Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/623506
C hange doesn't come easily, no matter the industry, and when it comes to food, it's not only a struggle to come up with new ideas but an even tougher challenge to make them a reality. This year, we take a look at some game-changing organizations, entrepreneurs, and companies who are making an indelible impact. EASTERN MARKET: CHANGING THE WAY AN ENTIRE CITY EATS E astern Market is more than just a 124-year-old food destina- tion. It's a community organization with big goals to help bring healthy food to the entire city of Detroit by improving supply and demand for fresh produce, fostering food entrepreneurship, and celebrating the city's different food cultures. Established in 2006 as a nonprofit to promote and manage Eastern Market on behalf of the city of Detroit, Eastern Market Corp. has been responsible for more than $16 million invested in market buildings and $24 million invested in market district infra- structure projects. Those include the completion of two greenways, the replacement of three bridges, and construction of seven blocks of new streetscape in the neighborhood around the market. Beyond just making sure the doors stay open, EMC serves as the economic development organization for the Eastern Market District and works to boost healthy food consumption throughout Detroit. EMC is partnering with Community Growth Partnership, Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit, and the Detroit Lions to open a model green grocer at a private market hall that also serves as a workforce training site for unemployed veterans. There will be healthy eating programs and Red Truck Fresh Produce will provide fruits and vegetables six days per week to supplement the meat that is already sold there. "[EMC's] mission is to shepherd the market's, rich history of nourishing Detroit to make [the city] healthier, wealthier and hap- pier," says Daniel Carmody, president of EMC. "All three are critical to a more successful Detroit." A key focus of EMC is to insure that the Eastern Market District maintains its food district status. Ensuring some space in the district remains priced to encourage "edgy" new businesses, while retaining existing companies, especially those owned by peo- ple from historically underrepresented populations, "is how we do development without displacement," Carmody adds. Another factor to help grow the district is making sure there are new facilities that can manufacture food to meet current standards. Creating a Food Accelerator To help with that goal, EMC is creating a network of shared-use kitchens to provide emerging businesses with low-cost produc- tion space. The organization is working with a developer to lease a 103,000-square-foot multi-tenant space in the district for the Detroit Regional Food Accelerator, featuring innovative food technologies along with a suite of small, ready-to-equip spaces for food businesses experiencing sudden growth. The hope is that the food accelerator will be open by early 2017. EMC is working with FoodLab Detroit on the project. "FoodLab provides the resources needed for emerging food busi- nesses to succeed, especially those owned by people of limited means," says Carmody. Since 2014, FoodLab has been a partner in EMC 's SEED, an incubator program designed to support entrepreneurs by providing targeted assistance to those scaling up from batch production. It helps play a feeder role for the market by connect- ing food entrepreneurs with wannabe food-preneurs to promote peer-to-peer mentoring and it supports about 158 members looking to start a company or in the early stages of growth. The Detroit Regional Food Accelerator is the next step in its partner- ship with EMC. The Future According to Carmody, the central issues in the market's strate- gic plan through 2025 are authenticity, connectivity, diversity, equity, and density. Eastern Market's authenticity derives from its status as a working food district and as a place with genuine economic democracy where everyone feels welcome to participate as producers or consumers—and that remains important to EMC. Maintaining that authenticity in the face of "much greater investment" in the district is a critical issue, Carmody says. The market has expanded its on-site uses, and the surround- ing area has experienced a surge of interest from established food companies seeking to remain and grow in the district or relocate there. BRIO: TR ANSFORMING ICE CREAM INTO A "SMART FOOD CHOICE" T he creators of Brio, an ice cream that's packed with protein and nutrients, think they've perfected their secret sauce. The Montpelier, Vermont, company started developing its healthier frozen treat in 2003. After 11 years of trials and errors, and writing two patents along the way, founding brothers Arnie and Ron Koss released their product to consumers in 2014. The biggest obstacle for the brothers was figuring out just how to jam 24 essential vitamins and minerals into ice cream, while making it actually look and taste like ice cream. Just ask Arnie and he'll tell you—it wasn't easy. He and his brother weren't ice-cream makers; they were entrepreneurs. Arnie and Ron created Earth's Best Baby Foods, the nation's first organic baby food company, in the mid-1980s, which 44 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com