Weekly Roundup – Week of 5.23.2022
May 27, 2022
This week’s roundup focuses on the 2022 National Restaurant Association Show, highlighting our top five NRA-related stories curated from our team of strategists and food enthusiasts:
Top Food & Drink Finds at NRA
Restaurant Business editors tasted their way through the show in search of next-level food and beverage menu items. Their criteria consisted of products that would add value, offer unique flavor profiles, or bring innovative twists to menus. A couple of their notable favorites included alcohol-free mocktails from brands such as Bling Tiger and Gruvi Bubbly Rose – a first-time exhibitor. Boba also made the list. Bossen Bursting Boba, juice-filled tapioca pearls, and Little Jasmine’s Boba Strawberry and Boba Brown Sugar ice creams both brought a cool twist to bubble tea and ice cream shops. See The Full List.
New Robotics Platforms Streamline Indoor and Outdoor Delivery
Segway Robotics introduced new service and delivery robotics that focus on kitchen-to-dining-table service. The Segway ServeBot S1, designed for indoor meal delivery, and the Segway Robotic Mobility Platform (RMP), engineered to deliver to outdoor tables, both made their debut. The company states that it is “dedicated to making indoor and outdoor delivery greener, safer and smarter, and is positioned to scale its growth in the robotics industry through its supply chain resources and years of learning.” Learn More.
Product Innovations Captured Attendee’s Attention
From wine to new seafood products and beverages, show attendees had a variety of innovative food and drink choices to try. Here are a few showstoppers. C4 introduced a new line of drinks that taste like candy flavors without the sugar while delivering a shot of energy and brain-boosting support. Nature’s Charm offered a self-stable Sweetened Condensed Oat Milk option. And Hatch Chili Wines offered samples of red and white options made from New Mexican chili in both red and green varieties. Find Top Innovations Here.
Plant-Based Foods Filled the Show
Attendees were able to sample a plethora of plant-based choices from eggs and shrimp to ice cream and sausage. Wamame Foods introduced Waygu, a plant-based alternative to high-end Wagyu beef and Beyond Meat sampled an all-veggie spiced sausage breakfast sandwich. Chefs from the Israel-based company Yo! served sunnyside-up eggs with perfectly shaped yellow yolks. And New Wave Foods offered a new wave of shrimp made with seaweed and mung beans. Do you think the plant-based food industry has reached its peak? Read the Full Article and decide for yourself.
Sustainable Solutions Supplemented the Show Floor
From planet-friendly packaging to electric vehicles, sustainability was a spotlight at NRA. Loliware launched a new technology that transforms ocean-farmed seaweed into pellets that can replace plastic. The company is working with a former plastic manufacturer that has created a straw made of seaweed that is compostable and has no PFAS. Chicago-based, Open Water, featured an extension to their alternative plastic water bottle line made from recycled material that can be recycled again. And ElectraMeccanica showcased its Solo Cargo EV, a delivery-ready, three-wheeled electric vehicle that produces zero emissions. View Slideshow.
Come back next week to find more of our favorite industry-relavant news stories.
