Retail foodservice is hot. As the deli and prepared foods department consistently adds share within perishables, it is also the only fresh department predicted to outperform all fresh food and beverage departments in 2024 in terms of unit growth and dollar sales, according to the consumer behavior experts at Circana.
But with opportunity comes challenges. In the increasingly competitive landscape of retail foodservice, grocers must also overcome challenges from labor and food safety to waste reduction and rising food costs to staying ahead of what today’s ever-changing consumer wants most.
The Packer’s "Impact Retail Foodservice 2024" webinar brought together industry experts Mark Kowalkowski, corporate executive chef for Oliver’s Market; Vanessa Nieto, director of foodservice for Raley’s; and Kevin Brooks, chief revenue officer at Procurant to discuss the state of retail foodservice and what’s on the horizon in the year ahead.
Moderated by Jennifer Strailey, editorial director of The Packer, the webinar was filmed Feb. 27 at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, Calif.
The webinar will be available Tuesday, April 2, at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time. Register for the free event today.
Meet the Impact panelists
Kevin Brooks, chief revenue officer, Procurant
Kevin Brooks is an experienced enterprise software sales and marketing innovator. Prior to joining Procurant he developed and led global ISV partner success at ServiceNow following that company’s acquisition of DxContinuum, where he was vice president of sales and marketing.
Prior to DxContinuum he held executive leadership roles at Ariba and ADP, and he served as chief marketing officer at Ivalua, Inc., and iTradeNetwork, Inc. Brooks is also known for co-founding the procurement industry media site, Spend Matters, and as the board chair of Vanguard Music and Performing Arts in Santa Clara, Calif.
Mark Kowalkowski, corporate executive chef, Oliver’s Market
Chef Mark Kowalkowski joined Oliver’s Market in 2009 as corporate executive chef, bringing the focus and quality of the Oliver’s prepared food program to a new level. His extensive background includes degrees from Purdue and the Culinary Institute of America and work in top restaurants in Hawaii, Chicago and Sonoma County.
During his tenure at Oliver’s, Kowalkowski has led the expansion of the grocer’s prepared food offerings, including development of Oliver’s Fit Friendly Foods line of soups, sandwiches, salads and entrees and development of the menu for the Oliver’s Tavern in Windsor, Calif. He leads the commitment of the Oliver’s Culinary team to consistently deliver restaurant-level quality to customers.
The work of Kowalkowski and the Oliver’s culinary team has been recognized by readers of the Press Democrat, naming Oliver’s Best Deli in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 and Best Sandwich in 2021 and 2022. Oliver’s cuisine has also earned numerous medals in the Sonoma County Harvest Fair Professional Food Competition.
Vanessa Nieto, director of foodservice, Raley’s
Vanessa Nieto has held multiple roles during her nearly 17-year career with the California-based Raley’s, starting as a foodservice clerk and progressing into leadership roles. She currently serve as director of foodservice for the company.
The Raley’s Family of stores has grown to operate 121 stores in Northern California and Nevada. This operating company is part of a larger enterprise, The Raley’s Cos., formed in 2021 with the acquisition of Bashas’ Family of Stores.