53,000 Chefs and Operators Descend on Chicago as the National Restaurant Association Show Opens Tomorrow

The 105th National Restaurant Association Show opens tomorrow, 16 May 2026, at McCormick Place in Chicago — the largest annual gathering of the global foodservice industry, drawing more than 53,000 professionals from 100 countries across four days of product launches, trend showcases, and industry debate.¹⁸ This year's show spans more than 700,000 square feet of exhibition space, with more than 2,000 vendors on the floor — from multinational ingredient suppliers and equipment manufacturers to independent producers launching products for the first time.²⁸

The show runs through 19 May and serves as the single most important annual calendar event for the US foodservice industry, where operators, chefs, distributors, and suppliers use the floor to identify new products, test equipment, negotiate supply deals, and take stock of where the industry is heading for the rest of the year.³⁹ This year's edition arrives at a particularly complex moment for the sector: the National Restaurant Association projects total US industry sales will reach $1.55 trillion in 2026, with real inflation-adjusted gains of approximately 1.3%, but operators continue to grapple with structurally elevated labour and food costs while facing growing resistance from value-conscious diners to further price increases.⁹

The 2026 FABI Awards: protein, global flavours, and texture dominate

Ahead of the show's opening, the National Restaurant Association named 28 recipients of its 2026 Food and Beverage Innovation (FABI) Awards — the programme's 15th anniversary year — with 10 of those products earning the FABI Favorites designation, the highest honour the programme confers.⁴⁶ The awards recognise food and beverage products that help restaurant operators refresh menus, respond to shifting consumer preferences, and remain competitive without adding undue complexity to kitchen operations.⁵

The most striking trend in this year's selections is the dominance of protein, global flavour profiles, and textural innovation.¹⁷ Products emphasising high protein content, bold seasonings drawn from global culinary traditions, and ingredients that deliver distinctive mouthfeel or crunch rose to the top of the judges' rankings. This marks a notable shift from previous years: plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, which dominated the FABI conversation from 2020 through 2024, were represented but no longer drove the top tier of the selection.¹³

What the shift away from plant-based means

The declining prominence of plant-based alternatives at the FABI Awards reflects a broader recalibration that has been underway across the foodservice industry for the past two years.³⁷ After a period of intense investment and consumer enthusiasm, many plant-based meat brands have seen sales plateau or decline as consumers found the products less satisfying than anticipated and as traditional animal proteins reasserted their value proposition, particularly in a cost-conscious environment.⁹¹⁰

The resurgence of animal protein at the innovation awards — alongside global flavour and textural development — points to operators seeking products that drive genuine repeat purchase and menu distinction rather than simply responding to a sustainability narrative.⁵⁷ The 2026 FABI selections span allergen-free alternatives, organic ingredient lines, and formats designed for operational efficiency, reflecting the dual pressure operators face to innovate while also simplifying back-of-house preparation.⁴⁶

The broader industry picture

Beyond the awards, this year's show floor reflects an industry navigating considerable headwinds alongside genuine long-term growth. Labour costs remain elevated following post-pandemic wage increases that have become structural rather than cyclical, and food input costs have been pushed higher by commodity market volatility — including this week's dramatic USDA report projecting US wheat output at a 54-year low.⁸⁹ Operators at the show will be looking in particular at technology and automation solutions that can reduce labour dependency, as well as menu management tools and ordering systems that help manage food cost variability in real time.³¹⁰