CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Restaurant Events, LLC., announced the launch of the Carolinas Restaurant Show. This annual event will serve the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industries in North and South Carolina, and the surrounding region, and debut June 16-17, 2027, at the Charlotte Convention Center.
According to Glenn Celentano, CEO of Restaurant Events, customer feedback inspired the show.
“We’ve been hearing for a while from both operators and suppliers that the Carolinas were missing a large-scale industry event,” Celentano said. “Operators wanted more access to new ideas, products and education closer to home and exhibitors saw a big demand in the market. … This wasn’t a top-down decision — the vetting of this launch was really driven by demand from the industry itself.”
Celentano called the region “a really exciting market right now.”
“When you look at the numbers — over $59 billion in annual sales, more than 700,000 hospitality professionals and around 36,000 foodservice establishments — it’s a huge and growing industry,” Celentano explained. “On top of that, you’ve got strong population growth and a really vibrant, evolving food scene. But there hasn’t been one event that brings the entire community together across both states, so the timing and location just make a lot of sense.”
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Celentano added that this launch strengthens Restaurant Events’ national presence and helps it serve its industry on a more regional level. The organizer has built strong regional events in New York, California and Florida, which it acquired from Clarion Events in 2023.
The show will allow Restaurant Events to better serve customers where they operate, give exhibitors another high-growth market to tap into and, ultimately, reinforce its mission to connect the restaurant industry.
It will provide attendees with discovery and practical takeaways, and they’ll engage with a wide range of products and solutions on the show floor, in a sourcing and comparing environment that can’t be met through other channels.
Also, the Carolinas Restaurant Show will offer a strong education program focused on real-world challenges, including profitability, staffing, technology and emerging trends.
Exhibitors will connect with serious buyers in a market that’s actively growing and looking for new ideas and solutions.
“Our goal is always to create an environment where those connections turn into real relationships and real business,” Celentano said. “At its core, it’s the same playbook that’s worked well for us — understanding our customers’ needs, establishing strong partnerships, a big marketing push and a focus on delivering value.
“Where it’s different is how tailored it will be — the content and experience will really reflect the Carolinas. … While the foundation is consistent, the event itself is very much built for this specific market.”
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