Garnier Thiebaut USA at NRA 2026: Innovation, Hospitality, and French Art de Vivre

Each year, the National Restaurant Association Show brings together the hospitality industry’s leading voices to explore the trends, technologies, and ideas shaping the future of foodservice. Held at Chicago’s McCormick Place, NRA Show 2026 welcomed more than 55,000 foodservice professionals from 112 countries and featured over 2,300 exhibitors across 900 product categories, making it one of the largest and most influential hospitality trade shows in North America. Attendance continued to grow, reflecting sustained momentum and a strong appetite for innovation.

Against that backdrop, Garnier Thiebaut USA welcomed professionals from across the industry to discover our newest hospitality linen collections and explore the evolving needs of restaurants, hotels, event venues, and design-driven spaces.

Here is a look at what we experienced, the linens we previewed, and the insights we heard from those who visited our booth.

This year’s booth showcased the full breadth of Garnier Thiebaut USA’s hospitality portfolio, from the largest selection of stock 100% ELS Cotton, Cotton-Rich and Polyester table linens in North America to custom dining services and textile innovations shaping the future of hospitality. We also featured samples from our bed and bath collections, including our brand new Samoa pool towels.

Our 100% Polyester and Cotton Rich Banquet Collection drew strong interest from banquet directors and hospitality teams managing large-scale events and venues. Designed to deliver elegance at scale, it addresses a key hospitality challenge: maintaining a high aesthetic standard without increasing operational complexity. For high-volume event environments, it continues to be a trusted solution.

Our range of jacquard-woven French Collection linens, particularly the Nancy, Bahaus, and Chicago patterns, stood out among the highlights of the week. These designs place art at the center of the table, and their story feels especially timely as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary. The Chicago pattern draws inspiration from the connection between the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and the 1889 Paris Exposition, two events that celebrated craftsmanship, ambition, and cultural exchange while leaving a lasting imprint on the decorative arts.

Through this design, we sought to bring the spirit of the Vosges to the Windy City and honor the ongoing dialogue between French artisanship and American innovation.

NRA Show 2026 also marked the official debut of our newest Table Linen catalog, in addition to our Bed and Bath Linen catalog. The expanded collections reflect an evolution in both design and function, featuring new colorways, refined textures, and an updated overview of all Garnier Thiebaut USA products.

Across the show floor, one message was consistent: hospitality teams are seeking linens that balance elevated presentation with operational performance while reflecting the identity of their property.

Many of our partners explored personalization through embroidery and interwoven jacquard options, while showing strong interest in custom stitching and brand-specific color accents. Across segments, tailored linen programs are steadily replacing one-size-fits-all approaches as properties look for new ways to express their distinct brand aesthetic through the table experience.

Color was one of the defining conversations of the show, particularly across lifestyle-driven hospitality concepts and contemporary dining environments. Guests responded enthusiastically to the expanded palette, with richer and more expressive color choices being used to bring personality, warmth, and visual distinction to the table.

At the same time, a renewed appreciation for formal white table linens was equally apparent across fine dining restaurants, luxury hotels, and event venues. In these environments, white linens continue to serve as a refined foundation for the guest experience, elevated through thoughtful details such as embroidered accents, colored borders, and bespoke finishing. Color-forward linens and classic white table settings are not opposing trends, but expressions of the same movement toward more intentional, highly tailored hospitality design.

Our linens featuring CiCLO® biodegradable technology generated significant interest among hospitality groups seeking more responsible solutions without compromising performance. CiCLO® enables synthetic fibers to biodegrade more naturally at the end of their lifecycle, offering a meaningful response to microplastic pollution while maintaining durability and aesthetics.

The RFID-enabled linen solutions, also on display at this year’s booth, attracted strong interest from teams focused on inventory visibility and operational efficiency. Discreetly woven into any product, RFID labels enable real-time tracking, reduce linen loss, and streamline laundry operations. As labor costs and efficiency pressures remain top of mind across the industry, smart linen programs continue to gain traction.

Our regional sales managers and hospitality specialists engaged with clients across the industry in its entirety, from independent restaurants and boutique hotels to large hospitality groups and national distributors. The quality of those conversations, centered on operational challenges, creative vision, and long-term partnerships, remains one of the most valuable aspects of participating in the show. For many visitors, the opportunity to see and feel the linens in person, experience the craftsmanship and textures firsthand, and connect directly with the Garnier Thiebaut USA team continues to be an essential part of the NRA Show experience.

One of the highlights of each evening at the booth was the nightly French apéro, where clients, partners, chefs, and hospitality professionals gathered at the close of each show day to share ideas, reconnect, and raise a toast to the community that makes events like NRA so meaningful.

Inspired by the French art of hospitality, the apéro featured a curated wine and cheese experience alongside freshly baked bread prepared by Chef Stéphane Grattier, creating a warm atmosphere that encouraged genuine connection beyond the show floor. The evenings also carried the spirit of our I Love My Chef Collection, with hats, pins, bracelets, bandanas, aprons, and kitchen towels featured throughout the show as a celebration of the chefs, artisans, and hospitality professionals who continue to shape the industry. As a company rooted in French textile heritage, Garnier Thiebaut USA was proud to bring a touch of France to Chicago and share the elegance, conviviality, and spirit of hospitality that continue to define the Garnier Thiebaut experience.

During our time at NRA, we welcomed both longtime partners and new faces to our booth. Enjoy a few moments from the show.

Representing Garnier Thiebaut USA at the show were Regional Sales Managers Celia Bahri, Eros Aldana-Compan, and Sibyle Chaisaz; GT USA Vice President of Hospitality Sales & Marketing Kaoutar Mazeaud; GT USA CEO Jean Philippe Krukowicz; Regional Sales Manager Laura Taffin-Gomez; GT USA Associate Key Account Manager Louis Ducoin; and Regional Sales Manager Emilien Krukowicz.

To everyone who visited our booth, joined us for the apéro, or explored what is new from Garnier Thiebaut USA, thank you. The relationships built, ideas exchanged, and shared passion for hospitality continue to define the value of the NRA Show for our team each year.

If you were unable to attend the show in Chicago, we would still love to connect. Reach out to your regional sales representative or contact us directly. We would be happy to walk you through our latest collections, discuss a custom project, and explore solutions tailored to your hospitality needs.