US Foods Kicks Off Talk Shop Live! Tour

US Foods Holding Corp.'s panel discussion series, Talk Shop Live!, is returning this fall. The series is designed to help restaurant operators “Make It” by bringing together a diverse group of experts to share honest thoughts on culinary, social, cultural and economic factors in the food industry. This year, award-winning chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson will host the four-city tour that addresses timely topics such as the skilled labor shortage, food waste and attracting customers in competitive environments.

The tour will kick-off on September 11 in Denver, Colo., and continue in Detroit, Mich., Austin, Texas and Raleigh, N.C. Throughout the tour, hundreds of local restaurant owners and operators will engage directly with local panelists, have open conversations about the issues they face and take away actionable insights and solutions for their business. The tour will wrap-up with key highlights showcased during the company’s Food Fanatics Live™ event in New York on October 24.

“I’m looking forward to teaming up with US Foods to host these conversations, discover new ways to help operators stay on top of important issues and ultimately help chefs and restaurant owners be successful,” said Chef Samuelsson. “While building my career as a chef and restaurant owner, I’ve learned that the best way to face challenges in this industry is with honest conversation."

Chef Samuelsson will moderate each of the four Talk Shop Live! events and will be joined by local chefs, restaurant owners and industry experts. Each event will focus on one of the following topics:

Below are the stops and dates for the 2018 Talk Shop Live! tour:

• Denver, Colorado, Tuesday, Sept. 11 (Skilled Labor Shortage)
• Detroit, Michigan, Tuesday, Sept. 25 (Skilled Labor Shortage)
• Austin, Texas, Monday, Oct. 1 (Food Waste)
• Raleigh, North Carolina, Tuesday, Oct. 16 (Driving Traffic)

“Talk Shop Live! is a key example of our collaborative approach to being a partner and trusted resource independent restaurants can depend on for innovative business solutions,” said Diane Hund, senior vice president of marketing, US Foods. “The panels are addressing complicated and timely issues facing the industry. As part of our ‘Great Food. Made Easy’ strategy, it’s our mission to bring operators across the country actionable insights and solutions to these pain points.”

To learn more about Talk Shop Live! events, get information on featured panelists and watch the live streams of the events, click here.