Chicago
English
Nik is the Global Insight Manager for EMI's Consumer Foodservice system, providing guidance and narrative on global, local, and cross-industry teams as they relate to restaurants, bars, and cafes as well as food and beverage trends overall. In addition to sharing actionable insights within the foodservice landscape, he is interested in best practices in industry outreach, activating total portfolio for existing clients, and identifying product opportunities for potential commercial successes.
Nik comes to Euromonitor with years of experience in the foodservice and alcoholic drinks industries, focused on production, innovation and strategy. He translates his expertise in supplier, producer, and consumer trends in the beer industry to fmcg spaces overall. Nik previously worked in packaged food and beverage research for North America, as well as industry work within fmcg, specifically beer and yeast production, diversifying his expertise between quality control, innovation, technical sales, logistics, and process improvement.
The faithful return of the 2026 National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show to Chicago’s McCormick Place shows operators, suppliers, and industry experts meeting to discuss the current and future state of US foodservice. One might expect the event to be a post-mortem of a difficult 2025, but the trends and numbers for the year speak to a soft success.
In 2025, the consumer foodservice industry remains vibrant despite pressures on discretionary spending. Wellness-aligned menus, flavour exploration and beverage personalisation are all considerable drivers for consumer excitement and operator innovation. On top of this, third-party and first-party fulfilment providers are vying for loyalty through a wide and evolving toolset of value propositions.
As increasingly digital consumers prioritise convenience in their purchasing decisions, online delivery’s share of restaurant sales has skyrocketed. With third-party delivery fulfilment being the biggest engine for growth, foodservice operators are seeing their margins eroded by merchant fees. Thriving, let alone surviving, is a juggling act when ingredient, shipping, and labour costs continue to rise.
The 2026 NCA Convention will convene nearly 800 coffee professionals, industry leaders, and decision-makers from across the coffee supply chain for networking, education, and community.
Delivery continues to accelerate its share of the global consumer foodservice market.