CHICAGO — The 2007 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, held May 19-22 at McCormick Place in Chicago, featured several educational sessions with leading industry experts highlighting the hottest beverage trends in the restaurant industry.
In addition, exhibitors throughout the show floor offered examples of exciting new drinks and flavorings, beverage-making machines and technology, and other related products. Exhibitors demonstrated a wide variety of beverage trends, including high-tech coffee machines, drink innovations, teas, fine wines, beer, exotic beverage trends, distilled spirits, fruit infusions, coffee and more. "In addition to an outstanding array of exhibits, new product introductions and trend-watching opportunities, the 2007 show provides excellent educational opportunities for attendees on all aspects of the restaurant industry," said William C. Anton, FMP, convention chairman for the 2007 show, and chairman and founder of Anton Airfood Inc. "Recognizing that beverages are critical to operator success, special beverage-focused educational sessions offered attendees multiple opportunities to take away a wealth of solutions and knowledge to drive their alcoholic and non-alcoholic sales." According to the National Restaurant Association's 2007 Restaurant Industry Forecast, beverage trends continue to play an important role in the restaurant industry, with trends being led by bottled water, coffee, energy drinks and wine. Restaurant operators across the board expect bottled water to gain in popularity — 46 percent of fine dining, 35 percent of casual dining, 30 percent of family dining and 57 percent of quick-service operators say it will represent a larger proportion of sales in 2007. Also according to the forecast, coffee and energy drinks are among the hottest beverage trends in quick-service restaurants, as two out of three operators report that espresso/specialty coffees (66 percent) and energy drinks (65 percent) are growing in popularity.
