Sheetz, CSNews to Explore Prepared Food's Future at NRA Show

CHICAGO -– Convenience stores’ growing success in selling prepared foods to consumers will be the subject of an educational session at next month’s National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show, taking place here from May 18-21 at McCormick Place.

Joe Sheetz, executive vice president of finance and store development for Sheetz Inc., one of the convenience store industry’s foremost innovators in foodservice for people on the go, will join Convenience Store News Editor-in-Chief Don Longo as a speaker in an educational session entitled, “Convenience Stores’ Prepared Foods Future.”

In this session, taking place Saturday, May 18 at 1:30 p.m. local time, Sheetz and Longo will review the trends driving consumers to seek out convenient fresh food solutions.

After Longo presents original CSNews consumer research on the convenience store foodservice consumer, Sheetz will show audience members how the retailer has become the nation’s most heralded restaurant/convenience store/foodservice concept in the country.

Other highlights of the show include:

• A keynote address by Starbucks Chairman, President and CEO Howard Schultz on “Transforming Companies for the Future: Balancing Profit with a Social Conscience.” That will take place Sunday, May 19 at 3 p.m.
   
• Celebrity chefs from across the country – including Top Chef Masters winner Rick Bayless, Iron Chef’s Cat Cora, as well as judges Maneet Chauhan, Marcus Samuelsson, Marc Murphy and Aarón Sánchez of Food Network’s hit show Chopped will perform live on the World Culinary Showcase stage.
   
• Chef, author, and TV personality Anthony Bourdain will host the third annual Restaurants Rock industry celebration, the official after-party of the NRA Show on Sunday, May 19. He will also deliver a special feature presentation and sign his latest books on the show floor on Monday, May 20.

The annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals. NRA Show 2013 and the 2013 International Wine, Spirits & Beer (IWSB) Event, held in conjunction with the NRA Show, attract more than 61,000 attendees and visitors from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

NRA showcases the latest products, services, innovative ideas, up-to-the-minute information about trends and issues. For more information, visit the show and IWSB websites at Restaurant.org/Show and WineSpiritsBeer.org, and find the NRA Show on Twitter @NRAShow, Facebook, YouTube and its NRA Show blog.