Bisan Bahloul

Calling RI food entrepreneurs. Do you have a product and are ready to scale but need help? Complete our survey and we'll connect you with the best mentor(s) to meet your business needs. Tap into the amazing Branchfood network of experts and angel investors. https://lnkd.in/edWM3f9E #foodentrepreneurs #foodstartups

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Great panel discussion yesterday on Foodservice, an often underleveraged side of the food business for CPG brands. Foodservice and Retail both do over $1 Trillion in revenue and while CPG products may typically do 80% of their revenue at Retail, the Foodservice sector can represent an early opportunity to sell products at higher margins than Retail. Foodservice (Restaurants, Lodging, Healthcare, Education, deli and cafe areas of Grocery and C-Stores) requires less marketing than Retail where price promotions, merchandising and other trade and consumer marketing are needed to keep turns moving in that highly competitive environment. In a Foodservice environment, marketing may be limited to such simple items as sticker or card signage at the point of sale. The challenge in Foodservice is that it's a different supply chain system than Retail, often with different distributors and sales brokers working those channels, as well as different packaging needs and regulatory governance. As with all business, challenges are meant to be overcome and Foodservice can represent a substantial and more importantly profitable opportunity for food brands. Thanks to Naturally MN, FINNOVATION Lab and the excellent panel of Anna Richardson, Kate Seybold, Lolly Occhino, Jean Ronnel and Erin Denham.

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Tune in to the Reconnected Podcast, where Luke Abbott sits down with Justin Jackson, the COO of Jimbo's—one of the leading Markets in the Natural Space! Starting at just 10 years old, Justin began his career path in a small grocery store in Boston, eventually moving into specialty food retail during his late teens. Today, Justin Jackson is focused on refreshing the brand, optimizing operations, and building a solid merchant team. Under his leadership, Jimbo's is not just staying ahead of the curve but redefining what it means to be a leader in natural and organic retail. Here are some topics covered in this podcast: 🎧 Sustainability and change in the food industry. 🎧 The evolution of the grocery industry and the importance of staying true to one's mission and values. 🎧 Building business partnerships and the challenges in the natural food industry. 🎧 Understanding the needs of each link in the supply chain to ensure successful delivery of products to end users. Tune in today! #ReconnectedPodcast

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“How many restaurant companies can file bankruptcy in any given week? Sadly, it’s not a riddle.” In the past two months, the US has seen an unsettling reality—4-5 major restaurant chains filing for bankruptcy weekly. 😮 Both Chapter 11 (restructuring) and Chapter 13 filings have impacted casual dining, fast-casual, and QSR (quick service restaurants). 💡 Wondering why? Dive into our latest blog to uncover the reasons behind this trend and the challenges facing these once-thriving establishments. Read the full story here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gAs9HDGM #RestaurantIndustry #Bankruptcy #CasualDining #FastCasual #QSR #IndustryTrends #Restructure

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Our CEO David Karam recently shared insights with Convenience Store News regarding the benefits of adding branded foodservice programs like Sbarro in the c-store space. "Operators have the opportunity to get a return on investment not only on the restaurant itself, but also at the c-store — [things like] fuel revenue, additional in-store sales — from customers drawn there by the branded concept," he explained. "It offers a way for operators to differentiate themselves, and to gain higher visibility and higher ticket on additional spend." Check out the full article below! https://lnkd.in/gjSBp3a3

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If you haven't signed up for ConsciousCPG Summit yet, you should! 🌿 This free, two-day virtual event on June 17–18 features a stellar lineup of industry leaders from Whole Foods Market, New Hope Network, BeyondBrands, ForceBrands, Naturally Network, and many others. Expect to gain valuable insights as these leaders delve into conscious values and share the latest practices shaping the industry. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn and connect with top professionals in the field. Check it out! 🌟 #ConsciousCPG #IndustryLeaders #VirtualEvent #Networking #Learning #CPGIndustry #ConsciousValues

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Tequila!   Many large players such as White Claw, and The Boston Beer Company (maker of Truly) are expanding their offerings and releasing tequila-flavored ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails as consumers are increasingly turning to tequila offerings in the beverage alcohol sector.   I had the opportunity to share my insights and thoughts on this surging trend with The Food Institute. In the article, I emphasized how innovations in ready-to-drink (RTD) formats, including tequila-based seltzers and margaritas, are meeting consumer demand for novel flavors. Additionally, I pointed out that tequila production has remained stable despite global supply chain disruptions and highlighted the increasing consumer preference for high-quality artisanal spirits.   Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gB9f-3Ci   #Tequila #BeverageIndustry #MarketTrends #ConsumerInsights #RTDCocktails

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