This is only my second year at the Western Foodservice Show and Expo and I always look forward to the educational seminars provided as well as being introduced to the latest in all things related to food service.
Walking the Floor
I ran some early press releases for readers to know what to expect. One was the addition of the new Sabor Latino Pavillion. The favorites I’ve listed below got my attention but you should also check out the full list of Exhibitors, Special Events and the New Product Showcase.
Favorites this year included: Six One Nine Vodka infused with Rose Petals, Honey Smoked Fish (salmon), all of the non-spirit based drinks from Premium Blend like an agave wine-based tequila, Macaccino roasted Maca blend health benefits over coffee, Coconut Bliss non-dairy frozen dessert, Morelloforni 90-second pizza oven, Jack’s Catch brand crabmeat, the entire lineup from Tequila Don Fermin, Cutlery Sleeves that replace the look and hassle or rolling napkins, The Hummus Guy’s Halava, whiskies from Corsair Distillery, Smoked Soy Sauce from Kesennuma, Reverse Tap that fills beer from the bottom of the glass, CoolHaus Ice Cream, unique Pack N Wood food picks, Peppi-mint Lush Puffs Marshmallow Mug Toppers, almond cookies from May’s Bakery and Noodle Company, Villa Dolce Gelato, watching The Sushi Robot make a spicy tuna roll, CitroCasa Fantastic Juice machine was just like one I had seen in France last summer, Torani Chai concentrates, Garage Brewing Company Marshmallow Milk Stout and Blueberry Cream Ale. See my slideshow here.
My Courses
These are the four seminars I attended and you can email me at Eve@EveBushmanConsulting if you want to know what I learned about:
Finding Additional Revenue Sources that Complement Your Existing Restaurant Business
The One System Your Restaurant Must Have to Survive
Productive Team Habits Trending in Successful Restaurants
Reach More Customers: Restaurant Social Media Marketing
Classes that interested me but I was too busy on the floor to make included: 7 Ways to Market Your Restaurant’s Catering Brand, The Key to Finding Good Employees, 10 Reasons Why You Should Pay Attention to Your Menu Design,
Productive Team Habits Trending in Successful Restaurants and Increasing Customer Satisfaction and Driving Restaurant Sales and Exploding Profits Through Grass Roots Marketing and a Productive Team.
I made it halfway through a class on why you might want to add a food truck to your existing business or start your restaurant career with a food truck but it overlapped into another meeting, “Pitch the Press”, where writers get to see the latest trends and I couldn’t miss that one. The ones of note for me included:
The AngelPo CombiOven that did it all: pasteurization, chilling, smoking, dehydration and the obvious: cooking, a large plastic and super quiet Bissell Wide Areas Sweeper that could suck up anything from dust to water bottles, Pumpkin Spice Cheddar from Fiscalini Cheeses in Modesto, Fresh Origins edible flowers and Herb Crystals for chefs and mixologists, German company Vito that created an Oil Filter System that avoids all human touch, Zorijushi (Zo-ri-jushi) made a stainless Steel Vacuum Creamer Dairy Server that attempts to retrain everyone how not to spill creamer, and the winner by our votes was The Real Company for their decently-priced Pink Himalayan Salt, Real Cane Sugar and Basmati Rice that focuses on giving back and organics.
Information on the Foodservice Council for Women, Torch Award Recipients, Beacon Award Recipients, Hospitality, Leadership and Profitability Workshop, Rapid Fire Challenge and Trans Inclusivity Workshop can be read here under the Education tab.
About the Western Foodservice Show
This premier 3-day event encompasses everything you need to master the emerging trends, amp up your profits, energize your business and engage your customers in unique and memorable ways. Join 8,000+ of your peers at the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo, where you’ll have access to the hottest menu trends, state of the art design and decor, the best in business education and 500 of the leading vendors and purveyors dedicated to serving the restaurant & foodservice community — all under one roof!
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits
