5 trends we stumbled upon at the NRA Show

While many National Restaurant Association Show attendees were guzzling food and beverage samples, the editors of FoodService Director were gorging themselves on trends. Here are the top noncommercial takeaways from this year's show. 

1. Watch out for water

Although it might not be the main focus for operators right now, Cicely Simpson, the NRA’s executive vice president of policy and government affairs, predicts that water, water shortages and how they fit into sustainability will be the next hair-on-fire debate. She says school systems like the one in Flint, Mich., are putting water concerns on the radar for the rest of the foodservice industry. The topicality of water was splashed over the show floor with numerous water filtration booths.

2. Facilities that don't quit

As operations are charged with feeding the masses during snow storms and off-seasons, some operators are retrofitting their spaces to to run all year long. Brandy Dreibelbis, the chef and district manager at Boulder Valley School District in Colorado, keeps the districts's food truck rolling in the winter. The key to serving hot meals in 5-below weather comes down to the addition of a hot box, which also helps her team increase speed of service, she said at the show.

3. The next stealth health

Although ultra-sneaky health initiatives may be on the way out, foodservice directors are still looking to market healthy food without turning off their customers. Drew Patterson, culinary director of Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center, takes a subtle approach when highlighting “brain food” at a 200-square-foot food kiosk in the brain and spine hospital. Patterson merely calls attention to the super foods by highlighting them in red font on the menu board. 

4. Pop-ups as a tryout for new dishes and concepts

More noncommercial operations are testing out new dishes and concepts before committing to the investment. Dawn Aubrey, University of Illinois’ associate director of housing for dining services, said she’s had the most success using pop-up restaurants to determine if the student population will embrace a concept or item. “It’s about knowing what you have, what you want and where the appropriate place to put it is,” she said.

5. Newcommerical over noncommercial

On-site feeding has come a long way from mystery meat and slop, and operators are calling for a more accurate title that reflects their collective strides. Mary Angela Miller, administrative director of nutrition services at Wexner Medical Center, proposed the term “newcommercial” to encompass the innovation across the segment.