Create Team Buy-In with These Five Easy Steps
When you invite staff members to help drive the outcome, you create a culture where people want to do better. When they know their opinions matter, they will proactively initiate ideas.
May 2026
Top Caterers Share Tips and Strategies for Successful Outdoor Events
As the summer season gets underway, CFE News convened our Editorial Advisory Board for a wide-ranging discussion on what it really takes to execute outdoor events at a high level—from the first client conversation to the final plate. Following are some of these catering leaders’ tips and strategies.
Maneet Chauhan: Why BBQ Is Booming—and How to Do It Right
Maneet Chauhan knows how to win a barbecue battle. The acclaimed chef and restaurateur coached her team of pitmasters to victory on last season’s BBQ Brawl on Food Network. Now she’s back as a coach on the current season, ready to defend her winning legacy.
In an exclusive interview with CFE News, Chauhan opens up about her love of live-fire cooking, the influence of Indian culinary tradition on her BBQ philosophy, and the advice she’d give to operators looking to tap into the soaring popularity of all things barbecue.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Tips for Capturing Lucrative Catering Opportunities
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off June 11 and doesn’t end until July 19. For six weeks, 16 host cities across North America will host 6.5 million fans in stadiums. And tens of millions more will be cheering on their teams from offices, breweries, event spaces and living rooms across the country. Every single one of those watch parties, corporate gatherings and fan meetups needs food.
Watermelon Raspberry Lemonade
An ideal non-alcoholic beverage for outdoor events and BBQs, this refreshing lemonade looks as good as it tastes.
Watermelon Aperol Spritz
A refreshing cocktail that combines watermelon, prosecco, Aperol and sparkling water. Perfect for BBQs and outdoor events!
Fresh Watermelon in High Demand as Summer Beverage Ingredient
Looking for summer beverages that guests will flock to at BBQs and outdoor events? Just add watermelon.
The fruit has emerged as a high-demand beverage ingredient, particularly among Gen Z and Millennial consumers. According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, younger guests order watermelon drinks far more frequently than Gen X guests or Boomers.
Marcus Samuelsson’s Message to the Cruise F&B Industry: Stay Curious
At F&B@Sea, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson emphasized a point that every chef, caterer and hospitality professional understands: food is never just food. It is memory, identity, discipline, discovery and connection.
Samuelsson spoke on the main stage in April at the annual Miami conference, which brings together the global cruise F&B community.
How Sodexo Delivered Large-Scale Zach Bryan Concert Experience at the University of Tulsa
When Zach Bryan’s With Heaven on Tour arrived at the University of Tulsa for a two-day run on April 3 and 4, it brought more than 60,000 attendees and a major opportunity for Sodexo’s on-campus dining team to execute at scale.
What’s on the Table? ECEP Identifies 10 Catering Trends
The ECEP Trends Council convened at the 2026 ECEP Symposium, compiling a list of 10 catering and hospitality trends identified by these industry heavyweights. The third annual ECEP Trends Report reflects how catering’s most influential operators are reading the room—and redefining it.
