OVERVIEW

As workers return to offices and diners to restaurants, the demand for natural products in Foodservice channels continues to explode. This provides a huge opportunity for emerging brands to generate awareness and trial to grow their businesses.

Whether you could sell ingredients to Foodservice distributors or provide finished products directly to Foodservice accounts like offices and fast casual restaurants, this Quick Bites is for you! The discussion touches on experiences from a diverse group of buyers, distributors, and brands on the best practices, strategies, and trends that will enable small brands to effectively navigate the competitive Foodservice landscape.

PANELISTS

Jen Berliner, Naturally Bay Area Board Member and Head of Marketing, Sales, and E-commerce at Patagonia Provisions, led the discussion with our panel of Foodservice professionals:

• Anna Dair, Director of Business Development of Straus Family Creamery

• Danielle Pilarski, Senior Purchasing Manager of Bon Appétit Management Company

• Jimmy Sigona, Director of Fruit for Thought

HIGHLIGHTS

A few highlights from the discussion:

• 20:55 – Danielle Pilarski, Senior Purchasing Manager of Bon Appétit Management Company discusses the clear distinction between a foodservice distributer and a retailer distributer. She encourages CPG brands to put their effort into niche, retail style distributers that often come with lower minimums and serve shoppers that often have similar ideals.
• 28:01 – Jimmy Sigona, Director of Fruit for Thought, touches on the concept that the environment you are entering typically has a specific need. He explains how it is important to understand the channel you are creating a product for while being innovative.
• 41:33 – Anna Dair, Director of Business Development of Straus Family Creamery, provides insight about how to best create a system where lower margins are acceptable in foodservice by considering the unquantifiable benefit of the influencer and marketing effect of being in foodservice.

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