The third iteration of the FEED Workshop, organized by the FCSI Educational Foundation (EF), was held this week on February 15-18, 2026, in Charleston, South Carolina. With Southern hospitality at the fore, the sold-out, three-day immersive Workshop saw consultants, architects, equipment manufacturers, dealers, students from Western Kentucky University (WKU), and a range of other foodservice professional learn how to design, plan, and manage foodservice-focused renovation and new construction projects.
Six mentors – Kathleen Held FCSI, Christine Guyott FCSI, Sojo Alex FCSI, Lenny Condenzio FCSI, Bob Doland FCSI, and Doug Huber FCSI – took the attendees through the entire project lifecycle of more traditional design, bid, build projects, as well as additional iterations where a tender process (design, build) might be bypassed. The attention was very much on practical and interactive, with attendees getting multiple opportunities to plan and design their own foodservice concepts, and gain valuable feedback from the mentors – who all additionally presented.
Informative presentations from the supporting FCSI Allied members, plus an excellent overview of US restaurant trends from Zoomba Group’s Rebecca Kilbreath, editor in chief of restaurant development + design magazine, rounded out the agenda.
Igniting the possibilities
“I got to put together this program with some people I consider my best friends,” said FCSI EF President, Kathleen Held. “This is a workshop, not a lecture. The EF is here to educate. We want to ignite the possibilities in our students,” she added.
The pivotal role a consultant plays across a project was a central theme to the workshop.
“As a consultant, it’s our job to make sure everyone’s voice is heard during the design planning phase of a project,” said Guyott. “Consultants have to be the conduit between all these different specialities. We are the advocate for the foodservice. No matter who is paying the bill.”
In depth sessions focused on project team responsibilities, project delivery methods, pre-design and masterplanning, menu planning, program and facility sizing, schematic design (SD), design development (DD), contract/construction documents (CD) and construction administration and commissioning.
“Kitchens are a types of factories,” added Huber. “And, if you think about every stupid detail, that kitchen will work.”
Facilitating dreams
We advocate for the owner,” said Doland. “Consultants need to make themselves available throughout a project.
“What consultants do is take the owner or operator’s vision and turn it into a reality,” said Condenzio. “We are facilitators of courage and dreams. We must be facilitators of a great guest experience, too,” he added, encouraging designers to engage and awaken “all five senses” when planning a new foodservice project.
With senses fully awakened attendees and sponsors were thanked by Held, who highlighted how sponsorship of the EF enabled the event, as well as two foodservice design certificates at WKU, scholarships to attend the event for its lecturers and students, a professional studies exam, research grants, two new textbooks that will publish this year (one on facilities design, one on materials and finishes), plus internships for students.
“These amazing programs that we are able to do are because of our sponsors,” she added.
Michael Jones
Photo credit: The Fuze
