Restaurant show leans AI

The New England Restaurant & Bar Show is pitching itself as a technology event as much as a food show, with artificial intelligence sessions threaded through its April 26-27 program in Boston. (newenglandrestaurantbarshow.com, totalfood.com) The show is scheduled for Sunday, April 26, and Monday, April 27, at the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center, and attendee materials call it the largest restaurant, bar and foodservice event in the region. Organizers say more than 300 exhibitors and brands will be on the floor. (newenglandrestaurantbarshow.com, themassrest.org, totalfood.com) The education lineup puts that shift in plain view. A Sunday session titled “The Soul in the Machine” is billed as a look at how technology and artificial intelligence are reshaping back-of-house operations, and another session, “From Buzz to Bottom Line,” promises tactics for using artificial intelligence in marketing, content creation and guest targeting. (newenglandrestaurantbarshow.com, newenglandrestaurantbarshow.com) That emphasis tracks with the pressure restaurant operators say they are under. Stephen Clark, president and chief executive of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, told Total Food Service that restaurant costs are up nearly 35 percent since the pandemic while customers are dining out less. (totalfood.com) National data points in the same direction. The National Restaurant Association said in February 2025 that it expected industry sales to reach $1.5 trillion in 2025 and employment to hit 15.9 million, even as operators continued to face labor costs and food price pressure. (prnewswire.com, go.restaurant.org) Artificial intelligence is moving from buzzword to budget line in that environment. Toast said its 2025 survey of 712 restaurant decision-makers found 86 percent were comfortable using artificial intelligence and 81 percent expected to use more of it in the future. (pos.toasttab.com, pos.toasttab.com) The Boston show is still selling the traditional trade-show mix of culinary demos, beverage products, equipment and networking. Its own program pairs the artificial intelligence sessions with appearances from chefs including Paul Wahlberg and Dan Delancey, plus panels on regulation, leadership and beverage trends. (newenglandrestaurantbarshow.com, themassrest.org) But the sales pitch is increasingly about tools that can change margins fast. Organizers say operators will be able to compare equipment, software platforms and service vendors side by side, with all education sessions included in attendee registration. (totalfood.com, newenglandrestaurantbarshow.com) For restaurant owners walking into Hall C later this month, the message is less about chasing the next dish and more about running a tighter business. In Boston this year, artificial intelligence is being marketed as one of the operating tools on the table. (newenglandrestaurantbarshow.com, totalfood.com)