News

With bleeding burgers grabbing the headlines, what’s the future of tofu amidst the plant-based surge? One place seems to be beyond the block — with innovation focused on creating healthy, convenient meals.

The ninth round of Elevator Talk Livestream includes leaders from Joolies, Country Archer, Mavericks Snacks, Taali and more. This week’s special co-host is actor, investor and entrepreneur, Patrick Schwarzenegger, who will offer feedback for each brand.

Low-sugar confection brand SmartSweets is moving beyond the gummy. The brand this month launched a new, low-sugar Starburst alternative fruit chew. The launch follows a reformulation of its existing product line to embrace newly available sweetener options, including allulose.

This week’s Office Hours show explores Cash Flow and Emergency Capital Preservation, featuring Rob Leichman, the founder of The Lyric Group and Jeremy Triefenbach, the co-founder of Stage 1 Financial.

We’re joined this week by Pat LaFrieda, CEO of renowned meat brand Pat LaFrieda’s, who discussed his definition for quality and how it fits into the company’s evolution, why “relationships are everything” in business, his vision for the future of the restaurant industry and his surprising opinion about plant-based meat products.

Last week, three new reports from market research firms IRI, Datassential and Blue Chip, shone light on how consumer behavior has changed since March and what the industry should anticipate as the crisis eases and a new normal for consumer buying habits emerges.

Where does a floating grocery store land during a pandemic? What about a curated snack service for office workers? As most daily activities move online, businesses whose plans rely on disrupting the everyday grind with exciting new products need to move forward — including snack services and experientially-focused popup retailers.

BevNET and NOSH’s new interactive streaming video series, Office Hours, will take place on Tuesdays at 3pm ET. The one-hour live call-in show aims to help food and beverage professionals connect with industry experts for helpful guidance and strategic insights during a time of uncertainty.

Lee Robinson, Director of Dairy & Beverage at Whole Foods Market, discussed best practices for engaging with retail buyers, why he urges entrepreneurs to be transparent about their business and innovation strategies, how he evaluates disruptive concepts, his perspective on the future of plant-based food and setting expectations for communication with buyers amid the current crisis.

Although impulse buys are taking a hit during COVID-19, IRI expects on-the-go snacks to regain steam, especially with younger generations and Hispanic shoppers, once normal schedules return. In a recent report, IRI discussed the organization’s findings on snacking trends during 2019 and COVID-19 — and how both might influence the future of snacking.