Wow, what a day! We couldn’t have imagined a better kickoff to the 2022 Show. Thank you so much for coming out, rejoining your community and supporting your industry. We look forward to three more days of inspiring education sessions, new discoveries and unmatched connections—but before we move on, let’s take a look back at day one’s biggest moments:

• Chef Rick Bayless took the stage in The Culinary Experience to demonstrate his take on authentic Mexican tacos to a packed crowd on Saturday morning. Drawing from his experience visiting Taquerias in Mexico City, Chef Bayless emphasized the importance of bold salsas and corn tortillas in creating a truly authentic Mexican flavor. Using butternut squash, onions and kale as main ingredients for taco filling, Chef Bayless also demonstrated the versatility of vegetables and other meat substitutes as key for a unique one-of-a-kind flavor experience.
• The Keynote included several thought-provoking remarks from Alexis Ohanian regarding the future of restaurants in an age of digital disruption. As technology in our homes continues to improve, Ohanian urges restaurant operators to play on consumers’ “FOMO” (fear of missing out) by offering “unique” and “special” experiences; examples include the introduction of rotating menus or limited run items. In a “generation that’s grown up on scarcity,” Ohanian wants restaurateurs to “not only create the excuse for someone to come in person to experience [their] food” but truly “surprise and delight” guests.