Last week, the foodservice industry gathered in Atlanta for North American Association of Foodservice Equipment Manufacturers Show (NAFEM), the premier event for foodservice equipment and supplies. The show floor buzzed with groundbreaking innovations, cutting-edge technology, and industry leaders eager to push the boundaries of efficiency and design. From smart kitchen solutions to sustainability-driven advancements, NAFEM 2025 showcased the future of foodservice — and we were there to take it all in.
Four elite|studio e team members traveled to the show at the Atlanta World Congress Center. Here's some insight about what captured their attention and what they're bringing back to the entire team. We're always learning to enhance front and back of house experiences.
Aaron Weiss, CFSP
Senior Vice President, Project Solutions
Q: How do you see the innovations from the show impacting the work you do at elite | studio e?
Innovations on display at NAFEM ran the gamut this year. From robotics all the way down to improved shelving systems, we saw innovations that were solution based, and hitting every nook and cranny of the foodservice world. The days of ‘an oven is an oven’ are long gone. The industry feels more armed than ever with an arsenal of nuanced products that can hone in on a specific solutions for every need. The variety within each product category could make one’s head spin.
Because of that, the biggest impact that we can take away from this year’s NAFEM is having the agility to tap into the plethora of options to bring even more value to our client’s needs, while they focus on what they do best.
Q: Have you noticed any emerging trends that will shape the future of foodservice design and operations?
Without a doubt this fast moving train of AI and robotics is just leaving the station. It is great to see so many manufacturers embracing and investing in that fact. I believe some of what we see present day will stick, and evolve. Some may frankly trend out. And what the future holds… we’ll just have to hold on tight for the ride and see. However, in tandem with such technology, we are seeing even more focus to, well, the human side of things. What is the experience that both the operator and customer are having with the equipment? One obvious question… How does it makes our lives easier, or give us time back? But there is more attention to how it makes us feel. There is a big shift to innovation that connects the operator to the customer, and the customer to the equipment. We saw a big focus on equipment aesthetics, modularity, and flexibility, all catering to the customer’s interaction with it. What the future will always have is hospitality. It is great to see the equipment play a bigger role in that
Garin Wong Vice President, Consulting Services
Q: What are your initial impressions of the show floor this year?
The show is huge as usual and 2 ½ days isn’t enough to catch up with old friends and do a deep dive into what’s new!
Q: What kinds of conversations are you having with manufacturers and industry professionals?
Robotics and AI are still hot topics, but not fully dominating everything that’s newly released or soon to be released. Updating for aesthetics, maintenance, and smaller footprint are the primary focuses leading to new product introductions this year.
James Collins, LEED GA
Senior Project Designer
Q: What's one product or technology that really stood out to you?
I was really intrigued by the beverage dispensing technology, specifically the tap systems. It seems like a lot of operations are moving away from the typical bulky countertop beverage dispensers and moving more towards the sleeker design of a draft dispensing tower. When I thought of this technology, my mind always went to beer, but I saw a great amount of coffee, milk, and soda solutions.
Micro-matic in particular had a dispensing wall set up consisting of different variations of hot lattes, cold lattes, cold brews and nitro brews. This system features an integrated nitrogen infusion module which allows for the dispensing of both still and nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee, providing a rich, creamy head and smooth taste. Being dispensed directly from the walk-in cooler was also a benefit for cold coffee products as the coffee was dispensed at a cold temperature without requiring any ice.
Chill-Rite also showcased their SodaTap system which could certainly be the future of soda dispensing. With it’s sleek design and touch-screen technology, the SodaTap gives you the benefits of a Coke Freestyle machine while saving about half of the countertop space. This unit sits at about 16” wide, can dispense 130 drinks per hour, and can support up to 8 flavors, including off-brand craft sodas, non-alcoholic mixes, teas, and cold brew coffee.
Q: What's one thing you learned at NAFEM that you didn't expect?
As a first time attendee, I was not expecting the shear size of the NAFEM show. I didn’t know how big of an event it was until we pulled up to the conference center and saw the entire building decorated with NAFEM signage. Everybody who’s anybody involved in the foodservice equipment industry shows up to this event, each one setting up a booth with a unique experience, whether it be a pop-up coffee bar, robotic arms preparing a burger & fries, or even a cooking competition. You could not walk three steps within the Atlanta/Centennial Olympic Park area without seeing a fellow NAFEM attendee with their badge. So while it’s not product-related, I learned how important this event is to the foodservice industry as a whole.
Among the many industry events that happen in conjunction with NAFEM, elite|studio e connected with friends and colleagues at the Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management local; participated in a factory tour at Hoshizaki; and our Vice President of Business Development Raquel Weiss Fusco was among the 42 individuals presented with the Doctorate in Foodservice Award. This honor really highlights Raquel’s hard work and strong leadership in the foodservice industry. Congratulations to Raquel and all the recipients!
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