Restaurant Trade Shows and Conferences: Which Ones Should You Attend? [2022 Edition]

Restaurant trade shows are back, and we couldn’t be more excited.

We’re still in one of the most challenging times for restaurants in recent history — and the only way out is together. That’s why it’s more important than ever to connect with your colleagues in the restaurant industry.

If you’re thinking about attending a restaurant conference this year, we’ve compiled our list of favorites that give you the biggest return on investment (and can provide solutions to the thousands of questions, fears, and hardships you’ve faced since the last time you attended one). You may even see us at a few!

Why You Should Attend a Restaurant Trade Show

Let’s face it: running a restaurant can be a very lonely business. It’s the great irony of being a restaurateur — you’re in the business of serving others, but you rarely get help yourself. Restaurant trade shows and conferences give you a chance to connect with other restaurant owners who may be struggling with the same challenges you’re going through — or to learn from folks have been there, done that.

Restaurant trade shows give you the opportunity to:

Take a break! This is a tough biz — and that’s true whether you’re running your own restaurant, playing the franchise game or operating an enterprise brand. The restaurant world never sleeps, and it can be hard to get away. But it’s important to give yourself (or your team) a break from the daily grind. Restaurant trade shows and conferences are the perfect opportunity to take a breather, bond with your colleagues, and get inspired.
Learn something. So many people and ideas in one place means there’s bound to be something you haven’t tried before, whether that’s a new culinary technique, business best practice, or tech solution. So come with an open mind, and be ready to take what you learn and apply it to your business when you come home.
Meet new people. The best part about restaurant trade shows is the people. These conferences draw diverse crowds who hail from all different places and walks of life — but who have a lot of common ground when it comes to their passions and professions. And they tend to be friendly folks (hey, it is hospitality, after all). Trade shows foster an environment that’s ripe for connection, collaboration and a lot of shared learning.

What to Expect at a Restaurant Trade Show

Every trade show is a little different, but you can expect a mix of structured content (think: speakers, seminars, workshops) and downtime (perusing the exhibition hall, networking events, etc.). Often, keynote speakers kick off and end each day with high-level advice or inspiration. Throughout the event, you’ll probably have the opportunity to attend more focused sessions around industry trends or best practices; product demonstrations for specific items like appliances or software; and kitchen or food demos that show off suppliers or well-known chefs.

Formal networking opportunities like a happy hour or luncheon are often built into the event agenda. It’s also common for vendors or potential investors or partners to set up one-on-one meetings with restaurant execs and operators — either by reaching out ahead of time, or scheduling something on the spot at the event. But really: great networking can happen when you’re simply waiting in line for the elevators or grabbing a coffee. Everyone is there for the same reasons you are — to learn and make connections — so don’t hesitate to strike up conversations with fellow attendees.

Depending on the theme of the show, you may find more sessions around running the front of house, back of house, or the business overall. No matter what, though, you’ll come away from a trade show having learned, seen, or met someone new.

With COVID-19 regulations, some shows have gone virtual or hybrid, streaming sessions online and moving networking opportunities to chat or through video calls. While virtual events offer a lot more accessibility — no need to fly halfway across the country! — you should still try to give them your full attention. The more you can immerse yourself in the event, the more value you’ll get out of it.

How to Decide Which Shows to Attend

Of course, one of the hard parts about restaurant conferences is that there are so many in a given year. Which to attend? You’ll want to balance:

Goals: What do you hope to get out of a conference experience? Are you looking to meet other restaurant owners and talk shop? Find staff at a hiring event? Learn about a specific aspect of the restaurant business? Upgrade your tech stack? Every conference is a little different, and that will influence your choice.
Virtual vs. in-person: With COVID-19 restrictions in place in many locations, some restaurant trade shows have gone virtual. While that makes it easier to attend (all you have to do is open your laptop!), it can be more challenging to network or to really test drive a new fridge you’ve had your eye on, for example.
Geography: How far away is the conference? Travel time and expenses can add up quickly, so if you’re on a tight budget, consider more local events.
Type of restaurant: Each event caters to a slightly different audience. Depending on your restaurant’s cuisine, business structure, and services (such as part of a hotel or brewery, for example), you may want to choose one event over another.
Budget. While your local association may help sponsor some events, ultimately, whether or not you attend an event (and how much of your team comes with you) depends on your budget.

The Top 7 Restaurant Trade Shows in 2022

This is only a small snapshot of the food and beverage events happening this year, but some of our favorites (and hey, you might even see us there!)

1. MURTEC // March 7 – 9, 2022

MURTEC, or the Multi-Unit Restaurant Technology Conference, happens each March in Las Vegas. This year the show is back at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino and designed to help restaurant owners digitally transform their operations. Past speakers hail from brands like CKE Restaurants, Restaurant Technology Network, Spyce, P.F. Chang’s, and Taco Bell.

2. Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit // March 30 – April 1, 2022

If you fall more on the corporate franchising side of restaurant management, this conference, which takes place every spring at the Grand Hyatt Nashville, is a great choice for you. Covering topics like product development, franchise operations, marketing and branding, and technology use and adoption, this multi-day event boasts a packed lineup with speakers from Panera Bread, Oath Pizza, Fat Brands, Fazoli’s, and more.

3. Restaurant Leadership Conference // April 10 – 13, 2022

Located at the luxurious JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, the Restaurant Leadership Conference is the event to bookmark if you want to hear from some of the biggest executives in the food and beverage space. With headliners like David Chang (Momofuku), Paul Brown (Inspire Brands), and Tucker Bryant (Google), the conference focuses on leadership skills and solving industry-wide challenges taking place today.

4. National Restaurant Association Show // May 21 – 24, 2022

The National Restaurant Association Expo is one of the biggest restaurant trade shows in the country. Located in the sprawling McCormick Place Convention Center in downtown Chicago, you’ll find miles of booths covering every aspect of restaurant management, from international suppliers to major appliances to food and beverage demonstrations to restaurant technology.

5. Your State Association Conference // Multiple Dates

If getting to Chicago feels out of reach, it’s a good idea to check your local state restaurant association to see if they’re running any events in 2022. Chances are, there will be a scaled-down version of the national show you can attend. These are a great chance to get to know your extended restaurant community, with more local networking opportunities and suppliers. Check your local chapter for dates and more information.

Some of the largest state association events include:

International Restaurant and Foodservice Show of New York // March 6 – 8, 2022
TRA Marketplace (Texas) // July 9 – 11, 2022
California Restaurant Association // Dates TBA
Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show // Dates TBA

6. FSTEC // September 19 – 21, 2022

More than 1000 attendees and 70 speakers in the course of three days come together at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas for FSTEC every year. Known as “the event where restaurant and tech connect,” FSTEC is focused on helping restaurant industry leaders leverage technology to address real business challenges. The event features speakers from highly reputable national and global brands, including Dave & Busters, Restaurant Business, Technomic, Winsight, D’Angelo Sandwiches, Nathan’s Famous, and more.

7. Restaurant Finance & Development Conference // November 14 – 16 2022

Hosted by the Restaurant Finance Monitor, this event — taking place this year at the Wynn Las Vegas in November — focuses on the nitty-gritty operational side of running your restaurant. If you’re looking to secure funding or expand your business into a multi-unit or a franchise, this is a must-attend. Expect to hear from banks, real estate developers, private equity investors, government representatives, and more.

Stay head of the tech curve!

Restaurant industry trade shows are a great place to brush up on the latest restaurant tech. But if you’re still paying out cash tips? You don’t have to attend a conference to find a better way to pay. Schedule a demo with Kickfin to see how you can send instant, cashless tip payouts directly to your employees’ bank accounts.

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Restaurant Management

4 Ways to Save on Restaurant Labor Costs with Kickfin

In the restaurant industry, profit margins have always been tight — and these days, they’re only getting tighter.

Running a restaurant is a labor intensive business. You need a strong back of house team to push out food, front of house workers to greet and care for guests, and managers to keep everyone in check. Naturally, labor is one of the most significant expenses for restaurant operators. In order to keep costs reasonable for customers, even a slight overage on labor can break your budget — but thankfully there are levers you can pull to reduce labor costs.

If you want to secure your business’s financial future, you’re going to need to streamline scheduling practices and keep a close eye on labor costs… without frustrating employees who want more shifts.

Don’t worry: you can turn to traditional wisdom, sales forecasting, and emerging restaurant technology to make sure that you stay on budget.

Here are a few ways you can save on labor costs at your restaurant:

1. Rethink the schedule

Obviously, the most straight-forward way to cut labor costs is to reduce the number of people you schedule on a given night.

We get it — you don’t want to see hour-long ticket times and poor guest experiences. But you might not need as many folks on the line or servers on the floor as you think — at least, not all the time.

Staffing and scheduling isn’t a perfect science, but there are some tactics operators should test if they’d like to “right size” every shift — including:

Analyze your daily schedule. Don’t make assumptions about your peak times and slow periods. Analyze sales trends and let the data be your guide.
Anticipate seasonal trends. If you’re in a college town, don’t wait until your servers are twiddling their thumbs in July to implement a new summer schedule.
Let your seasoned staff shine. Your veteran employees likely thrive on those super busy nights when they’re running on pure adrenaline (and earning way more in tips). Consider giving more experienced workers more responsibility — assuming they’re willing and able — and you might be able to get away with fewer people on a shift here and there.

>> Learn about scheduling software that helps you manage labor and engage with employees

2. Assess and address productivity

Are you making the most of the team that you already have? There are a few ways you can identify your highest-producing employees and make the most of their success:

Evaluate employee performance. Most employees want to be successful; observe your team and analyzes things like sales per labor hour, table turnover rate, and tip volume to get a sense of your strongest players and those who could use more training (and bonus: this can reduce turnover and boost team morale)

Provide incentives. Create a fun bonus system that rewards strong performance and high levels of productivity. You can use data from the previous data point to set goals.
Cross-train employees. Training your staff to handle multiple roles – or hiring folks with vast service experience – offers flexibility for scheduling and can reduce your need for additional hires.

3. Don’t pay employees to wait for their tips

No, we’re not saying to cut all of your servers early (no matter how much they ask).

But, you can send your servers on their way much quicker when they don’t have to wait around for managers to count out cash tips. Once they’ve finished their sidework, servers can clock out and see their digital tips sent directly to their bank account, instead of hanging around on the clock waiting for the shift manager to do their check outs.

4. Prevent labor overages before they happen

Most restaurants simply can’t afford to pay overtime for staff. But sometimes your full-time staff creep toward 40 hours of work without anyone noticing…and suddenly you’re paying 1.5x what you expected for a single worker.

This, too, goes back to proper scheduling policies. Give yourself a bit of wiggle room for the employee who clocks in 10 minutes early or often takes a long time on sidework by never scheduling anyone for more than 38 hours each week.

5. Pay close attention to clock-outs

People make mistakes, and tired servers often leave their long double shift without clocking out for the night. Usually, they’ll realize their mistake and call the store to have someone clock them out (still adding extra time to their shift).

But sometimes, the clock keeps running all night, and no one notices until it’s time to process payroll. Two weeks later, your admin team is spending way too much time correcting clock-outs so that you don’t end up paying for 8 extra hours of work.

Try using technology that puts guardrails in place to prevent any clock-out mistakes before they happen. Kickfin doesn’t allow you to process and pay out tips until an employee is clocked out, so managers can make sure everyone is clocked out at the proper time.

(We also have some other exciting new features that can make your life easier!)

Not only can Kickfin help you reduce labor costs, but we’re ready to simplify your entire tip management process. Reach out to us to learn more about our instant tip calculations, integrations, and smarter tipping solutions.

Restaurant Management

How to Get Your Restaurant Ready for Football Season

Football is back! Whether you’re rooting for your alma mater or just hoping to see massive sales at your restaurant, it’s an exciting — but often stressful — time of year.

If your restaurant has at least one TV, you’re going to have some customers asking you to switch it to ESPN. And if you’re running a sports bar … it’s officially crunch time. Expect your tables to be full (and harder to turn) and your staff to be running on pure adrenaline as the restaurant fills up with fans hoping for a bite to eat.

You probably know the drill: hire more staff, add more servers to game day schedules, and manage your inventory with hungry fans in mind. But if you want to get the most out of football season, get game-ready for some of the busiest weekends of the year with our tips for a successful season.

Consider a game day menu

When your restaurant is at full capacity with hungry football fans, you might want to consider a limited menu for the weekends in order to keep wait times down. Shorten the food menu down to shareable apps, best sellers, and items with the simplest prep so that your kitchen isn’t lined with tickets at halftime.

At the bar, don’t limit your customers to certain cocktails — but consider the power of suggestion and list out some easy-to-batch cocktails that will keep your service bar out of the weeds.

**Make sure they can watch their game**

Is there anything worse than a group of die-hard fans walking in to see their team play — only to realize you don’t have the right subscription service to stream it? Next thing you know, some guy has commandeered the remote to sign into his YouTubeTV account.

Before that embarrassing situation arises, check your cable listings and subscription services to see if you’re missing any important channels. You’re probably going to need to upgrade in order to show games that aren’t carried in your market. Here are just a few channels you might need:

ESPN+
Hulu + Live TV
Peacock
NFL Sunday Ticket
YouTubeTV or cable
Netflix (yep — Netflix will be streaming a few NFL games this year)

If viewing options are limited, or you don’t have enough screens to air multiple games at once, make sure you’ve got a strong wifi connection (free, of course) so that your guests can watch on their phones — or more importantly, talk smack to their fantasy league.

Offer game day deals

Now that you’re logistically ready for the season, it’s time to draw in the customers. Make your restaurant the place for fans to gather by offering drink specials and deals on appetizers.

Leverage social media to get the word out about your game day deals. Consider paying to boost a post or running a giveaway for people who share a post about your game day specials.

Plan for Post-Game

You don’t want the restaurant to empty out as the clock runs down. Entice fans to stay and celebrate (or lick their wounds) once the game ends by extending deals. That could mean a discount for fans of the winning team or an extra-long happy hour.

Pay out your employees — quickly.

After a long game-day shift, your servers and managers are going to be more tired than usual. Let them head home early by using Kickfin to pay out tips instantly. We take care of all of the tip calculations and send tips directly to servers’ bank accounts in seconds, so your exhausted team members don’t have to wait to put their feet up and rest.

Want to see our instant digital tip outs in action? Get a demo of Kickfin today.

Hiring, Training and Retention, Restaurant Management

The Art of the Upsell: Teach Servers to Increase Average Check Amounts

You want to make more profit. Your servers want to make more tips. A crash course on upselling is a win-win for everyone.

Your servers might not realize it, but their words have a lot of power. Knowing how to present a higher shelf vodka or a premium side could make a world of difference for their wallets.

And beyond the increased checks, pro servers who are able to successfully upsell are also recommending your restaurant’s very best for guests. Those bigger ticket items are often your best dishes or most unique cocktails that will stand out in guests’ minds and make for an elevated dining experience.

Here are a few ways your servers can gently suggest some pricier upgrades that will boost their average check size, making everyone a few extra dollars.

1. Consider your memorable dining experiences

Before you dive into our upselling go-tos, take a minute to reflect on your last really good experience at a restaurant and how your server’s language, attitude, and knowledge affected your experience.

Did your server walk right up and ask if you want an appetizer? Or did they take the time to talk through specials, field questions about menu items, and give you the space you needed to make a decision?

Was your server’s demeanor generally excited and upbeat? Or did they actually look a bit disappointed when you said you’d just be having water?

These small, unspoken cues are what make or break a server’s night. Leading with confidence, positive energy, and genuine concern for your guests’ experience is what will build trust between server and customer, so they’ll be more open to suggested upgrades.

2. Value authenticity

Upselling just for the sake of a higher tip is not a successful strategy.

Remind your servers that while upselling can improve guest experience and your tip, it’s important to flex to the needs of your guests. Don’t continue to push higher priced items if guests are starting to look uncomfortable.

They say the most successful salespeople believe in what they are selling — and the same goes for servers. Your servers should have tasted all of the higher priced menu options and be able to explain to guests why this upgrade brings their dining experience to the next level.

3. Start with the drinks

Alcohol sales are restaurants’ bread and butter. So when a table orders the first round, servers should make it count.

Scenario #1: A customer orders a simple spirit + mixer drink

If a guest asks for a vodka soda, this is an opportunity to turn a $10 drink to $15 or even $20 — which will add up after a few rounds.

Naturally, most servers would ask what vodka the guest prefers. Teach your servers to resist that urge! Instead, servers should offer them a selection of higher-shelf options. For example, a server could respond with, “Vodka soda? Sure, would you like that with Tito’s, Ketel One, Grey Goose…?” And keep listing options until one resonates with the guest. That gives the guest the impression that they have a seasoned, well-informed server, but this framing also leads the customer to choose from the higher-shelf suggestions, rather than just asking for the house vodka.

Scenario #2: Ordering a glass of wine

We’re not suggesting you hire a sommelier, but getting more familiar with common flavor profiles and notes in wine can be a game-changer for servers’ nightly tip income.

Customers often ask for something similar to pinot grigio, cabernet sauvignon, or a pinot noir, and if their server can give a detailed description that makes a wine sound irresistible, they’re probably going to splurge for the higher-end wine. Bonus points for servers who can successfully suggest splitting a bottle (because once they taste it, they’ll want more than one glass!).

Consider hosting a weekly wine training to help your servers get more familiar with what your bar has to offer. Another pro-tip: Teach your servers about beer and wine pairings! When servers let guests know which entrees pair well with the drink they’ve ordered, guests may opt for a higher-priced entree to match their favorite beverage.

Don’t skip over the apps

Not everyone is going to order an app — but there are a few small changes servers can make to their dialogue with customers to convince those who wouldn’t normally spring for a first course.

For one, servers shouldn’t just ask if they’d like anything to start. Instead, teach your servers to approach tables with a suggestion for a specific menu item. For example, they could say, “Would you like a charcuterie board to start? We just added a really delicious local cheddar to our rotation.”

Offering patrons a specific menu item and talking up the details makes it a lot easier to add that extra course to their meal — increasing their check size and making it more likely that they’ll order a second beverage.

Taking the order

When it’s time to take the entree order, this is your servers’ time to shine. Just like the previous courses, they should know how to create opportunities to upsell guests by making entree upgrades too enticing to pass up.

From fine dining to fast casual, many American restaurants offer a burger on their menu. Rather than simply asking, “Great, are fries ok with that?” task your servers with turning a simple cheeseburger into a deluxe meal with several upsells.

First, make sure your staff knows your menu options well, so they can pass along those options to customers. Here are a few common upgrades that servers should be asking guests if they would like:

Pretzel or gluten-free bun
Added cheese
Premium toppings, like bacon, egg, avocado, etc.
A premium patty, like bison or imitation beef

Rather than asking if fries are okay, instruct servers to say, “What side would you like? We have french fries, macaroni and cheese, caesar salad…” and continue with options until one piques the guest’s interest. If they succeed in getting at least one upgrade to a customer’s burger and a premium side, the check can increase by around $4 per person, depending on the pricing at your restaurant.

Higher-end restaurants should follow the same formula, subbing in an option for steak oscar rather than a bacon cheeseburger. The goal is for servers to provide options for guests who may not realize that their favorite accoutrement is on the menu — and will gladly pay for the upgrade.

The grand finale

“Did you save room for dessert?”

Servers often bring out this line while pre-bussing tables, usually expecting guests to say that they’re far too full to even think about dessert. If you want to convince more guests to stick around for a final course, ask your staff to remove that phrase from their vocabulary.

Dessert is a rich treat for the senses that most of us crave at the end of the night, so servers shouldn’t treat it like an afterthought in front of customers. As they’re clearing away dishes, servers can tap into their senses by talking about your pastry chef’s perfect chocolate cake with buttery layers of icing, or the warm peach cobbler served with house-made vanilla ice cream on the side.

Even if guests seem like they’re truly full, your team can still offer them a slice to-go, since they’ll surely be wishing for something sweet in about an hour anyway.

Reap the rewards

After putting on their best smiles, connecting with guests, and using these upselling tricks, your servers should ring in above-average size checks — and an above-average amount of tips.

Once your servers see their huge tip out for the night, they’ll want access to those funds ASAP. At Kickfin, we provide instant digital tip payouts, so managers don’t have to waste time counting cash and servers can clock out of their shifts sooner.

Check out a demo of Kickfin today.

Product and Company News

Kickfin Ranked Fastest Growing Restaurant Tech Company | 2024 Inc. 5000

Kickfin ranked in the top 3% of Inc.’s 5000 fastest-growing companies — and we’re leading the charge for tip management software.

Every year, Inc. identifies 5,000 U.S.-based companies that have seen the highest rate of growth over the past three years based on revenue — and this year, Kickfin was at the top of the top.

A few stats we’re pretty proud of:

🏆 Kickfin ranked 189th overall.
🏆 We’re the fastest-growing restaurant tech company on the list.
🏆 We’re in the 💥 top 3%💥 of all 5000 companies.
🏆 We ranked 24th in the Software category.

Since 2020 — in spite of a pandemic, supply chain disruptions, The Great Resignation, and record-setting inflation — we’ve grown by 2,066%.

Our Keys to Success

We’ll cut right to the chase: We owe our success to our customers. (It’s not cliche if it’s true, right?)

The bottom is that we know the way you pay your staff matters, a lot. Thousands of restaurants are trusting us to handle that for them, and we don’t take that trust lightly.

And of course, we might be biased, but we think we’ve got the best team and partners in the biz. Thanks to everyone who has helped build, support and evangelize Kickfin. This has been a big year for our small but mighty company — and there’s a whole lot more to come.

This kind of growth doesn’t happen overnight. We’ve been putting in the work to make Kickfin even better for the thousands of restaurants we serve. Here are just a few ways we’ve expanded to better serve Kickfin customers.

Integrations

We’re making it easier to access and use Kickfin by integrating with dozens of leading POS systems, including Toast and SkyTab. Using our integration, managers can pull tip data directly from their POS and Kickfin will handle even the most complex tip calculations in a matter of minutes.

Thanks to our POS partnerships, we’re able to bring a further simplified version of Kickfin to new and existing customers so they can kick cash to the curb. As an early adopter of our Toast integration, Bar Louie has already saved around 15,000 hours in labor annually by cutting their tip calculation time from hours to minutes.

>> See more customer success stories

Find out if your POS integrates with Kickin, and reach out to our support team to learn how you can activate the integration.

New Features

Kickfin is no longer just an alternative to cash tip-outs — we’re a holistic solution to your entire tip management system.

In case you missed it, 2024 has been a big year for our product. In addition to our new integrations, we’ve rolled out some exciting new tip management features, including:

Splitting large party tips
Increased security
Reallocating manager tips
Preventing labor cost mistakes

>> Learn more about Kickfin’s newest features

Each of these new updates is inspired by requests from operators, managers and restaurant employees who use our product daily — and that’s something that will never change. As we continue to innovate our best-in-class tip management solution, we’ll always be listening to and learning from our customers so we can ensure every need is met and every expectation is exceeded.

What’s next for Kickfin?

We’re not stopping anytime soon. Expect to see more POS integrations, more user-friendly features, and more guidance from our amazing customer support team.

Not a Kickfin user yet? Now’s the time to rise with us! Get a demo of our restaurant-revolutionizing product today.

We’ll see you next year on the Inc. 5000!