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Dear Loyal Followers:
Here it is the middle of June and we have crowned the NBA & NHL Champions and a Triple Crown Winner. Baseball is in full swing, (nice huh!) and the races for the most part are fairly close. My Cubs are just about tied for the top spot in their division and the White Sox are showing up. It promises to be a great summer.
One of the concepts we can learn from teams, was reiterated in an article I read in ADP Magazine. The concept was simple; should you Buy or Build Talent?  We have seen professional teams try and win with both options. Some have been successful and some have not. (Think Patriots and Mets). While there is good evidence for both strategies, the author of the article believes that the best approach for an organization is to create an organizational structure that develops and leverages talent wisely. The idea is to create a team Not of Stars; but, A Star Team. When you incentivize team goals rather than individual goals, you can create a culture where everyone’s contribution is recognized and rewarded.
I and my Associates would be happy to show you how you can create that winning combination; so, give us a call. Enjoy the beginning of summer, as you peruse the latest edition of American Recruiters Global Foodservice News. I hope YOUR TEAM WINS!!
President

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The Many Definitions of What “Clean Label” Really Means

Just when product developers thought they had gained an understanding of consumers’ expectations of clean label — simple ingredients, nothing artificial and minimal processing — plant-based foods started becoming more popular. In many instances, plant-based foods defy clean label logic, as they are not minimally processed. Think of converting a solid nut into a liquid or making a vegan burger out of genetically modified ingredients, among a lengthy list of other ingredients; whereas milk is milk and a hamburger is simply beef. The definition of clean label has become increasingly blurred. In many instances, it has nothing to do with being simple, rather it’s about transparency. Other times, it’s sustainability. Traceability plays into the story, too. The concept of clean label, however it is defined, remains a priority for food manufacturers who want to be competitive in today’s food space. “There is a lot of clamor about clean label these days,” said Pam Stauffer, global marketing programs manager, Cargill, Minneapolis. “It has become a sweeping term encompassing a convergence of trends surrounding health, diet and sustainability of products that influence how some consumers think about and decide on the products they purchase. “Because clean label has no agreed upon definition, it is difficult for manufacturers to determine how these various trends translate to the development of food and beverage products.

The concept has gained so much relevance that many consumers are actually seeking products positioned as clean label without having a strong idea of what the term means.” Soumya Nair, director of marketing insights, Kerry, Beloit, Wis., said, “Consumers are at differing levels of clean label adoption, from the forward-looking label seekers who are quick to adopt new claims, the cautious investigators who seek to learn more before jumping on the wagon, to those that are indifferent to clean label.” A recent Kerry survey found that while similarities in clean label opinions exist, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. There are multiple consumer segments, each having different nutritional and functional priorities that drive their purchase behavior. Clean label is evolving to mean a “better food future,” Ms. Nair said. “This can include organic, natural, free-from artificial ingredients and G.M.O.s, low sugar, added functional ingredients and sustainable manufacturing,” she noted. The Safe + Fair Food Co., Chicago, is all about non-G.M.O., clean label and allergy-friendly foods. The company offers snacks, desserts and meals, many of which are gluten-free. “As a company, we believe we have a responsibility to the millions of families with food allergies to make the safe food choice the easy and affordable choice,” said Will Holsworth, chief executive officer.

Allergies are one example of why someone seeks clean label foods. Having a better understanding of clean label behavioral drivers may help formulators develop targeted solutions that align with different consumer priorities and need states. A gluten-free consumer may be much more accepting of a lengthier ingredient statement knowing that to replace wheat in bread requires multiple ingredients. A diabetic is likely more open to artificially sweetened to not sacrifice taste, while someone on a weight-loss diet may have no issue with titanium dioxide being used to provide a creamy, opaque appearance to fat-free ranch dressing. “To some, clean label is about a simpler ingredient list,” said Vicky Fligel, senior product manager — beverages, Glanbia Nutritionals, Chicago. “The challenge is that most ingredients have a functional purpose so it’s not as easy to just take them out of a formulation.” Pure Organic, Solana Beach, Calif., a manufacturer of fruit and nut bars, believed being organic was not enough for its target consumer. Earlier this year, the company reformulated its bars to contain no more than eight recognizable, kitchen cupboard ingredients, including dates, nuts, dried fruits and nut butters. All tapioca syrup, agave nectar and processed proteins were removed. “The updated bars’ improved taste, better texture and clean ingredients make mindful eating easy for everyone,” said Veronica Bosgraaf, founder.

Exploring mindful eating: Mindful eating is more about what one is consciously avoiding putting into their body. Attributes not associated with clean label include chemical-sounding ingredients (55%), highly processed products (52%), and anything that contains artificial ingredients (45%), G.M.O.s (44%) or artificial sweeteners (43%), according to Cargill research. “Consumers check ingredient lists to verify claims on product packaging,” said Sharon Chittkusol, associate marketing manager, wholesome innovation — North America, Ingredion Inc., Westchester, Ill. “Ingredients gain acceptance when they are recognizable with names consumers can pronounce. But still, some natural ingredients that are unfamiliar or have scientific-sounding names can face rejection.” Ingredion’s consumer research showed 62% of U.S./Canadian consumers claim to usually or always check the ingredient labels, while more than 78% said it is important to recognize ingredients. This increased from 66% in 2013.

So how does Impossible Burger make it on the menu of organic-centric restaurants? The flagship product from Impossible Foods, the Redwood City, Calif.-based biotechnology company, features simple ingredients such as wheat, coconut oil and potatoes, but it also relies on genetically modified yeast, which produces heme, a protein naturally found in plants and animals that gives meat its flavor and aroma. The burger is served in hundreds of restaurants, including “a lot of restaurants that proudly label themselves organic,” said Patrick Brown, CEO and founder, at the Future Food-Tech conference, held March 22-23 in San Francisco. He said although the Impossible Burger uses genetic modification, the product and brand ethos align with the values of organic consumers. “In our experience when we’re working with people who label their foods as organic … we fit in perfectly with that because of the integrity of what we’re doing, the fact that we’re dedicated to the health and nutrition of the consumer and we’re dedicated to preserving a healthy environment, which is completely consistent with the motives of most people who are choosing to buy organic products,” he said. This is a different spin on clean label, one that is about making food for a cleaner global environment.

When it comes to plant-based foods, the definition of clean label gets further blurred, and apparently there are many unknowns, as this category is in its infancy. In time, the industry will have a better understanding of what consumers will accept. “Science may say we can, but society questions if we should,” said Charlie Arnot, c.e.o. of The Center for Food Integrity, Kansas City, at the 2018 Faegre Baker Daniels Food & Agribusiness National Conference on May 17 in Minneapolis. Mr. Arnot explained how transparency has become a part of the clean label platform. Just because something is scientifically feasible does not mean consumers will accept it. If you come “clean” and explain the science, consumers might buy into it. It’s a case-by-case scenario. Blurred lines: Cargill research supports consumers’ uncertainties of the definition of clean label. “It is important to understand how consumers define clean label in the context of your brand in order to deliver the optimal solution,” Ms. Stauffer said. “And something to keep in mind, our research found that price premiums were a sticking point; less than half of respondents said they would pay a 10% premium price for products made with familiar ingredients.” Jean Shieh, marketing manager, Sensient Natural Ingredients, Turlock, Calif., said, “Consider the best path to maximize return. Removing a synthetic component, which likely would reduce performance such as shelf life, and replacing synthetic ingredients with natural ingredients typically results in a higher raw material cost.” Even within the “non-synthetic” ingredient category, there are differences in costs that must be addressed. Plant-sourced colors, for example, may be 20 to 30 times the cost of caramel colors, said Brian Sethness, executive vice-president of sales and marketing, Sethness Products Co., Skokie, Ill. “Consumers are seldom willing to pay more for clean label,” he said. “They expect products to be clean label at the same cost, which is virtually impossible. “Class I, or plain caramel colors, have become the fastest-growing segment of caramel colors, as they meet consumer demand for cleaner labels. We are also experiencing increased demand for non-G.M.O. and organic caramel colors, which are more expensive than traditional offerings, but mostly better performing than plant-based colors.”

Synthetic ingredients have been used for so long because they are effective and economical. Their removal may impact product quality, which in turn impacts retail price, said Beth Warren, chief commercial officer, Edlong, Elk Grove Village, Ill. To ensure desirable appearance and taste in packaged prepared foods, formulators rely on advanced ingredient technologies. “If natural ingredients are used, consider if there are other values to call out,” Ms. Shieh said. “For example, where the ingredient is sourced from could also communicate traceability.” This may help the shopper justify the investment. Clean label is becoming as much about ingredients and processing as it is about trust in the product and the company. That’s where transparency and the brand’s story becomes part of clean label. Breyers, a brand of Unilever, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., recently began adding the claim “Partnering with American farmers — 100% Grade A Milk & Cream” to its packaged ice cream as part of its clean label initiative. “At Breyers, it’s simple,” said Russel Lilly, marketing director. “We care about the ingredients that make our ice cream great. We want everyone who enjoys Breyers ice cream to know that it not only tastes great, but is always made with high-quality ingredients. This new 100% Grade A claim will help people to rest assured that choosing Breyers is choosing quality.” A window on the supply chain: Ingredient transparency has been part of The Hershey Co., Hershey, Pa., since February 2015, when the company made a commitment to transition to simple ingredients. Today, Hershey offers products that deliver on this promise across its portfolio. By 2020, all everyday Hershey’s brand chocolate confection products will have simple ingredients. Every day is a key descriptor, as this may not include seasonal and limited-edition products that rely on complex ingredients. That is why transparency is an important part of the clean label process. To be transparent, the company’s web site includes a glossary of all ingredients the company uses in its products. The fact is that the early definition of clean label — simple ingredients, nothing artificial and minimal processing — may not be realistic, functionally or economically, in today’s food culture. Transparency may be a better approach. “Our consumer and industry insights research has thus far not been able to demonstrate conclusively that products that have been reformulated to be cleaner, such as removing artificial colors, flavors and preservatives or taking stronger actions to remove other perceived unclean ingredients and shorten labels, has resulted in appreciable increases in sales,” said Mark Cornthwaite, marketing manager, DuPont Nutrition & Health, New Century, Kas. “This is not surprising, as there is already a brand value proposition in the minds of the consumer for a particular product and a great deal of product and ingredient attribute changes need to be achieved and communicated, according to our research, in order to make a consumer switch brands. “There is greater evidence to suggest that brand new clean label products that are specifically formulated to be cleaner have increased share of volume and revenue in otherwise declining or stagnating industries, such as bread for example. Brands in ice cream and yogurt have similarly bucked the industry trend according to sales data.” It should be recognized some notable product reformulations have not been on the market long enough to gather conclusive evidence. The concept of clean label will continue to evolve. It is important to identify behavioral drivers for clean label product purchases and remember that many times it’s personal. – Source: Food Business News.

Howard Schultz to Step Down as Starbucks Executive Chairman

Howard Schultz, the outspoken executive chairman of Starbucks, will leave the company at the end of the month, bringing to an end the tenure of a socially conscious entrepreneur who turned a local Seattle coffee chain into a global giant with more than 28,000 stores in 77 countries. Mr. Schultz’s decision to retire, a plan he said he privately outlined to the board a year ago, will most likely stoke speculation that he is considering a run for president in 2020.

He is frequently mentioned as a potential candidate for the Democratic Party and has become increasingly vocal on political issues, including criticizing President Trump last year as “a president that is creating episodic chaos every day.” While Mr. Schultz, 64, typically bats away speculation about his political ambitions with an eye roll or a pithy answer, on Monday he acknowledged for the first time that it is something he may consider. “I want to be truthful with you without creating more speculative headlines,” he told The New York Times. “For some time now, I have been deeply concerned about our country — the growing division at home and our standing in the world.” “One of the things I want to do in my next chapter is to figure out if there is a role I can play in giving back,” he continued. “I’m not exactly sure what that means yet.” Asked directly if he was considering running for president, he said: “I intend to think about a range of options, and that could include public service. But I’m a long way from making any decisions about the future.” Mr. Schultz said he and the board had expected to announce his departure last month, but that plan was upended after an episode at a Philadelphia store in mid-April in which two black men were arrested after waiting inside one of the company’s stores without making a purchase.

Last week, Starbucks closed all of its company-owned stores around the country for four hours for racial bias training, a program that Mr. Schultz had spearheaded. The possibility that Mr. Schultz, who has spent three decades leading Starbucks, could run for president has become far more realistic with the election of Mr. Trump, a real estate developer and reality-television star before his political career. Mr. Trump’s successful candidacy has set off a wave of speculation about business leaders eyeing a shot at the White House. Robert Iger, Disney’s chief executive, publicly said he had been considering running for president until he struck a deal to buy 21st Century Fox. Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, is also thought of as a possible candidate, and Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks N.B.A. team, has said he planned to consider running as Republican, but would need to convince his wife first. “She asked me if I want to stay married,” Mr. Cuban said last November. Under Mr. Schultz’s leadership, Starbucks has waded into debates over social issues such as gay rights, race relations, veterans’ rights, gun violence and student debt. Mr. Schultz was an early champion of the idea of a corporate executive as a moral leader as he sought to achieve what he described as “the fragile balance between profit and conscience.”

Still, Mr. Schultz cautioned against reading too much into his decision to leave Starbucks. “I want to be of service to our country, but that doesn’t mean I need to run for public office to accomplish that,” he said. He stepped away from the chief executive role at Starbucks last April, handing the reins to Kevin Johnson. It was the second time that Mr. Schultz had made that move, having given up the role in 2000 to become chairman, only to return to the chief executive position eight years later. His latest departure, however, is a greater separation than before. Myron E. Ullman, the former chairman of J. C. Penney, will become Starbucks’s new chairman, and Mr. Schultz will be given an honorary title of chairman emeritus. Mr. Schultz, executive chairman of Starbucks, left a message Monday on a wall of the first Starbucks store, which opened at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Mr. Schultz said he planned to work on his family foundation and write a book about “social impact work and the efforts to redefine the role and responsibility of a public company.” Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, whose father was the lawyer who helped Mr. Schultz buy Starbucks in 1987, said, “Howard has built an amazing organization in Starbucks, and it’s exciting to consider what he might accomplish philanthropically.”

On Monday, just hours before Mr. Schultz planned to send a letter to the company’s 350,000 employees around the world announcing his decision, he visited Starbucks’s first store at Pike Place Market for the last time as its leader. “I’ve been doing this for almost 40 years,” he said. “Taking my green apron off is hard. It is emotional. More emotional than I thought it would be.” “I told myself a long time ago that if I was ever going to explore a second act, I couldn’t do it while still at the company,” he added. Mr. Schultz’s legacy as an entrepreneur will be defined as much for his vision to create a global coffee chain as for his progressive approach to running the company — or, as he has often said, “to build the company my father never got to work for.” Mr. Schultz, who grew up in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, said watching his father, a World War II veteran who became a truck driver and later a taxi driver, struggle to make enough money to pay for basics had led him to offer complete health benefits for full- and part-time employees and their domestic partners, a first for such a chain. He later provided stock options for part-time workers and offered to cover college tuition for students enrolled in online courses at Arizona State University. “Howard proved that a company could be more successful and profitable by elevating humanity,” said Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments and a Starbucks director who will become vice chairwoman when Mr. Schultz steps down.

Under Mr. Schultz, the company’s financial success has been immense. Shares of Starbucks have risen 21,000 percent since the company’s initial public offering in 1992; an investor who had put in $10,000 then would have more than $2 million today. Still, Mr. Schultz’s progressive approach to management has not been without criticism. The company announced two weeks ago that it would let customers and non-customers alike use its restrooms following the incident in Philadelphia, and it was soon criticized by some as putting its store managers in increasingly complex and difficult situations that they may not be properly trained to handle. And Mr. Trump has criticized Starbucks as trying to be too politically correct, bashing the company for no longer selling Christmas-themed cups. “Maybe we should boycott Starbucks?” Mr. Trump said on the campaign trail. For Starbucks, Mr. Schultz’s departure will most likely be seen — both internally and externally — as a new challenge. While Mr. Schultz had already handed over the chief executive title to Mr. Johnson, he largely remained the face of the company as he continued to champion the idea of Starbucks as “the third place” — a meeting ground between home and work that he modeled from coffee bars in Italy after he took a trip there in 1983. Starbucks itself is transitioning in the United States from a fast-growing company to one that’s more likely to rise and fall with the rest of the economy. Still, it is growing wildly in China, where it is planning to open as many as two new stores a day. It is one of the few American companies that operate in China without a local partner. Mr. Schultz, however, said his decision to leave now — even after the episode in Philadelphia — illustrated the complete confidence he had in Mr. Johnson, the company’s top management and its board. “The timing was never going to be perfect,” he said. At the original Pike Place Market store early Monday, with only a handful of customers looking on, Mr. Schultz leaned over to inscribe the wall next to an espresso bar he installed himself in 1987: “This is where it all began. My dream to build a company that fosters respect and dignity and create a place where we can all come together over a cup of coffee. Onward with love.” – Source: The New York Times.

CFO Brian Jenkins is Taking Over the Top Role

It’s the end of an era for Dave & Buster’s. Since going public in 2014, chief executive officer Stephen M. King and chief financial officer Brian Jenkins have been the face of the company for investors. One part of that management team, which doubled the entertainment-dining brand’s store count in the past 12 years, is stepping aside. King, Dave & Buster’s CEO since September 2006, said during a June 11 conference call that he plans to retire, effective August 5. King will continue to serve as chairman and remain on the board of directors, the company said. Jenkins, Dave & Buster’s CFO since December 2006 after a 10-year run at Six Flags, Inc., will become the 115-unit brand’s new CEO. “As for the timing, it’s just the right time for me personally. One can only see another milestone to be completed and push something like this off into the future. Some of you know that for my first 10 years as CEO of Dave & Buster’s, I commuted from Dallas to New Haven, while my wife was an officer at Yale University. Now that she’s retired, I want to spend more time with her and the rest of my family,” King said. “I continue to have a big emotional and financial stake in the success of Dave & Buster’s.”

King arrived at a transitional period in Dave & Buster’s history. The brand first went public in 1997 and then was taken private nine years later thanks to an investment by Wellspring Capital Partners III L.P. and HBK Main Street Investors L.P. King started as CFO and was soon promoted to the lead role, where he led Dave & Buster’s strong growth and October 2014 reentry into the public markets with a $94.1 million initial offering. “Over the past 20 years, I’ve developed a passion for the entertainment business,” Jenkins said. “Having spent a decade with Six Flags and now over 11 years here at D&B, entertainment is in my DNA. I’ve always looked at our business through an entertainment lens and believe that our relatively low frequency continues to represent an opportunity for us.”

King shifts from his role at an interesting—and optimistic time—for Dave & Buster’s. The chain had a rough close to fiscal 2017, with same-store sales declines of 5.9 percent triggering a double-digit Wall Street tumble. This fiscal calendar, however, is off to a dramatically different tune. Despite same-store sales falling 4.9 percent, Dave & Buster’s shares soared as much as 20 percent in late trading Monday as revenue breezed past analyst expectations. The company reported first-quarter net income of $42.2 million, about $1.04 per share, besting FactSet’s call of 94 cents per share. Revenue of $333.2 million topped FactSet’s $321.6 million call and was 9.2 percent higher than the year-ago period. Dave & Buster’s opened six stores during Q1 as well, and some are delivering the highest volume openings in company history, King said. At the end of fiscal 2017, King said Dave & Buster’s new amusement offerings proved less compelling than normal. Amusement sales were down 4.2 percent as walk-in sales dipped 6.4 percent, but the downturn was also accompanied by details of Dave & Buster’s impending virtual reality push, which is just about ready for its close-up.

The company is in the midst of nationally rolling out its first proprietary VR title, Jurassic World VR Expedition, which is the biggest single game investment Dave & Buster’s has made to date. While it’s been introduced over the past 10 days or so, Thursday marks the official launch as far as advertising and marketing assets are concerned. A second title is coming toward the end of the calendar year as Dave & Buster’s plans to build a library of proprietary VR content it believes will differentiate the concept not just from other eat-and-play brands, but from console gaming and other competitive entertainment offerings. Dave & Buster’s is selling VR as an attraction through a VR chip, both at its kiosk and register. Guests can also buy a chip if they come up to the attraction via point-of-sale devices. Even before this product hits, Dave & Buster’s is already on the upswing. Amusement and other sales lifted 10.4 percent in the first quarter, while food and beverage sales collectively grew 7.7 percent. Amusement and other represented 57.9 percent of total revenues, a 60 basis-point increase from the prior-year period. Walk-in sales dropped 4.8 percent; special events business declined 6.4 percent. In terms of category comps, amusements fell 4 percent, while food and bar dipped 6.7 percent and 5 percent, respectively. On the culinary side, the chain’s pared-down menu—about a 20 percent cut announced in February—is beginning to help Dave & Buster’s simplify kitchen processes, King added, and speed up service. It also remains on track to test a “quick-casual” offering inside Dave & Buster’s during the back half of the year. King said “we continue to view this as a complementary delivery mechanism to casual dining inside our facilities.” “Improving service and reducing friction in the guest experience is also a strategic priority for us, and we’re focusing our attention on pain points at the front desk, at our bars, in the dining room and while purchasing power cards and activating games,” he added. “A combination of technology and operating processes, including how we deploy our people, are key elements of this strategy.” Development of 10 percent or more unit growth annually remains a key driver for Dave & Buster’s. Nine units have opened since 2018 began, and five are under construction. The six stores that opened in Q1 are: Rogers, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; Wayne, New Jersey; Anchorage, Alaska (a new market for the brand); Madison, Wisconsin; and Rosemont, Illinois. The Rogers store was Dave & Buster’s first in the 17,000 square-foot smaller format it outlined last December. The next is coming to Corpus Christi, Texas, later in the year. Dave & Buster’s expects average-unit volumes of $4–$4.5 million and store-level EBITDA margins of around 25 percent in these restaurants. So far in the second quarter, Dave & Buster’s has opened in Salt Lake City—another new market; Massapequa, New York; and Torrance, California. “Our target is to ultimately open or 231 to 251 locations in the U.S. and Canada, including 20 to 40 of the 17,000-square-foot stores,” King said. “We plan to capture market share through unit growth on a consistent measured pace and by driving improvement in our comp store sales.” “We can win by focusing on enhancing our offering, strengthening our execution inside the box, and ensuring that we’re reaching our audiences effectively,” he added. – Source: fsrmagazine.com.

Rick Vanzura Accepts a CEO Position with Another Restaurant Chain

Wahlburgers announced that CEO Rick Vanzura would step down at the end of the week. As the company searches for his successor, Patrick Renna, the company’s CFO, has been named interim CEO.

The Boston-based burger chain was started by executive chef Paul Wahlberg and his brothers, the actors Mark and Donnie Wahlberg. “On behalf of Mark, Paul and our entire family, we are grateful for Rick’s years of tireless dedication to this company and being a key part of our brand growth and franchise development,” Donnie Wahlberg said in a news release. “We understand and support his decision to step down and appreciate all of the years he worked with us and wish him and his family the very best.” Vanzura has accepted a position as CEO with another restaurant chain, the news release said, but when asked, Vanzura said the name of the chain was still under wraps. Vanzura published a heartfelt goodbye and outlined some of the highlights of his time at Wahlburgers on LinkedIn, which includes launching the restaurant’s beef in retail and pitching the A&E reality show named after the chain. “It has been an extraordinary gift to be able to build this phenomenal business with the Wahlbergs the last six and a half years,” Vanzura said in the news release. “Mark, Donnie and Paul have been more than I could ever ask for in terms of the commitment and heart they’ve put into Wahlburgers. I’d also like to thank our staff, franchisees, vendors and our incredible group of managers and crew that bring this awesome brand to life every day in our restaurants. I will always be available to help them any way I can, and I know the business is in very good hands with Patrick.” Wahlburgers has 26 locations throughout North America. – Source: NRN.

Why IHOb? IHOP’s President Explains the Daring Campaign

It’s been quite a week for IHOP. Ever since the iconic chain posted to Twitter and Facebook on June 4 with its plan to become IHOb, the Internet went crazy with speculation. More than 3,000 articles, 8 billion impressions later, and the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 trending spots on Twitter all at once on June 11, IHOP is sharing the why behind one of its boldest moves in 60 years of casual-dining history.

For starters, the change is not permanent. Not in branding and not in the notion that IHOP is abandoning its past. IHOP is still I-H-O-P and it’s still going to dominant breakfast. The Dine Brands chain wanted to expand its dinner and lunch business, especially as off-premises ramps up (dinner and lunch are where the majority of to-go and pick-up occasions occur typically), and saw this buzz-worthy path as the best way to do so. With a muted campaign, would anybody have given IHOP’s foray into the burger space the attention executives felt it deserved? Surely not to this degree.

Now, however, with the spotlight on, IHOP believes its product, made with 100 percent USDA Choice, Black Angus ground beef, will do the rest of the talking. IHOP president Darren Rebelez took some time to chat with FSR about the IHOb initiative, what the brand hopes it accomplished, and what this practice revealed about the brand’s past, future, and everything in between. So walk us through how this came to life. It’s far from you average marketing campaign, to say the least. When we looked at our business, we have such strength at breakfast. We’re so well known and beloved for our pancakes and all of our other breakfast food. But we have this untapped whitespace around lunch and dinner. We’re on a concerted effort to do something about that. We decided to start with burgers. We knew because we’re so strongly associated with breakfast that we were going to have to do something bold, and a little bit on the risky side to make sure that we broke through—that people would think about us in a different way. This idea came to us from our team, both internally and working with our ad agency Droga5. Yeah, when I saw it … it was bold. And we had to talk through it. But for us, what it really signified, and this was part of our strategy all along, we’re taking our burgers as seriously as our pancakes. We were going to set out to build burgers that have the highest level of quality we could. To do that, and to convey that in kind of a fun and quirky way, we needed to do something different. So the flip from a “p” to a “b” was a simple way to do that, and I would say that it’s exceeded all of our expectations in terms of how much buzz and interest it’s generated. Speaking of buzz, just how crazy has it been? We expected to get attention. That was the whole purpose behind doing what we did. So we knew we would get some interest, but none of us could have ever anticipated it would be on the order or magnitude that it’s become. We’ve had over 3,000 articles written and 8 billion impressions last week. And now we’re trending No. 1., No. 2, and No. 4 on Twitter right now. It is just absolutely blown away any expectations we had.

Burgers. Burgers. Burgers. IHOP wants to drive the message home. What’s the internal reaction been like at IHOP as this whole campaign has blown up? It’s been a lot of fun, I will say that. Literally everyone here has had their phones blowing up from everybody they know trying to pump us for information, and trying to figure out what the “b” stood for. It’s been a lot of fun. But it’s also been a really great reminder of just how beloved this brand is. And how relevant it is today. I think there’s a misperception out there about our brand that maybe because we’re 60 years young that we’re not as relevant as we should be. Over 50 percent of our guest base is aged 34 and under. So we have a great following with millennials, a great following with Gen Z. So I think this exercise this week, and the level of engagement and support we’ve seen on social media, kind of indicates that. We’re very relevant to a younger generation. Dine Brands CEO Stephen Joyce said in a recent earnings call that the death of casual dining was “false news” and echoed some of these points. Look, our brand is loved by all generations. We certainly have seen seniors as well, but we’re focused on families. We get families and with families come people of all ages. That’s who we’ve always been, and particularly now I think this initiative has been a spotlight on that. Let’s talk about the goal of igniting lunch and dinner dayparts. Breakfast accounted for 49 percent of sales last year and obviously IHOP doesn’t want to detract from that strength. But how can burgers help the brand capitalize on the whitespace lunch and dinner offer? We had to start with the product itself. We really had to make sure we had a high, high-quality product because everybody knows that we do great breakfast food but we’re not as well known for our other foods. So we started there. We started off with the meat. We’ve got an all-natural, 100 percent USDA Choice Black Angus steak that we make our burgers out of, and we hand-press them on the grill to really lock in the juices and flavors. And we top it with all kinds of high-quality products, whether it’s our custom-cured hickory smoked bacon or thick-cut onion rings, or in the case of our Brunch Burger we put an over easy fried egg, hickory-smoked bacon, and a hash brown potato cake on there. All of that is on our brioche bread bun, which is the same bread that we use on our brioche French toast. We started off with high-quality ingredients that we know are going to deliver. The second thing we needed to do is let everybody know that we’re actually in the burger business. That’s kind of the phase we’re in right now. We did a teaser campaign and got everybody talking about it. All eyes on us. Now, we’ve had the reveal. There are probably not too many people in America who don’t know that we’re selling steakburgers now. And then the third component of that was offering a compelling value proposition for the guest to come in and try it. That offer right now is our classic cheeseburger with unlimited fries and a soft drink or iced tea for only $6.99. What we’ve found in our testing is that any time a consumer had tried the product the intent to revisit scores were off the charts. We knew we were on to the right product, we just had to find a way to let people know we had it, and give them a reason to come in. We think we’ve done all three of those and now we’ll see the results of that in the coming weeks.

IHOP’s Ultimate Steakburgers are made with all-natural, 100 percent USDA Choice, Black Angus ground beef. What were the earlier tests of the burgers like? We did four different test markets with some lower levels of media. We wanted to make sure we got this right. In fact, also in that process, we ran the concept of flipping the “p” to a “b” by those guests as well. We pretty much got the reaction from those groups that we’re seeing in social media right now. A little bit of shock. A little bit of dismay. But then once we explain to people that this is more tongue-and-cheek and we’re not changing the name forever—that this is just a way to convey that we’re taking our burgers as seriously as our pancakes—then everybody got it and appreciated it for what it was. Has there been any negative kickback to the campaign? One thing I would like to make sure is very clear is that this is not a permanent change to IHOP. IHOP is going to stay. As I-H-O-P. And the pancakes are always going to be there. Our breakfast focus is always going to be there. But we are still conveying that message that we’re taking our burgers as seriously as our pancakes. And the food is every bit as good with these burgers as it is with any of our breakfast foods. I want to make sure that message gets across because there have been a number of people who have been a bit confused about that and think that we’re walking away from pancakes. In fact, you can get a side of pancakes with your burger if you don’t want fries. Not only can you get both, but also you can get both at the same time. You don’t have to choose.

International House of Burgers. An IHOP flagship in California is going all-out for the IHOb campaign. Returning to the idea of brand value, this really seems to have affirmed what the IHOP name and history means to a lot of people around the country. This is something that we always knew. If you work or have worked for IHOP, you’ve had this experience. You meet somebody new and you tell them you work for IHOP and the first words out of their mouths are, ‘Oh, I love IHOP.’ That’s kind of a universal thing. We always experience that and we know there’s this love for IHOP. But when you go through a process like this you really get to see just how beloved of an America icon IHOP is. It’s really gratifying to be able to see that love come to life in such a big way. Where do you go from here? With great attention comes great possibility and expectations, doesn’t it? We think this has a lot of legs to it. Here are a couple of reasons. One, this isn’t an LTO for us. This is a permanent part of the menu. And you’ll see that when you go into the restaurants. It is a permanent part and the way we view this is this is the first step that we’re taking on really building that lunch and dinner business for the long-term. That’s why we invested so much time and energy in making sure we got the product right and the launch campaign. The second piece was our growing meals to-go business. We launched our meals to-go platform in Q4 of last year, enabled that with an online ordering platform, and our new mobile app that enables the online ordering. Now we’re in the process of testing delivery with a few providers. The preponderance of delivery orders and off-premise dining occasions is really in the lunch and dinner daypart, more skewed toward dinner. So we think that burgers are a great option for that dinner daypart. People can always get our breakfast food anytime of the day. But as they start to shift their focus more on savory traditional lunch and dinner type of items, we think this fits very well with that. The value aspect, how important was that to driving lunch business given the fast casual and quick-service competition? It’s a great value. I would put our burgers up against anyone’s—they’re that good. We’re convinced when people come in and try this quality of a burger at the price point that we’re offering right now, it’s going to be a compelling value proposition and they’re going to come again. In regards to repeat guests, where does IHOP focus its efforts now that the attention is there? Our focus right now is on in-restaurant execution. Our franchisees have been very engaged in this process. They’re very excited about the initiative and they’ve been working really hard with their teams to make sure we put our best foot forward on this. I think as things started to unfold last week, the level of urgency started to increase as well. Everybody is really geared up and excited to introduce the world to these new steakburgers. – Source: Restaurant Innovation Smart Brief.

TGIF is Showing Fast Growth

Restaurant chain TGI Fridays has used AI to double its off-premise business over the last year — and is seeing such fast growth that the company has struggled to keep up. Sherif Mityas, TGI Fridays’ chief experience officer, said the company’s off-premise business — or business that comes from customers that engage with it outside of its restaurants, such as ordering food through the TGI Fridays bot on Messenger — has doubled over the past year to 10 percent of sales, from just 5 percent. And it’s being driven by AI in its marketing. That’s no small feat. When you’re talking about a $3 billion business, that’s about $300 million in revenue the company is now getting from off-premise, or about $150 million driven by AI-powered marketing. That’s transformative for a company, and particularly impressive when many companies outside of resource-heavy giants like Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon have had a hard time finding the talent or patience to implement AI properly. When Mityas refers to AI, he’s referring mainly to the company’s machine learning-driven bot that works across multiple channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, Kik, Alexa, and even OnStar, the in-car service owned by GM (for drivers wondering where they’re going to stop for dinner). The Fridays bot is powered by a company called Conversable. That bot service sits on top of Conversable’s AI engine Aqua, which makes the personalized offers based on data stitched together by the customer data startup Amperity. Fridays’ Mityas said the secret is connecting with each guest in a personal way. Mityas credits the digital agency Rauxa, which helps teach the AI to speak with guests in Fridays’ own voice. Fridays even offers a virtual bartender (powered by a company called Hypergiant) that can mix you a drink personalized just for you. Below is the FB Live interview we had with Mityas about how he did it. It’s the first of a series of conversations we’re having in the run-up to our Transform event in FS on August 21-22, where we’re focusing exclusively on how executives are using AI to grow their companies. Join us there to learn more about just how Mityas pulled this off, and what it means for your business. – Source: VentureBeat.

Bring on the Burgers! Checkers Plans to Open 60 New Stores in N.J.

Got a taste for funnel cake fries? Or a Baconzilla burger and an Island Slushie? Good news! These menu items may be coming to a busy intersection near you. The Checkers drive-in restaurant chain is planning to open up in up 60 new locations in New Jersey, a fivefold increase over the 13 stores currently operating in the Garden State. The newest location is taking shape at the intersection of Route 130 and Marlton Pike in Pennsauken. Another location is planned for the 6900 block of S. Delsea Drive in Vineland, the site of a former Golden Coral, company officials said. “New Jersey folks have very discerning palettes. There’s a lot of good food, pizza and Philly steaks,” said Bruce Kim, the company’s director of franchise development. “But based on consumer feedback there’s room for a brand like us that offers delicious food at a value price.”

The company, known as Checkers & Rally’s have more than 800 restaurants open in the United States. It bills itself as the largest double drive through restaurant chain in the country. Most of the restaurants in the southern and eastern part of the country are Checkers, and Rally’s is the predominant name in the West and Midwest. Each restaurant typically employs up to 25 workers. The signature modular design of each restaurant echoes a throwback, silver-plated diner and drive-in restaurant in which waitresses raced around the parking lot on skates to deliver food. All of the current restaurants are strictly drive through, but many have umbrella-laden tables on the side. The restaurant in Pennsauken will be less than 1000 square feet, which is typical for most locations in the chain. This location on Route 130 (Cresent Boulevard) near Marlton Pike in Pennsauken will be the location of a new Checkers restaurant. Kim said the average “ticket” or purchase from Checkers & Rally’s is under $7. “We’re a value proposition,” Kim said. “Folks want a delicious meal at a good price. No burger chain is selling at this price point.” Kim said the chain is a value for investors who want to open a franchise, as well. He said it could cost as little as $200,000 to open a store, but the “sweet spot” is an investment between $400,000 to $700,000. “New Jersey is underserved by our brand, meaning there’s plenty of room for growth,” Kim said. Most of the chain’s 13 existing restaurants in New Jersey are located outside of New York City and Philadelphia. Other menu items include Kool Aid Slushies, hot dogs piled with fixings, seven different burgers including the triple-decker Big Buford and signature batter-coated fries. Other New Jersey locations include Burlington Township, Camden, Glassboro and Stratford. North and central jersey locations include East Orange, Howell, Jersey City, Linden, Newark, Paterson and Toms River. – Source: NJ Advanced Media.

Hinds-Bock Acquired by Middleby Corporation

Hinds-Bock is a manufacturer of solutions for filling and depositing bakery and food product, an integral part of the industrial baking and food processing line. The company is based in Bothell, Washington and has approximately $15 million in annual revenues. Middleby chairman and CEO Selim Bassoul said: “For decades, Hinds-Bock has been a leader in filling and depositing technologies serving industrial baking, food processing and other specialty areas. This acquisition allows Middleby to offer a customized and complete integrated solution for their high volume baking and processing needs. “Hinds-Bock technology will highly complement the existing bakery and processing systems of our current brands. We can now offer our customers more with one supplier.” Hinds-Bock is a top manufacturer of standard and custom depositing machines and fully automated lines for the baking industry for depositing batters such as muffin, cupcake and cake, depositing fruit pie fillings, mini cake lines, icing equipment and dry toppings such as streusel and nuts. Food factories also rely on Hinds-Bock for liquid bottle filling, high speed meal filling systems, value added protein applications and expertise in the integration of standard and custom filling machines for vertical and horizontal form fill seal applications. – Source: Middleby Corporation.

McDonald’s Unveiled New Headquarters Building

McDonald’s unveiled its new $250 million headquarters building in the Fulton Market district Monday, a move that is part of the burger giant’s years long effort to both lure new customers and attract top talent living in the heart of the city. McDonald’s, which has been based in Oak Brook since the early 1970s, spent the last month slowly bringing its 2,000 corporate employees from its forested suburban campus to the modern nine-story building in the neighborhood also known as the West Loop. The headquarters building has cement floors, metal and glass accents throughout and amenities that would remind one more of an Apple store than a corporate headquarters. McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook said that’s exactly the point: to have a building that reminds employees everyday to be creative and think outside the box — a quality that Easterbrook has admitted the company didn’t do enough of in the past. Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios once stood on the site McDonald’s now occupies, but there are no visible reminders of the property’s former use. Instead of a ribbon cutting, Easterbook, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and others who spoke at a brief dedication ceremony Monday morning pressed a virtual button on a projection screen, meant to mimic the kiosk ordering process available in thousands of McDonald’s newly renovated U.S. restaurants, including the restaurant on the ground floor of its new headquarters. That restaurant has a traditional McDonald’s menu with the addition of a handful of international menu items that will rotate about every three months, operator Nick Karavites said. The second floor is occupied by Hamburger University, the company’s training program for managers. The program was founded by Fred Turner, who rose from grill man to McDonald’s senior chairman, in the basement of a restaurant in Elk Grove Village in 1961. Turner’s daughters attended the opening event. The third floor houses the test kitchens, where McDonald’s develops new sandwiches, sauces and other items. Floors four to eight are occupied by the corporate staff, and feature a mix of cubicles, benches, bars and other seating areas that are unassigned; instead they are reserved by employees on a first-come, first-served basis each morning. A few executives have offices on upper floors, but those spaces are considerably smaller than they were at the Oak Brook headquarters, said Robert Gibbs, McDonald’s chief communications officer. Gibbs said the open seating plan is already allowing for more communication and less time wasted scheduling meetings, because employees are moving around and able to have impromptu conversations. Technology is also making McDonald’s employees’ jobs easier, he said.

The new space has about 300 conference or smaller “huddle” rooms, each equipped with video presentation capabilities; Oak Brook only had a few areas capable of presenting video, he said. The very modern building includes some nods to the past. A display of hundreds of Happy Meal toys decorates one entryway, and a small museum that includes a replica of one of the company’s earliest restaurants, original uniforms and a Multimixer — the appliance Ray Kroc sold to the restaurant’s original founders, the McDonald brothers — sits next to the entrance of Hamburger University. Key figures from the burger chain’s beginning, including Kroc, are honored in entryways. Easterbrook said he has already felt a new “energy” in the space and said he believes that the building is the key to staying “closer to customers, closer to competitors and closer to trends.” – Source: The Chicago Tribune.

Montgomery County throws away about 75,000 tons of food each year

Montgomery County deals with about 75,000 tons of food that is thrown away each year, much of which can be used for other purposes. By reusing, donating or composting, many restaurants are working to cut down that number, but less than half track inventory, and fewer still donate. Several restaurants in the Dayton area are trying unique ways to get the most out of their food and cut down on waste while helping their employees or the needy. “We feel it’s good to help the community and give back to those in need,” said Fred Pfeiffer, a Dorothy Lane Market store director.

The issue was highlighted recently in a study funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which found the average American wastes about a pound of food each day. John Woodman, a program specialist at the Montgomery County Solid Waste District, said about half a million tons of waste pass through the county transfer facility on its way to landfills each year. Fifteen percent of the waste is food, according to the facility’s 2015 survey. Businesses can cut back on food waste by tracking inventory, donating leftover food and composting food waste, but composting and donating food is relatively rare among restaurants. According to a National Restaurant Association report, about 22 percent of surveyed restaurants donated leftover food and 14 percent composted food waste. Dorothy Lane Market partners with The Foodbank to donate leftover food. A truck stops by to collect food once per day, but on some days there isn’t much to donate, Pfeiffer said. On other days, the store might donate a large amount of bread too old to sell in the bakery, and sometimes the store donates dairy products approaching their sell-by date. Altogether, Dorothy Lane Market stores donate $35,000 worth of food each month. The food might not be fresh enough to keep on shelves, but is still safe and edible. Dorothy Lane Market is one of 60 local merchants that donate to The Foodbank, said The Foodbank CEO Michelle Riley. The organization accepts more than six trucks of food per day from local businesses, and those donations make up 30 to 40 percent of food donated to the pantry. The organization donated 11 million pounds of food last year. Riley said The Foodbank accepts “anything and everything,” including produce that’s been deemed too ugly to sell, frozen meat and paper products. The staff does turn away food if it may have been stored at an unsafe temperature during transport, she said.

Other restaurants reduce waste by allowing employees to take home extra food. Jack Skilliter, head chef of Corner Kitchen, said employees are free to take home leftover food as long as it’s still safe to eat. The restaurant also provides a meal to staff every day, which allows it to repurpose food that could otherwise go to waste. The remaining food waste is mostly inedible, such as vegetable trimmings, Skilliter said. The restaurant is looking into composting. “It’s just hard, being in the center of the city, to find a place to store that compost,” he said. Reza’s Roast, a specialty coffee company in Fairborn, has managed to become nearly waste-free by composting and donating, said owner Audria Maki. As coffee beans roast, a layer of the bean called “chaff” separates. Many coffee roasters discard the chaff, but Maki learned the chaff could be composted. Chaff adds nitrogen to soil, which benefits plants including tomatoes and roses. Reza’s Roast now gives away the chaff for free to people who garden. “Well, if it’s useful and it’s just sitting around, it’s a waste,” Maki said. Because the company sells specialty coffee, it only sells beans within two weeks of roasting them. Instead of trashing them, it donates to places such as churches that need coffee. According to the National Restaurant Association, inventory control is the most common way restaurants address food waste, and 41 percent use those techniques. At Wheat Penny Oven and Bar, a restaurant on Wayne Avenue in Dayton, owners pay special attention to inventory and buy seasonally, co-owner Liz Valenti said. The restaurant serves many specials, which allows it to repurpose extra ingredients that would otherwise go to waste. Cauliflower steaks are part of the menu. Valenti said the owners work in the kitchen with the staff and watch to make sure no one trims more cauliflower than is necessary. Staff members also think of ways to put leftover scraps to use, she said. The herbs that don’t look good enough to serve go into sauces. Leftover basil goes into a basil simple syrup that the restaurant uses in a cocktail. The three owners are “green-focused,” Valenti said. “I think we all care about the environment,” she said. “It’s just part of being a human.” – Source: Dayton Daily News.

The resalable Container Ezo Punnet for Berries from Wellpak

No other product like the Ezo Punnet is being used to pack berries in the UK, making today’s launch a milestone in fresh produce packaging. As well as providing a point of difference for retailers in an ever more competitive marketplace, due to its unique combination of features, the Ezo Punnet is also the best and most hygienic way to store berries in the fridge. It is resealable multiple times, even when frozen. It’s stackable, unlike traditional fruit punnets, which tend to crumple, leaving berries in an unusable mess. It’s also non-spill and entirely sealed, which eliminates the risk of contamination by other fridge contents, including raw meat and poultry. This combination of features means berries boxed in an Ezo Punnet will look, feel and taste fresher for longer, leading to less waste. And food waste is a major issue in the UK, with the average family wasting almost £60 a month by throwing away almost an entire meal a day (Love Food, Hate Waste, 2015). The Ezo Punnet will be packed by Wellpak’s service partner Ackio, a specialist, highly-automated fruit packer already renowned for its unique configuration of leading-edge technologies. Together they are strong on procurement, supply, and packaging, presenting a simple, seamless and scalable solution to retailers. Wellpak sales director Simon Lane said: ‘There is no other product like the Ezo Punnet being used to package berries in the UK. As the first of its kind, it’s a considerable innovation. When this design was used to package cheese in the US, sales shot up, so we’re excited to see the impact the Ezo Punnet will have on berry sales here in the UK.” Wellpak’s Ezo Punnets are available to retailers now. – Source: Food Technology Packaging.

Three Companies Present New Recyclable Package

Tesco Plc has partnered with key supplier, Hilton Food Group, and fresh food packaging manufacturer LINPAC, to maximize the recyclability potential of its plastic fresh food packaging in support of the recycling industry. The three companies have worked together to bring the lightweight LINPAC Rfresh® Elite plastic pack for meat and poultry to Tesco shelves. The unique pack is manufactured from in excess of 95 per cent food-safe recycled content, which is typically recovered from plastic (PET) water bottles from household waste. Further to this, the Elite pack follows good practice for recycling guidelines, being fully recyclable post-consumer.

Unlike other designs on the market, the novel pack features a specially designed sealant between the rigid tray and top film, which avoids the need for a PE layer and makes the mono-material easier to process by recycling companies. The process is the same as that used to recycle clear plastic water bottles, meaning that the resulting crystal clear recycled plastic (rPET) can re-enter the recycling chain to create closed-loop recycling and ultimately, contribute to a circular economy. Importantly, the unique Elite sealant reduces the amount of material required to produce the pack, which considerably reduces its carbon footprint. Up to 5 per cent lighter in weight than equivalent rPET trays, the pack has been developed in line with the LINPAC Project LIFE (Lightweighting for Excellence) initiative. Dr. Mark Caul, technical manager for packaging at Tesco, commented: “As a food business, our long-term success depends on the health of the natural environment and our customers tell us this is important to them too. “These trays represent a step change for the packaging industry by being much lighter, with the added bonus of making recycling easier for local authorities. This is a landmark innovation and a clear demonstration of our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment we live in.”

LINPAC supplied c.84m Elite packs to Hilton UK and Ireland in 2016. Tesco’s adoption of the lightweight Rfresh Elite solution has led to an overall reduction in plastic material being used and has created an end-market use for over 1300 tonnes of plastic post-consumer waste. This figure is set to rise in 2017 with further Tesco packaging projects on the horizon. RECOUP CEO, Stuart Foster, recognises the important work done by Tesco, adding: “We’re fully behind the use of lightweight, high recycled content plastic packaging solutions in Tesco stores that follow best practice design guidelines to maximise recyclability potential. It facilitates the ease of recycling for both the Tesco customer and the wider recycling chain and drives us closer to achieving a circular economy.” LINPAC has supported Tesco with a number of sustainable packaging development initiatives as a credible partner in the industry. In 2016, Tesco and Cargill joined forces with LINPAC to launch a poultry split pack, which helped to aid consumer portion control by keeping half of the pack sealed for later use. LINPAC is committed to manufacturing resource efficient, cost effective packaging that contributes to a reduction in food waste and has a number of new sustainable packaging innovations ready for launch in 2017. – Source: LINPAC.

LINPAC and Leroy Foods, Norway, Create New Sushi Packages for Spanish Company Mercadona

Leading fresh food packaging manufacturer, LINPAC, has collaborated with Norway’s Leroy Seafood Group to produce a range of resource-efficient sushi convenience packs, which will be supplied exclusively to leading Spanish retailer, Mercadona. Made from laminated PET with a printed film base tray and a clear anti-fog PET lid, the range comprises single and double portion and family sized packs that are designed to contain ready-to-eat maki, nigiri, sashimi and Japanese salads. Notably, in a move from previous designs, LINPAC has developed a total pack solution that taps into the on-the-go snacking market by including internal cavities for wooden chopsticks and condiments. These innovative features ensure neat, hygienic presentation of the contents and facilitate quick and easy dispensing and consumption for the consumer. Diego Fernandez, product manager at LINPAC, commented: “We turned the full range around in a very short space of time by presenting designs and prototypes to Leroy throughout the process. The resulting food-safe solution completely eliminates the need for additional packaging.” A variety of raw fish, cooked fish and non-fish sushi and sashimi will be packed into the trays, for purchase on the same or following day, to comply with food safety regulations. The offer is currently on sale in 16 Mercadona stores in Madrid, Valencia and Southern area. Due to a successful trial period, progressive implementation is expected from early January 2017. Group Marketing Manager at LINPAC, Nikki Clark, added: “This is a fantastic example of how collaborative innovation processes truly add value to our customers. In this case, the design has been streamlined to make it fit for purpose and removes the need for additional materials. It’s a truly resource-efficient, total pack solution.” – Source: LINPAC.

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