Every January, CES turns Las Vegas into a temporary capital of the future. Self-driving cars glide through parking garages, AI demos fill ballrooms, and somewhere between keynote stages and product launches, everyone asks the same question: So… what are we eating?
CES 2026 won’t be a traditional “food festival” by any stretch, but if you know where to look—especially on the expo floor—you’ll get a fascinating preview of where food is headed. Think less celebrity-chef pop-ups and more robots, automation, and agriculture reimagined for dense cities. Here’s what attendees can realistically expect when it comes to food tech at CES 2026.
Food at CES Is About Ideas First, Flavor Second
Let’s set expectations upfront. CES isn’t about indulgent eating. You won’t find tasting menus or over-the-top booths handing out full plates. What you will find are carefully designed demos that answer big questions:
- How will we grow food in cities?
- Who (or what) will prepare it?
- Can automation solve labor, consistency, and sustainability issues?
The food tech exhibitors at CES 2026 lean heavily into those themes.
Artly Coffee: Robotics Behind Your Morning Cup
Artly Coffee represents one of the clearest trends at CES: automation replacing repetitive tasks in food service. Expect to see robotic coffee systems that grind, brew, steam, and serve with minimal human intervention.
What this means for attendees:
- Coffee that’s fast, consistent, and engineered for efficiency
- Demonstrations focused on precision, speed, and scalability—not latte art theatrics
- A glimpse into how hotels, airports, and convention centers (like those hosting CES) might serve coffee in the near future
From a Vegas perspective, this kind of tech is especially relevant. The Strip runs on volume, and robotic coffee fits naturally into casinos, arenas, and high-traffic resorts where speed matters more than personality.
Bartesian: Automation Meets Urban Living
Bartesian is best known for bringing push-button cocktails into homes, but at CES, the bigger idea is automation and convenience as lifestyle tech. While not a traditional “food” exhibitor, Bartesian sits at the intersection of hospitality, tech, and modern consumption.
What to expect:
- Smart systems that automate drink-making with precision
- A focus on compact design suited for apartments, offices, and urban environments
- Conversations around how technology simplifies entertaining and at-home hospitality
At CES 2026, Bartesian-style exhibitors signal how food and drink tech is moving out of commercial kitchens and into personal spaces—an important shift for how people eat and drink outside restaurants.
InstaFARM: Urban Farming Goes High-Tech
If there’s one area where CES food tech feels genuinely transformative, it’s urban agriculture. InstaFARM and similar brands showcase self-contained farming systems designed for cities, hotels, restaurants, and even office buildings.
What you’ll see:
- Vertical growing systems with controlled lighting, water, and nutrients
- Robotics and automation handling planting, monitoring, and harvesting
- Produce is grown steps away from where it’s consumed
For Las Vegas, this hits close to home. The city imports most of its food, so indoor farming tech has serious implications for sustainability, freshness, and cost. CES 2026 attendees can expect to learn more about understanding how these systems can efficiently feed dense populations.
What You Won’t See Much Of
To avoid disappointment, it’s worth noting what CES food tech usually doesn’t emphasize:
- No large-scale sampling or food halls
- No focus on traditional cooking techniques
- No emphasis on luxury dining
CES food is about systems, not pleasure. The flavor comes later, once these technologies reach restaurants, hotels, and homes.
The Big Picture: Food as Infrastructure
The common thread across Artly Coffee, Bartesian, and InstaFARM is clear: food is being treated like infrastructure—something that needs to be reliable, scalable, and efficient.
CES 2026 reflects a future where:
- Robots handle repetitive prep and service
- Farming happens closer to consumption
- Automation reduces labor strain and waste
For attendees, this means fewer memorable bites but a deeper understanding of how tomorrow’s meals will be produced.
Where to Actually Eat During CES
One final Vegas tip: if you’re coming to CES for great food, leave the expo floor and head to the Strip or Downtown after hours. CES shows you the future of food systems. Las Vegas restaurants show you how to enjoy food right now.
CES 2026 may not feed you well—but it will definitely make you think about where your next meal comes from.
