The outsize impact of restaurants’ ability to shape future leaders becomes even more apparent when considering the numbers: 15.7 million people currently work in the restaurant industry, or nearly 10% of the U.S. workforce, making it the second-largest private sector employer in the country. Additionally, two in three working U.S. adults have worked at restaurants in the past and nearly half of Americans got their first job at a restaurant.
“Restaurants are America’s training ground for working leadership. No one has as much influence over leadership skill development and the wider workforce than restaurants,” Korsmo said.
The restaurant industry also offers background-agnostic upward mobility, with eight in 10 restaurant owners and nine in 10 managers tracing their career paths to entry-level roles. Restaurants also promote diverse leadership, with the industry employing more female managers and minority managers than any other economic sector.
“These leaders reflect the communities they serve and the opportunities they create for everyone who works there,” Korsmo said. “Restaurant leadership is practical, inclusive and grounded in the realities of serving people and communities. In the future, these qualities will matter more than ever before.”
THE NEXT 250 YEARS
While technology and the rise of AI will continue to transform how work is done, Korsmo noted, technology will never be able to replicate “person-to-person” leadership skills, which drive restaurant-set human connection.
As it prepares to intentionally shape future-ready leaders, the NRA is prioritizing the development of managers to be tomorrow’s industry leaders, who shape culture, performance and people daily and who represent the next generation of owners, operators and c-suite leaders.
“We are investing in their growth, credentials and long-term success,” Korsmo said.
The NRA is also working to equip managers with the digital and technological literacy that will enhance but not replace the human-centered restaurant experience.
Korsmo encouraged keynote attendees to start thinking of leadership development in their teams as non-negotiable, and have regular conversations with managers about the skills they need to grow themselves and the skills they can foster in team members to guarantee business success.
“Leadership built through service doesn’t stop in our industry. It shows up wherever leaders are called to perform, persevere, and grow,” she said. “Leadership built through service is important to carry us through the next 250 years.”
The 2026 NRA Show took place May 16-19 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
