Registered Dietitian, Mike has over 24 years of experience in food service and retail sales. From small start-ups like Caulipower to larger companies such as Palermos Pizza, Mike has been involved in sales and marketing most of his professional life. Working for Performance Food Group (PFG) on the distribution side has taught Mike about how CPG brands move from manufacturer to end customer. With over 28K LinkedIn followers, Mike has built up a strong network of like-minded professionals that are focused on food service sales and how to navigate the waters. His trademark, FS Octopus depicts the true meaning of all the different tentacles or channels that make up the food service landscape.
Lauren graduated from LaSalle University with a degree in Nutrition & Dietetics in 2008. Growing up in Philadelphia, her family owned and ran their own business, so the industry side of Food Service is where she knew she was meant to be. She spent the early years of her career working for Campbell’s Soup on the Global Nutrition team and at Aramark procuring school menus for the Education division. When she got bit by the sales bug, she never looked back. Her passion for bringing healthier options to market excelled her through Away From Home Channel sales roles at Coca-Cola, Fairlife, GT’s Kombucha et al. for 12+ years. A GPO, Travel, and Military specialist, Lauren’s touchpoints span several layers of the food service industry. Leading better-for-you brands to their on-shelf goals has become her calling card. In 2024, Lauren was presented with the opportunity to team up with Mike to provide first-in-class brand navigation to CPG companies entering the Food Service space so you will get twice the knowledge and expertise.
Dive into the alternative channels world
Foodservice/alternative channels encompasses a wide range of establishments and channels through which people can access and enjoy food outside their homes. These 8 tentacles or channels can be broadly categorized into several types
Learn and understand All the 8 tentacles in foodservice
Develop a solid and successful food service plan
Convenience Stores/ Micro-Markets
Colleges and Universities- both commercial and non-commercial products.
Prisons
Hotels
GPOs, DOT Foods, distributors
Restaurants: QSR, Fine Dining, Fast Casual, Cafes, Coffee Shops, Food Trucks and Catering Services
Hospitality
Business/Industry
Military
Understanding foodservice, the different tentacles or channels to introduce your product, the main difference in foodservice vs. retail and why do you want to get your product into the foodservice tentacles. And which tentacle is right for my product?
I have my product, tentacles to attack and my pricing works. Completed the competitive grid with an understanding of what makes my product different from the competitors, pack size for front of the house or back of the house and my sample size is complete with a system in place to send out samples and tracking.
Understanding the different type of distributors as well as examples of broadliners and specialty ones. Focusing on the buyers and category managers/chefs rather than time spent on the distributors. Basic understanding and education on DOT Foods- who they are and why I need them for my business once established distribution in place. Force distribution- a term you need to learn and understand.
GPOs- who they are, examples of some, what they do, why I need them, how to approach them and when is the right time to focus on GPOS.
Selling into the different tentacles, how to sell in to them, focusing on social media and marketing, brokers- who, why, and how to work with them, trade-shows- are they right for me and if so which ones and why, growing your foodservice business with a solid 5 year game plan, contacts in each tentacle.
Contract consulting sales includes all of the following without the hourly cap:
Find and recommend regional brokers that focus on commercial side foodservice channels as well as help manage them. We have a few that could do a great job with certain channels/markets.
Please contact us to get started with your free 30 min consultation and use this link below: