The Massachusetts Restaurant Association is the largest trade organization in the food and beverage industry in Massachusetts. It's a full service operation that has every level of its members covered from the front of the house to the back. It's premiere event is the New England Food Show, which begins Sunday. It's three inspiring days to learn, connect and share everything there is to know about the hospitality industry. Bob Luz, the MRA's president and CEO, joined WGBH News' Henry Santoro to discuss the expo. This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Henry Santoro: The New England Food Show uses every corner of the Boston Convention and Expo Center, mostly to present what's new for the food and beverage industry, and lately, it seems like new things are popping up every minute.
Bob Luz: It's a really incredible time in the industry, as you know, because you're such a foodie. There's so many neat and different things going on, and there's a whole different climate around the food and beverage community, and that's what the show's all about. It's the place to be if you're a top operator or if you're looking to do business with the top operators, so it's a really cool experience.
Santoro: You're really the one constant in the restaurant industry, here in Massachusetts, who is in touch with the chefs, the owners, the investors as well as the customers. If you had to give a State of the Union style speech, what would you say based on the industry today?
Luz: The industry is at a crossroads, quite honestly. There's a lot of movement outside of our industry that is affecting legislation that really is dramatically impacting small business, which is what all our operators are at the end of the day. We don't represent the large businesses, we represent the small businesses. Independently, those things are something that every owner would want for their workers, but when you look at the collective force on that, it's really dramatically impacting small businesses. The customer guest is spending a little bit less or not more at the supermarket, yet menu items are going up more and more. So, we just have to be very careful because right now, America eats out 52 percent of the time — 52 percent of every food dollar spent is away from the home. If we don't watch ourselves, that could go the other way and nobody wants that to happen. Restaurants are what create neighborhoods, I think.
Santoro: I totally agree. On Sunday, I will share the stage, as a play-by-play guy, with chef Andy husbands and a master mixologist, where Andy will create the dish and the bartender will create the drink that pairs with that dish. This seems to be such an important part of the dining experience these days.
Luz: It wasn't so long ago that the bar was just an afterthought. I mean, it was just regular old bar stuff, right? But if you look at what's happened over the last eight to 10 years, the folks behind the bar are the chefs behind the bar now, and the mixologists bring so much to the experience in our restaurants now. It's exciting to see. It's exciting to be a guest, and it's exciting to see how they reflect the food and the local nature of it.
Santoro: They have their own eye droppers, they make their own bitters and they have the squeeze model. I mean, it's crazy what they're doing behind that bar.
Luz: Bartenders have always had exposed bars. Exposed kitchens became a big thing to see, 'Oh, what are the chefs doing?' We've always had exposed bars and now they're just doing more and more, and it's really an exciting part of the dining experience.
Santoro: Bob Luz is the president and CEO of the Mass Restaurant Association. The New England Food Show is this Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, happening at the Boston Convention and Expo Center. Bob, I will see you there.
Luz: I can't wait. Thank you for your help.
Santoro: I'm Henry Santoro. You can follow me on Twitter @HenrySantoro, and of course, you are listening to WGBH.
