“Your forty-five minutes starts now.”
With these words, the Emerald Ballroom at the Westin San Diego Bayview transformed into a design studio. Teams from all sectors and skill levels huddled around tables, trace paper flying, paper cut-outs of equipment shifting. A hospital director debated flow patterns with a restaurant developer while a manufacturer sketched cook-line ideas. This wasn’t just another workshop – this was FEED 2025 doing what it does best.
The power of shared knowledge
What makes FEED (Foodservice Essentials for Effective Design) special isn’t just what we learn – it’s who we learn from. Over four days, I watched decades of experience mix with fresh perspectives. Consultants, operators, and manufacturers didn’t just share knowledge – they built on each other’s ideas, creating solutions none of us could have developed alone.
Participants consistently highlighted several valuable outcomes:
• Practical knowledge they could immediately apply to current projects
• Deep understanding of planning, infrastructure and design principles that prevent costly mistakes
• Strong professional relationships that extend well beyond the workshop
• Renewed enthusiasm for innovation in foodservice planning and design
In my second year as a FEED Mentor, I feel that I have gained more insights from the sponsors and participants than I have contributed to the sessions. The most rewarding part was witnessing the participants’ “aha” moments as they connected the various planning and design elements they had worked on individually, finally seeing the full picture of foodservice design.
FEED-forward
To those who joined us in San Diego – thank you for your active participation and commitment to learning. To our sponsors and mentors – your dedication to supporting education makes all of this possible. And to future participants, we’re already working to ensure FEED continues to deliver the knowledge and connections you need to advance your career and our industry.
The success of FEED 2025 supports what we’ve always known: when we come together as an industry to freely share knowledge and support one another, everyone wins. The ideas and energy gained during these four days will have a ripple effect throughout countless projects and facilities, benefiting everyone.
FEED is more than a gathering – it’s a vital fundraiser for the FCSI Educational Foundation. Every registration helps fund scholarships for Western Kentucky University’s foodservice design programs, and supports other educational initiatives that develop the next wave of foodservice professionals. By investing in this workshop, attendees and sponsors aren’t just enhancing their own knowledge – they’re directly supporting the future of our industry and creating pathways for new talent to emerge.
None of this happens without our sponsors who believe what FEED is really about. They didn’t just invest financially – they rolled up their sleeves and shared their expertise. Thanks also to media partner Zoomba Group for spreading the word and workshop production partner FUZE for capturing the magic. And to Kathleen Held and my fellow mentors – you make FEED what it is with your dedication to foodservice education that continues to inspire me and so many others. I am genuinely excited for FEED 2026. See you there!
Sojo Alex is Executive Principal at Envision Strategies and a FEED Workshop mentor, where she helps shape tomorrow’s foodservice design leaders.
