Products were the key ingredient at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show 2025, and Beyond Design was there to get the full scoop. From new waves of kitchen technologies to fresh ways of accessing information, and even bio-friendly, food-safe products, this report delves into the exciting overarching trends to come in the restaurant and foodservice industry. Join us as we break down the highlights and takeaways from this pivotal event in Chicago.
Touchscreens Take Over
Touchscreens have been a part of everyday life since the rise of smartphones, but they’re now making serious inroads into the back-of-house. At this year’s NRA Show, we saw a clear shift: more cooking equipment is being designed with touchscreen controls that make the cooking process easier to learn, faster to execute, and more consistent across shifts.
Legacy brands like Rational, Vulcan, Ovention, and Henny Penny have built up decades of kitchen expertise and are embracing a tech-forward movement. Their latest machines feature capacitive touchscreens, customizable cooking programs, and smart automation.
Rational’s iVario Pro pairs a touchscreen and dial combo to make frying more manageable with a sleek, user-friendly interface.
Vulcan’s Chef’s Combi does the same, but adds a self-cleaning mode to take one more task off the kitchen crew’s plate.
Ovention’s MiLO oven stood out for its ability to store and prepare over 1,000 recipes, making complex cooking more intuitive and hands-off.
Henny Penny also showcased the evolution of their fryers. Some still use LED buttons, but newer models, like the OFE 514, rely on full-screen capacitive touch for easier use and faster staff training.
The glamour of touchscreen tech is no longer exclusive to the front-of-house applications. These updated interfaces help kitchens run smarter, faster, and more reliably with less room for error.
Tech That Talks Back
They say “teamwork makes the dream work,” and that’s especially true in food service. With so many roles (like cooking, cleaning, serving, etc.), it’s essential to keep staff aligned and on the same page. At the NRA Show, we saw a range of product solutions designed to enhance team communication.
FireBoard left a sizzling impression with their IoT-enabled FireBoard Spark thermometers. They track cooking temperature and humidity, levels to send real-time updates to phones, browsers, or dedicated displays. These sleek red-and-black devices also log data in a private cloud for accountability purposes.
Meanwhile, ThermoWorks RFX Wireless Probe Thermometers took a more minimal approach with their slim devices that sync with a central app. These simple, screenless, color-coded rings monitor meat temperatures and help staff separate cooking jobs during busy service hours.
There was also the Cobra Performa Radios, which are rugged two-way radios that improve team communication between front-of-house and back-of-house employees. The Performa Radio is built to survive drops and spills. It keeps teams connected even in fast-paced, high-stress kitchens.
With restaurant tools like these, critical information is more accessible than ever. Products like these help staff stay aware, efficient, and ready, empowering them to work in sync, reduce errors, and elevate service delivery.
Materials Matter More
For the booming takeout industry, Karat’s Bagasse Products provides restaurants with an eco-friendly, single-use, and biodegradable alternative. These BPI-certified compostable products, made from renewable sugarcane fibers and PLA (a plant-based plastic), offer plastic-like strength and durability with a cardboard-like feel. Karat ensures convenience comes responsibly, thanks to their practical, lightweight, and significantly more biodegradable to-go container solutions.
The right material elevates everything, as seen with CFS Brands’ Elite Global Solutions serving boards. These BPA-free melamine boards beautifully mimic alder wood and Carrara marble on an elegant yet durable platter. Their resilience against breaks, chips, stains, and scratches significantly cuts down on replacement costs and operational interruptions. This smart design ensures a polished presentation and demonstrates how lasting quality and stylish material selection complement the foodservice experience.
Blue4est, by ncco Foodservice Solutions, directly addresses environmental and safety concerns around standard receipt paper. These receipt rolls are phenol, BPA, and BPS-free, making them safe for direct contact with foods. Blue4est paper can be ethically disposed of or recycled and is built to withstand the tough moisture, grease, and heat of kitchens and restaurants. Diners benefit from a more durable and food-safe receipt solution that won’t leach chemicals onto meals or platters. Receipts are an operational necessity for the foodservice industry, but they don’t have to be a pain point for consumers or the environment.
An Assortment of Products A-La-Carte
While big trends often dominate the tradeshow floor, we also discovered a host of other impressive designs that are quietly revolutionizing specific aspects of the restaurant experience. These products stood out for their ingenuity, practicality, and cool factor.
For kitchens tackling bulk blending, the Sammic GIANT hand blenders mixed things up. These aren’t your average kitchen gadgets, but rather, massive serving-sized liquids like large portions of soups or smoothies. They enable high-volume kitchens to quickly and efficiently prepare large batches, significantly cutting down on prep time and labor.
Vending machines got a fresh update with the Pepsi QuikPick. This system aims to make the vending machine experience more interactive and personal, mimicking the satisfying feeling of grabbing a drink from your home fridge, a welcome change from the typical “clunk” of a dispensed beverage.
Food safety and delicate ingredient handling were priorities for the T&S UltraRinse. This innovative system combines a kitchen sink with a built-in spray tip, maximizing surface area contact for thorough yet gentle cleaning and rinsing. This thoughtful design helps reduce food damage and waste while promoting safer food preparation.
Beverage dispensing also saw some design flair with the Micro Matic Beverage Dispensing Systems. These products have visually striking dispenser handles that are begging to be pulled. Beyond their gorgeous curves and glass bodies, these handles offer a practical bonus as they let users customize the carbonation level of their drinks for more tasty and personalized drink experiences.
The last product that caught our eye is the Service Ideas Flame-Free Thermo-Urn, which is designed to keep drinks hot for 6+ hours without external heat. This feature reduces labor costs by eliminating the need for staff to routinely set up, monitor, and replace heating elements, thus saving time and resources. Its elegant yet practical construction ensures coffee stays fresh and contributes to significant operational savings.
Beyond The Booths
Overall, the NRA Show 2025 demonstrated that smart design and new innovations are making restaurants and foodservice establishments better for everyone involved.
To explore how these insights can elevate your products or to discuss innovative food equipment and packaging design, reach out to Beyond Design at info@startbeyond.com or call 773-290-1797. Let’s create your next success story.
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