A few finds and tidbits to justify my Internet surfing, to help food entrepreneurs from all walks of life:
1. 83 percent of the U.S. adult population drinks coffee. Wow. We already knew coffee is an addictive magnet, but with that figure in mind, it seems all retail food folks should do whatever it takes to have coffee on hand.
2. Abe’s Market launched a $10 million fund for organic and natural food companies. Given their marketing power that could be one great way to get funding.
3. I’m seeking awesome chocolate chip cookie bakeries to promote in my upcoming Kickstarter campaign. It costs nothing, and they’ll get lots of visibility and engagement with local consumers. Get in touch with interest or tips.
4. Chewing gum is in a sticky situation—declining sales. Whenever I buy gum I think about the artificial ingredients I’m ingesting. But there aren’t that many great sugar free natural gums. At ExpoWest I discovered Raintree Gum “the world’s only supplier and developer of organic chewing gum and gumbase.” And at a recent Fancy Food Show Greek Mastiha (mastic) makers offered an intriguing, antique gum option too. Would you start a gum company?
5. Fundable is a crowdfunding site, I recently heard about, focused only on business. Check out a chip and popcorn company that raised $360,000. (Fundable just acquired Launchrock, which is a cool way to put a “coming soon” page on a website.)
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