On this episode, I am just sharing some great tips from the Indie CPG newsletter, that I highly encourage people to sign up for. Big shout out to Steven Vigilante.
This experience opened my eyes to new opportunities for brands and restaurants to be friends. Here are a few partnership ideas.
Cafe / Marketplaces
In some states, a restaurant is still allowed to welcome customers inside their cafe if they post a "Mini Market" sign outside. These cafes are acting as local culinary bodegas, often featuring staple goods like condiments, snacks, imported pasta and wine, and packaged food made by the restaurants. Chefs usually source their inventory through UNFI, Hubba, Faire, and local distributors, but you can also pitch them directly. And some restaurants are even creating their own branded small-batch products like granola, sauces, cocktails-to-go, and bulk pantry staples.
Pop-up Sampling / Free Gift With Purchase
Offer free, unopened product samples to cafe customers. Design a one-pager featuring your product differentiators and social media handles. The baristas will only give your product to people who request it.
Online Ordering Menu
Restaurants are now online retailers with the goal of acquiring and retaining customers through a larger menu to choose from. Offering add-on food and beverages also help the customer meet delivery minimums.
Insert Samples, Coupons & Postcards in Takeaway Bags
Are you sitting on coupons or mini samples you didn't use at trade shows? Offer to send them to restaurants as a little gift to give their customers. If they get good feedback about your product, they'll consider stocking it!
Collaborate on a Meal Package
Feature your product at a set price with another menu item. This works well for beverages and snacks like chips paired with a sandwich, salad, or soup.
Get on the Food & Drink Menu
Pitch your canned cocktail or gluten-free pasta to restaurants that can charge their customers a premium. If your product can be a food service ingredient, consider offering restaurants a discount for mentioning your brand name in the dish description. Keep in mind that restaurants are on a tight budget right now, so be open to offering them samples or discounts.
Product Giveaways
Most restaurants have newsletters to keep their customers updated about new menus. This is a *huge untapped channel* for brands and restaurants that are targeting the same consumer. To start, focus your efforts on giveaways with restaurants in cities where you have retail partners.
Get Creative
Our friends at Haus, makers of low-abv aperitifs, partnered with restaurants in San Francisco and Seattle on limited-edition flavors now sold exclusively by each restaurant. Haus donated 100% of profits to partners.
How to Find Restaurants That Share Your Values
Check out OpenTable, Happy Cow, Yelp, and these directories of Black-owned restaurants in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York.
