I was fixing a batch of fresh potato salad when Russ T. Blade peeked out from behind my mixing bowl. “Rusty,” as regular readers know, is the miniature, imaginary produce manager who occasionally appears to talk shop.
Rusty: Geez. Expecting company? That looks like enough to feed an army!
Me: My recipes are like this. I think it’s because I came from a large family; everything’s done in big batches. At least I made this one a bit healthier, using mayo instead of my go-to, heaping measure of Miracle Whip salad dressing.
Rusty: Miracle Whip, huh? You are a redneck, aren’t you? Well, potatoes are super healthy. Zero fat, low calories, loaded with vitamins and minerals.
Me: It reminds me when I was working in the foodservice side of produce. Potatoes were pretty important. In fact, I remember the sales team was trained to follow the PLOT plan.
Rusty: Which stands for?
Me: Potatoes. Lettuce. Onions. Tomatoes. In our region, PLOT was emphasized, as when a foodservice operator was sold these foundation menu items, it naturally rolled into other sales that followed, including protein, groceries, paper goods, chemicals and, of course, more produce.
Rusty: It’s hard for me to imagine the corner sandwich shop using that much produce or other food products in volume.
Me: That’s because what you don’t see is the incredible volume that foodservice encompasses. Picture fast food or QSR, followed by fast-casual, casual dining and fine dining. Each has its subsets and nuances. Each operator type uses load volumes of fresh produce.
Rusty: So, PLOT fits into each level. Makes sense.
Me: The sales teams are also focused on using the PLOT foot-in-the-door sales tactic for both chain restaurants and, more importantly, for “street” accounts, or independent dining locations, as these tend to generate a higher gross profit for the foodservice companies.
Rusty: Well, on the retail side, we have our own banner levels: national or regional chains, warehouse club chains, gourmet, specialty or natural food chains, ethnic markets, discount chains and even convenience (or C-stores), as well as independent stores.
Me: As does the foodservice side, with operators sourcing from distributors such as broadliners, wholesalers, jobbers, processors, brokers and independents. Consider also that the other side of the foodservice coin is referred to as noncommercial; this includes schools, military bases, business complexes, correctional facilities, hotels (of varying degrees), senior living facilities, healthcare (hospitals), commissaries, sports and entertainment arenas, cruise lines and more. Overall, foodservice uses a tremendous amount of fresh produce.
Rusty: Geez. I honestly never thought of that when I saw my favorite sandwich shop getting their few cases of produce wheeled into the shop.
Me: Not many outside the industry do. It all begins with sales people selling the proprietor an initial order of fresh potatoes, lettuce, onions and tomatoes. It grows from there.
Rusty: It’s a great base. And of course, we in the produce biz know this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the range of fresh products and volume that follows.
Me: I was amazed when walking through my employer’s broadliner warehouse for the first time. We carried everything that any foodservice operation could possibly need, ranging from fixtures and equipment, to groceries, supplies and, well, everything imaginable. It was as big a warehouse as any retail supplier.
Rusty: I bet it was a happening place, in this, um, PLOT-land.
Me: The receiving dock had 60-some bay doors, all busy until mid-afternoon. Straight loads of everything, including fresh produce in all grades, sizes and packs. Seven days a week. In the late hours the flow reversed, and a hundred order selectors loaded mixed reefer trailers through the same dock doors to replenish all the commercial and noncommercial foodservice customers in the region. We weren’t even the largest “house” in the area, either.
Rusty: And those outbound foodservice trucks we see every day are loaded with the four PLOT pillars of potatoes, lettuce, onions, tomatoes and so much more.
Me: Now, back to my potato salad, I think it needs more diced onions, and maybe just a dab of Miracle Whip.
Armand Lobato’s more than 50 years of experience in the produce business span a range of foodservice and retail positions. He has written a weekly retail column for two decades.
