CHICAGO, September 23, 2025 - The probability of the sun rising tomorrow morning is only slightly higher than the likelihood technology will upend the way food-away-from-home operators are serviced by their distributors, according to the experts. What’s still a mystery is the shape that revamped relationship will take.
Three thinkers fueling the disruption will air their theories during this year’s Presidents Conference, the cross-channel top-to-top conference hosted by IFMA The Food Away from Home Association. The theme of the November event is Clarity Amid the Chaos, with a program addressing the macro forces reshaping the industry and how to address them.
The changes underway in foodservice distribution is one of the main topics or “pathways” scheduled to be addressed. Included is what promises to be a spirited discussion of how digital ordering is reshaping the field, with assessments coming from the co-founders and current CEOs of three competing next-generation systems.
Bowie Cheung, an architect of Uber Eats, will share his perspective as CEO of Pepper on the role AI will play in distribution. The company’s technology and cloud-based services are already being used by 400 independent distributors. It recently launched a new service called Endless Aisle that aims to give independent restaurants the same procurement clout multi-unit operations enjoy.
Daniel Khachab, CEO of Choco, will look at the digitization of the supply chain and how the advances in technology will bolster the efficiency of the distribution process.
Cut+Dry CEO Mani Kulasooriya will discuss his company’s efforts to connect manufacturer, distributor, and operator in a seamless AI-enhanced supply chain.
“These three visionaries are remaking the way food-away-from-home businesses will be supplied, albeit in different ways,” said Phil Kafarakis, President and CEO of IFMA The Food Away from Home Association. “It’s extraordinary to have a single company founder share the strategy behind disruptive innovation. We’ll have three, and competitors at that. If a few sparks fly, no one will be surprised.”
Other components of the supply chain pathway at Presidents Conference include a presentation from Anissa Mandell-Chance, President of the Arby’s supply-chain cooperative ARCOP, on what operators want from their distributors and vendors.
General sessions will address the state of distribution and the influence AI is likely to have on the supply chain.
Other pathways will include a look at how consumer preferences are changing and how the food-away-from-home business is being shaped by trade and regulatory issues such as import tariffs and the Make America Healthy Again movement.
Renowned geopolitical economist Pippa Malmgren will air her thoughts on the macro currents reshaping the global economy and how some companies are reading the chaos as an opportunity for innovation.
The Presidents Conference is scheduled for Nov. 2-4 at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale. Attendance is limited to members of IFMA The Food Away from Home Association.
More information about the event is available here.
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.