Beyond the Candy Bar: Transforming Iconic Treats into Foodservice Goldmines | Season 11, Vol. 4

In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg, “The Restaurant Guy,” and Jimmy Frischling, “The Finance Guy,” are joined by Herb Ring, National Foodservice Director of The Hershey Company.Herb shares how he got his start working in his family’s restaurants before transitioning into foodservice sales roles at companies like The J.M. Smucker Company. Twenty years ago, Herb moved his family to Hershey, Pennsylvania, to take on a role heading up foodservice sales and marketing at Hershey. He talks about major foodservice customers like Dairy Queen using nostalgic ingredients like Twizzlers for milkshake straws, the importance of data and chopped candy in driving Hershey’s explosive growth, and more!Key Takeaways:(01:30) Herb worked at Smucker’s before joining Hershey.(03:11) Herb became the head of food service sales and marketing at Hershey.(05:15) Selling chocolate syrup was the first big food service sale.(07:06) Only 20% of business is candy bars?(11:25) Work with good partners like Dairy Queen.(13:50) Herb advises small operators to merchandise candy bars at the counter.(15:45) Twizzlers were used as straws in milkshakes!(18:47) Nostalgic ingredients for LTOs and milkshakes.(22:11) Selling ingredients like spices in bulk to manufacturers.(22:30) How much is a meal at Wingstop?Key Takeaways:[] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []