ECRM Dallas: Where Foodservice Innovation Happens Food & Beverage Magazine will conduct 43 scheduled meetings across two days at ECRM Dallas, September 27–30, 2026, as the industry convenes to discuss the future of foodservice operations. The magazine's Dallas calendar spans Tuesday, September 29, and Wednesday, September 30, featuring conversations with manufacturers, emerging brands, ingredient suppliers, prepared-food specialists, and foodservice technology companies attending ECRM's Foodservice Roundtables. The lineup includes participation in ECRM's Next-Gen Campus Dining Session, Meat & Seafood Fall Session, Foodservice & Menu Innovation Session, and Foodservice Technology, Equipment & Supplies Session.

A Snapshot of Industry Needs The breadth of meetings reflects the interconnected nature of modern foodservice challenges.

Operators simultaneously manage menu innovation, consistency, labor constraints, food costs, dietary preferences, and customer experience. Suppliers addressing multiple pain points at once are increasingly critical. Meetings span proteins, seafood, eggs, desserts, sauces, snacks, pasta, syrups, prepared foods, pecans, dairy, and pulse-based ingredients. On the operational side, conversations include technology for maintenance, barcoding, and takeout solutions.

Proteins and Premium Ingredients Maple Leaf Farms brings a foodservice portfolio centered on duck, including breasts, legs, whole duck, and value-added products designed for restaurants, catering, and other foodservice operations. Multi X, a Chilean producer, specializes in salmon and operates across the production chain from breeding through processing and distribution, with a U.S. presence in Miami. Mid-States Specialty Eggs produces cage-free, free-range, pasture-raised, organic, and non-GMO eggs for the foodservice market.

Plant-Based and Global Flavor Innovation AGT Foods represents the continued development of plant-based proteins and pulse ingredients, with a portfolio including pulse flours, proteins, texturized proteins, pasta, and other ingredients based on peas and lentils. San-J International brings Japanese flavor traditions into the commercial kitchen with Tamari, Asian cooking sauces, and other products designed for practical foodservice applications. Aconcagua Foods, a Chilean company, produces fruits, vegetables, legumes, sauces, and other food products operating across more than 40 international markets.

Labor-Saving Solutions Elevation Foods develops prepared-food solutions including sous vide potatoes, quiches, pot pies, deli salads, dips, and spreads, with emphasis on labor savings, consistency, and recipe scalability across operations. Surlean Foods approaches consistency through custom food manufacturing for restaurant chains, with capabilities in proteins, sauces, soups, and sides designed to reduce back-of-house complexity. Creative Fine Foods operates across prepared foods, bakery, grab-and-go, dips, hummus, sides, and private-label development, serving both retail and foodservice channels.

Foodservice Technology Beyond the Kitchen MaintainIQ provides digital food-safety tools, checklists, preventive-maintenance capabilities, and restaurant operating systems designed to replace paper-based processes. ProTakeOut operates in off-premise packaging, offering takeout containers, cups, utensils, and eco-oriented packaging for restaurants, caterers, and foodservice businesses. Top Churn demonstrates equipment innovation as menu innovation, developing commercial gelato and frozen-dessert equipment for restaurants, hotels, bakeries, cafés, and other foodservice operators.

Better-for-You Category Momentum Tender Loving Cravings offers high-protein pudding positioned around low sugar and GLP-1-friendly eating. DEFI Snacks approaches the space through high-protein chocolate snacks, while Mortal Munchies focuses on single-ingredient dried fruit without added sugar or artificial flavors. 3X3 Gluten-Free Kitchen Provisions operates a dedicated gluten-free facility producing breads, baked goods, and other products. Love Struck adds convenience to wellness with pre-portioned frozen smoothie, shake, and soup products designed for quick preparation.

Why It Matters

The definition of a foodservice supplier is shifting from single-product vendors to solution providers.

Operators evaluate whether new offerings reduce prep time, deliver consistency across locations, create menu differentiation without operational friction, meet consumer expectations, and increase service speed. ECRM Dallas conversations will surface which emerging brands and established manufacturers are solving these real problems.

For more insights and trends in the food and beverage sector, check out more articles in The Food & Beverage Magazine family of publications.

Written by FBM Publications Editors