The National Restaurant Association’s National Show & Exposition went off without a hitch a few weeks ago, and ACityDiscount was proud to be on hand yet again. Now a 4-day convention, the NRA Show is held annually in Chicago, and is the biggest annual exposition in the foodservice industry. The NRA Show brings together chefs, restaurateurs, and managers with equipment and food industry professionals of all varieties, and ACityDiscount was proud to take part again in 2014.
There was a recurring theme of practicality at this year’s NRA Show. Often times in the past, equipment manufacturers were trying so hard to be innovative that practical applications seemed to be thrown out the window. As food costs continue to rise, however, and foodservice operations attempt to adapt, practical and money saving innovations are being welcomed with open arms. This year, many of the manufacturer’s that attended the NRA Show came prepared to appease these restaurateurs by bringing their newest, most efficient pieces of cooking equipment.
There were a number of new products featured at this year’s NRA Show. Among the standouts, were:
- A portable walk-in cooler and some new wine refrigerators from Beverage-Air.
- Several new cooking pieces and a soft serve ice cream machine from the folks at Turbo Air / Radiance.
- A newly redesigned series of blenders from Blendtec available in many different colors.
- Nemco’s affordable commercial blending solutions.
- Easy to use and practical sous vide units.
- A bevy of new, easy-to-use programmable ovens from the likes of Baker’s Pride, Moffat, and Univex.
Though the ACityDiscount team spent much of their time in Chicago talking shop on the floor of the expo, they also made the most of their time in the “Windy City”. They stayed at the historic and haunted Congress Plaza Hotel, and dined at a number of restaurants, including: Chicago staple Lou Malnati’s, the legendary Gene And Georgetti’s Steakhouse, and the incredible, busy and trendy Purple Pig.
ACityDiscount was delighted at this opportunity to enjoy great food, a great city, and bump elbows with restaurant owners and manufacturers alike. We look forward to returning to Chicago again next for the 2015 installment of the NRA Show!
