Monday, October 17 10:00am – 7:00pm

Registration & Information Desk

Location: McKenna Hall, 2nd Floor
Monday, October 17 10:00am – 4:00pm

Vendor Fair Sponsor Set Up

Location: Dahnke Ballroom (Duncan Student Center, 7th Floor)
Monday, October 17 12:00pm – 1:30pm

Smithfield Smoke’NFast Food Truck

Location: McKenna Hall Driveway

Make sure you come to registration hungry as Smithfield Culinary will be serving two delicious items featuring our fully cooked/smoked Smoke’NFast brand.  Come by to enjoy Street Tacos w/Pulled Pork, a Korean Bulgogi Bowl w/shredded beef or how about a Chicken Gyro OR all three!                                                             

Monday, October 17 2:00pm – 2:45pm

Opening General Session

Location: Smith Ballroom at Morris Inn
Hard Pivot: The New Model for Dining Services

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, foodservice is forever changed. Operators from across noncommercial share their experiences with adapting amid a global crisis and how they’re positioning their teams for the future.

Speakers:

Associate Vice President – Business Services
Northeastern University

Executive Director of Food & Nutrition Services
MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston

Senior Director of School Food Operations
Chef Ann Foundation

Back of House Manager
Pennswood Village

Presented By:
Apex Order Pickup Solutions
Monday, October 17 3:00pm – 3:45pm

FSD Educational Workshops (choose 1 of 3)

Location: McKenna Hall
What’s Happening in Restaurants: Examining the Top Trends
Location: McKenna Hall 205/206/207

Winsight editors slice and dice what’s taking shape on the restaurant side of the foodservice business, covering everything from menu and operational trends to emerging brands and marketing.

Speakers:

Editor-in-Chief
Restaurant Business

Senior Editor
Restaurant Business, FoodService Director

Planet-friendlier Cuisine, Sustainability and Shrinking Carbon Footprints
Location: McKenna Hall 215

Sustainability goals that may have been put on the shelf during the pandemic are now returning front and center. Learn how operations in noncommercial and beyond are making eco-friendly initiatives a top priority and engaging staff and diners around them.

Speakers:

Editor-in-Chief
FoodService Director

Next in Tech: Automation, Robots and More
Location: McKenna Hall 216

As the labor crunch and customer expectations continue to evolve, technology is playing a larger role than ever in the front and back of house. From AI and smart vending to delivery robots, hear how foodservice operators are employing new technologies to deliver more efficient, convenient and customized service.

Speakers:

Senior Editor
FoodService Director

Editor-at-Large and Vice President of Content Innovation
Restaurant Business

Monday, October 17 3:45pm – 4:15pm

Networking Break

Location: McKenna Hall Prefunction (Ryan Forum, 2nd Floor)
Monday, October 17 4:15pm – 5:00pm

Culinary Workshops (choose 1 of 3)

A Whisper of Mystery: Adding Kikkoman Sauces For Serendipitous Dishes
Location: McKenna Hall 205/206/207

Kikkoman explores how the combination of Asian sauces with other global flavors creates interesting dining experiences. Fat-washing is all the rage in the mixology world, and this innovative technique can be applied to different cuisines. In particular, fat washing a variety of Kikkoman sauces elongates the complex flavor notes and creates more supple mouthfeel. A comparative taste session between original and fat-washed sauces will be held to highlight these attributes. The intricacies behind this process will be presented from both culinary arts and scientific perspectives. 

Speakers:

Corporate Executive Chef
Kikkoman

Marketing Coordinator
Kikkoman

Presented By:
Kikkoman Sales USA, Inc.
How Dairy Fits in a Plant-Forward World
Location: McKenna Hall 215

As the popularity of plant-forward diets increase, it can leave us questioning how non-plant-based foods fit into menus. Dairy foods continue to be popular choices and dairy is an important source of many vitamins and minerals. Join one of the corporate chefs and dietitian from Land O'Lakes as theydiscuss dairy nutrition, how dairy farmers are working to create a more sustainable future, and how dairy can help keep your menus fresh, even in a tight labor market.

Speakers:

Culinary Sales Leader
Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Culinary Dietitian
Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Presented By:
Land O'Lakes, Inc.
Veggie-centric Ideations for your Health-conscious Students
Location: McKenna Hall 216

Students are trying menu items they’ve never had before, eating more healthy food options – students are often seeking variety as they navigate campus life. 

Chef Roberto will show you how to implement trending ideations that are key growth drivers, such as; diverse global flavors and plant-based/specialty diets.

These ideations will help you meet the flavors and trends your students crave. These recipes will also help C&U operators tackle some of their most challenging business objectives, such as; determining what students want, increasing student dining loyalty, product versatility, and increasing check average. 

(Datassential C&U Segment Guide 2022 + Datassential Plant-based Inspiration 2022)

Speakers:

Director, Customer Marketing
Simplot

Corporate Executive Chef
Simplot

Presented By:
Simplot
Monday, October 17 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Welcome Reception (Vendor Fair)

Location: Dahnke Ballroom (Duncan Student Center, 7th Floor)

Join us as we celebrate the first day of MenuDirections overlooking the Notre Dame Stadium! Mingle with colleagues and old friends, explore new solutions from MenuDirections's supplier partners, and enjoy food and refreshments.