The conversation in corporate boardrooms has fundamentally shifted. Three years ago, executives viewed workplace dining as a pandemic-driven necessity to lure employees back to the office. Today, the smartest leaders recognize it as strategic infrastructure that directly impacts their ability to compete for talent, build culture, and drive performance.

While corporate America obsesses over Silicon Valley-style office amenities, a quiet revolution is brewing on the manufacturing floor. After two decades of consulting across every sector of foodservice, I'm witnessing something remarkable: manufacturing companies are finding that exceptional dining programs are becoming their most effective tool for talent retention and recruitment. 

Walking into FEED 2025 in San Diego, I'll be honest: I had no idea what to expect. After spending years on the operations side of foodservice and just over a year into my consulting journey at Envision Strategies, this was my first conference as a consultant rather than an operator. The shift in perspective was both exciting and a little intimidating.