NRA Show 2009: 'The Place to Be,' Say Exhibitors and Attendees

Laura and Roland Dickey Jr. are on a quest for packaging. They browse McCormick Place's South Hall, looking for products that can be used for dine-in and takeout.

They'd like an eco-friendly solution, but the products must be sturdy enough for their 109 Dickey's BBQ locations.

The owners of the 68-year-old Dallas-based family company are among the tens of thousands of restaurant operators at the National Restaurant Association 2009 Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. The NRA Show features four jam-packed days of education sessions, culinary demonstrations and special events, in addition to products and services from exhibiting companies.

Joseph and Tony Walker of Ville Platt, La., came to NRA Show 2009 to introduce their Slap Ya Mama line of Cajun sauces and seasonings. The company -- founded in 2001 by their mother Jennifer -- started as a retail supplier. Now, the Walkers want their pepper sauce and spices to be used in restaurant and hotel kitchens.

"They can go with all types of food, not just Cajun," Joseph Walker says.

The founders of Souk Foods also came to the NRA Show to introduce a new line to foodservice. The Cicero, Ill.-based company, an offshoot of Zyad Brothers, offers ready-to-serve Middle Eastern food, such as hummus, Armenian salad, baba ganouj and falafel.

"We've had great response," says company spokesman Art Michaels. "The industry is all about launching new products. If you're launching new products, this is the place to be. You get to put the food in people's mouths. And you can't sell it without [potential clients] eating it."