Shout Out: Top 30 Women in Food and Daiwa

We’ve got ourselves a two-part shoutout this week!

First, March is Women’s History Month which honors the vital contributions of women to American history, culture, and society (and the month of March has been officially recognized as Women’s History Month since 1987).

Our friends at Lunchbox are the proud sponsor of the Top 30 Woman in Food 2026. The list spotlights the innovators, and changemakers redefining the restaurant industry. Branded encourages folks to check out the list and if you’re interested, to participate in the voting.

You can vote by clicking here: Top 30 Women in Food 2026 Final Voting Ballot

Voting is and should be confidential, and that includes how I casted my ballot. 😊

Cheers to all the incredible women on this year’s list!

Second, after writing about the New York Restaurant Show last week, I want to do a quick follow-up about my time spent on the floor at the Javits Center.

I spent time at the trade show on both Sunday and Monday and while I know one takes a great deal of risk when you choose to shoutout a single booth as the standout after spending time with so many vendors, there was in fact one that my daughter wanted me to recognize in this week’s newsletter (and I can say that R365 had a strong chance of getting her vote, until her participation in your raffle failed to result in her winning the back-pack she had her sights on). 😊

The winning booth, according to my 9-year-old, goes to the good people at Daiwa and its Supreme Hybrid Massage Lounger!

With all the treats, snacks, and fun beverages (including an assortment of slushies) being given away, how did a massage chair win her vote? Well, thanks to Mario, who was running the Daiwa booth and gave her two turns through the line to enjoy the best message lounger I’ve ever experienced (yes, I took a turn too), when I asked for her to pick her favorite stop at the tradeshow, she gave the gold medal to Daiwa! I guess in a convention center filled with food, foodservice and related offerings, being able to sit back, relax and enjoy a massage is the most hospitable experience a guest can have.

You can click here to share the Shoutout with your network!