Do You Have Big Ideas For The Restaurant Industry? Pitch Them To Martha Stewart, Tyler Florence At The New York City Wine And Food Festival

The New York City Wine and Food Festival, which returns October 15, has added a brand-new program dedicated to innovation within the food and dining industry.

The FOODi challenge, as it's called, will be part of a larger program called FOODi — Food, Business, + Technology.

The challenge invites people to submit their ideas for the restaurant industry — whether that means an incredible restaurant concept, brilliant smartphone app, new food technology, or a consumer product — for review. Entries will be narrowed down to the best three ideas, which will be presented at the New York City Wine and Food Festival, at the FOODi challenge on October 16.

The final three innovators will have the chance to pitch their ideas to industry leaders like Martha Stewart, Tyler Florence, and other major influencers.

Other FOODi panels this year will include Restaurant 2025, a look at how the restaurant industry will evolve over the next decade, with panels featuring people like Danny Meyer, founder of Union Square Hospitality Group, and Dan Barber, chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns; and Steakonomics, during which the Bloomberg Intelligence team will explain how steakhouses turn a profit.