CHICAGO, IL – Last weekend, more than 50,000 foodservice professionals gathered for the annual National Restaurant (NRA) Show, a sprawling tradeshow that covers 12 football fields on multiple levels in three buildings at McCormick Place Convention Center. As always, attendees were on the hunt for the next new flavor or technology, and while it was impossible to avoid exhibitors offering an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered solution to some problem – real or imagined – there was a clear appetite for locally-sourced, affordable, nutritious ingredients.
U.S.-grown rice checks all those boxes and more, and USA Rice member-exhibitors Riceland Foods and Della Rice were on-site to educate and spread those messages to attendees.
“Riceland hasn’t exhibited at the show for a few years, but we thought the time was right to come back, visit with existing customers, make new connections, and educate or remind people that our rice is sustainably grown on family farms in Arkansas and Missouri,” said Hayley Pittman Smith, national account manager for Riceland Foods, who led the show team.
In another hall at booths supported by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), another Arkansas rice company was doing their part. Della Rice and Natural State Rabbit, who partnered last year to win a coveted meal award, combined forces again this year to exhibit together and sample multiple varieties and preparations of their two foods that pair so well together.
The duo was featured in a cooking demonstration at the NASDA Taste of the States Chef Demonstration Stage featuring Della jasmine rice and rabbit “wings” in an Arkansas sweet potato bourbon glaze with New Mexico chili oil that was a definite crowd pleaser.
“The reception we’ve been getting is fantastic,” said Stephen Hilsdon, owner of Della Rice. “In fact, we prepped two days’ worth of samples and went through all of it on the first day, so we were back in the kitchen all night to get ready for the next few days of the show. We are strong in retail but really looking to expand into foodservice, so this is the place to be.”
“It seems the restaurant industry is in an interesting moment,” said Morgan Crafton, USA Rice coordinator of domestic promotion, who was attending her second NRA Show. “There are a lot of exciting flavor profiles and the interest in global cuisine is not close to slowing down. But at the same time, economic pressure is squeezing everyone – consumers are maybe reducing what they’re willing to spend on a meal out and operators are looking to save in any way they can.”
Education sessions focused on helping operators maximize profits, foster customer loyalty, and find ways to utilize the omnipresent AI platforms that did everything from manage payment systems and inventory to helping run the robot cooks. These robo-cooks could be found throughout the show either making sushi, pasta, and drinks or delivering food and drinks to diners.
Speaking of trends, The Rice Stuff podcast recorded several interviews from the show floor, so keep an eye out for that episode in the coming weeks.