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!

Foodservice Industry News: Weekly Headlines

Each Friday, we select the week’s most exciting foodservice headlines. These stories can be new trends, survey findings, product launches, or company partnerships. The one thing they all have in common is they have the potential to reshape the foodservice industry as we know it today.

Here are a few headlines that caught our attention this week (Dec 30-Jan 3):

Copyright: QSR Magazine

Dickey’s Barbecue Partners with Texas Pete – Dickey’s Barbecue, one of the fastest growing chains in America, entered into a partnership with Texas Pete Hot Sauce. The two brands will team up to create new menu items to launch later this year. Texas Pete, which is known for its full line of hot sauces, was originally known for making barbecue sauce.

“We’re excited about our partnership with Texas Pete,” says Roland Dickey, Jr., president and CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants Inc. “We’ve developed exciting new menu items along with the Texas Pete culinary team that bring together the best of our slow-smoked barbecue along with their bold, fiery flavor.”

To read the full story, click here.

Our Thoughts: Co-branding is a great way for a brand to introduce products to loyalist of another brand. Most recently, we saw this when Taco Bell and Doritos partnered to create the popular Doritos Locos Tacos.

Copyright: Businesswire.com

Burger King Launches KING DEALS® Value Menu – Burger King, the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world, introduced its new KING DEALS® Value Menu of more than 20 items. The KING DEALS® will offer a variety of choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with prices starting at $1.

“We’re launching the new KING DEALS® Value Menu including classics and new favorites like the Rodeo Sandwiches all starting at just $1,” said Eric Hirschhorn, Chief Marketing Officer, North America. “We’ve seen an incredible response from our guests with our $1 menu items and we want to continue creating great tasting products that don’t sacrifice on taste.”

To read the full story, click here.

Our Thoughts: Burger King has undertaken a series of initiatives such as new product launches (Big King, Satisfries) and re-imaging to improve their brand recognition. This modification to their value meal is just another action in the company’s brand-building efforts.

Copyright: QSR Magazine

McDonald’s and White Castle Testing Ordering Kiosks – Traditional quick-service burger chains, McDonald’s and White Castle, are considering giving customers the ability to customize their orders by using kiosks. Last month, White Castle began testing touch-screen ordering kiosks at a renovated restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. McDonald’s also tested a similar system at a location in Laguna Niguel, California.

“Younger customers are starting to expect more from brands, and kiosks are already popular in Europe and other countries. It also creates better efficiency between the customer and the back of the house, and reduces order errors,” says Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic.

Neither McDonald’s nor White Castle executives are saying whether or not they plan on adding ordering kiosks to additional locations.

To read the full story, click here.

Our Thoughts: We’ve seen a number of restaurants test kiosks and tablets in their restaurants. Late last year, Applebee’s announced its plans to install tablets in more than 1,800 of its restaurants. Whether for customization or convenience, we expect to see  touch-screen ordering continue to trend in restaurants.

We hope you enjoyed these 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 in the comment section below. 

Thank you and have a wonderful day! 

10 Must-Attend Foodservice Industry Trade Shows for 2014

2014 is finally here and for foodservice industry professionals, that means another year full of foodservice trade shows. Every year there are a number of foodservice industry trade shows that we like to attend, but the hard part is determining which ones.

After much consideration, we’ve selected our 10 Must-Attend Foodservice Industry Trade Shows for 2014, which we’ve listed in chronologic order. Take a look:

1. Technomic Trends & Directions Conference
Newport Beach, CA (Jan 22 – 23)
Our partners’ at Technomic invite restaurant industry leaders to come together at their annual conference in Newport Beach California. Attendees will examine consumer foodservice attitude and usage—as well as demographic dynamics and marketing and social media trends, in order to position themselves for success today and into the future. Technomic executives will present proprietary consumer, menu and industry research, while consumer insight analysts and innovative operators will lend their knowledge and experience.

2. FSMA’s 20th Annual Top2Top Conference 2014
Orlando, FL (Feb 24 – 27)
The Foodservice Sales and Marketing Associations’ 20th Annual Top2Top Conference is the premier event for foodservice sales & marketing executives.

3. CRFA Show
Toronto, On (March 2 – 4)
The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association Show is the leading foodservice and hospitality event in Canada. A comprehensive forum of industry products, the CRFA Show, attracts 12,000 industry professionals and puts them face to face with exhibitors showcasing all their latest products.

4. Midwest Foodservice Expo 2014
Milwaukee, WI (March 10-12)
Produced by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, the Midwest Foodservice Expo (MFE) is the leading regional food, beverage and hospitality industry event in the Midwest. Since we are not too far away, this is one of the shows we enjoy bringing several members of the team to.

5. 30th Annual International Pizza Expo 2014
Las Vegas, NV (March 25 – 27)
The Pizza Expo is the world’s largest pizza-only trade show, and it’s now in its 30th year. This is one of our favorite shows to attend because of the passion and energy we see on the trade show floor. We also enjoy the competitions, the food and innovations This show is attended by pizzeria or pizza-concept restaurant owners, operators and managers, as well as distributors and food brokers to name a few.

6. SIAL The North American Food Marketplace
Montreal, QB (April 2 – 4)
SIAL Canada is an international trade show dedicated to North American food industry professionals. Every year, over 700 agrifood exhibitors and 14,500 professionals come together for this uniting event.

7. NRA Show 2014
Chicago, IL (May 17-20)
One of the biggest trade shows of the year is the National Restaurant Association’s show in Chicago (NRA). Every year, over the course of four days, more than 1,800 suppliers and tens of thousands of buyers come together to make lasting connections that drive business profitability and shape the future of the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry. This show is perfect for any business looking for new products, trends, and ideas that will make a difference in their business’ future. Let’s just say, May is one of our favorite months of the year!

8. AHF Healthcare Foodservice
Orlando, FL (June 3-6)
The Association for Healthcare Foodservice conference is the only conference of its kind, uniquely tailored to the needs of the healthcare foodservice self-operator and the business partners that support them. If you are interested in the healthcare foodservice industry, this is the show for you!

9. Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo
Anaheim, CA (Aug 7-8)
At the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo, you’ll find everything needed to profit in the industry, from the latest trends to how to charm your guests, to ways to reduce cost and inspire your team. Plus it’s located in sunny California!

10. Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show
Orlando, FL (Sept 7 -9)
The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show is the only all-encompassing event in the Southeastern United States for the restaurant and foodservice industry, making it THE one-stop source for everything you need to succeed in today’s restaurant market. We can’t wait to see what trends, innovations and other technology are launched at this show.

Each year, CHD Expert attends several trade shows. Trade shows give us the opportunity to meet other foodservice professionals, listen to new ideas, network and share our solutions with other professionals in the foodservice industry. Today, so much business is done over the phone or via the Internet, so it’s really a pleasure when we have the opportunity to talk face-to-face with clients, partners, and influencers in the business.

If you don’t typically attend trade shows, or haven’t in the past few years, consider attending one or two of the shows from the list above. Remember, this isn’t our entire list of trade shows we will be attending in 2014, but these are a few of our favorites. Throughout the year, as we confirm our attendance to other shows, we will keep you updated.

Happy New Year and we hope to see you at the next show!