May 16–19, 2026
McCormick Place
Chicago, IL
Peak Season Prep
This summer is serving opportunity. From local customers seeking unique experiences to culinary tourists and the crowds flooding in for the World Cup, restaurants that understand what these guests expect can turn seasonal traffic into lasting revenue.
That’s why we’re sharing insights and inspiration to help you prep for the summer surge. As we lead up to the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show, we’ll highlight key industry stats, consumer preferences, and ideas for capturing a bigger share of seasonal spending. But to really win this year’s busy season, be sure to secure your spot at the Show in Chicago and get a closer look at the innovation shaping the foodservice industry.
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Turn Summer Travel into Growth
Let’s dive into the first topic of interest: appealing to global diners and tourists.
The FIFA World Cup organization expects a record 6.5 million total attendees across 104 matches in Canada, Mexico and the United States. Starting in June, travelers will set out for North American cities like Houston, Philadelphia, Mexico City and Toronto, and along the way they will be hungry for unique food and cultural experiences.
According to the 2026 TravelBoom Leisure Travel Study travelers want authentic regional flavors and memorable experiences. After surveying 500 travelers, 66% said they are most excited about street food and 64% said they prefer local experiences over fine dining, so appealing to global diners is about leaning into local.
Showcase regional delicacies, highlight a local eats section of your menu, and host immersive dining experiences like wine pairings or cooking classes to capture attention from tourists. Stay tuned for ideas to position your restaurant as a must-visit destination—this topic will be highlighted in an upcoming post!
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Menu Inspiration to Attract Seasonal Crowds
Operators who evolve their menus to compliment seasonal moments like the World Cup and the 250th anniversary of the United States will be best positioned to attract tourists and local guests.
Consider developing limited time offers (LTOs) that celebrate your region and are aligned to special events. Think shareable, easy to execute, and built for speed. Get inspiration from Technomic’s 2026 global foodservice trend predictions citing the following themes showing up on menus this year:
- Flavor innovation is more adventurous: Expect a rise in unexpected combinations and mashups (like sweet + spicy or “swicy”), along with reimagined classics like ramen and new uses for globally inspired ingredients.
- Global flavors go deeper and more diverse: Menus are expanding beyond mainstream international cuisine to include more nuanced, regional influences—from Pan-African concepts to emerging Asian ingredients and flavor profiles.
- Back-to-basics, but better: Restaurants are shifting away from chasing fleeting trends and instead doubling down on proven favorites—elevating familiar items with craveable textures, bold flavors, and new formats.
- Experience-driven eating continues to evolve: From interactive dipping experiences to visually striking beverages and nostalgic trend “recycles,” menus are increasingly designed to deliver novelty, shareability, and sensory engagement.
Keep the inspiration going at the 2026 Show where you will discover breakthrough food and beverage products to enhance your menu like Gourmet Culinary Partners’ Dubai Chocolate Phyllo Triangle and Chunk Foods’ Moroccan Spice Cubes.
Serve Peak Crowds at Peak Efficiency
The customer foot traffic is coming. The question is how well you’re set up to handle it.
You’ll find the answer in today’s cutting-edge operational technology. Technomic’s 2026 global foodservice trend predictions describe the shift from experimentation to implementation as robotics, AI and automation become more commonplace in kitchens. These tools can anticipate order volume, reducing waste, cutting prep time, minimizing costs and more.
AI solutions, in particular, have seen a rise in interest and investment. Tech company Qu’s State of Digital report, as covered in Restaurant Business, found that 51% of limited-service chains surveyed were
purchasing AI-powered systems, with another 22% planning to do so this year. The areas operators are focusing on include:
- Marketing and personalization (53%)
- Predictive analytics (40%)
- Voice ordering (39%)
- Drive-through computer vision (19%)
- Kitchen computer vision (16%)
- Dynamic menu pricing (13%)
To get the most impact, restaurants need to streamline adoption, whether it’s scaling systems to work at multiple locations or creating a unified tech structure to avoid data fragmentation. Operators who achieve that goal will build a more resilient business that can keep up with seasonal rushes.
Beyond this technological efficiency, the deeper opportunity is experiential. When AI and automated systems handle everything from demand forecasting to back-of-house logistics, operators and their teams can redirect energy toward their guests — precisely when summer crowds are at their peak.
Discover the tools making it possible at the 2026 Show. From innovative KI awardees to new solutions in the TECH Pavilion, you’ll discover that the future of foodservice is here now.
Download the 2026 Foodservice Outlook: Operations, Equipment and Technology report for a deeper look at the operational trends driving the industry forward.
