FAFH operators are about to descend on Atlanta

CHICAGO, February 16, 2026 — At least 24 of the nation’s restaurant chains are located in Atlanta. A sizeable portion of the rest will be joining them when COEX returns to the southern capital for the first time since 1978.

They’ll not be the only foodservice operators in attendance. In the audience and on stage will be leaders from all sectors of the food-away-from-home business, from the directors of college dining rooms to the professionals who oversee the patient and employee foodservice operations of major healthcare conglomerates. 

More than 100 operators have already signed up to participate. The range extends from representatives of Atlanta’s Fulton County Schools to decisionmakers from Chick-fil-A and The Cheesecake Factory.

This year’s conference, themed “One Consumer, One Industry,” will look at what the various sectors can learn from one another as the consumer transitions through the foodservice business. What preferences and habits do school cafeteria directors see every day that college & university managers will need to address tomorrow? And what aspects of the latter‘s current experiences might help restaurants better serve young customers as they age into prime dining-out customers?

One session will allow attendees to hear from the transitioning consumers themselves. Featured will be a live focus group of high school students discussing their food preferences.

The trends emerging in the various segments will be presented as actual menu options during the Menu-A-Thon, a meal occasion where tomorrow’s currents are distilled into dishes that could be on a bill of fare today.

Other sessions will feature industry leaders like Jerry Morgan, CEO of Texas Roadhouse, and senior decisionmakers from regional chains that are on a fast track to become national powerhouses.

Manufacturers will have an opportunity to learn from operators from all segments during a variation on the speed-meeting format that has become popular at industry events in recent years. Operators will each have a table that manufacturers can visit to learn more about the operation and its supply-chain needs. The process is flipped for a second go-round where the manufacturers have a table and operators can move from one to another to learn how the supplier could help them.

COEX 2026 will be presented by IFMA The Food Away from Home Association at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, March 8-10.

More information is available here. 

What kind of foodservice market is Atlanta? Here’s a detailed look.