More than 54,000 attendees descended upon Chicago
Exhibitors included a variety of coffee- and beverage-solutions providers such as Pepsi Co., The Republic of Tea and FETCO, along with those at the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB), held May 17-18.
"NRA Show 2009 was a great success and in many ways an industry tipping point," said Lorna Donatone, convention chair for the NRA Show and president of School Services at Sodexo Inc. "Exhibitors found the exhibit floor filled with power buyers from all segments of the industry exploring the most innovative products and services on the market in every aisle. Operators are returning home energized and optimistic and ready to put new products, ideas and contacts to work."
FETCO showcased its line of coffee brewers, grinders, servers and dispensing equipment. The company's clients include Starbucks, the Hilton hotel chain and ExxonMobil.
Mitch Eastman, senior national accounts manager for FETCO, said the company has been researching and developing methods for providing better off-heat coffee. He said it has taken a while for the public to graduate from glass pot containers to other types of dispensers such as thermal dispensers.
All of FETCO's products are insulated to help maintain the coffee's flavor after it has been removed from its heat source for an extended length of time.
FETCO also has developed a drip-brewing system that separates time and volume, giving operators the ability to adjust their coffee flavor profile. Other innovations include a line of products that let operators set pre-wet functions by percentages and delays by seconds.
The pre-wet process saturates the coffee grounds prior to the brewing process. This allows the grounds to absorb water and releases some of the coffee's carbon dioxide. The viscosity of the coffee can then be adjusted after the pre-wet process by setting the delay between pre-wet and start of brew, Eastman said.
"That way, if you know what your coffee is supposed to taste like you can set those (brewing) parameters to go along with that," he said.
The 2010 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show will be held May 22-25, at McCormick Place in Chicago
