Specialty Food Magazine

Restaurants Focus on Off-Premises Consumption Restaurants, particularly full-service locations, were among the hardest-hit industries in 2020, although operators that had strong takeout, delivery, or drive-thru businesses fared better. Those trends are expected to continue into 2021 as restaurants focus on enhancing their off-premises capabilities. Nearly half—44 percent—of consumers surveyed by research firm Datassential in November said they were "definitely" avoiding eating out in restaurants, although most felt comfortable ordering delivery or takeout. Datassential's Firefly research found that 70 percent of restaurants were offering delivery by late 2020. ‡ˆ SPECIALTY FOOD SPECIALTYFOOD.COM "The 1940s and '50s killed the corner shop, and now it seems like 2020 brought some of them back. We hope that's here to stay." Caputo's Rethinks Operations for the Future Tony Caputo's Market & Deli, which operates three retail locations in Salt Lake City and the A Priori specialty food distribution business, has seen its sales increase significantly during the pandemic, despite a sharp falloff in foodservice distribution early on, says Matt Caputo, president. "The foodservice component of our business went down 95 percent overnight back on March 15, when the shutdown orders were given out," he says. "And, we had a tidal wave of perishables coming at us—fresh mozzarella that we had bought for dozens and dozens of restaurants that only had a couple of weeks' shelf life. That was a very scary time." Within the following months, however, the company saw strong gains in its distribution volumes for items sold through it's A Priori division, including chocolate, cocktail bitters, and tinned seafood, which were on track for 200 percent sales gains in 2020, compared with 2019. "We've been crazy, crazy busy, and we're cautiously expecting it to continue for us," says Caputo. "We don't see any signs of it slowing down." As the distributors' customers have trimmed their staffs, many appreciate the streamlined service the company offers through which buyers can conduct one-stop shopping for several types of specialty items, he says. The biggest challenge the company faces going forward, Caputo says, is expanding the company without taking on outside investment. "We're definitely planning for growth, but we're also not trying to grow too fast," he says. Caputo anticipates "incredible growth" in the company's conservas (tinned seafood) business, which he likens to the craft chocolate boom of the past decade and a half. "We expect that to grow really quickly over the next three to four years," he says. The company supplies many restaurants that have added retail elements to their operations, he says. Restaurants across the country have begun offering items from their suppliers, or retail items created in their own kitchens, directly to consumers. "We're seeing a lot of restaurants that have pivoted to that and have focused on specialty food in a pretty profound way," says Caputo. "The 1940s and '50s killed the corner shop, and now it seems like 2020 brought some of them back. We hope that's here to stay." Meanwhile at Caputo's retail stores, which have a significant foodservice component, the company has expanded its outdoor dining capacity by adding heated seating areas at two of its locations. "One of the things that we're betting on for next year is that there's going to be some relatively permanent changes to people's behavior and how comfortable they feel being near people in enclosed spaces," says Caputo. He envisions that the new outdoor seating arrangements could be long-lasting elements of the stores' operations. "The good news is, they're so attractive that we think that even in the summer, it makes our storefront look that much more inviting," says Caputo. "It makes for a nice space." PHOTO DAVID NEWKIRK

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