The survey also asked, “Where does your company get ideas for new foodservice products?” and allowed multiple responses. Topping the list were “foodservice trade shows,” which 61% of respondents checked, followed by “product development trade publications” (such as Prepared Foods, PF) at 59% and “foodservice operator/customer request” (56%). The responses “competitors offer it,” “retail trade shows” and “trends noticed with grocery products” all checked in at 49%, although the latter dropped from 55% in 2004. Even still, chef Richard Cusick, a corporate executive chef at Sara Lee (Chicago), suggests that manufacturers with both foodservice and retail departments have more to offer foodservice operators. “At Sara Lee, there is no wall between retail and foodservice. We look at what they (retail) have done and try to find applicability, because the hard work has already been done.”
“Internal market research” and their “own/consulting culinary staff” only checked in with 42% and 40%, respectively, of respondents saying they were a source of ideas, perhaps because not all companies have availed themselves of such talent.