The top honors of the National Prostart Invitational in Washington, DC go to Caesar Rodney High School of Camden, Delaware, and Ben Barber Innovation Academy of Mansfield, Texas, earning first place finishes. The National Restaurant Educational Foundation (NRAEF) sponsored the ProStart event that hosted these and 80 other culinary and restaurant management teams.
The National ProStart Invitational (NPSI) returned to an in-person format this year at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC May 6 – 8. The event stands as a bright spot for the restaurant industry, which is recovering from the pandemic—a testament that the National Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation arm and countless educators continue to advocate for the next generation of culinary professionals, owners and managers in the restaurant industry.
Restaurant industry sales continue to be on an upswing, with sales reaching $75.4B in March, according to an update released from the National Restaurant Association. Citing US Census Bureau data, this total for eating and drinking places in March 2022 was up 1% from February’s revised volume total of $74.6B.
The National Restaurant Association has named Michelle L. Korsmo president and chief executive of the National Restaurant Association. She will also become CEO of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. As she starts her duties on May 1, Korsmo will be mapping out a strategic path forward for building a thriving restaurant and foodservice community.
According to the National Restaurant Association’s just-published 2022 State of the Restaurant Industry Report, sales will increase to $898B this year and the industry will add 400,000 jobs. In addition, the report highlights restaurant operators’ concerns about the current economics of running a restaurant. A total of 96% of operators experienced supply delays or shortages in 2021.
Seventy-six percent of restaurant operators say that business conditions now are worse then three months ago, according to recently-released survey results from the National Restaurant Association. In a letter to Congress, the Association noted that the survey shows that the RRF first round funding saved more than 900,000 jobs and helped 96% of recipients stay open.
The 2022 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast predicts a more health-centric future, with healthful and plant-based foods trending, global and non-traditional flavors impacting breakfast and snacking, as well as better packaging becoming a key focus. The National Restaurant Association publishes the forecast, prepared annually with insights and survey responses from hundreds of professional chef members of the American Culinary Federation.
A new survey from the National Restaurant Association shows the fragility of the restaurant industry’s recovery. Many restaurant operators now believe that the recovery will run into 2022. Forty-four percent of operators believe that it will be more than a year before normal business conditions resume, and 19% believe that there will never be a return to normal business conditions.
Tom Bené will be stepping down as president and chief executive of the National Restaurant Association and CEO of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Bené has joined Breakthru Beverage Group as its new CEO. According to the Association, Marvin F. Irby, CFO and chief people officer, will serve as its interim CEO.
Food and beverage sales in the restaurant and foodservice industry will reach $789B, a 19.7% increase from 2020, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2021 State of the Restaurant Industry Report mid-year supplement. Still, 2021 sales will show less than a full recovery when compared to 2019’s $864.3B. The update, sponsored by Sage Intacct, provides updated metrics and trends propelling the restaurant recovery through June and July of 2021.
