With rising consumer demands and persisting workforce shortages, the technological sector aids the restaurant industry at this sensitive junction. Foodservice operators can find solutions to the most troubling problems they currently face during the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show, which will take place from May 17 to May 20 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
This year’s show is expected to gather more than 2,000 exhibitors from around the globe sharing their products under 900 categories, emphasizing practicality and operational efficiency. The focus will be set on AI-driven automation and integrated software platforms, placing the event at the forefront of advancement and innovation for the restaurant industry.
Caitlin Rodgers, Senior Director of Marketing at Informa Connect Foodservice Group, noted, “What stands out this year is the momentum in key areas like automation, AI integration, and labor-optimizing equipment.”
Emphasizing the Focus: Transformational Procedure of Mainstream Automation
In 2025, robotics and AI will no longer be gimmicks stripped of functionality. Many pre-existing smart technologies like IoT-connected refrigerators and robotic fryers are already solving essential business problems and are well on their way to becoming industry staples.
The show will unveil the AI-integrated line management systems along with other sci-fi grill ventless and space-saving stackable kitchen appliances. Also, I would like to emphasize how these systems are becoming increasingly critical in capturing every needed second of prep time before an order is placed.
TECH Pavilion Expands
Attendees are able to experience the expansion of the TECH Pavilion as it takes up an entire floor with a showcase of both well-established and new companies. Expect to find AI solutions strapped to direct inventory and CRM linked to automated workforce management systems right beside the all-new analytics POS.
The focus of the TECH Pavilion’s vendors who have adopted an integration emphasis will be seamless API-based interconnection systems that will allow tools built on closed systems to connect easily with other preexisting tech.
Kitchen Innovations Awards Highlight Labor-Saving Solutions
The Kitchen Innovations (KI) Awards continue to be a show centerpiece, spotlighting tools that directly address labor, sustainability, and efficiency challenges. This year’s winners include a modular ventless grill that slashes energy consumption, AI-powered beverage systems that customize drink recipes to suit popular orders, and robotic assistants that chop, portion, and plate food while requiring minimal supervision.
These technologies aren’t just flashy—they’re built to retrofit into systems already in place without requiring expensive remodeling or extensive retraining. That adaptability is essential in an industry where slim margins and excessive downtime pose great challenges.
From Tools to Ecosystems: A Platform-Centric Future
Perhaps the most striking evolution at this year’s show is the growing demand for unified, platform-based solutions. Restaurant operators are now steering clear of standalone tech band-aids and opting for ecosystems that offer control and insight throughout the entire guest journey.
Leading this shift are companies such as Toast, SpotOn, Olo, and Infor, which offer integrated platforms that merge everything from POS and online ordering, loyalty programs and guest communication, kitchen management, and data analytics. Some even go as far as using machine learning for sales trend forecasting, menu optimization, and food waste reduction— all from a single dashboard.
Learning, Networking, and Looks Into the Future
Outside of the expo hall, all participants will have to access over a dozen teaching sessions. A headline keynote will feature co-executive producer of The Bear and chef Courtney Storer in a fireside chat with award-winning restaurateur Donnie Madia. Subject areas will include picking the best tech partners, AI policy, the hospitality-automation paradox, and cybersecurity in cloud-based computing.
These experiences help address what matters most to the attendees’ businesses, whether it is energy consumption, staff training, or engaging guests digitally.
Meeting worries with solutions.
A new curated networking event format launches with a kickoff in the Kitchen Innovations Showroom on May 17, as well as themed guided expo floor tours centered around technology, sustainability, and operations.
According to a recent Deloitte report, 74% of restaurateurs are planning for increased spending on technology in 2025, with 61% of that focusing on automation and 53% on tools for servicing guests in a digital capacity. Yet almost half say they feel bombarded with too many options.
This is exactly where the National Restaurant Association Show demonstrates its worth—not only as a preview of what’s to come, but as a guide on how to achieve it. For independents, franchisees, and global chains alike, this year’s event offers a unique opportunity to reassess, re-strategize, and reinvent the future of the world of hospitality.
The excitement is apparent: transformational change is no longer optional. It’s essential—and this is where it all begins.
