Restaurants play key role in raising consumption

While restaurants have always been a big part of the produce industry’s overall picture, their role in promoting fruit and vegetable consumption is more critical than ever.

Millennials eat out more than other generations, and in any group of young diners, odds are at least one will be looking for vegetarian or vegan options.

Jacob Shafer, senior marketing and communications specialist at Mann Packing Company Inc. in Salinas, CA, thinks partnering with local restaurants and chefs is a “great opportunity to include produce in new channels” and grow awareness of new product rollouts.

Robert Schueller, cookbook author and director of public relations for Melissa’s/World Variety Produce Inc., in Los Angeles, too, says the value of dining outside the home—when consumers enjoy a meal or dish, they often want to duplicate the experience at home, complete with the fruits or vegetables that played a starring role.

“Using social media to spread the word is a great way to connect with busy consumers,” Shafer says. “We create new posts on our platforms featuring different vegetables and share information.”

Doing so helps create word-of-mouth campaigns with far more saturation and impact than traditional forms of advertising.

This is an excerpt from the most recent Produce Blueprints quarterly journal. Click here to read the full article.