28/05/2026
A few of the Meyer Food Co team spent the last couple of days at the Restaurant & Foodservice Show at the ICC, with Glenn joined by Alex and John across the event taking in some fantastic conversations and industry insights.
One standout session was hearing from Daryl McCormack, CEO of Zambrero , on the “Unstoppable Rise of Zambrero”. It was exciting to hear about the brand’s continued expansion toward 500 stores, along with new ideas being tested like breakfast at Adelaide Airport. There was also some great discussion around freshness and healthier alternatives within QSR, including the role sous vide products can play.
The “Clucking Good Business” panel, facilitated by Fran Harper from Paramount 21, gave a really interesting look into the new era of chicken QSRs in Australia. Adam Issa from El Jannah, Jun Lee from Gami Chicken & Beer, and Rachel Korbel from Papa Flock shared insights into how customer tastes are evolving beyond the traditional fried chicken offering and toward more variety and different flavour experiences.
Another great session explored the growth story of Zeus Street Greek, with CEO Ramon Costello sharing insights into scaling the business to 48 restaurants, along with the brand’s growing retail presence through Woolworths partnerships and branded product lines.
There was also plenty of discussion around international brands entering the Australian market, with Phil Keelan from Five Guys and Corina Black from Wendy’s sharing what they’re learning about Aussie diners and the growing expectation around fresh, made-to-order food.
Tuesday shifted gears into networking, supplier conversations and walking the floor to see what’s happening across the industry, including the Australian Restaurant & Cafe Association (ARCA) and Australian Foodservice Advocacy Body (AFAB) networking breakfast.
And while we expected plenty of food innovation, we probably didn’t expect butchery to become a spectator sport. Watching butchers from around Australia compete for a place in the Australian team for the 2028 World Butchers’ Championship definitely drew a crowd.
Always valuable to step outside the day-to-day, connect with people across the industry, and hear where foodservice is heading next.
