host tech exhibitors—from on-demand merch creation to POS systems and digital merchandising. Digification of the restaurant was a key theme.

As more providers enter the chat, restauranteurs have more options than ever on how to automate, simplify, and customize their operations. While this observation doesn’t fit neatly in this blog’s “sensory play” storyline per se, the charge for operators is: When it comes to digital, it’s time to stop theorizing and just get into the game.

JENNA OLIVER is an Account Director at LOOMIS, the country’s leading challenger brand advertising agency and a top Dallas advertising agency for digital, social, mobile and user experience. For more about challenger branding, advertising, and marketing, leadership, culture, and other inspirations that will drive your success, visit our blog BARK! The Voice of the Underdog and catch up on all of our posts.

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