By Mary Petersen

Dawn Sweeney, president of the National Restaurant Association (NRA), addressed the general session of the American Culinary Federation’s 2015 National Convention in Orlando in July.

The NRA is the largest foodservice trade association in the world—supporting more than 500,000 restaurant businesses.

Sweeney addressed the audience as the future of the industry. She quoted a survey that said 40% of those polled want to eat out more often. The industry is surpassing grocery sales and represents 47% of the food dollars spent in this country.

Her comments followed, highlighting some of the cultural realities restaurants face in this era: 

• Social media can be our friend (noting that food photos are the most shared item on Facebook!)
• Social media gives power to our largest critics as well as our most devoted fans
• The work force is 14 million today and predicted to be 16 million by 2025
• The foodservice industry will continue to offer “The American Dream” by providing entry-level jobs as well as second-chance jobs.

What is the NRA doing to prepare for the future? Sweeney points to the association’s sponsorship of ProStart, a program using industry-driven curriculum and which is found in 1,800 high schools with 160,000 students enrolled.

The NRA is also proud about launching a new relationship with the ACF concerning certification. The association is also sponsoring executive student groups, topic driven, along with a new Restaurant Innovation Summit. 

Sweeney asked the audience for their participation as student mentors as well as ambassadors for ServeSafe. 

Sweeney concluded by asking the audience to help “drown the noise out,” referring to the challenges that the industry is facing regarding menu labeling, the minimum wage and healthcare.