Dennis Knows Food

In this episode of Dennis Knows Food we've got Maine food news, national coffee news and influences for restaurants in the coming year. Restaurant Business Online just published an article that discusses what restaurants can expect to see as influences in 2018. We're going to discuss some of the insights they've shared, and we've provided a link to the full article below. We're also taking a look...

In this episode of Dennis Knows Food the IFDA is taking us into the minds of independent operators! This week the IFDA released an in-depth 194 page report, prepared by industry research partner Technomic, about independent restaurant operators. It details market trends, challenges, economic outlooks, changing formats and a whole lot more. We're sharing just a few of the many insights from it in t...

In this special unedited episode of Dennis Knows Food we're talking about convenience foodservice and freshness to-go. When it comes to food from "c-stores" - even with convenience foodservice sales exceeding $34 billion dollars a year - negative consumer perceptions still exist around the category. Recent research has shown that there is plenty of room for continued innovation when it c...

In this episode of Dennis Knows Food we’re sharing tips to help prepare your kitchen for the fall foodservice season.  Foodservice operators take tremendous pride in their kitchens and equipment. Now that we’re through the hectic pace of the summer season now is a good time to clean equipment and ensure everything is in proper working order. And, if you’re looking for some fall-food inspiration we...

In this episode of Dennis Knows Food, hungry diners want to know "What's new?" For operators, raising the awareness of new items through any available channel -- website, social media, in-house advertising or on the phone with customers -- can have several benefits; including satisfying regulars who want to try something new, add-on sale opportunities, and attracting new customers. If a...

In this episode of Dennis Knows Food, we're cozying up to comfort! The foliage will soon start to change, and with that will come consumer cravings for comfort food. Creating signature dishes inspired by comfort food has been gaining momentum in recent years, and with autumn on the horizon it's the perfect time to start thinking about your unique comfort-inspired cuisine. On that same note, if you...

Sometimes all it takes to be an innovator in small business is a willingness to not give up. In this inspirational episode of Dennis Knows Food, we're sharing the story of a country store operator who kept her business running, growing and adapting - one small innovation at a time - despite all of the changes and challenges that were thrown at it. You won't want to miss this one! So, connect your...

Robots are coming, and they're bringing spatulas! This week saw the celebration of National Peach Pie Day, and our foodie fact for the week is inspired by peaches. We're doing something a little different with this week's fact, tune in to find out! In this episode we're discussing tips for success in your next marketing campaign. We'll explain why focusing on your target audience, using the right...

It's Thursday, August 17th, and today is National Vanilla Custard Day! Our foodie fact is not inspired by vanilla custard, but rather by one of this week's new product additions, calamari. Find out where the word calamari comes from in this episode! In episode 26 of our podcast we'll be discussing five ways to boost fall sales. Autumn is a favorite time of year for many folks, and it's an ideal ti...

It's Thursday, August 3rd, and today is National Watermelon Day! Our foodie fact is inspired by this Summer favorite. The United States is the world’s 4th largest producer of watermelon. How many pounds of watermelon are grown in the US each year? In this week’s podcast we’re picking up the phone – well, your customers are anyway. We’ll touch on the growing impact of smart phones on foodservice. W...

It's Friday, July 28th, and this is episode 24 of Dennis Knows Food! Our foodie fact is inspired by one of our new products additions this week. This week we have a 2-part question: Jennie-O was founded in what year, and today they produce how many different products? The answers at the end of this episode. Three new products have been added to our inventory this week. We’ve added fresh Tender Bro...

It's Friday, July 21st, and today is National Creme Brûlée Day! We're taking the theme for this week's foodie fact from Creme Brûlée - What was the estimated calorie count for the world's largest Creme Brûlée? The answer in this episode! This week we’ve added 6 new items to our inventory. Now in for produce we’ve added a premium Asian style stir fry medley. From the artisan bakery experts at Turan...

It's Thursday, July 13th, and today is National French Fry Day! Every July 13th, the nation joins in celebration of an culinary staple, French fries! That means our foodie fact for the week is inspired by French fries! During WWI, which army influenced the coining of the term "French fries" among US soldiers; the Russian, Belgian, or French army? The answer in this episode! This week we’...

It's Thursday, July 6th, and today is National Fried Chicken Day! That means our foodie fact for the week is inspired by chickens! What is the greatest height an unprotected egg has been dropped to earth without breaking? The answer in this episode! Three new items have been brought in to our inventory this week. We’re adding to our impressive selection of beef products with two of them. First up...

It's Thursday, June 29th, and this is Episode 20 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! Today is National Almond Buttercrunch Day! This week's almond-inspired foodie fact asks "What conditions do almond trees need to produce almonds?" The answer in this episode! This is a rare week where we do not have any recently added inventory products to discuss, we'll explain more about what that means...

It's Thursday, June 22nd, and this is Episode 19 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! Today is National Onion Ring day! This week's onion-inspired foodie fact asks "What was the fastest recorded time to peel 50 pounds of onions?" The answer in this episode! We've added 9 items to our inventory this week covering new products as well as some seasonal favorites that are now back in stock! Thi...

It's Thursday, June 15th, and this is Episode 18 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! In this weeks episode of Dennis Knows Food we focus some of the spotlight on New England, with 3 of our 12 latest inventory additions coming from right here in Maine. We're also putting some emphasis on produce, with Chris Webster, one of our Dennis Account Executives joining us for a discussion on "veggie perc...

It's Thursday, June 8th, and this is Episode 17 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! Here we are with another Thursday edition of our Podcast; the last few episodes have been recorded on Thursdays rather than our usual Wednesday schedule. This made me reflect on how, even with schedules and planning, the unexpected can cause a hiccup in our regular routines. In this episode I've got some advice to he...

It's Thursday, June 1st, and this is Episode 16 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! Our podcast is protein packed this week as we put the spotlight on creating new opportunities and dishes for your menu. Burgers are big and getting bigger, we discuss the customer-keeping-power of crafting unique signature burgers. The record breaking popularity of bacon means customers are hungry for more pork menu...

It's Thursday, May 25th, and this is Episode 15 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! In this weeks episode we share 10 new products that were just added to our inventory; including a larger size of our extremely popular Arcadian Harvest lettuce mix. We talk about the return of a fresh seafood favorite, and cover some recent Maine-seafood headlines. We're big on beef, and we're setting up a future &qu...

It's Thursday, May 18th, and this is Episode 14 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! We hope you had an opportunity to get outside for at least a few minutes today and enjoy a taste of this early Summeresque weather. I was able to spend all weekend outside while fishing in Northern Maine. In this episode of Dennis Knows Food I've got a fishing/cooking story to share with you. Also in this episode we...

It's Thursday, May 11th, and this is Episode 13 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! It's been an interesting couple of days trying to record audio for our Podcast, you'll hear why in the episode. This week we've added 14 new items to our inventory spanning several delicious categories. We’ve added liquid coffee concentrate, cereal, almond milk, yogurt, soups, a 4.5oz beef and bean burrito and more....

It's Wednesday, May 3rd, and this is Episode 12 of our Podcast! This week's podcast is a little longer than our previous, and that's because we had a guest join us today! Travis Estes, or Frozen Category Manager talks about new products, several of which are perfect for summertime business. In this episode we also share 9 new items that were just added to our inventory, we talk about this weeks Ja...

It's Thursday, April 27th, and this is Episode 11 of our Podcast! It been a busy week! We're doing our Podcast a day later than normal to allow for a little catch-up after our Food Show on Tuesday. A big "thank you" to all of our vendors, customers and attendees! This week we've got 5 new items to share with you which were just added to our inventory, we revisit the discussion on sports...

It's Wednesday, April 19th, and this is Episode 10 of our Podcast! Ten weeks have gone by since we shared our first podcast, but it really only feels like 10 days. Thank you to our listeners for the great feedback; your thoughts, ideas and support have helped us improve our podcasting efforts. This weeks podcast covers some of the 13 new items that were just added to our inventory, health news for...