25+ years foodservice and alternative channel/away from home experience/connection/understanding.
Highlights include worked the distributor desk and the emerging brand side. Knows what actually moves product distribution, buyers, positioning, marketing. Not pitch decks.
Tired of losing money at grocery retail and need your product in the right high velocity channels? Talk to Mike.
FS Octopus is powered by a senior team that knows how to actually move product, not just talk strategy. Akiva and Dave bring deep, hands-on experience driving distribution, operator adoption, and real sales wins across foodservice and alternative channels like micro-markets, vending, campuses, hospitality, and specialty retail. They work directly with distributors, operators, and buyers to open doors, build demand, and turn opportunities into consistent points of distribution. This is execution-focused leadership built for emerging brands that need traction, not theory.
FS Octopus moves product. We're hands-on operators driving distribution, operator adoption, and real sales wins across foodservice and alternative channels—micro-markets, vending, campuses, hospitality, and specialty retail. We work directly with distributors, operators, and buyers to open doors, build demand, and convert opportunities into consistent points of distribution. Execution, not theory. Built for emerging brands that need traction.
| Channels | Stats/Facts | Our Focus |
|---|---|---|
|
Convenience & Micro Markets/vending |
150K+ stores / 35K micro-markets / 3M vending |
Vistar, Core-Mark, Mclane and operator-direct. |
| Colleges & K-12 |
4,000 campuses / 100K schools |
NACUFS-connected. Direct to dining and on-campus C-stores and K12 directors. |
| Business & Tech Campuses | Google. Meta. Salesforce. | Operators managing pantry programs |
| Hotels & Hospitality | 5M+ U.S. rooms | Mini-bars, F&B, in-room. Premium positioning. |
| Restaurants & QSR | 1M+ operators | Broadline, specialty, chain — we know the difference. |
| Military & Government | $2B+ in spend | DECA, base exchanges, GPOs. |
| Cruise & Travel | 30M+ passengers/yr | Long lead times. Big orders. We map both. |
We are an extension of your team without the headcount. We work operators, distributors, and GPOs directly.
Cut the noise. Lock in the channels that fit. Distributor paths and broker intros included
No motivational fluff. A step-by-step plan: which brokers, which buyers, which distributors, when to move.
Live strategy calls. Fix what's broken. Adjust to what's actually happening not what sounded good in a pitch deck.
Priority channels, business plan, timeline. Your team knows exactly what to do and what to stop wasting time on.
Aramark. Sodexo. Compass. Delaware North. Premier. We know the way in.
QSR. Fast casual. Hotels. Military. We work with your team to hit the right ones
Regional brokers who actually specialize in commercial foodservice. We make the intro and help manage the relationship.
Retail isn't the only game, its one channel. Foodservice and alt-channels have more than 8 channels, open new buyers, new markets, and huge velocities with strong margins.
Alt-channels c-stores, micro-markets, vending/pantry, colleges, and more put your brand in front of buyers retail never reaches. New distribution. Higher velocity, stronger margins and less competition on the shelf.
The FS Octopus Checklist ensures comprehensive preparation for foodservice success through strategic planning and execution.
Get direct guidance on how to grow your brand in foodservice and alternative channels. In this free 30-minute session, Mike will review your product, discuss your goals, and help identify the right channels, markets, and next steps for your business. Whether you’re just entering foodservice or looking to expand into new regions, this session gives you practical insight and a clear direction forward.
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Foodservice and alternative channels sales leader with a proven record launching and scaling CPG and back-of-house brands nationally, including leadership roles at Spudlove Snacks, Hint Water, and Oregon Food Companies. Trained chef who started in corporate dining with Compass Group, giving me operational fluency from the kitchen to the customer. Since transitioned into distribution sales, brand leadership, and consulting work with Atlantic Sea Farms driving growth strategy and channel expansion across foodservice and alternative channels.
Tara has deep experience across food manufacturing, retail, CPG, and distribution, working with manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and brokers to drive execution and growth. Her operational and field-level background gives her a practical grasp of how products move from production to shelf, with hands-on work in launches, promotions, merchandising, and distributor coordination. Recently, she's been helping emerging brands unlock foodservice and alternative channel opportunities.
Lew is an operations and outreach professional at FSOctopus, driving brand growth through strategic email outreach, market research, and back-office support. She connects brands, retailers, and industry partners while keeping day-to-day business development running smoothly.
Christine brings 18+ years of CPG sales leadership across grocery, natural, and specialty channels, with senior roles at Lemon Perfect, Parm Crisps, Pretzel Crisps, and Sweet Leaf Tea. At FS Octopus, she leads retailer development, distributor and broker management, and go-to-market execution for emerging and established brands.
Patrick brings 35+ years of CPG leadership across Fortune 500 and emerging growth brands, with deep expertise commercializing products in grocery, convenience, and foodservice through retailer-driven distribution networks and strategic DSD partnerships. His hands-on, transparent approach turns vision into measurable market success — transforming emerging brands into scalable growth.
Jen build brands by building relationships first—opening doors in tough channels like higher ed, hospitality, corporate campuses, and foodservice with partners like SpaceX, CU Boulder, Uber, and OpenAI. She thrive in fast-moving environments where showing up, following through, and creating real trust matter as much as strategy.
