Photo by: Miles Cull / Snappr News
Food & Beverage Leaders Gather at SF's Taste of Asia Summit
The eighth annual Taste of Asia North American Food & Beverage Industry Summit drew restaurant operators, brand founders, investors and industry partners to Shenzhen Bay Innovation Center in San Francisco on June 15 for an evening of networking and deal-making. The event, part of a 2026 multi-city tour organized by NAAFIA and Asia Creative, featured a VIP mixer and programming on market trends, brand growth and cross-border business opportunities in the Asian food industry.
The eighth annual Taste of Asia North American Food & Beverage Industry Summit concluded Monday night in the Bay Area, drawing together restaurant operators, brand founders, investors and industry partners for a focused evening of networking and deal-making at Shenzhen Bay Innovation Center.
The San Francisco edition of Taste of Asia 2026 ran from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and featured a VIP mixer alongside curated programming aimed at accelerating business connections across the Asian food and restaurant industry. Organizers described the event as a relationship-driven platform — distinct from traditional trade shows — designed to facilitate candid conversations among decision-makers.
"Attendees will gain firsthand insights into market trends, brand growth strategies, and cross-border opportunities," organizers said in the event description, "while connecting with decision-makers shaping the future of the Asian food industry."
The San Francisco gathering is one stop in a broader 2026 city tour organized by the North America Asia Food Industry Association, known as NAAFIA, in partnership with Asia Creative, a media agency with more than 1.6 million followers across social platforms catering to Asian communities in North America.
Since its founding in 2018, the Taste of Asia platform has logged more than 20,000 attendees from more than 20 countries and regions, facilitated upward of $230 million in deals and hosted more than 130 panels and 300 keynote sessions. The series has engaged more than 800 supporting brands across technology, supply chain and ingredients, as well as more than 650 restaurant brands.
The event series operates under several formats — including intimate founder dinners for 15 to 25 participants, closed-door city roundtables under its TOA Club program, and a flagship annual expo in Los Angeles expected to draw more than 10,000 attendees.
Other cities on the 2026 tour include New York, Seattle, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Orlando.
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