The Startup CPG Podcast #99 Navigating the Foodservice Landscape: Key Players and Their Roles (Distributors, Buying Groups, Operators, & more)
Push and Pull Strategy
- Develop a push and pull strategy in food service.
- Focus on both distributors and operators to create demand and ensure product movement.
Food Service vs. Retail Distribution
- Food service distribution is more fragmented than retail, with numerous distributors and intense competition.
- Data acquisition from food service, especially on an operator level, is difficult for manufacturers.
Partnering with Dot Foods
- Partner with Dot Foods, a redistributor, to reach various distributors and national accounts.
- They specialize in supporting emerging brands and plant-based products.
I’m so excited to bring back a very popular guest from last year, Jenna Cameron, for another foodservice episode! We released episode #74 with Jenna during December of last year as part of the First Hire Series, and our conversation focused on first hires for foodservice sales. Our community seems hungry for foodservice knowledge and so we asked Jenna to come back on the show to walk us through the biggest players in foodservice from distributors, to operators, to buying groups and more. Jenna is currently the sales lead at SIMULATE and has 10+ years of experience in plant-based foodservice sales for growing brands.
Listen in as Jenna shares about:
- Key term definitions to frame the conversation including operators versus buying groups versus redistributors
- Major distributors to know in foodservice, including details on Dot, Sysco, US Foods, and more, plus other regional distributors and how to work with each
- Some of Jenna’s favorite operators from campus stores to Disney to Red Robin and others and specific nuances
- An overview of key buying groups like Compass and Aramark and how to get started with a buying group
- C-store & convenience store channel ideas
- Resources for finding a regional broker for foodservice or an advisor
- And right at the end we cover Groceraunt, which is incidentally my new favorite word
- And more!
Please note that Jenna drops a ton of detailed information in this episode and if you are worried about catching the company names she’s dropping, fret not! I included all the distributors, buying groups, and operators she mentions in the show notes with links.
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This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Kickfurther. Go to https://www.kickfurther.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg
Episode Links:
- SIMULATE website
- Jenna’s LinkedIn
- Link to our other podcast episode with Jenna: #74 First Hire Series: Foodservice Sales with Jenna Cameron
- Foodservice 101 webinar recording
- Companies mentioned:
- Distributors mentioned: Dot Foods, Sysco, US Foods, BiRite, PFG / Vistar, Gordon Food, Chefs’ Warehouse, Vegan Distribution, Shamrock, Webstaurant, FoodServiceDirect, Sunbelt
- Redistributors mentioned: Alpine, Dot Foods
- Operators mentioned: Follett Bookstores/Campus Stores, Peet’s Coffee, Bareburger, Philz Coffee, Lemonade, Red Robin, Disney, Next Level Burger, Plant Power Fast Food
- C-Store Operators mentioned: Loop Convenience, 7-11, Plaid Pantry
- Buying Groups mentioned: Compass (Chartwells, Foodbuy), Aramark, Sodexo
- College & Universities Trade Show: NACUFS
- Regional brokers: Herspring-Gibbs, Acclaim, Fidler Marketing
- Advisors: Elohi Strategic Advisors (general foodservice strategy), Green Nature Marketing (strategic nationwide coverage), Advanced Natural Group (micromarket/c-store/corporate cafeterias)
- Groceraunt Trade Show: IDDBA
July 2023 Podcast Review Contest:
- Enter the giveaway by completing this form (it only takes 1-2 minutes!)
- By completing the form, you’ll be entered to win one of six prize packages, each filled with goodies from past guests: Tsubi Soup, GoNanas, Forij, Amazi, Chia Smash, Eureka Tortilla, and Nowhere Bakery.
- Giveaway open to US residents only, age 18+. Giveaway ends on July 31st, 2023 at 11:59 pm PST. The winner will be notified via email.
- Thank you for listening to the show and helping new listeners find us!
Shopify Links:
- Start a free trial and enjoy 2 months of Shopify for $1/month
Kickfurther Links:
Graphite Financial Links
- Graphite Financial website
- Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
- Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (13K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi Freitag's