Sam Gazdziak

The Real Good Food Co. LLC has developed a pizza crust that stands alone in the pizza market. Instead of using dough, the company is making its pizzas with a crust made of parmesan chicken.

Whether you have a small meat market or a high-end retail product line, customers seek you out because you offer something that they can’t find from the larger meat corporations. Your creativity in developing these products is an asset, so take full advantage of it!

The meat company's name — typically one of the first things a consumer sees on a label — must help to establish not only the brand’s identity, but also its philosophy. True Story Foods, founded in 2011, evokes the type of honesty and transparency that consumers want, just from its name alone.

Scott Sechler, owner of Bell & Evans, has led his company to become one of the premier chicken companies in the country, with premium prices, a loyal consumer following, and farmers lining up to grow chickens for the company.

While a multi-billion dollar corporation doesn't have much in common with a small meat market, there are some similarities. Chief among them would be something at or near the top of their list of challenges: finding and retaining good employees.

Brookwood Farms is one of the only meat processors in the country that measures its cooking capacity by the yard instead of by the pound. All total, the company has 900 yards worth of pit space in its Siler City, N.C. headquarters.

More than ever before, consumers are deciding the quality of their restaurant meal before even trying a bite of it. Many of their judgments are in place just by reading the menu.

Ric Scicchitano, managing partner at FDR, spoke with me recently to discuss the big trends that will be impacting the restaurant industry in 2018 and beyond.

After a tumultuous year, it’s important to remember the good things from the past year.