Florida Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit Celebrate Milestone Anniversaries in Orlando
October 12, 2026 | 4 min to read
ORLANDO, FL — The Florida Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit return to the Orange County Convention Center October 25–27, bringing together restaurant, pizza and foodservice professionals for three days of product discovery, education, culinary competitions, demonstrations and networking—all with one registration.
This year marks two major milestones: the 55th anniversary of the Florida Restaurant Show and the 5th anniversary of the Pizza Tomorrow Summit. To celebrate, Restaurant Events will give away a total of $5,000 to attendees throughout the event. Attendees can pick up a ticket at registration for their chance to win.
With 400+ exhibitors, attendees can see, taste, test and compare products and solutions covering virtually every aspect of restaurant operations. Exhibitors include Gordon Food Service, Back of House, PizzaMaster, Horizon Food Brokers, Keg Kraft Beverage Company, Galbani, Florida Dairy Farmers, Stirling Food Systems, Specialty Butter and OGGI Foods, along with hundreds of companies showcasing food and beverage products, equipment, technology and services.
For operators navigating rising costs, workforce challenges and rapidly changing technology, the co-located events offer an opportunity to meet suppliers face-to-face, compare solutions and discover new ways to improve efficiency, profitability and the guest experience.
More than 40 hours of education will address the issues restaurant professionals face every day, including profitability, food costs, operations, marketing, AI, staffing, leadership and customer engagement.
Featured programs include Restaurant Management 201 and 301, presented by Darren Denington, Founder/Operator of Service with Style, and Alison Anne, Leader of Restaurant Revolution. Also newly added is The Wizard Behind the Curtain, presented by Michael Tipps, Founder of Maverick Theory, which will take owners and entrepreneurs behind the scenes of building a restaurant concept and turning an idea into a business that resonates with guests.
With so much happening simultaneously, restaurant owners are encouraged to bring their management teams. Chefs can explore ingredients and equipment while general managers focus on staffing and operations, marketing professionals attend sessions on AI and customer engagement, and owners concentrate on profitability and growth. A Team Bundle Package offers savings and flexibility for groups of six from the same organization.
Throughout all three days, the Sunshine Plate Challenge Arena, will feature more than 30 professional chefs competing in four American Culinary Federation (ACF)-sanctioned competitions. The arena is sponsored by Unox, with product sponsors including Gordon Food Service, Bar Harbor Seafood, Expedition Provisions, Yukan Foods, Pizzacini and Keg Kraft Beverage
The action begins Sunday, October 25, with Student and Professional Pastry Sculpture Competitions and a Professional Pork Challenge. The Professional Seafood Challenge, sponsored by Bar Harbor Seafood, follows Monday, October 26, with the Professional Beef Challenge on Tuesday, October 27.
The arena will also host the Hospitality School Showdown on Sunday, October 25, featuring culinary faculty and alumni representing four leading Florida hospitality programs.
Celebrating its 5th anniversary, the Pizza Tomorrow Summit will feature education, demonstrations, competitions and special events dedicated to the rapidly evolving pizza industry.
A highlight will be a live taping of the So You Want to Run a Restaurant podcast featuring Rick Rosenfield, co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen, on Monday, October 26 at 1:30 p.m. Rosenfield will discuss and give away copies of his new book, The California Pizza Kitchen Story. The event is sponsored by Back of House.
The U.S. Pizza Team and Galbani Professionale U.S. will also host the 2026 Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup. Pizzaioli and pizza acrobats from across the country will compete in culinary and acrobatic competitions, with grand-prize winners earning a trip to compete at the World Pizza Championships in Parma, Italy.
The co-location of the Florida Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit creates an expansive marketplace for professionals across restaurants, pizza, foodservice and hospitality. Restaurant operators can discover ideas emerging from the pizza industry, while pizzeria operators gain access to products, technology and education applicable across the broader restaurant industry.
Most importantly, the events offer restaurant professionals an opportunity to step away from the day-to-day demands of their operations and spend three days working on their businesses, not just in them – discovering the products, strategies, connections and ideas that can make a meaningful difference in the year ahead.
The Florida Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit take place October 25–27, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Register by October 17 to take advantage of early registration discounts. And with $5,000 being given away in celebration of 55 years of the Florida Restaurant Show and five years of the Pizza Tomorrow Summit, there’s even more reason to be in Orlando this October.
General admission includes exhibits, education sessions, and competitions. Specialty workshops require separate registration. Visit the Pizza Tomorrow Summit and Florida Restaurant Show websites for full program details, exhibitor listings, and sponsorship opportunities.