The 2026 edition of the Bar & Restaurant Expo is right around the corner (March 23–25 in Las Vegas), and this year’s show couldn’t be more timely.
Before heading to Vegas, David sat down with Brandy Rand, Vice President of Questex (the producer behind the Bar & Restaurant Expo, The Hospitality Show, and the VIBE Conference) to unpack what operators should really be focused on in 2026.
If you’ve been feeling the weight of industry headlines, this conversation may recalibrate you. Inside this episode:
- Why the “hospitality is collapsing” narrative doesn’t align with the data
- Research shows guests still want to go out and are prioritizing bars and restaurants as a form of self-reward and social connection
- What’s really happening with Gen Z and alcohol (spoiler: they are drinking, but they're opting for more premium, super-premium, and ultra-premium brands
- The importance of understanding that “value” means something different to every guest
- Why experience design matters more now than ever
This isn’t blind optimism, it’s perspective: Costs are real, pressure is real, and competition is real. But so is demand.
If you’re an independent operator, a multi-unit leader, a hospitality professional building a career, or a hospitality marketer trying to interpret guest behavior, this episode is about replacing fear-based assumptions with informed strategy.
And if you’ll be at the Bar & Restaurant Expo, don’t miss Doug Radkey’s session at 10 a.m. on March 23: “Top 8 Reasons for the High Failure Rate in Hospitality.”
See you in Las Vegas.
Notes
