Consumer interest in climate-smart dining is growing—but foodservice operators aren’t keeping pace. That’s the central finding of the second year of “Closing the Gap: Eater and Operator Perspectives on Sustainable Dining,” a multi-year research study from BITE: Building Impact Through Eaters and Datassential.
D’Amico Hospitality—a leading special events company based in Minneapolis—has been awarded Caterer of the Year by the International Caterers Association (ICA).
Atlanta-based Fifth Group Restaurants’ events division, Bold Catering & Design, launched Bold Flowers, a premier floral atelier specializing in refined weekly, seasonal, and bespoke floral design and installation.
The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show has selected 20 recipients of its 2026 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Awards, recognizing foodservice equipment and technology designed to support day-to-day foodservice execution through smarter automation, sustainability and operational resilience.
America’s restaurant industry is poised for a year of measured growth, though a cooling labor market, persistent cost pressures and cautious household spending will continue to challenge operator margins.
According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2026 State of the Restaurant Industry report, total restaurant and foodservice sales are projected to reach $1.55 trillion, and restaurant operators are forecast to add more than 100,000 jobs.
Texas leads the nation for the most projected culinary industry jobs by 2032, according to a study by Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.
The state-by-state breakdown analyzed national and state-level employment projections, comparing projected trends and actual growth across all 50 states.
Leading North American airport restaurateur and retailer Paradies Lagardère announced that more than 98.5% of the company’s 213 airport dining locations have earned the Certified Green Restaurant status from the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), a national nonprofit that has been helping restaurants become more environmentally sustainable since 1990.
Five Guys is bringing approximately 800 of its locations onto the ezCater food tech platform, which will give the fan-favorite burger brand access to high-value corporate catering orders from workplaces nationwide.
Leading hospitality groups including Hilton, Accor, Marriott, Mandarin Oriental and IKEA are now collectively saving more than $100 million a year by cutting food waste across their kitchens—enabled by AI-powered food waste tracking from Winnow.
The National Restaurant Association released its highly anticipated 2026 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, highlighting the trends set to shape America’s menus in the coming year. The report, based on insights from hundreds of culinary professionals surveyed in October 2025, reveals that nostalgia, comfort and “flavor escapism” are defining consumer desires in 2026.
