The food and beverage industry enters 2026 at a critical crossroads. While the volatility of recent years has shifted into a new phase of planning, the sector is now navigating a complex two-tier economy -- higher-income households continue to seek premium experiences, while a growing segment of price-sensitive consumers is driving a massive surge in private-label growth and value-based dining.

Join the Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network on February 5th for a high-stakes industry briefing designed to help you decode these diverging signals. We are bringing together two powerhouse perspectives to bridge the gap between Wall Street projections and operational reality:

• Hanna Zlotnick (JP Morgan Chase) will provide a macroeconomic deep dive, exploring how persistent inflation, evolving tariff policies, and the 2026 credit landscape are reshaping capital expenditure for food and beverage firms.

• Sooho Choi (Alvarez & Marsal) will share on-the-ground insights into shifting consumer sentiment. Touching on key topics such as the impact of GLP-1s on product portfolios to the challenges in dining, Sooho will discuss how leading brands are maintaining margins and capturing loyalty in a fractured market.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain the clarity needed to lead your organization through the promise and pressure of 2026

AGENDA

5:00PM Doors Open

5:30PM Panel Discussion and Q&A

6:30PM Networking

8:00PM Event Ends

SPEAKERS

RANDY BRIDGEMAN

M&A Lawyer & Business Legal Counselor

Perkins Coie

Randy Bridgeman represents businesses and their owners in sale transactions, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and general corporate matters throughout a wide variety of industries. He frequently serves as the client’s primary outside counsel, quarterbacking all its legal matters and utilization of legal resources.  

Randy is the former firmwide co-chair of Perkins Coie’s Corporate & Securities practice, and with his more than 25 years in practice has extensive experience in representing privately held and family-owned businesses through the entirety of the sale process, providing owners advice on presale preparations, sale strategy and processes, tax planning and structuring, post-sale roles, and family succession, in addition to taking the lead legal role in the execution of the transaction.

SOOHO CHOI

Managing Director

Alvarez & Marsal

Sooho Choi is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal’s Consumer & Retail Group in Chicago and is the practice leader for the Hospitality business unit. Sooho has worked as an advisor and business transformation partner to clients across sectors for nearly 30 years in strategy, customer experience, technology modernization, M&A, outsourcing, and cost, operational, and commercial optimization.  Some of his representative engagements include leading the modernization and digital transformation at one of the largest quick serve restaurant chains in the world, conducting a G&A optimization effort at a market-leading contract catering company, and managing the carve-out of the cheese ingredients business at a global branded consumer foods company.  Sooho holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Cornell University.

HANNA ZLOTNICK, PHD.

Market Insights & Strategy   

 J.P. Morgan

Hanna Zlotnick is an applied economist at JPMorgan, specializing in macroeconomic analysis, market insights, and industry trends. Prior to joining the firm, she held roles in research, strategy, and policy evaluation across academia and the public sector. She holds a joint PhD in Policy and Demography from Princeton University, as well as a Bachelor’s in Economics and Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Michigan.   

This event is in collaboration with: