By Peter Romeo, IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Managing Editor
March 2025
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Washington, D.C., is more than 1,000 miles from Kansas City, the site of this year’s Chain Operators EXchange (COEX). But that wasn’t far enough to keep the food-away-from-home professionals in attendance from hearing what was happening in the nation’s capital.
The industry happened to be gathering as the Trump Administration implemented a controversial component of its global trade strategy: 25% tariffs on virtually all goods imported from Mexico and Canada, including plenty of ingredients routinely used by the companies in attendance.
The duties would be suspended days later, but their implementation roused the crowd and turned the tariffs into a major topic of conversation.
Uncertain of the potential impact on their businesses, attendees readily compared notes on addressing this new common concern. The give-and-take proved a real-life illustration of the event’s theme, “Stronger Together: Fueling Innovation.”
The event was presented by IFMA The Food Away from Home Association.
With COEX recast as the conference for the whole food-away-from-home trade, the three-day event drew foodservice operators, suppliers and service providers out of their respective sectors for a look at how the whole business is changing.
The tariffs snagged attention, but they were far from the only topic addressed during the event, held March 2 – 4 at the Loews Kansas City Hotel. Attendees heard experts address issues ranging from artificial intelligence to menu trends, strategies for boosting traffic, how 2025 is shaping up business-wise, and when experts expect the sky-high price of eggs to finally ease.
How Americans might order—or not—in the future
They were given more than a glimpse of the future by serial disruptor Marc Lore. After changing the way Americans shop for diapers or groceries, the tech guru is currently aiming to change America’s dining patterns.
He detailed the virtual one-stop-shop he’s engineering to capture a consumer’s dinner order. As he explained, his Wonder kitchens venture already offers them to-go choices ranging from a spectacular meal from a celebrity chef; old favorites like tacos or burgers; groceries from a supermarket; or even a meal kit. The ecosystem he described extends far beyond the Wonder outlets, the ghost-kitchens-on-steroids he’s developing at a rapid clip.
Lore stunned the audience with his prediction that artificial intelligence will eventually assume human’s meal-ordering functions. As proof, he revealed that 100% of the meals he eats while not on the road are chosen for him by an AI algorithm that correlates his food preferences with his state of health. The next step would be factoring in a user’s food budget.
Where menus are heading
The audience learned which menu trends have been shown by research to be catching hold with the public. Following the review by Technomic, attendees were provided with an opportunity to taste the trends via the Menu-a-thon, a COEX signature. The chefs of major supplier companies brainstorm dishes that fit the emerging trends, then serve up those examples for lunch.
The challenge of boosting restaurant traffic was addressed during a session staring Jim Bitticks, President and Chief Operating Officer of Dave’s Hot Chicken, and Jim Holthouser, CEO of McAlister’s Deli and Moe’s Southwest Grill parent Go To Foods. Among the tactics they addressed was amplifying the privileges of loyalty programs.
What’s the outlook for menu inflation?
The traffic-dampening effects of rising menu prices was addressed often during COEX. A whole session, for instance, was devoted to what’s happening in the egg market as avian flu continues to wipe out whole flocks of laying hens. The major takeaway is that avian flu will likely keep costs high, at least through the remainder of 2025.
Other sessions looked at the trends in commodity prices, with separate breakouts focused on dairy and grains and proteins.
A review of White House policies that could affect the food-away-from-home business was presented by Aaron Frazier, Vice President of Public Policy for the National Restaurant Association.
In addition to addressing the inflationary pressures of the tariffs, Frazier noted that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the newly appointed Secretary of the U.S. Health & Human Services Department, sees a health risk in the use of seed oils.
The vegetable-based mediums, including soybean, sunflower and canola oils, are commonly used in foodservice and manufacturer kitchens. Kennedy would like to see a shift to alternatives like avocado and olive oil, Frazier explained.
Noting the outpouring from Washington and statehouses of regulatory and legislative actions relevant to the industry, IFMA The Food Away from Home Association was given a green light by its board to form a committee focused on the issues.
As President Phil Kafarakis explained, the Regulatory & Trade Issues Committee will aim to keep members informed of what’s happening on the government front and what those developments mean to their businesses.
Attendees also learned that COEX 2026 will be held in Atlanta on March 8 – 10, 2026.
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.