New Location. Expanded Program. Hands-On Participation.
Things Are Really Cooking...

What’s New

Ideal Location – In this new setting for Culinary R&D, you’re surrounded by foodservice expertise and tradition at beautiful Johnson & Wales University, one of the pre-eminent culinary colleges in the world.

Bigger and Better – To fill your plate with more tips, trends and techniques, we are adding sessions, offering a tour, letting you cook and create, expanding cooking demonstrations, providing more networking opportunities, while continuing the always-popular Table Talk Roundtables.

Hands-On Event – Cooking, tasting, sharing, learning, questioning, experimenting – everything culinary pros relish is embedded in this R&D Conference. Highlights include our hands-on Team Cooking Workshop that puts you in the center of the action with other chefs and Johnson & Wales culinary students.

Hot Topics

Southern Accents – Food From Southern Tables will feature chefs, authors and other experts exploring southern foods and their impact on menus. The sights and smells of cooking demonstrations and tastings will reinforce these presentations.

Rise and Shine – Breakfast and Brunch will examine foods and beverages typically associated with these day parts. Join us as culinary leaders analyze what’s new, what’s working and what’s ahead for these meal times. Cooking demonstrations and tastings will keep the grill hot.

Trends to Watch

Culinary R&D is noted for delivering a wide range of vital information and perspective on food and menu trends. This year’s fare includes:

Nancy Kruse, menu trends expert and Nation’s Restaurant News columnist, who will offer her annual menu update and forecast. One of the most comprehensive trend presentations in the industry, Ms. Kruse packs her “State of the Plate” address with insight and data, sprinkled with humor. This year she will examine the latest in breakout foods and flavors, presentation trends, ethnic approaches, health initiatives, menu innovations and much more.

Supermarkets Strike Back will introduce attendees to their supermarket competitors, including the challenges these operations pose for restaurant chefs. An off-site tour will take attendees to local supermarkets that may be drawing customers away from restaurants with innovative food and merchandising.

What’s Cooking?

Our Team Cooking Workshop lets you pair-up with peers and Johnson & Wales students in a fast-paced, team building environment. Work in cutting edge Johnson & Wales kitchens to create tasty items from a mystery market  basket. With nearly 100 of your chef colleagues on the line, culinary inspiration will be at a fever pitch.
In addition, don’t miss our Celebrity Chef cooking demonstration and tasting, a culinary bonus that ends the Conference on a memorable and appetizing note.

Back by Popular Demand

Table Talk – One of the most requested sessions in the history of this event, these roundtable discussions give attendees a unique opportunity to voice their concerns and seek input from peers and subject experts on topics of importance to importance to you and your colleagues.