Chris Darling

KFC’s largest domestic franchisee’s restructuring leads to HQ layoffs. KBP Foods’ footprint has grown to more than 1,000 restaurants, including KFC, Taco Bell, Arby's, and most recently, SONIC Drive-In http://ow.ly/Yg0Z105PcLR

14

1 Comment

Exciting news from Craveworthy Brands As many of you know, I love to hint at our next big moves. Some might question this approach, but I believe it’s crucial to show my commitment to pushing our team and our dreams to new heights. Our latest acquisition is a game-changer, bringing Taim and Hot Chicken Takeover into our family! This strategic move will supercharge growth for our beloved Soom Soom and The Budlong Southern Chicken providing them an extraordinary platform to thrive. Additionally, it accelerates the expansion for Sigri Indian BBQ, offering immediate opportunities for two to three new locations. We’re also setting the stage to launch Costeño Rojo, testing a few locations to refine our concept further. But it’s not just about growth—it’s about people. We’re thrilled to collaborate with the fantastic teams at Taim and Hot Chicken Takeover. Their passion and innovation are exactly what we need to reach new heights. I’m excited to see what we can achieve together with this incredible talent. Stay tuned. We’re just getting started! #CraveworthyBrands #BusinessGrowth #Acquisition #FoodIndustry #Leadership #Innovation #RestaurantBusiness #Teamwork #Entrepreneurship #BrandExpansion

286

33 Comments

Community Call: Whole Foods Market - Updates for Local and Emerging Brands Kristin Sherman, Principal Local Forager at Whole Foods Market, and Casey Gaston, Executive Leader of Local and Emerging Brands, join Community Call to share essential updates and strategies for local and emerging brands who want to get their products on shelf including: *Changes to how the local and emerging team operates *Current differentiation and innovation the team is looking for *Inside tips for submissions and pitching *Distribution recommendations *Pricing strategies *Special diets and macro trends of note

12

Panera Bread's parent company announced Tuesday that CEO Jose Dueñas is stepping down, effective immediately. The change in leadership is the latest challenge to the company's plans to go public eventually, following several years of hurdles. Panera Brands CFO Paul Carbone will step in as interim chief executive while the board searches for a permanent replacement to lead the company, which includes Panera Bread, Einstein Bros. and Caribou Coffee.

8

9 Comments

The new arm within US Beverage will leverage its existing network to accelerate time to market for craft and emerging spirits brands.

45

Need additional insight into 2025 commodity market trends??

11

Esteemed Development Executive Joins One of QSR's Fastest Growing Brands to Accelerate Nationwide Expansion ATLANTA, April 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Smalls Sliders has appointed 30-year industry veteran Don Crocker as its new Chief Development Officer. In his new role, Crocker will spearhead all development strategy including identifying opportunities for expansion, partnership, and enhanced market penetration as the brand is focused on disciplined growth. With proven track records of driving growth and innovation on a global scale, Crocker's expertise has made him one of the most sought-after C-Suite executives in the restaurant industry. Most recently, Crocker served as the Chief Development Officer for Inspire Brands where he led the development strategy for new company and franchise openings, capital reinvestment, and real property assets for the company, which has more than 32,000 restaurants worldwide. Prior to that, Crocker spent nearly 20 years at Chick-fil-A Restaurants where he pioneered the brand's explosive nationwide growth into more than 65 new DMA's alongside having a hand in one third of the brand's total store portfolio with "go/no go" decisions. I've been fortunate to work alongside some of the most high-profile, exciting brands this industry has to offer, so I can recognize a brand built for global growth when I see it," said Crocker. "With how crowded the restaurant space has become in recent years, it's rare to see a brand really break through the way that Smalls Sliders has in such a short amount of time. I'm eager to truly bring Smalls Sliders and its distinctive product to more communities across our national footprint." Crocker's immediate focus lies on leading initiatives to strengthen Smalls Sliders' market position and foster strategic alliances that propel the brand toward large-scale growth targets. "I am excited to have Don join our growing Executive Leadership Team," said Maria Rivera, CEO of Smalls Sliders. "His experience, insights, and leadership will be invaluable assets as we progress our vision, mission, and purpose. As we move toward our vision to shake up the big burger industry, no one is more prepared to support our growth in the QSR space than Don...Clickthru to read more." https://lnkd.in/gid9rmd8 #QSR #Entrepreneur #Restaurants #Franchise #Franchising #FranchiseChat Chainformation Altir Industries, Inc. Franchise Pipeline Franchise Development Outsource Ned Lyerly Joe Caruso Michael (Mike) Webster PhD Anders Hall Jonathan Martin Michael Scherr Richard Leveille, CFE Rachard Dennis Tom Wells Julie Hauser-Blanner Sarah Cavey  

68

3 Comments

Coca-Cola relaunches Mexican soft drink brand Barrilitos in California and Texas The beverage manufacturer said the fruity offering, which first launched in 1938, appeals to consumers craving nostalgia and a connection to heritage and authenticity. Coca-Cola is relaunching the Mexican soft drink brand Barrilitos in the U.S., starting with California and Texas. There is likely to be further near-term expansion into Nevada and Oklahoma. Barrilitos was discontinued a few years ago after Coca-Cola said it listened to consumer feedback and chose to concentrate on other imported brands, the company stated in an email to Food Dive. The beverage manufacturer said Barrilitos appeals to people craving nostalgia, its connection to heritage and authenticity, and its vibrant flavors and quality. Barrilitos, which debuted in 1938 in Monterrey, Mexico was purchased by Coca-Cola in 2008. Coca-Cola said the fruity beverage is getting a new formula. The company declined to offer specifics about the reformulation, except to say that it appeals to a new generation of consumers. Hispanics are fueling 16% of total consumer packaged goods (CPG) growth in the U.S., according to a report from Circana.The data firm noted the demographic makes up a fifth of the American population and accounts for 71% of national population growth between 2022 and 2023. At the same time, more than 25% of Gen Z and Gen Alpha identify as Hispanic, Circana said, demonstrating the long-term potential of the Hispanic consumer group. In relaunching Barrilitos in the U.S., Coca-Cola noted that the beverage appeals to multicultural Gen Z’ers, millennials and families. This wide consumer base immediately gives Coca-Cola a diverse cross-section of the public to target, most notably younger consumers who are looking for novel flavors and increasingly control a larger portion of consumer spending. “Barrilitos is evolving to meet the needs of a new generation, without losing sight of its rich history,” Maria Correa, who leads the Barrilitos brand for Coca-Cola, said in a statement. “We’ve infused Barrilitos with a refreshed brand identity while preserving the classic flavors and traditions that have made it a beloved part of Latino households. This relaunch is an invitation to experience Barrilitos and celebrate its heritage in a whole new way.” Barrilitos, which is produced in Mexico, is available in four flavors — Mandarina (Mandarin), Manzana (Apple), Piña (Pineapple), and Ponche de Frutas (Fruit Punch) — packaged in a twist-glass bottle. In relaunching Barrilitos, Coca-Cola is likely looking to tap into some of the attributes that made its Topo Chico brand a success. Coca-Cola paid an estimated $220 million in 2017 to purchase Topo Chico, a Mexican sparkling water brand it had worked closely with for nearly a century before, as it moved aggressively to diversify its beverage portfolio and reduce its dependency on sugary drinks.

5

In the CPG industry it's not about how many doors/stores you get into it's about the quality of stores you get into. I look forward to building relationships with every retailer/buyer. Even though you may not be in a large bix box store at the moment focus on building relationships with independent retailers first then go from there. Building a personal brand helps out a lot in business. This is crucial to let buyers know about you and your products and why you started your business. #retail #growth #business #sales #mindset #businessgoals #businessrelationships #connection #integrity #cpg #startup

44

17 Comments

I am continuing to track this transaction! I remain confident that the enhanced divestiture package will continue to add value. I anticipate improvements in pricing discipline, enhanced customer responsiveness, and, ideally, a more diverse product mix achieved through new market penetration. The deal appears advantageous, and I am optimistic that post-merger, we will witness: "lower prices and more choices to more customers [to] secure the long-term future of unionized grocery jobs." The Shelby Report #kroger #albertstons #divestitures

18

4 Comments

📅 Today at 1 PM EST: I’m excited to chat with Kevin Hart from Upside this afternoon! 🎙️ We'll be diving into how businesses can avoid the value menu frenzy 🍔 and, more importantly, how to drive in-store traffic 🛍️ 🚶 . Ill be discussing: 🏆 Success stories from Roy Rogers Restaurants 🎖️ Effective strategies to provide real value beyond blanket discounting 👏 Strategic resource allocation and building loyalty Would love for you to tune in!  👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eBDHTZ7A #RestaurantStrategy #RoyRogers #CustomerLoyalty

12

Meanwhile in CPG news... Kroger and Albertsons announced the agreement to combine in October 2022 amounting to over 4,000 stores, which would have been one of the biggest US grocery deals in history. Today, both retailers issued statements that will end the over 2-year saga. Albertsons terminated the merger and filed a lawsuit against Kroger for several breaches of the agreement including: refusing to divest necessary assets, ignoring regulators’ feedback, and rejecting stronger divestiture buyers. Kroger issued a response suggesting Albertsons had also breached the contract. #cpg #merger #food #retail #retailers

9

3 Comments

This is interesting US BEER IRI grocery sell thru data from last 26wks Sept 2024 comparing alcoholic beer sell thru vs non-alcoholic beer sell thru where non-alc beer has ~73% slower velocity vs alc beer. Strange that non-alc beer the top 10-50% of beers is only 0.3 units slower vs the top 10% segment(this differs a lot from alc beer which has a 6.8 unit difference). I'm curious if this can mean that there isn't really one dominant non-alc beer SKU on shelf, but the consumer is being promiscuous in buying a few different non alcs brands and/or variety of SKUs when they fill their cart. Anyone else have any ideas on this? NOTE units could be anything from a 24ct case, 12pk, 6pk, 4pk, or even a single unit so need to make some assumptions where for non-alc beer the typical retail format is a 6pk or 12pk so the top 10% sales velocity is 3.3 units/week could equate to 20-40 cans/bottles per week. Either way some interesting data to benchmark your sales off prem.

3

2 Comments

After spiking during the pandemic, profit margins and same-store sales growth have fallen back to pre-pandemic levels for the grocery industry, FMI — The Food Industry Association said in a report released last week. Only 38% of surveyed food retailers said they expect their same-store sales to grow in 2024 while just 13% predict net profits will increase, according to the trade group’s The Food Retailing Industry Speaks 2024 report. Food retailers are focusing on improving cost controls and cutting unnecessary expenses that do not drive value, FMI found. In 2023, profit margins in the grocery industry hit 1.6% — the lowest level since it was 1% in 2019 — as total expenses increased, FMI found. The industry’s slowed same-store sales growth of 2.1% last year was driven by inflation.

11

1 Comment

Despite the recent setback of Boisson, the alcohol-free cocktail market is booming! With over $162B in revenue, it's clear that the demand is there. https://bit.ly/3UFvvRj #RetailStrategies #BusinessLessons #MarketTrends #AlcoholFree #Mocktails #BeverageIndustry #Boisson

2

CPG Friends, I have discovered a platform that is on a mission to offer a more fair distribution method to help build your brand while also having merchandising and re-order built in and handled by their team. They are focusing as of now on convenience stores, liquor stores, gas stations, and other independents. And so far from my vetting process and speaking for hours with the CEO, they are the real deal and offer really great solutions for small, emerging brands and even large brands that are doing massive sales. We’ve all heard the pain points on here from countless brands when dealing with distribution in general in this business from chargebacks, freight billbacks(sometimes putting brands out of business) If I could help link your brand with a better solution to grow your company and retain all the sales dollars in your pocket, this could be potentially groundbreaking and flip the traditional model as we know it ON ITS HEAD. Please DM me and happy to share more information about it.

93

30 Comments

🍾 NEW WEBINAR for non-alcoholic beverage + #CPG brands: Breaking into Retail: A Roadmap for Emerging Brands w/ SPINS and the Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association (ANBA). For a growing brand, succeeding in physical retail stores is the key to scale. In the USA, there are over 2,500 natural grocery stores, 110,000 conventional grocery, mass, drug and club outlets, and over 100,000 convenience stores. In this webinar, Benji Fitts from SPINS will teach you strategies on how to pick the perfect retail partner that aligns with your needs and mission, and divulge tips and tricks to craft a smartly tailored pitch to curious category managers. If your goal in 2025 is succeeding in the retail marketplace, don't miss this important webinar. RSVP & REGISTER AT: https://lnkd.in/eekgh59s ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ♻️ #Repost if you like this content and follow me, Marcos Salazar 🍺🍷🥃 , for more content like this. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

26

The Ready-to-Drink (RTD) alcohol market is witnessing explosive growth, fueled by a shift in consumer preferences towards convenience and premiumization. Modern consumers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, are embracing these easy-to-serve options that offer quality and variety without the need for bartending skills. The surge is also supported by innovative flavors and healthier choices, such as low-calorie and organic options.

24