12:00 p.m. | REGISTRATION OPENS

12:00-3:00 p.m. | TEXTURE LAB presented by Ingredion

Once you pick up your badge, drop by Ingredion's Texture Lab for an interactive experience exploring next-level textures and their expanding role in modern menu development.

3:30-5:30 p.m. | GENERAL SESSIONS
Sessions include:

Taste the Future: Flavor Trends for 2027 & Beyond, Part 1 — Flavor’s Cathy Nash Holley and Katie Ayoub kick off Flavor Experience with our signature trends forecast. They share an essential look at the flavors, behaviors and menu directions shaping the year ahead and translate emerging signals into clear, actionable menu opportunities. Experience the trends firsthand through interactive tastings, real-time data and audience engagement in this high-energy session that sets the tone for the days ahead. 

The State of the Menu: Navigating Innovation, Value and Change — Datassential’s Megan Lynberg takes the stage with a big-picture, data-driven look at the forces shaping today’s menu landscape. Anchored in menu innovation versus simplification, value pressures and high-level demographic shifts, this session connects the dots between consumer behavior and real-world menu strategy. Expect clear, actionable insights and macro innovation themes that help operators make smarter decisions in a complex, fast-moving environment.  

Beverage Innovation That Sells: Trends, Strategy & High-Volume Success
—Kim Haasarud and Kathy Casey

Today’s beverage menus have to do more than capture attention—they need to drive traffic, deliver profitable growth and execute consistently at scale. In this fast-paced session, two of the industry’s leading beverage innovators, Kim Haasarud and Kathy Casey, explore the trends reshaping both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage programs, from emerging flavors and functional ingredients to evolving consumer preferences and actionable menu strategy. Drawing on decades of experience developing successful beverage programs for major restaurant brands, hotels and hospitality companies, Kim and Kathy connect what’s trending with what actually works in high-volume operations. Attendees will leave with practical insights, strategic frameworks and fresh inspiration to build beverage programs that are relevant, executable and designed for long-term success.

5:30-7:30 p.m. | SPONSOR SHOWCASE

Kick off the event with trend-forward bites and sips. Set on the VEA’s scenic Sunset Lawn, sponsors bring flavor to life with inspired F&B offerings.

7:00 a.m. | MORNING BITES & SIPS
Light bites and coffee, tea and energizing sips to fuel the day; served al fresco on the Riviera Lawn

8:30-10:30 a.m. | GENERAL SESSIONS
Sessions include:

From Menu to Memory: The Stories That Drive Loyalty — Chirag Nijjer

Why do some menu items stick while others fade? The answer lives in the menu-to-memory gap—the space between ordering once and coming back again. In this session, Chirag Nijjer, the Brand Historian and on-screen commentator for Mega Brands That Built America, brings his expertise in consumer storytelling—shaped through work with brands like Google, Adobe, Shopify and HubSpot—to menu development. Through rapid-fire case studies and consumer psychology, he unpacks the story frameworks that turn dishes into repeat cravings, giving operators a practical way to align culinary and marketing so the story starts on the plate, not in the campaign. 

Texture as Strategy: The New Dimension of Menu Innovation — Janet Carver, Graham Humphreys and Natalie Shmulik

Texture has evolved from a technical consideration into one of the most powerful drivers of food and beverage innovation. Today, it shapes everything from craveability and perceived value to social sharing, indulgence and overall satisfaction. In this panel, industry experts explore how texture is influencing menu development across categories, examining next-frontier culinology capabilities and emerging trends. Attendees gain insight into the consumer behaviors fueling texture innovation, identify emerging whitespace opportunities and learn how operators can translate these ideas into scalable menu applications.

10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | SPONSOR SHOWCASE

Set outdoors on the Riviera Lawn, enjoy a wide array of trend-forward food and drink from our sponsors

12:00-1:00 p.m. | BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Choose from one of these five concurrent sessions.

Flavor Trends Roundtable — Cathy Nash Holley

Operators Only – Limited to 35 

Flavor’s Cathy Nash Holley hosts her annual roundtable on trends, leading a lively open-forum discussion among operators, discussing today’s food & beverage trends that will have an impact on menu development in the coming years.

From Great Ideas to Buy-In: A Storytelling Workshop for Menu Innovation--Chirag Nijjer

In his general session, brand historian Chirag Nijjer challenges attendees to rethink menu innovation through the lens of storytelling—creating concepts with purpose, emotional resonance and lasting impact. This interactive workshop takes that thinking from inspiration to execution. Through his practical “Confidence Document” framework, attendees are invited to work through their own concepts—or simply follow along—as Chirag demonstrates how to identify the core story driving an idea, strengthen its strategic foundation and communicate it in a way that earns buy-in from brand leadership, marketing teams and executive stakeholders. Gain practical tools and fresh ways to think about developing menu concepts and building organizational buy-in.

Signals of Opportunity: Using consumer purchasing behavior and CPG innovation to uncover tomorrow's menu opportunities — Melodie Beal and Grace Bryan

As the lines between retail, convenience and foodservice continue to blur, shopping baskets and grocery shelves have become some of the richest sources of menu inspiration today. In this session, Amazon’s Melodie Beal brings a rare window into evolving consumer purchasing behavior—what people are buying, how shopping habits are changing and the signals that point to what’s next. Paired with Juicy Brick’s Grace Bryan, whose expertise lies in identifying breakthrough CPG innovation and translating it into restaurant opportunity, this session offers an insider’s look at where menu inspiration is headed. From premium olive oil-fried frozen french fries to disruptive new snack textures and breakthrough flavor combinations, discover the products consumers can’t get enough of—and what they signal for restaurant menus. Together, Melodie and Grace explore how consumer purchasing patterns, historical retail trends, emerging flavor profiles and breakthrough packaging formats can help restaurant operators identify where menu innovation is headed next. By examining the most boundary-pushing innovation happening across CPG today, attendees will leave inspired to look beyond the restaurant industry for their next culinary hit—and equipped to translate everyday shopping behaviors into tomorrow’s best-selling menu items.

From Viral to Valuable: How to Separate Hype from Opportunity — Megan Lynberg and Shara Orem

Not every viral trend deserves a spot on the menu or in the marketing calendar. In this workshop, Datassential’s Megan Lynberg and Shara Orem explore how operators can separate fleeting hype from real opportunity, using a practical lens around the underlying trend, brand fit, operational feasibility, customer appeal and business impact. Attendees will leave with a smarter framework for deciding when to jump in, when to sit one out, and how to turn social buzz into meaningful results.

Rethinking Zero Proof: What’s Next in Non-Alc Beverage Innovation—Ian Ramirez, Shannon Alette Krol, Mattias Dylan Horseman and Joshua-Peter (J.P.) Smith

Beverage innovation is moving fast, but turning a trend into something delicious, scalable and meaningful takes more than a good idea. Join the Mad Honey beverage team for an interactive discussion, live demo and tasting exploring the next generation of N/A innovation. From reimagined classics and unexpected flavor pairings to emerging techniques like Hydration Stacking, attendees discover practical approaches for developing beverages that resonate with today’s consumers and inspire menu differentiation. Leave with fresh ideas, proven innovation frameworks and a taste of where the category is headed next.

1:15-2:15p.m. | TASTING TOOLBOXES

In these concurrent quick-fire sessions, attendees get a look “behind the curtains” at initiatives driving sponsors’ product development, and how these can spark inspiration, present solutions and menu-building opportunities. Each 10-minute interactive tasting demonstrates value and insight aimed at helping inform menu-development decisions. 

2:15-2:45 p.m. | FLAVOR BREAK 

2:45-5:15 p.m. | GENERAL SESSIONS
Sessions include:

Forks in the Road:  The Policy and Economic Forces Shaping Food’s Future — Jason R. Evans, Ph.D 

This session takes a journey through the economic and political winds that have shaped everything we eat—from farm policy and global trade to labor markets and consumer trends. We unpack how today’s food systems came to be and explore the powerful (and sometimes surprising) forces now reshaping the landscape. Dr. Evans digs into what these changes could mean for the future of food and the nature of and need for innovation.  

TikTok Made Me Do It: Decoding Gen Z Signals —Katie Ayoub 
Flavor’s Katie Ayoub takes a fast-moving look at the TikTok trends shaping how Gen Z discovers, craves and talks about food. But this isn’t just a scroll through viral moments—it’s a deeper dive into the psychology behind why certain ideas catch fire. This session unpacks what these signals reveal about identity, value, social currency and more. Walk away with a clearer understanding of how to translate TikTok behavior into meaningful menu strategy. 

The New Protein Playbook — Barb Stuckey

Protein has officially crossed over from nutrient to obsession. It’s the macro of the moment, with consumers actively chasing it across dayparts, platforms and menus. But operators are feeling the tension. Demand is up, while costs, sourcing challenges and menu complexity follow close behind. At the same time, the science is still evolving, leaving a lot of questions around how much is enough—and what “better” protein really means. In this session, Mattson’s Barb Stuckey breaks down protein’s expanding role across today’s consumer sets—from GLP-1 users and post-menopausal women to gym goers and everyday consumers embracing high-protein lifestyle diets—and unpacks the emerging frameworks shaping demand, including protein leverage theory. She also explores how protein has become a strategic lever in the age of personalization, as consumers track, share and optimize their intake through apps, wearables and macro-driven lifestyles. 

5:30-7:30 p.m. | SPONSOR SHOWCASE

Take in the sunset on the VEA’s Sunset Lawn while sampling trend-forward food & drink provided by our Pinnacle sponsors.

7:00 a.m. | MORNING BITES & SIPS

Light bites and coffee, tea and energizing sips to fuel the day; served al fresco on the Riviera Lawn

8:30-10:30 a.m.‍ | ‍GENERAL SESSIONS
Sessions include:

Beyond the Plate: Turning New Ideas into Menu Reality — Grace Bryan 

The product development scope is widening far beyond recipe formulations as we enter a bold new era of new product development.  Juicy Brick’s Grace Bryan dives into global case studies redefining our industry, moving past legacy comfort drivers to explore how evolved form-factors, revolutionary packaging and “functional maxing” shatter the constraints of the traditional menu. Grace bridges the gap between viral moments and long-term strategy, looking at everything from mood-boosting innovation to the blurring lines between QSR and retail. This session challenges the “safe” option, spotlights winning concepts and leaves you with fresh inspiration to take into the year ahead for your own menu development.  

State of the Plate 2026 — Nancy Kruse
From emerging menu trends and shifting consumer behaviors to category evolution and operator innovation, the restaurant landscape is constantly changing. In this session, renowned menu trends expert Nancy Kruse takes stock of the forces shaping foodservice today, drawing on extensive research and real-world examples from across the industry. The result is a big-picture view of where menus stand now, what's gaining traction and what operators should be watching in the months ahead.

Culinary Keynote:
From Tradition to Translation: A Culinary POV with Chef Gilberto Cetina
In this one-on-one conversation, Gilberto Cetina, a James Beard-award nominated chef, shares his culinary point of view, unpacking how he filters Mexican flavors and ingredients through the distinct lenses of his two L.A. restaurants: Holbox and Chichén Itzá. Holbox, his seafood-driven concept, has earned a Michelin Star in both 2024 and 2025 and was named “L.A. Times Restaurant of the Year.” Chichén Itzá, the family’s Yucatán-focused restaurant, has been named among the top Mexican restaurants in the U.S. by outlets like GQ, Hispanic Magazine and the Los Angeles Times, underscoring its role as a foundational voice in regional Mexican cuisine. In this session, Cetina discusses his culinary focus, which ranges from seafood-driven Yucatán specialties to broader expressions of Mexican identity on the plate. Drawing from a broader range of culinary influences beyond Mexico, Cetina shares how storytelling, community connection and cross-cultural inspiration shape his approach to menu development and brand building. 

10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | SPONSOR SHOWCASE

Set outdoors on the Riviera Lawn, enjoy a wide array of trend-forward food and drink from our sponsors

12:00-1:00p.m. | INNOVATION BREAKOUT SESSIONS

The New Rules of Menu Innovation — Four concurrent sessions featuring today’s restaurant innovators

Menu innovation has never moved faster—or required more discipline. In these four concurrent discussions, restaurant leaders pull back the curtain on how they’re navigating today’s rapidly evolving landscape, where consumer expectations, social influence, wellness, value and operational realities all compete for attention. From deciding which trends deserve a place on the menu and rethinking the role of LTOs to calibrating the use of AI in menu development, these candid conversations unpack how leading brands are approaching menu innovation today. Expect practical insights and honest dialogue that can help inform your own innovation process.

Session 1:

MODERATOR:

Cathy Nash Holley, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Flavor & The Menu

PANELISTS:

Jeremy Bringardner, Corporate Executive Chef, Mendocino Farms

Gabbey Raissen, Corporate Chef, True Food Kitchen

Marco Suarez, Director of Culinary, Tropical Smoothie Cafe 

Session 2:

MODERATOR:

Katie Ayoub, Managing Editor, Flavor & The Menu

PANELISTS:

Luis Haro, Sr. Director of Culinary, Logan’s Roadhouse

Shane Schaibly, SVP Culinary, First Watch

Kim Stewart, Manager of R&D, McDonald’s

Session 3:

MODERATOR:

Nicole Duncan, Digital Managing Editor, Flavor & The Menu

PANELISTS:

Gabe Caliendo, Co-Founder, VP of Food, Beverage, R&D, Lazy Dog

Andrew Ruga, Culinary Director, Slim Chickens

Venecia Willis, Director of Culinary, Velvet Taco

Session 4:

MODERATOR:
Nancy Kruse, President, Kruse Company

PANELISTS:
Matt Harding, Chief Culinary Officer, Piada Italian Street Food

Erin Hess, Culinary Research & Development Manager, Snooze A.M. Eatery

Paige Schaefer, Director, Menu & Product Development, Domino’s

1:00-1:30 p.m. | FLAVOR BREAK

1:30-3:00 p.m. | GENERAL SESSIONS
Sessions include: 

Mixed Signals, Clear Opportunities: Navigating the New Consumer Landscape — David Portalatin
Today’s consumer is more intentional—and more complex—than ever. In this forward-looking session, David Portalatin shares the latest data and insights from Circana, including an historic decline in calories per capita and the rise of portion-conscious behavior driven by both health and cost. At the same time, on-premise dining remains a bright spot for indulgence, beverage innovation is surging and brands that deliver on value and experience are pulling ahead. This session unpacks the contradictions shaping demand and translates them into clear implications for menu strategy and growth. 

AI, Innovation and the Future of Food Decisions — Graham Humphreys  Depending on who you ask, AI is either poised to transform the restaurant industry or simply produce slightly better PowerPoint slides. The reality lies somewhere in between. This session, led by the Culinary Edge’s Graham Humphreys, explores how AI is being used today across consumer insights, menu innovation, product development and marketing strategy. Through real-world examples, he examines where AI delivers meaningful value, where it falls short and why its greatest potential may be helping teams ask better questions rather than generating faster answers. He also looks ahead to the next frontier: AI-mediated discovery. As consumers increasingly rely on AI to decide where to eat, what to order and which brands best fit a particular need or occasion, restaurants will be competing not only for consumer attention but also for algorithmic recommendation. In a world where guests describe desired outcomes rather than specific menu items, the brands best positioned to win may be those that are easiest for both people and machines to understand.

Taste the Future: Flavor Trends for 2027 & Beyond, Part 2
Cathy Nash Holley and Katie Ayoub close out this year’s sessions with a fresh lineup of flavor trends shaping menus now and next. This fast-moving session pairs sharp insight with interactive tastings, bringing each trend to life and translating emerging signals into clear menu opportunity. 

3:30-6:30 p.m. | OFF-SITE FLAVOR EXPERIENCES
Join the Flavor team for curated tasting adventures that spotlight the area’s trend-forward culinary scene.

7:00-10:00 p.m. | FLAVOR WRAP COCKTAIL PARTY 
Close out the 2026 Flavor Experience over drinks, light bites, music and sunset vistas from the VEA’s Marea Lawn.