Articles
January 08, 2026

New Year’s resolutions for 2026: Be better, more efficient

With just a few clicks, the Association’s products and services are available to work for you!

Now is the perfect time to use some of the Association's products and services to help improve your business operations throughout the year.

As you usher in the new year, it's the perfect time to make some resolutions that help improve your business operations. Here are 7 ways to get started:
  1. Get the ServSafe® Food Safety Advantage. Sign up your employees for a ServSafe® food safety training or certification program. Developed by industry experts who face the same risks you do every day, the training helps build and maintain your culture of food safety. ServSafe® materials reflect the latest science, research, and FDA Food Code information. In addition, training and exams are available online and in the classroom. Courses can be taken in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean, and exams can be taken in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Canadian French. Learn more
  2. Register for the Restaurants Act Public Affairs Conference. Join us March 10-12 in Washington, D.C., for the Association’s annual Public Affairs Conference. It is the restaurant industry’s largest grassroots advocacy event, where attendees will get to connect with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, hear from top political speakers, and join fellow industry leaders for exclusive networking events. Have your voice heard and make a difference on policy that affects your business Register now
  3. Learn to create healthy kids’ meals. Join Kids LiveWell, the Association’s voluntary program that makes it easier for families to pick better-for-you meals when dining in your restaurant. The Association works with leading restaurant brands and independent scientific experts to certify menu options that meet added sugar, sodium, fat, and calorie thresholds established by the latest nutrition science. Learn more
  4. Support NRAEF’s work to change lives, build careers. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation believes in the industry’s power to change lives and build careers. To achieve that goal, it’s equipping more than 222K students nationwide with culinary arts and restaurant management training, awarding $1M annually in scholarships to support future industry careers and is working to reach more than 1.2K justice-impacted individuals with first-job training and industry-focused employment opportunities. This important work, however, needs support to build a future-ready restaurant workforce. Help us continue our work on behalf of the next generation of industry leaders. Learn more
  5. Read SmartBrief and stay informed. Subscribe to our free Restaurant SmartBrief and Restaurant Innovation SmartBrief newsletters to get the latest information on what’s happening in the foodservice industry. It’s the smarter way to stay on top of the news. Subscribe now
  6. Be prepared for utility outages. What happens if your restaurant experiences a utility disruption? If an emergency occurs, pre-planning could positively impact the safety of your guests and your business’ ability to reboot quickly. Our Always Ready: Utility Disruptions guide will help you assess your preparedness for electric, water, and gas disruptions, and highlight best practices from the Association of Food and Drug Officials, CDC, Society for Human Resource Management, ServSafe, and Steritech. Download the guide
  7. Attend the 2026 NRA Show. Join thousands of foodservice professionals at the National Restaurant Association Show, May 16–19, in Chicago. The Show is North America’s largest foodservice event for networking, innovation, and exploring new trends, equipment, and culinary insights for all segments of the industry. Attendees can find solutions for automation, menu development, streamlined service, and connect with suppliers and peers. This year, they’ll also discover the latest information on AI, robotics, plant-based trends, sustainable packaging, and more. Register now