The National Restaurant Association Show is the premier destination for foodservice innovation and inspiration, bringing together thousands of industry professionals in Chicago from May 16–19, 2026. As the largest annual foodservice event in the Western Hemisphere, the Show features more than 2,000 exhibitors, 900 product categories, and insights from over 70 expert speakers.
Attendees will explore cutting-edge advancements across AI, robotics, plant-based foods, sustainable packaging, and more. Designed for operators of every segment—from restaurant chains and independents to retail, lodging, and noncommercial sectors—the Show offers a dynamic environment to discover new products, sample emerging trends, and connect with peers. It’s where innovation meets opportunity to shape the future of foodservice.
Dates
Monday, May 18
3:00 PM
Innovation Theatre, North Hall
Data that Leads: Turning Restaurant Signals into Daily Decisions
Growth creates complexity, and even the best operators can end up buried in spreadsheets and siloed reports. In this session, Restaurant365 Solutions Architect Marc Cohen sits down with Black Rock Coffee Bar Business Intelligence Senior Manager Jaclyn Nesemann to unpack how the 170+ location brand is building a disciplined, data-driven culture as it scales from a single drive-thru to a national coffee powerhouse. Rather than relying on end-of-month spreadsheets and gut feel, Black Rock now uses weekly, unified data—inventory, waste, product mix, and actual-versus-theoretical performance—to surface the few signals that matter most for cost of goods, labor, and guest experience. The conversation will explore how “plain language” dashboards, real-time insights, and simple weekly routines align store teams, reduce administrative noise, and create space for leaders to focus on coaching, culture, and hospitality. It’s a practical look at how data, process, and AI together can truly power restaurant profitability at scale.
Restaurant365 is the AI-powered platform that turns restaurant data into smarter, faster decisions.
See Clearly. Act Faster. Real-time intelligence that turns data into money making decisions.
More Profits. Less Paperwork. AI handles busywork so your team can focus on what drives revenue.
One Platform, Built for Restaurants. Everything profitable restaurants need.
Dates
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday
Time
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Restaurant365 brings together accounting, operations, scheduling, and more in a flexible platform—empowering restaurants to choose the solutions they need and scale with confidence.