Pizza Tomorrow Summit and Florida Restaurant Show Celebrate a Successful Event as Nearly 4,500 Industry Professionals Gather in Orlando
The Pizza Tomorrow Summit and the Florida Restaurant Show, held last week at the Orange County Convention Center, were a resounding success and attracted nearly 4,500 industry professionals from across the pizzeria, restaurant and hospitality markets. The event, which united pizzeria operators, pizzaiolos, restaurateurs, chefs, suppliers and thought leaders, showcased the latest trends, products and innovations from 325 exhibiting companies occupying 600 booths on a sold-out show floor. Featuring two full days of dynamic exhibits, competition, live demos and expert-led seminars, the event has quickly become a vibrant platform for networking, education and business development.
“We’re thrilled with the success of this year’s events, which exceeded our expectations in terms of attendance, increased qualified buyer saturation, exhibitor engagement and the enthusiasm of participants,” said Glenn Celentano, Partner & CEO, Restaurant Events LLC, owners of the events. “The sizzle and energy on the show floor was palpable and the positive feedback from attendees and exhibitors has been overwhelming. We’re already looking forward to returning next year with even more ways to connect and inspire our industry over a newly expanded three-day format.”
The show floor was buzzing with live cooking demonstrations and competitions, equipment showcases and tastings, all of which highlighted the latest in pizza-making techniques, restaurant technology, sustainable practices and more. A new feature on the show floor was The Operator’s Choice Award where attendees voted on the best new product at the show. The winner was Lilly’s Fresh Pasta for their Jalapeno, Birria & Birria-Jalapeno Fettuccini. A $500 gift card was awarded to participating attendee Juan Mata, Executive Chef of K-Bob Restaurant in Orlando, FL.
This year’s education program featured an impressive lineup of speakers, including industry veterans and innovators who discussed topics ranging from digital marketing and customer engagement to food trends and operational efficiencies. Subject matter experts provided valuable insights into the changing landscape of the restaurant and food service sector, equipping operators with actionable knowledge to drive growth in their businesses. There were many new sessions including a sold-out Food and Wine pairing event, featuring Sommelier Brian Connors, a Pizza Dough Workshop, Funding the Future, Keys to Effective and Fun Leadership, AI Marketing, 10 Steps to Great Service, Negotiating Leases, Tax-Free Tips for Employees, Creating an Exceptional Guest Experience, Enhancing QSR Efficiency and much more.
Restaurant owners and their staff took advantage of the Restaurant Management 201 Workshop led by Darren Denington and Alison Anne who guided management teams through the process of becoming a cohesive team with strong leadership. In addition, Rev Cianco from Yeah! Management and Chip Close from Restaurant Strategy led a new half day Restaurant Marketing Playbook workshop, which focused on best marketing strategies.
The Culinary Innovation Theater featured live demonstrations with Maneet Chauhan (pictured), award-winning Indian chef and owner of eet in Disney Springs Chef as well as celebrated culinary educator Jennifer Hill Booker; Matt Catherincchia, founding member of Chefs Feeding Kids and Chef Jamie Culliton from the Nonna Slice House in Safety Harbor, FL; Social media influencer and Michelin-trained Chef Alex Trim; Kareen “Chef Coco” Linton; and ACF Chef Kurt Kwiatkowski. The Culinary Innovation Theater was sponsored by Halpern’s Steak and Seafood and Gordon Food Service.
In partnership with the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Central Florida Chapter, three new ACF-sanctioned, live-action competitions were held. ACF judges included current ACF President Rene Marquis, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC (pictured right); Past ACF Presidents Reimund Pitz, CEC, CCE, AAC, HOF (pictured left) and Keith Keogh, CEC, AAC and apprentice judge Tim Recher, CEC, AAC.
The competitions included:
- The Rapid-Fire Market Basket Competition winner was Michael Clemons, Chef Secret, Sunrise, FL who prepared pan seared Red Snapper with eggplant puree.
- The Mystery Basket Fruit & Vegetable Carving winner was Maria Yolanda Diaz from Mayodi’s Fruit Carvings and Displays (pictured center)
- The Cake Decorating Competition winner was Nicole Zimmerman of Dark Delights Confections.
The 3rd Annual Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup Competition was a highlighted featured at the Pizza Tomorrow Summit. The competition featured more than 50 competitors and $15,000 in prizes, including two trips to Italy to compete in the World Pizza Championships. Grand Prize winners of the two trips to Italy were Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup Champion Patt Miller of Pizza Patt’s in New Vienna, OH and Galbani Cup Acrobatic Champion Michael Testa of Jersey Pizza Boys in Avenel, NJ. Best Cheese Pizza Finalists were 1st place winner Enrico Aguila, Uncle Rico, Ft. Myers, FL and 2nd place winner George Taylor, Taylors Pizza House, Endwell, NY.
The top three winners for Secret Ingredient were Jose Ahmed Flores, Crust Lover’s Pizza, Sanford, FL; David Solum, Danger Von Dempsey’s ATY, Watertown, SD; and Jay Falk, Caliente’s Pizza & Draft House, Pittsburgh, PA. The Largest Dough Stretch winners were Matt Hickey, Caliente’s Pizza & Draft House; Jay Falk, Caliente’s Pizza & Draft House; and Perry Bogacz, Caliente’s Pizza & Draft House. Fastest Pie Maker winners were David Whisker, BC Pizza, Boyne City, MI. – 49 seconds; Patt Miller, Pizza Patt’s – 51 seconds; and Jay Falk, Caliente’s Pizza & Draft House – 59 seconds. Fastest Box Folder winners were Justin Adams, Wawa’s, Easton, PA. – 21.4 seconds; David Whisker, BC Pizza – 26.37 seconds; and Sean Dempsey, Dempsey’s Brewery – 34.93 seconds. Freestyle Acrobatics winners were Michael Testa, The Jersey Pizza Boys, Avenel, NJ; Travis Siebens, The Nona Slice House; and Patt Miller, Pizza Patt’s. For more information about the Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup or the US Pizza Team, contact Brian Hernandez at bhernandez@wtwhmedia.com.
The Pizza Tomorrow Summit is dedicated to the pizza industry and is the largest event of its kind on the east coast, offering operators the latest trends, tools and techniques to optimize their businesses. It features a wide range of exhibitors and educational content tailored specifically for pizza professionals. The trade show was named one of Trade Show Executive’s Fastest 50 growing trade shows in 2024 in net square feet and total attendance, as well as recognized as No. 1 in the number of companies growth category. For exhibitor information about the Pizza Tomorrow Summit contact Dave Kellogg at 203-788-3794 or david@pizzatomorrow.com.
The Florida Restaurant Show, sponsored by the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, is the Southeast’s leading trade event for restaurant and hospitality professionals. The show provides industry insights, culinary demonstrations and innovative products designed to elevate foodservice operations. For exhibitor information contact Joseph Carlino at (484) 823-9611 or Joe@therestaurantevents.com.
During the event, thousands of dollars were raised for Chefs Feeding Kids, who through collaborative efforts with communities, chefs and partners, aim to empower food-insecure children and young adults, including those within the autism community, by offering access to nutritious, affordable meals and equipping them with culinary skills. In addition, hundreds of pounds of food were donated to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida a private, nonprofit organization that collects, stores and distributes donated food to more than 750 feeding partners in seven Central Florida counties.
The Pizza Tomorrow Summit and the Florida Restaurant Show are owned by Restaurant Events, LLC, a trade show management company in the restaurant and foodservice industries. In 2025 The Florida Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit, will be held Nov. 2-4, 2025 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. Restaurant Events, LLC also produces the New York Restaurant Show taking place March 23-25, 2025 at the Javits Center in New York City and the California Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit Pavilion which will take place Aug. 5-7 at the Anaheim Convention Center.