The 2016 NRA Show in Chiacgo was attended by over 45,000 people.     We spent 3 packed days looking for the best products, ideas and inspiration to help you grow your business.  There was so much to see - but here are some of the edited highlights. We visit 2 great Chicago restaurants -  Nick's Pizza and Pub and Au Cheval with Eric Cacciatore from Restaurant Unstoppable. We finally get to experience the amazing In n Out Burger - the iconic Burger business. What was the surprising thing about Bubba Gump? We discuss some of the reason YOU should go to the NRA show and how it will help you grow your business. There are a lot of suppliers who have a great story - that story can and should become part of your story.  It helps create the experience and where there is experience there's margin! We discuss Kimbal Musk from The Kitchen and the way he creates a great story about his suppliers, Denny Post and the importance of a Signature meal- even if it isn't that popular, as well as a great discussion between Jon Taffer from Bar Rescue and Robert Irvine from Restaurant Impossible. Are you doing coffee in your Restaurant?  Is it great coffee?  What impact would making your restaurant someone's regular coffee spot make to revenue?  We talked to the team from Vittoria coffee.  (It was easily the best coffee at the show!) The Urban Cultivators look great and if you are creating a fresh and green brand, these are perfect for really highlighting what it is that you are doing for your customers (and how much of a difference would cheap, fresh herbs make?) Why was it we visited the Aussie Pie Kitchen in LA? We also look at Torta Bianca - a great ingredient for your cocktail list. We finish of with esoteric wine varietals and how they can help you with your wine list and profits and lastly a warning about spending the wrong way with your social media marketing. These are ujust some of the examples of what we picked up from the show.  If you have an idea for a restaurant in mind, or already have a concept, there are hundreds of ideas and products there that you can find to help to tell a better story, find productivity gains or increase margin with better and more interesting menu items. I have focused too much on productivity, because I am not very good in the kitchen, but I think there was just as many interesting products for HOW you do in the kitchen as there was for WHAT you do in the kitchen. Hope to see you at #NRA 2017 and hope you have a busy night tonight!