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:

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.

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!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Here’s to a season filled with warmth, comfort and laughter! One of the real joys this holiday season is the opportunity to give thanks to those who have helped CHD Expert become the leader in foodservice data. From everyone here at CHD Expert, we would like to wish all our reader’s, partners, and clients a safe and wonderful holiday season.

Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiaralily/6387577041/

Burger King Satisfries: Are healthier options the next trend for fast food restaurants?

By Nicolas Watson

Fast food is becoming healthier – at least for one popular fast food chain. With the introduction of ¨Satisfries¨, Burger King is leading the way in what may become a new trend for healthy fast food.

¨Satisfries¨ are a low-calorie version of Burger King´s original fries and contain 40% less fast than fries from McDonald´s. Now people have the option to choose between full-fat fries and healthier ones. What impact will this have on fast food?  Are Satisfries the first of many “healthier” fast food options?

Interestingly enough, this is the first time we’ve seen a menu innovation around French Fries. Fast food chains have played around with healthier options in the past, for example grilled chicken wraps or low-calorie salads. What’s brilliant is that Burger King was able to think about a food innovation that satisfies a fried food craving. They aren’t trying to replace fries with apple slices like some other chains. They are looking to capture that satisfying fried food taste that people come to fast food restaurants for.  Such menu innovations in the fast food industry may become more common as consumers needs and consumption continue to change.

For some, this will impact where they decide to open their next location. To choose the next best real-estate location, they might want to consider working with a company like CHD Expert. Here at CHD Expert, we help businesses visualize the market landscape by providing them with information on chains headquarters, sub-franchisees, regional offices or even multi-concept operators. CHD Expert can even break down the market landscape do this down to the zip code level and provide a visual aid as to where any restaurant is located within the defined area.

For more information on food service data or chain locator tool, visit CHD Expert. Or reach out to me directly at nwatson@chd-expert.com.

We Sell Data, We Manage Data.

Author: Nico Watson

Here at CHD Expert, our main focus is data. We sell data, we manage data, and we create insights around data! Data is at the core of our business. Especially foodservice data. That’s what we specialize in. We know the foodservice market place better than any other “generic” data provider out there.

We can help you improve your sales and marketing efforts. Want more info or to talk to one of our foodservice experts? Email me, Nicolas Watson (nwatson@chd-expert.com) to discuss how we can help your business.

In the mean time, this week we saw an awesome infographic that is all about data and we wanted to share it. Check out this amazing infographic about how Data Never Sleeps! Pretty amazing right? Thanks Domo for putting this visual all about data together!

CHD Expert Presents: The Clean Data Challenge – How Accurate is Your Organization’s CRM or Database?

CHD Expert is challenging organizations to test the accuracy of their current CRM or database. If you utilize data for sales, marketing, or business decisions, take the challenge and compare the accuracy of your data to CHD Expert’s Foodservice Industry National Database.

Chicago-based foodservice database and analytics company, CHD Expert, is rolling out the Clean Data Challenge: How Accurate, Complete, and Clean is your Organizations Database? The company is asking organizations to compare their current data to CHD FIND® (Foodservice Industry National Database), the industry’s highest standard for foodservice data.

Customers can count on CHD Expert’s database. With consolidated data from over 80 different sources, it is guaranteed the most accurate in the industry, and every record is supported with a money back guarantee. To prove this, CHD Expert is proposing that businesses take a stand against dirty data, and compare their current data records to CHD Expert’s FIND® Database. To help make this happen, CHD Expert is extending a free sample match opportunity until September 30th, 2013.

The Clean Data Challenge will provide participants with a gauge on the accuracy and completeness of their current database, as well as put them in contact with a CHD Expert data specialist to help determine the best ways the data can be used to benefit their business. This includes insight surrounding market penetration, and how many additional foodservice operators are available in the selected sample region.

To participate in the Clean Data Challenge, please identify and provide CHD Expert with 1,000-2,000 records for comparison. A CHD Expert data specialist will then walk participating organizations through a 4-step process, summarized below.

Step 1: Data Preparation: Select geography from current records that makes up approximately 1,000-2,000 records, and compile it in .xls or .csv format. Include a unique ID, business name, address, and phone#.

Step 2: Data Cleansing: CHD Expert will prepare the data as follows:

• Postal normalization
• Removal of dirty data and special characters
• Formatting of all fields
• Deduplicating repeated records

Step 3: Match and Append: CHD Expert will then match the clean data to CHD FIND’s master records, appending it with information from the CHD FIND database. This can include, data on market segment, market information, and/or contacts. Which businesses have closed will also be identified. It all adds up to a clear, defined picture of the current holes in the data.

Step 4: Delivery of Results: CHD Expert will provide participating organizations with the results from the Clean Data Challenge, and walk through the findings with selected participants. For further incentive, participating organizations will be provided with approximately 200 NEW additional sales and marketing leads in the same geography, which are currently NOT in the database.

“Rarely does a company have a database that is 50-60% accurate. Normally it is significantly worse,” states Brad T. Bloom, Director of Sales for CHD Expert North America. “What I find most interesting is people’s reaction when the challenge shows them how incomplete and/or inaccurate their data truly is. Some people are shocked, and some are not surprised at all. Regardless of their initial reaction, they are glad they participated in the challenge, and come away with a lot of insight. If your organization has data, put it up to the challenge. You will be surprised to see how it compares to the industry’s best.”

No business is too big or small to participate in CHD Expert’s Clean Data Challenge. If your organization is interested in participating, please register on CHD Expert’s Data Challenge Page and a CHD Expert representative will be in contact.

Restaurant Data: The Landscape for Restaurants That Have Been Open for 5+ Years

Author: Nicolas Watson

Do you ever wish you could identify all of the restaurants that have been open for more than 5 years in a particular city? Well with Easy2FIND you can!

CHD Expert has the tools in place that allow you to segment restaurant operator data in a ton of different ways.  For example, if you sell point of sale technology or software, it might be important for you to know which restaurants have been in business for a while because you know that new restaurants have most likely already purchased your product. But, you also know based on your own sales data that you have the best close rate when you reach out to businesses that have been open for more than five years.

By working with CHD Expert you can license the data and have constant access to this type of information, and segment it however it is helpful for your organization! Here are a few options of ways you can segment the data in case you are having trouble being creative. You can segment by: Menu type, GFC code, average check, annual sales, number of employees, years in business, and so many more!

To illustrate how helpful this data can be for businesses, we’ve put together an infographic showing details for restaurants that have been open for five or more years.

Restaurant Data Infographic

If you have any questions or want to learn more about CHD Expert, please feel free to give us a call at (312) 768-6900 or email us at cathy@chd-expert.com.

America’s Favorite Food And The Economics Behind The Hamburger

Author: Nico Watson

Memorial Day Weekend usually kicks off the first official BBQ of the summer, and something we know is that Americans love hamburgers and cheeseburgers! Funny enough, while everyone seems to love hamburgers, everyone loves to dress their hamburger in their own way!

One of our favorite examples of individualized hamburgers is the menu and secret menu at In-N-Out. Did you know you could order a 3×3, ketchup and mustard instead, whole grill and pickles? It’s true! In-N-Out lets you customize a burger just the way you like it, even if it’s not on their menu, or their not-so-secret-menu.

As you know, here at CHD Expert, we provide data to foodservice professionals. Do you know which state has the most burger restaurants in America? According to our 2012 Foodservice Operator Update, California has the largest percentage of hamburger restaurants in the US, coming in at 12.3%. Furthermore, there are a total of 50, 064 hamburger restaurants in all of the US. Want more restaurant data, fill out the form to request a call. Click here.

When we saw this great infogaphic about hamburgers that uses data to tell us about the economics behind America’s favorite food, the hamburger, we got very excited! Take a look and let us know what you think? We are still amazed by staggering ketchup statistic that 71 pounds are consumed per person each year! Yikes

So next time you fire up the grill, take a good look at how you’re assembling your burger and how you contribute to the economics of Americans favorite food.

Hamburgers: The Economics of America’s Favorite Food infographic by Mint.com.

CHD Expert Identifies K-12 Schools That Participate in Free and Reduced Lunch Programs

CHD Expert identifies K-12 Schools that participate in free and reduced lunch meal programs, highlighting big opportunities for foodservice professionals in education.

Leading food service data and analytics companyCHD Expert, releases new data identifying the different schools that participate in government funded National School Lunch Programs.

June 21st marked the first day of summer, and while many children look forward to their summer break, being out of school poses a challenge for millions of children who live in food insecure households.

In 1946 President Truman introduced a federal assisted meal program to provide nutritionally balanced lunches at a free or reduced cost to children while in school. Currently this program is overseen by the US Department of Agriculture and there are more than 31 million children who receive free or reduced school lunches each day (Source:Food and Nutrition Service).

With the School Nutrition Association’s 2013 Annual National Conference taking place in Kansas City later this month, CHD Expert provides the latest numbers on Free and Reduced Lunch Meal counts for the entire United States.

According to CHD Expert’s FIND database, there are 63,406 K -12 Schools that offer Free and Reduced Lunch Meals in the United States. In addition, CHD Expert also reports that there are 4,367 school districts in the United States with more than 500 students on free and reduced lunch meals. In total, CHD Expert’s Education Database contains 123,140 K-12 Schools and 13,405 School Districts across the nation. This does not include CHD Expert’s Database for Colleges and Universities.

CHD Expert also breaks down and compares different regions within the United States. In the Pacific Region1 there are 661 school districts with more than 500 students on free and reduced lunch meals. The Midwest region2 by comparison has 1,025 such school districts. (Pacific States Include: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Midwest States Include: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.)

Other filters CHD Expert has available to dissect the data include: Ownership (Public, Private, and Religious); Enrollment, Number of Meals Served Per Day; Number of Schools in the District. There is also contact information available for each school and school district, which could include the titles of Principal, Superintendent, and Foodservice Directors.

“This is highly coveted information for foodservice providers who cater their products or services to schools and school districts,” stated Brad T. Bloom, Director of Sales for CHD Expert North America. “By understanding which schools obtain federal assistance, providers can better focus their sales efforts and position themselves to receive awarded bids from these schools. During times when school budgets are tight, being able to pinpoint who is getting a little extra help from the federal government can help your organization get more sales.”

To obtain more information about CHD Expert’s findings, or with general questions about education foodservice data, please contact Nicolas Watson.