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The Startup CPG Podcast

#99 Navigating the Foodservice Landscape: Key Players and Their Roles (Distributors, Buying Groups, Operators, & more)

The Startup CPG Podcast

Startup CPG

Startup, Food, Business, Beverage, Cpg, Entrepreneurship

4.9 • 642 Ratings

🗓️ 18 July 2023

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

I’m so excited to bring back a very popular guest from last year, Jenna Cameron, for another foodservice episode! We released episode #74 with Jenna during December of last year as part of the First Hire Series, and our conversation focused on first hires for foodservice sales. Our community seems hungry for foodservice knowledge and so we asked Jenna to come back on the show to walk us through the biggest players in foodservice from distributors, to operators, to buying groups and more. Jenna is currently the sales lead at SIMULATE and has 10+ years of experience in plant-based foodservice sales for growing brands.

Listen in as Jenna shares about:

  • Key term definitions to frame the conversation including operators versus buying groups versus redistributors
  • Major distributors to know in foodservice, including details on Dot, Sysco, US Foods, and more, plus other regional distributors and how to work with each
  • Some of Jenna’s favorite operators from campus stores to Disney to Red Robin and others and specific nuances
  • An overview of key buying groups like Compass and Aramark and how to get started with a buying group
  • C-store & convenience store channel ideas
  • Resources for finding a regional broker for foodservice or an advisor
  • And right at the end we cover Groceraunt, which is incidentally my new favorite word
  • And more!

Please note that Jenna drops a ton of detailed information in this episode and if you are worried about catching the company names she’s dropping, fret not! I included all the distributors, buying groups, and operators she mentions in the show notes with links.

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This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Kickfurther. Go to https://www.kickfurther.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg

Episode Links:

July 2023 Podcast Review Contest:

  • Enter the giveaway by completing this form (it only takes 1-2 minutes!)
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  • Giveaway open to US residents only, age 18+. Giveaway ends on July 31st, 2023 at 11:59 pm PST. The winner will be notified via email.
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Shopify Links:

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Graphite Financial Links

  • Graphite Financial website
  • Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
  • Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.

Show Links:

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

That's the sound of another sale on your online Shopify store.

0:04.3

But did you know that Shopify powers in-person selling too?

0:07.8

From events to farmers markets to shows, Shopify is the sound of selling everywhere.

0:13.8

I've definitely been selling at an event and struggled between reconciling payment processors,

0:18.1

inventory before and after the event, and easy reporting.

0:21.0

With Shopify, you get a powerhouse selling partner that effortlessly unites your in-person

0:25.9

and online sales into one source of truth.

0:28.7

From accepting payments to managing inventory, Shopify has everything you need to sell in person.

0:34.2

Prep for your next event with hardware that fits your business.

0:37.0

Take payments by smartphone, transform your tablet into a point-of-sale, or use Shopify's

0:42.1

point-of-sale go-mobile device for a battle-tested solution.

0:45.5

Plus, Shopify's award-winning 24-7 help is there to support your success every step of the

0:50.8

way.

0:51.3

Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at Shopify.com slash startup CPG, all lowercase.

0:59.6

Go to Shopify.com slash startup CPG to take your retail business to the next level today.

1:06.7

Shopify.com slash startup CPG.

1:10.4

This isn't an ad, but I'm borrowing an ad spot to tell you about how this month, July

1:14.9

2023, you, yes, you, dear listener, have a chance to win one of six incredible prize boxes

1:21.9

filled with some of my favorite emerging brands products that have been featured on the show.

1:26.9

All you have to do to enter the

1:28.3

giveaway is leave a five-star review for the Startup CPG podcast and submit proof in a really short form.

1:34.8

That's it. I'm literally personally packing up these boxes filled with delicious soups from

...

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