Real insights from CTW to guide operators in 2026

The 2025 CTW in Miami — NAMA’s Coffee, Tea and Water show — is in the books. Both suppliers and operators said very good things about the engagement opportunities, and the keynote speakers were quite compelling.

If you did not attend the event, this podcast will take you down to the convention floor, also known as the Connection Hub, where I spoke with industry operators and suppliers.

Three questions were asked:

• What is your takeaway from the CTW?
• What do operators need to do to succeed in 2026?
• As an operator or a supplier, what do you have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving?

From AI readiness to elevating the break room experience, expanding the product mix, innovation and relationship-building, the conversations offer practical lessons for convenience services operators.

Hear from:

• David Pemberton, Pepi Companies
• Brent Toevs, SEB Coffee and Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii
• Kimberly Lenz, Associated Services
• Patrick Moran, Moran Refreshments
• Tammy Stokes, Insight Edge Performance
• Luke Webster, Newco
• Tara Fore, Nestlé Professional Solutions
• Karen Foster, Brokers Unlimited
• Paul Tullio, Five Star Break Time Solutions

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No time to listen? Prefer to read? Here is an edited podcast transcript:

Bob Tullio: The 2025 CTW in Miami — NAMA’s Coffee, Tea, and Water show is in the books. If you did not attend the event, this podcast will take you down to the convention floor, also known as the Connection Hub at this event, where I talked to some notable industry figures: operators and suppliers. Three questions were asked.

• What is your takeaway from the CTW?
• What do operators need to do to succeed in 2026?
• And as an operator or a supplier, what do you have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Bob Tullio: Here’s David Pemberton from the Pepi Companies. What is your immediate takeaway from the CTW?

David Pemberton: I think it’s a great event for suppliers, for operators to come together and just have the opportunity to network a little bit. It’s a little more intimate than you would say the [NAMA Show] One Show is. And then the focus really on office coffee and pantry and water services, kind of the forgotten services from time to time. Just seeing a show that just really emphasizes how do we bring that to life in our break rooms.

Bob Tullio: You know, it’s the forgotten, but it’s really the door opener to so much more business, isn’t it?

David Pemberton: Absolutely. It definitely opens the door. Coffee’s still the number two traded commodity in the world. So, we’ve got a viable product that people want. And even in the Southeast, where we operate, we continuously see, “Hey, how can we bring coffee services to our teams?”

Bob Tullio: What about this particular show? Anything strike you at this show?

David Pemberton: I thought the keynote this morning was good. It’s talking about AI and how do you functionally use it. A lot of times, we as users or consumers of artificial intelligence don’t really think about, hey, how do I make this more than just a fancy Google search? So that was impactful. And then so far, just a chance to see some new faces, some old faces and just have a great conversation.

Bob Tullio: What do you think operators need to do to succeed in 2026?

David Pemberton: Continuously focus on bringing that break room experience. A lot of times, we as operators get really focused in on our operational metrics, or our P&Ls, or our balance sheets — and they’re all important things. But we’ve got to remember that the break room really is the asset that we have as an organization. That’s where we get the opportunity to engage with our consumer. So, I think leaning into that break room experience in new and innovative ways is where our organization and others will succeed.

Bob Tullio: Well, actually, when the operator becomes complacent, it opens a door to another operator, doesn’t it?

David Pemberton: Thankfully so, yes.

Bob Tullio: Absolutely, absolutely. And my last question is, as an operator, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

This will sound entirely cliché, but I am just thankful for the opportunity to serve the Pepi team. Our employees who get up every single day in the Southeast, 240-some odd that are out there serving our customers. That opportunity, just saying thanks to them. We don’t do it a lot, and we don’t do it very well.

We do such a good job of creating experiences for other people’s employees. I think sometimes we forget the fact that our employees are the ones who make that happen. So, expressing gratitude and thanks for them in a special way over the next two months is something that we need to really try to do.

Brent Toevs: Brent Toevs of SEB Coffee but [I] work mainly with Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii and Eve Coffee.

Bob Tullio: First question, what was your big takeaway from the CTW?

Brent Toevs: Well, a couple of things. I thought both seminars were absolutely fantastic, especially AI. A little bit intimidating for some of us older ones. With Ethan, I just want to hire this guy — but just absolutely fascinated. I’ve never taken so many pictures, so I’m going to follow up on those pictures and get to do some of those things. And it was interesting because that seminar taught me that I’m changing my habits, and I didn’t even know I’m changing them. And so, yeah, just incredible. So, how we can take that and relate it to our businesses and help — not only ourselves, but our businesses — I thought it was incredible.

And today’s seminar — also just spot on for our industry. Very applicable to any industry, but spot on for us, right? Sometimes we’re a little old school. Maybe we can use —

Bob Tullio: Kaiser [Yang] was good.

Brent Toevs: Exactly.

Bob Tullio: We take a lot of risks, though. Let’s face it.

Brent Toevs: We do, actually. And that’s what I love about this industry is not only there’s a lot of risks. I can walk up to you. I can walk up to a competitor. I can walk up to an operator. I can walk up to a supplier like we did last night, you know? They just talk about business, and we help each other out. And that’s what I love about this industry is we help each other out.

Bob Tullio: What do you think operators need to do to succeed in 2026?

Brent Toevs: They really need to look at their businesses. And I think, you know, going through COVID, you know, recessions, high coffee prices, there’s so many struggles, but it really helps us focus on our business. We’re going to come out stronger, but I would also say innovation is key. And what does that mean? It’s a word that can be a little bit scary, but with products, with equipment, with brands, there’s a lot of things that we can do with innovation.

Bob Tullio: As a supplier, what do you have to be thankful for with Thanksgiving coming up?

Brent Toevs: You know, there’s so much to be thankful for. I’m thankful for the industry. I grew up in this industry, so I’m thankful that my parents guided me here, but I’m also thankful for all the friends I’ve made. And these are not just business relationships; these are friendships.

Bob Tullio: This is Kim Lenz from Associated Services. Kim, what’s your big takeaway from CTW day one?

Kim Lenz: I mean, I think probably the same thing that everybody else is talking about, which is the impact of AI and how it can make us more efficient. And I think just really motivated to embrace it and find different ways to incorporate it into our business and make us better. Another tool.

Bob Tullio: What do you think operators need to do to succeed in 2026?

Kim Lenz: I think just based on when we did the QR code and feedback, and we’re all seeing a lot of growth this year and in 2025, is just kind of staying a step ahead, right? Being prepared, continuing to meet that growth that we’re seeing in the industry, embracing tools like AI to make us more efficient and to meet our, you know, because our customers are embracing it. So, finding different ways to incorporate that and meet them where they’re at, I think, will be a key component.

Bob Tullio: As an operator, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Kim Lenz: Oh, that’s a great question. I have to say I’m just really grateful for the people that I work with. I was just telling some people as we were walking into the session how much I love our industry, and I love everyone that we work with and coming here to CTW and to the NAMA Show every year, it’s like a reunion. And so yeah, that’s what I’m thankful for. I love what I do because of the people I work with.

Patrick Moran: Patrick Moran, Moran Refreshments, Tyler, Texas.

Bob Tullio: Perfect. All right, my first question is, what was your primary takeaway from day one at CTW?

Patrick Moran: Yeah, the primary takeaway came out of the general session, and that is that there’s so much more about AI that even I can imagine at this point. And hearing from the general session speaker on how he’s using it, how we can use it in our business, just causes me to know my takeaway is I need to continue to aggressively learn and lean into AI, how to harness AI, not to replace me, but to multiply me, my effect, the speed at which we do business. It can make our business so much better, but we do have to harness it in the right way.

Bob Tullio: Well, Ethan King was impressive. There’s no doubt about that. So, my second question is, what do operators need to do to succeed in 2026?

Patrick Moran: Well, I think we’re going to have to embrace all things that are technologically beneficial to our companies. So, to the extent that our companies haven’t embraced that and efficiencies, we’re going to have to do that.

We’re also going to have to make sure that we’re showing up [for] our people. At least the labor environment that I work in, showing up, training people, letting them know they’re valued beyond just simply the numbers that they bring into the business, I think is essential to teams being stable and building for the future.

Bob Tullio: Patrick, as a convenience services operator, what do you have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Patrick Moran: Well, one of the things on my mind in the immediate situation here is I’m thankful for NAMA having the CTW where I can gather with colleagues like mine. There are a lot of people here who have a vast amount of experience, wisdom, insight, knowledge that I need to learn from. So, I’m very grateful for a community within the convenience services industry that’s willing to gather together and exchange best practices, services, sharpen each other. So I’m very, very thankful, not only for family and friends locally, but for the community that I belong to in our industry that helped me become a better person and our company become better at what we do, and that is to serve our clients.

Tammy Stokes: Tammy Stokes, Insight Edge Performance.

Bob Tullio: Tammy, my first question is, what’s your big takeaway from CTW this year?

Tammy Stokes: I think this year in the CTW, my biggest takeaway was really leaning in to the technology that’s out there today, and really making it personal and your own. I think that our speakers were right on point. My biggest second takeaway, past that, is the supplier community and how they have said this was a huge takeaway for them as well as the operators who are here to learn.

Bob Tullio: Everybody seems to feel like it was very well attended and that they actually got some great interaction with operators.

Tammy Stokes: They did. It has been quality conversations with every single person and very intentional this year. And I don’t know that seemed as in-depth as last year’s, but this year has been a huge improvement, I think, on the quality.

Bob Tullio: So, Tammy, you’re an industry consultant now. And I think this is a very appropriate question. What do operators need to do to succeed in 2026?

Tammy Stokes: I think operators have to find a way to be innovative with who they personally are and their brand. I think they need to learn how to get out there with their customers and find those people and products that make them unique, and listen to the customer and stay in front of them all the time and try to get out of that warehouse.

Bob Tullio: That’s great. And my final question is, now as a supplier, what do you have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Tammy Stokes: You know, I’m thankful that our community is really just supporting one another to the fullest. We all have a job to do out there, and at times we might be competitors, but at the end of the day, our job is to support this industry and support the clients and the people who go into our break rooms for a great cup of coffee or a snack, and that they feel like they’re supported in the industry. That’s what I’m most thankful for, is our community.

Luke Webster: Luke Webster, Newco.

Bob Tullio: What’s your big takeaway from CTW so far?

Luke Webster: The first takeaway was seeing the number of hands that went up on the AI kind of thing and realizing that people are embracing AI faster than most people might guess. But the room is still split between people who are very much comfortable with it and people who are zero. And there’s not a lot of in between. And that was my first takeaway.

Bob Tullio: Yeah, it seems like people, and the reaction I’ve gotten from a lot of people is, “Oh my God, this got me so excited about going back and doing what I can do about it.” But I know, I think the industry, and most industries, are a little bit reluctant to change and move forward. But ultimately, do you see it as being something that your company will utilize?

Luke Webster: We already do. And I think we utilize it in a way that can save time, where it doesn’t replace functions, but it helps — our designers on the marketing side, for example, creating a better narrative for our cut sheets. Really just time-saving.

I think that the danger is over-relying on it and just getting a really bland message because it’s all just recycled AI garble. But I think when it can free up time and also creativity: “Hey, I want to see what this vision looks like,” or I want to look at a CX and say, “Hey, can you show this to me in three different colors?” Okay, that would just save me some time because I don’t have to do that on Photoshop. And we can think about how we would update a look. So, it’s really limited by the creativity of the person that’s using it.

Bob Tullio: Second question, what do you think operators need to do to succeed in 2026?

Luke Webster: First of all, I’ll preface this by saying I’m not an operator. But I think they’d be well served to keep finding ways to put new products in front of their customer to bring a novelty, a newness, and at the same time, hold tight the things that are working. Because sometimes you can trade a good thing for a mediocre thing really easily in this sort of pace of change.

Bob Tullio: Change isn’t guaranteed to success, is it?

Luke Webster: I don’t think so, but I think it’s important to have elements of both.

Bob Tullio: And as a supplier, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Luke Webster: I think we’re thankful for the ideas that we get. We have a lot of conversations with customers about different things they’d like to see in equipment, and there’s energy in that. And the personal relationships that build over the years, and the fact that we know more about who people are having Thanksgiving with — beyond just the equipment kind of thing. So, I think the more that equipment can be that vehicle that allows us to build the relationships, and the further we can get into those relationships to know what they’re thankful for, then we’re making progress. So, I’d say thankful for the deeper relationships.

Bob Tullio: Well, you know, and Newco has always been about relationships. I’m just wondering, did the gaining of knowledge in terms of customer needs, did it happen by accident, or was it a byproduct of — a natural byproduct of — the relationships?

Luke Webster: That’s a good question. I think it’s — it doesn’t happen by accident. I think it happened by Joe and others at Newco listening, asking questions, being curious about, and that probably happens because there’s a passion of coming up with new ideas. And som when you have that passion, you want to share it with other people and then that sort of goes from there. It was never, I think, a calculated effort to try to start a conversation about that, but more of just happened because that’s what we’re talking about. We’re always talking about ideas and new things, and people that also like to talk about that kind of gravitate, and that’s how it happens.

Tara Fore: Tara Fore, Nestle Professional Solutions. I’m the national account manager for convenience services. So, I manage the overall strategy of the channel as well as our relationship with G&J as our broker.

Bob Tullio: Fantastic. So, my question to you first of all is, what’s your key takeaway from CTW?

Tara Fore: Yeah, I think my key takeaway is how important AI is to our operators and to their business.

Bob Tullio: Because you really see the reaction from operators has been unbelievable to what Ethan King had to say today.

Tara Fore: Yeah, I mean, there’s just the capability of AI and what it unlocks for growth potential, for maximizing profit.

Bob Tullio: Fantastic. Second question: What do operators need to do to succeed in 2026?

Tara Fore: With coffee and tea, I’d say really elevate the experience. Having brand recognition is super important. And of course, with us at Nestlé Professional Solutions, we have Starbucks Coffee.

Bob Tullio: That’s a pretty good brand. Kind of the brand that started it all, isn’t it?

Tara Fore: It sure is.

Bob Tullio: Absolutely. Yeah. And I was saying one of the things that people were freaked out at when Starbucks hit the market was that, “Oh, offices will never pay for Starbucks coffee,” right?

Tara Fore: Oh, but they will. There is something about that green siren that people want and love.

Bob Tullio: Absolutely. So, my third question as a supplier, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Tara Fore: I am thankful, as from a supplier, I am thankful for innovation. We have a ton of innovation coming in the pipeline in 2026 from a coffee perspective. So very, very excited to have such a supportive team around us that are really listening to our operators in the industry and moving in the right direction.

Bob Tullio: All right, how about personally?

Tara Fore: Personally, I am thankful for my family. My daughter, my fiancé, and our two dogs, Luna and Lola.

Karen Foster: My name is Karen Foster. I’m with Brokers Unlimited, part of the Premier Sales and Marketing Group. My takeaway is there’s so much new coffee equipment now. So innovative back before I was around when vending machine coffee — it's come a long way —more bougie coffee, very high-end coffee, even higher-end creamers. Some of them almost look like barista style. So, I enjoy seeing the innovation of the machines, but also the innovation of cold brew coffee and the just variations of the teas as well.

Bob Tullio: Very good. And what do you think operators need to do to succeed in 2026?

Karen Foster: Expand, expand. Expand their product mix. Expand their opportunities with coffee and tea. They lack in that area, I think, because since COVID, coffee was down about 75, 80%. Now we’re slowly going back now that slowly some of these companies are bringing back employees from being hybrid. I can always see those guys growing the coffee business, and they need to because people are drinking better coffee and more coffee.

Bob Tullio: Excellent. And my final question is, as a supplier, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Karen Foster: I’m thankful for my job. I’m thankful for my company. I’m grateful for such a passionate team. My other counterparts in the other eight states are amazing. We couldn’t do it with our inner side team as well, our admin girls at the office. I just love it. I love learning and meeting people, and I don’t meet a stranger. So I’m thankful for all the above — and my family and my health.

Paul Tullio: Paul Tullio, Five Star Break Time Solutions.

Bob Tullio: Paul, let me ask you a simple question. What’s your big takeaway from today at CTW.

Paul Tullio: My big takeaway would be from our keynote speaker on AI — that it’s basically nothing to be afraid of but a tool to be utilized. And, that a lot of people are underutilizing it, and there’s so many things you can learn from it — and get into your daily routine — that can really help you out and help you grow, and let you focus on the bigger things versus the monotonous tasks that we’re all stuck with and get hampered by every day.

Bob Tullio: What would you say is the aspect of your business where you could really see it benefiting you?

Paul Tullio: Interestingly enough, I would say definitely with routing and just keeping people apprised of where they need to be and dealing with things like weather and delivery. I can’t tell you how many times, obviously covering all the way up to Ohio and down to Louisiana, that weather can be a factor. Things like that can really disrupt a day, a week, if there are issues, and rerouting and getting those customers taken care of is very important. So, having that advanced knowledge and having something that can say, “Hey, by the way, this is coming. We need to plan better for it,” and giving you solutions and options to get you in a better place so you can prepare as much as possible before those kind of things hit.

Same thing with product shortages, things that a lot of people don’t see even though the data’s coming in, if there’s not something there actively monitoring it. So, I think that’ll be a huge help there.

Also, identifying customers and really going through the data out there and figuring out who we should be targeting, finding out who’s coming into new areas. Just AI is going to find those kind of things because it’s got the ability to see who’s searching for maybe new office space and or services in an area.

There’s just so many underlying things that we can utilize it to figure out where we need to be and who we need to be targeting.

Bob Tullio: So, it really opened your eyes.

Paul Tullio: Yeah, it really did. It was a very good presentation. And I’ve dabbled in AI. I use it, I would say, daily, but nowhere near to the extent and with the background, I learned a lot of things of how you can input and have it learn more about you in a much more targeted way. So, it’ll really work to your benefit and give you a lot of advantages maybe you didn’t have before.

Bob Tullio: What do you think operators need to do to succeed in 2026?

Paul Tullio: I’d say just keep listening to what the customers want. You’ve got to make sure that you’re meeting those needs, figuring out what their needs, taste and budget are, and finding out solutions that will meet those and ways to partner with them — and not only their business, but what they care about, what their values are, what kind of organizations they belong to, where do we have similar needs and similar things that we value that we also contribute to, and how can we come together and collaborate on those?

Bob Tullio: And finally, the last question is, What do operators have to be thankful for this year?

Paul Tullio: Well, I’d say the fact that people are still coming to the office and AI hasn’t put everybody out of business yet, as everybody who’s worried would happen at the beginning of this year. So that’s still a good thing. I’m actually seeing more people come into the office. I was actually reading an article the other day saying that people are now looking for very large office spaces, where traditionally people are cutting back. Now they’re realizing that with AI and all that’s happening, they need more people to manage it. So, they’re bringing more people back into the office. So, I’d say we’ve got to be thankful for that. And I look forward to the continued return to office and or just seeing more people out there in these places needing our services and reaching out so we can take care of them. It’s great.

Bob Tullio: That’s it for now. On the next episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, it’s part two of conversations from the CTW Connection Hub.