The Florida Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit will return to Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center from Oct. 25 through 27, 2026, bringing restaurant, pizza and foodservice professionals together for exhibits, education sessions, demonstrations, competitions and networking.
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the Florida Restaurant Show and the fifth anniversary of the Pizza Tomorrow Summit. According to Restaurant Events, attendees can pick up a registration ticket for a chance at a share of $5,000 in giveaways during the event.
More than 400 exhibitors are expected, representing food and beverage products, restaurant equipment, technology and services. General admission includes access to exhibits, education sessions and competitions, while specialty workshops require separate registration.
The program includes more than 40 hours of education on subjects including profitability, food costs, operations, marketing, artificial intelligence, staffing, leadership and customer engagement. Restaurant Management 201 and 301 will be led by Darren Denington of Service with Style and Alison Anne of Restaurant Revolution. Michael Tipps of Maverick Theory will present a new session, The Wizard Behind the Curtain, about developing a restaurant concept and business.
The Sunshine Plate Challenge Arena will host more than 30 chefs in four American Culinary Federation-sanctioned competitions. Pastry sculpture competitions and a professional pork challenge are scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25; a professional seafood challenge follows Monday, Oct. 26; and a professional beef challenge is set for Tuesday, Oct. 27. The Sunday schedule also includes the Hospitality School Showdown, featuring culinary faculty and alumni from four Florida hospitality programs.
Pizza Tomorrow Summit programming includes the 2026 Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup, where pizzaioli and pizza acrobats will compete for trips to the World Pizza Championships in Parma, Italy. A live taping of the So You Want to Run a Restaurant podcast with California Pizza Kitchen co-founder Rick Rosenfield is planned for 1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26; Rosenfield is slated to discuss and give away copies of his book, The California Pizza Kitchen Story.
Early registration discounts are available through Oct. 17, according to the event announcement. A Team Bundle Package is also available for groups of six from the same organization.
