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FSMA Top2Top and The CRFA SHOW

March is an exciting month for those of us in the foodservice industry with plenty of trade shows to keep us busy. While we are still in the first half of the month, CHD Expert has been raking up the air miles with separate trips to Orlando, Florida and Toronto, Canada. In a quick 24hours we had to say good to our flip flops and hello to our snow boots!

The FSMA Top2Top conference is put on by the Foodservice Sales & Marketing Association. This national trade association works with food & equipment manufactures, vendors and sales agencies to help grow their businesses.  This year’s show was a little down in attendance, but there was still a lot of good information shared during the sessions and a lot of solid networking.

The CRFA Show or the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association Show is Canada’s Foodservice Event of the Year.  The show is held at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto and if you have not been in Toronto, it is worth a trip. The growth in the city is quite impressive, and down town Toronto skyline is full of cranes and promise for the future of the city.

Relationship building is critical in business, especially the foodservice industry. Food & Equipment Manufacturers use our data in a lot of different ways and we are always eager to introduce our products to businesses in different regions.  Below are some photos that we took at the two events. Check them out and consider joining us next year.

Lots of good exhibitors in attendance

Great Party In Toronto

CHD Expert Adds New Data Segments, Providing Foodservice Professionals With Intelligence On Restaurants That Have Just Opened And Those With Plans To Open In The Future

Chicago, Illinois (PRWEB) February 27, 2014

New data segmentation now allows CHD Expert’s customers to identify restaurants that have been open for less than 30 days, and those restaurants that have yet to open their doors to guests.

CHD Expert, the Chicago-based foodservice database and analytics firm is announcing the expansion of their operator filter suite in two new and exciting areas; businesses that have just recently opened, and those who have plans to open in the near future. These two new segments will provide critical insight to companies that sell to restaurants, as they will be able to use the data to contact decision makers in the critical process of outfitting their establishments and looking to build lasting relationships with food suppliers. The two segments will be available in March 2014.

Currently, CHD Expert’s Foodservice Industry Database (FIND) offers data at an industry-leading level of accuracy on over six million global operators, providing contact information that can be segmented and filtered by various criteria. The two new segments will be joining an already robust list of available criteria that includes location, units, menu type, revenue, average check, number of employees, and many other pertinent details.

This March, CHD Expert customers in select USA markets will be able to quickly identify two types of restaurants and other foodservice kitchens not previously possible – those with recently opened doors, and those who are scheduled to open in the near future. The segments will be broken down into two specific areas: New Business and Pre-Open. These two new filter options will join all the current age-related filters, which identify restaurants that have been open for less than one year, one to two years, two to five years, and five plus years.

The New Business segment will classify operators who have opened within the past 30 days. Imagine the possibilities this information can provide to CHD Expert customers, who will now be able to identify recently opened restaurants in their selected geography. Companies who focus on selling advertising, POS systems, or other digital services will be able to use this data to target prospects that have yet to solidify these necessary relationships, or who are ready to enhance their current operations. Specialty providers can use this data to target and sell their products to restaurants that may not have an identified provider at open, or after an initial experience with one, now want to change quickly.

The Pre-Open segment will recognize operators who have plans to open in the near future. This information will be highly desirable for any foodservice distributor or manufacturer who sells to restaurants or commercial kitchens. Vendors will now be able to strategically offer their goods to restaurants that are in the process of purchasing equipment and food products to outfit their establishment.

“Foodservice distributors, equipment manufacturers, and food manufactures have been requesting pre opening data for years,” said Brad Bloom, Director of Sales at CHD Expert North America. “Being able to connect with a restaurant or foodservice establishments while they are outfitting their kitchen and looking for suppliers while menu planning is the Holy Grail for sales professionals who sell to the foodservice industry. We now have this information available for our customers, and we are excited to see how this data positively affects their sales results.”

To learn more about CHD Expert’s foodservice database, or to learn more about CHD Expert’s latest restaurant data segments, please click the button below:

How The Foodservice Industry Is Celebrating Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is today, and this is one of CHD Expert’s favorite holidays. Valentine’s Day not only brings loved ones together to celebrate their relationships, but it is also the time of year when foodservice brands get to run creative promotions to bring in customers who are looking to celebrate the holiday.

Here are three promotions that caught our eye this week (Feb 10 – Feb 14):

Copyright: The Wall Street Journal 

Fourth Annual Qdoba Mexican Grill(R) Valentine’s Day Promotion Gets a Spicy Twist with Queso for a Kiss

On Valentine’s Day, Qdoba will bring back its annual buy one, get one free promotion, as it encourages guests to share a kiss with someone and get a free entrée with the purchase of a Queso entrée.

“Valentine’s Day is all about sharing love and happiness with those around us–friends, families, or even strangers–which is part of the reason why we love bringing back this promotion and sharing this day with our guests,” said David Craven, Vice President of Marketing Communications at Qdoba. “With the launch of two new Quesos right before Valentine’s Day, Queso for a Kiss is a great opportunity to let our guests share the flavors they love with their loved ones, while having the opportunity to try something new.”

To read the full story, click here.

Our Thoughts: Valentine’s Day is all about love and what better way to share that love than with a kiss and a free entrée. We expect to see people waiting in line to take advantage of this Valentine’s Day offer, especially with the release of Qdoba’s two new Queso flavors: Queso Diablo and Queso Verde.

Copyright: Restaurant News 

Pop the Question at Fazoli’s Valentine’s Day

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Fazoli’s restaurant is offering couples who get engaged on location, free spaghetti for a year. How great is that? The lucky couple will also be entered to win $500 worth of catering by Fazoli’s for their wedding reception, rehearsal dinner or shower.

“We were pleasantly surprised by the number of couples who got engaged at Fazoli’s last year,” said Cathy Hull, Fazoli’s Chief Marketing Officer. “This year, with the chance to have the wedding catered by Fazoli’s, we anticipate even more couples to make Fazoli’s the place to pop the question.”

To read the full story, click here.

Our Thoughts: Romance and Italian cuisine go hand-in-hand so what better way to propose than over a romantic Italian dinner? Think about the famous scene from Disney’s Lady and the Tramp. On top of that, each couple will receive free food for a year. We call that a win-win.

Copyright: Market Watch 

Say “I Do” at DQ®

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, and the launch of its new Red Velvet Blizzard®, Dairy Queen is inviting all fans to get married and celebrate with a reception at their local DQ® restaurant on Valentine’s Day.

“Planning a wedding can be stressful, so this Valentine’s Day, we want to alleviate some of that stress by inviting our fans to celebrate their big day with the Dairy Queen brand,” said Barry Westrum, executive vice president of Marketing for American Dairy Queen Corporation (ADQ). “Not only are participating locations offering the venue where the happy couple can say their vows, but we’ll also provide the food for the reception and a signature Red Velvet Blizzard Cake at the restaurant. What better way to start off a sweet marriage than then to do it at a DQ restaurant?”

To read the full story, click here.

Our Thoughts: This is a generous idea by Dairy Queen. Planning a wedding can be stressful (and expensive). This is a great way to bring in more customers and create brand advocates. Plus, you’ll get a free Signature Red Velvet Blizzard Cake as part of the Valentine’s Day promotion.

We hope you enjoyed these stories and don’t forget to check back next Friday to get a roundup of the week’s biggest restaurant and foodservice news! We love to hear from our readers, so please share your thoughts, views, and opinions on these Valentine’s Day promotions in the comment section.

Thank you and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Smart Business Magazine’s Review of Chicago’s Restaurant Landscape

At CHD Expert, we not only provide data to our clients, but sometimes we get the change to work with magazines and other news outlets. Most recently, we got the chance to work with Mark Scott, Senior Associate Editor at Smart Business Magazine  and provided him with restaurant data for the city of Chicago. In this month’s edition of Uniquely Chicago, Mark writes about how Chicago shouldn’t only be recognized for it’s pizza, but for it’s diverse food scene as well. Click the image of the article below to read the full story and to learn about the restaurant landscape in Chicago.

Uniquely Chicago – Restaurants, A Slice of Life

If you are a journalist looking for restaurant or foodservice data, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be happy to help you complete your story or provide you with data on the foodservice or restaurant industry. Email us at cathy@chd-expert.com.

CHD Expert Assesses the 2014 US Healthcare Foodservice Industry Market Landscape

Due to Obamacare the healthcare industry in 2014 is changing dramatically, and CHD Expert evaluates the status of the foodservice industry within our nations hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Many of the Obamacare reforms officially kicked in on January 1, 2014, which means changes for the healthcare industry.

For companies trying to capitalize on the increased spending by hospitals looking to upgrade their foodservice facilities and services, CHD Expert provides an overview of the current foodservice healthcare market landscape, highlighting opportunities for businesses that cater to the healthcare industry.

A growing number of hospitals across the United States have begun to invest more in their foodservice operations in order to create a friendly, hotel-like experience, complete with room service, cafeterias, gardens, and local produce. Foodservice helps the overall feel of a hospital, and with Obamacare in action, more health care facilities will look to improve their overall experience as it could assist in receiving funds.

According to CHD Expert’s data, there are over 54,000 healthcare facilities in the United States. This includes hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, assisted or senior living centers, and other healthcare establishments. In addition to examining market size, CHD Expert’s data provides details around facility locations, and determines that healthcare facilities fall primarily within major cities and larger metropolitan areas.

CHD Experts data breaks down public and privately owned facilities and indicates that public institutions dominate the current healthcare industry. Approximately 86 percent of healthcare facilities are publicly operated. Comparatively, about 13 percent of the market is categorized as private institutions.

Of over 3,700 US hospitals, only 38 percent have self-operated foodservice operations. The majority of hospitals are managed by Foodservice Management Companies, the “big three” consisting of Sodexo, Aramark and Compass. Sodexo holds a majority of the market share with 27 percent of the Hospital market and 44 percent of the total managed hospitals.

Over 75 percent of hospitals also participate with a GPO (Group Purchasing Organization) to receive product discounts on food purchases. The GPOs with the highest market share of hospital participation are Premier, VHA and HPG. Of all of these participating hospitals, 46 percent have 100-500 beds. On the opposite side, over 30 percent have only 1-50 beds representing the smaller hospital market.

CHD Expert also reports that approximately 44.1 percent of all healthcare providers have between 100 to 500 beds. In terms of hospital size based on the number of beds, New York, California, and Pennsylvania all have at least one healthcare facility with more than 1,000 beds. The data also reveals that 40.3 percent of the healthcare facilities serve between 51 to 100 meals on a daily basis. On a larger scale, the total number of patients going through all US hospitals on an average day totals over 643,000.

Other filters CHD Expert have available to dissect the data include: Number of Meals Served Per Day and Number of Employees. There are also contacts available for each Hospital to include titles of, Purchasing, Foodservice Director and Chefs where available.

“Obamacare is influencing how a lot of businesses are structured, and this is certainly the case in the healthcare industry,” stated Catherine Kearns, General Manager for CHD Expert North America. “The US has some of the world’s most modern hospitals but since many Americans struggle with obesity, hospitals are reevaluating how they feed hundreds of thousands of people on a daily basis. This is highly coveted information for foodservice providers who cater their products or services to hospitals and other healthcare facilities. By understanding the numbers behind hospitals and healthcare facilities, providers can better focus their sales efforts and position themselves to acquire purchase orders from these healthcare facilities. Changes in healthcare are happening, and if your organization does business with healthcare facilities, this information could be critical to helping you land new accounts.”

To obtain more information about CHD Expert’s findings, or with general questions about education foodservice data, please contact Catherine Kearns – cathy(at)chd-expert(dot)com

About CHD North America

CHD Expert is the global leader in collecting, managing and analyzing data for the Away-from-Home Global Foodservice Market. For more than 10 years CHD Expert has been dedicated to supporting Foodservice channel members in providing a global vision and an in-depth understanding of the industry (in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific).

Our objective is to support food service providers in their sales and marketing strategies by providing the most comprehensive and accurate foodservice census, housing operator intelligence for more than 5 million operators worldwide. For additional information, please visit http://www.chd-expert.com or call 1-888-CHD-0154.

Infographic of the World’s 10 Biggest Food Companies

We love sharing infographics with our readers, especially foodservice ones. In the spirit of education, did you know that so many of our favorite food and beverage brands are owned by just a handful of companies? Just as with data, we find it fascinating how a visualization can bring a concept to life! What else did you learn about looking at the infographic below?

(Source: http://www.behindthebrands.org/)

Big companies like Kellogg, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo rarely sell their products directly to the consumer. Instead, they use foodservice distributors that will sell and ship their product s for them. These distributors are the middleman between the manufacturer and the foodservice operator, and help brands get their products inside restaurants, schools, and hospitals.

If you are a business looking for distributors to carry your products, CHD Expert can help you get in touch with key decision makers in the foodservice industry. Our databases are updated monthly and can provide you with useful information to help select the right distributor for your company. If you have any questions or want to learn more about CHD Expert’s Foodservice Distribution List, please give us a call at (312) 768-6900 or email Cathy at cathy@chd-expert.com.

Click here to view a sample of our Foodservice Distributor List!

Foodservice Industry News: Weekly Headlines

There is no denying the popularity of pizza in the United States. It’s one of the country’s most popular foods,  and according to our Foodservice Database Easy2FIND, there are over 70,000 pizzerias in the US, which is the largest menu type by total number of restaurants. This week, we saw three of the leading brands announce new plans and changes to their business that could take their operation to the next level.

Here are three new announcements in the pizza industry that caught our eye this week (Jan 20 – Jan 24):

Copyright: NRN – Domino’s Pizza to Remodel All Restaurants By The End of 2017

Domino’s Pizza, which operates or franchises nearly 5,000 locations in the United States and more than 5,600 restaurants in 70 international markets, will accelerate its remodeling program to convert all of its nearly 11,000 restaurants worldwide into their “Pizza Theater” prototype by the end of 2017. The news comes days after the company’s biggest competitor, Pizza Hut, announced the opening of two stores will sell single slice pizza.

“If we get this right and get this done,” chief executive Patrick Doyle said, “this is one more thing as you look at the transformation of the Domino’s brand, both in the U.S. and around the world, that we think is going to continue to really drive the momentum on this brand.”

To read the full story, click here.

Our Thoughts: Consumers are always searching for more convenience and better restaurant environments. In response, fast-food chains continue to make attempts to offer better-quality food in a modern environment. This move seems to be Domino’s response to an increase in new fast-casual pizza concepts trending in the industry. It will be interesting to see if the better-looking restaurants have a significant impact on their sales.

Copyright: PapaJohns.com – Papa John’s Offering Digital Gift Cards on Their New Mobile Web Site

Papa John’s, the world’s third largest pizza delivery company, launched the pizza industry’s first system wide mobile-optimized Web site, powered by CashStar. With the new digital gift card ordering system, Papa John’s customers can now design and purchase customized Papa John’s gift cards, and select the specific delivery date via their mobile device.

“This is a big win for consumers,” said Bob Kraut, Papa John’s chief marketing officer. “You’re not always at a computer when you remember you missed someone’s birthday, or you want to say ‘thank you’ to someone. This allows you to instantly send a Papa John’s digital gift card wherever you are through your mobile device.”

To read the full story, click here.

Our Thoughts: Papa John’s is no stranger to the Internet. They were the first national pizza company to offer online ordering, SMS text ordering, and a nationwide digital rewards program in the U.S. Since the early 2000s; they have embraced technology, using it to enhance their customer experience and increase their sales. The Internet has changed ordering habits. It will be intriguing to see a complete mobile optimized website will positively impact  the number of gift cards purchased.

Copyright: PizzaHut.com – Pizza Hut Launches New Hand-Tossed Pizza

Pizza Hut, the world’s largest pizza company, introduced a new Hand-Tossed pizza featuring a lighter, airier crust. To celebrate the launch, Pizza Hut is selling the pizza at an introductory price of $10 and will guarantee that if a consumer doesn’t love the new pizza, the next pizza is free.

“Our new Hand-Tossed pizza has been years in the making, and we believe we’ve delivered the best tasting pizza in the category,” said Carrie Walsh, chief marketing officer at Pizza Hut. “For a long time, consumers have looked at hand-tossed as the ‘white bread’ pizza of the category, and we set out to completely blow up the notion that all pizzas are created equal. We feel so strongly about this, that we’re offering consumers the next pizza on us if they are not completely satisfied with our new product.”

To read the full story, click here.

Our Thoughts: The new Hand-Tossed pizza allows the company to differentiate itself from competitors and not just be another “white bread” pizza. Unlike the previous crust, Pizza Hut’s new crust puts more emphasis on taste, topping it with Mozzarella cheese and brushing it with a garlic buttery flavor. In such a crowded market place, Pizza Hut is trying to separate itself from the competition by rolling out the tastiest pizza crust in the industry. We are eager to look back in a few months and see how customers are responding to their new crust and what kind of impact it will have on their business. 

We hope you enjoyed last week’s stories and don’t forget to check back here next week to get a roundup of the week’s biggest restaurant and foodservice news! We’d love to hear from you, so please share your thoughts, views, and opinions in the comment section.

Also, if you are a business looking for foodservice data on pizzerias and/or Italian restaurants in the United States or anywhere else in the world, please email us at cathy@chd-expert.com.

Healthier, Gourmet Food Options on The Rise in US Airports

When was the last time you traveled. Did you happen to remember that the airport’s food options have been significantly upgraded to gourmet or healthier fare? Travelers will soon no longer have an excuse to eat junk food when traveling. According to a panel of doctors, at the nation’s 18 busiest airports, 76% of restaurants offer at least one healthy entree. This is up since 2001 when only 57% of airports offered travelers at least one healthy item on the menu. See how the different airports rank on health options per the chart below.

2013 Airport Food Review published by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

This news is good for the 100 millions of travelers that pass through airport terminals on a regular basis. With more and more individuals searching for healthier options, it’s only right that airport restaurants continue to offer passengers a variety of nutritious options. Let’s talk about one airport in particular that we think excels in healthy options for travelers. JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at JFK does a great job of offering a wide variety of restaurants and healthy food options. For example, they have a food court with a salad bar option in addition to several restaurants through out the terminal, one of which is sushi bar called Deep Blue Sushi which has a robust menu of fresh choices created by NYC’s Buddakan Executive Chef Michael Schulson. JetBlue continues to push the envelope on overall “terminal” experience, and providing diverse food options is one of areas in which they excel, especially when it comes to offering healthier options. JetBlue has 24 total food and beverage outlets offering travelers a variety of places to choose from.

As people continue with the New Year’s Resolutions, healthy options will continue to be an important factor in where people choose to dine in airports, especially for frequent business travelers. Airports, foodservice companies and restaurants should consider how the healthier trend can impact their business.

Do you have questions about airport locations? Or are you looking for a list of airports addresses or airport data? Send us an email with your questions and we’ll get back to you within a few hours. Email us at cathy@chd-expert.com.

Foodservice Industry News: Weekly Headlines

With New Year’s resolutions in full swing, many foodservice operators look to attract health-conscious customers with new nutritional options. This week, we saw a handful of restaurants launch new menu items targeting consumers who wish to begin or continue their healthy eating.

Here are 3 new products launches that caught our eye this week (Jan 6-Jan 10):

Copyright: Market Wired – Del Taco Introduces Turkey Tacos

Del Taco, which has over 500 chains in 18 states, became the first Mexican fast food restaurant to offer ground turkey tacos. Priced at $1.29, the new Turkey Tacos have 33 percent less fat than its beef tacos and only 150 calories.

“It’s exciting to see a major player such as Del Taco offer turkey as a protein option,” said Heidi Diller, registered dietitian-nutritionist. “Not only do Del Taco’s Turkey Tacos have 33 percent less fat, they taste great!”

To read the full story, click here.

Our Thoughts: In today’s health conscious society, restaurants continue to find new ways to create healthy but delicious menu items. Mexican food is very popular in the United States, and turkey tacos may become the next big trend. We’ll have to wait and see if other fast food restaurants add turkey as a healthy alternative to their menu offering.

Copyright: Yahoo! – New Year, New Better-For-You Menu Items At Dunkin’ Donuts

Dunkin’ Donuts, which owns over 10,000 restaurants in 31 countries, expanded its DDSMART® menu by adding a new Sliced Turkey Breakfast Sandwich to the list. Served on a Multigrain Flatbread with three slices of turkey, an egg, and a slice of reduced fat cheddar cheese, the Sliced Turkey Breakfast Sandwich is only 310 calories.

“We know that our guests are increasingly health-conscious, and are looking for a full selection of choices that satisfy their hunger and fit into their lifestyle,” said John Costello, President, Global Marketing and Innovation at Dunkin’ Brands. “Ever since we launched our DDSMART menu more than five years ago, we have been steadily expanding our better-for-you offerings.”

To read the full story, click here.

Our Thoughts: Dunkin’ Donuts’ DDSMART menu has always aimed to provide healthy options without compromising taste. This latest launch shows Dunkin’ Donuts is still committed to helping customers eat better, even during breakfast.

Copyright: Yahoo! – Jamba Juice Unveils Expanded Menu of Smoothies and Fresh Juices Made With Whole Food Ingredients

Jamba Juice, the leading restaurant retailer of better-for-you, specialty beverage and food offerings, announced its new smoothies and juices made from whole food ingredients. Jamba Juice’s new Whole Food Nutrition™ smoothies will have 10-14 grams of protein and made with ingredients including kale, carrots, chia seeds and Greek yogurt.

“Made with whole fruit, whole veggies and other real whole food ingredients, our new smoothies and juices make it easy to start healthy habits in the New Year with truly good, straight from the earth ingredients,” said Julie S. Washington, senior vice president and chief brand officer, Jamba Juice Company.

To read the full story, click here.

Our Thoughts: Consumers looking to fulfill their New Year’s resolution of consuming more fruits and vegetables, now have an easy way to start their healthy lifestyle. The Whole Food Nutrition smoothies give consumers an on-the-go option that fits their new healthy lifestyle, and keeps with their New Year resolution.

We hope you enjoyed the stories and don’t forget to check back to get a roundup of the week’s biggest restaurant and foodservice news! We love to hear from our readers, so please share your thoughts, views, and opinions on this week’s headlines in the comment section.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!