Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/919877
16 FEDA News & Views Vice President Adam Ungarian had become close friends after years of calling on the Melting Pot. Their children went to the same school, and their wives knew each other from past lives. Still, Wagner needed a little prodding. Ungarian's father, Larry, was ready to retire, creating an immediate need for someone with a strong financial background and a level of tech-savvy to spearhead the modernization of the distributor 's brand. Ultimately, the opportunity to drive change is what lured Wagner to HESCO. He still handles the Melting Pot's finances and marketing but more of the day-to-day is invested in leveraging tech tools like HESCO's recent ERP upgrade and online ordering capabilities. " That's my big mandate now, embracing more and more technology," says Wagner. "All of our large customers want online ordering WHY THE MELTING POT VALUES ITS DISTRIBUTOR Access to Best Practices "When we redesigned our kitchen, a lot of it was based on what other restaurants are doing to maintain optimal service levels while still operating efficiently," says franchisee Cory Wagner. "We don't have to reinvent the wheel. Working with HESCO allows us to tap into a mindshare of best practices." Same-Day Service "Even if you're an Amazon Prime Member, you still can't get that delivery until after the weekend—but your local distributor delivers. That's the level of service they provide." Online Ordering "At the end of the night when the chef needs to do his inventory, he can just hop on a computer and place an order. Our chef loves online ordering." Local Knowledge "Yes, I can go to Costco and order a fridge but a lot of what happens after the sale pertains to local knowledge. For example, in our jurisdiction, you can't have a drain in your walk-in cooler. Local knowledge is super important, and you can't get that from Costco or Amazon." and, for us, it's a huge opportunity for growth. Chefs live and die by food costs but the beauty of our business is that most of the things we sell are not connected to those costs. One click and a case of wine glasses is added to your cart. "With the help of suggestive selling, we've seen an increase of between 20 to 30 percent in what our existing customers buy on a regular basis." Still in his HESCO hat, he sees other areas where the distributor can gain ground in helping other restaurateurs interested in crossing the border. "I can speak to the challenges and the opportunities, and hopefully we can facilitate international expansion for other large U.S. brands," says Wagner. As a restaurateur, he'd like to see distributors do more to remedy the Melting Pot's pain. "Every single restaurant in North America is being smacked in the head with minimum wage, so what else can a distributor do to help facilitate more efficiency?" he says. "I see huge opportunities for HESCO to move into the consulting side of the business and help with things like traffic flow, RFID and POS terminals. "I see the industry moving so far beyond supply and design. That's what it's always been: You supply stuff and you design. That part of the business is never going to go away but how can we elevate our services? Imagine talking with a restaurateur and having those ideas in your back pocket. Instead of saying, 'Hey, do you need some wine glasses, forks, knives and an ice maker?' it could be, 'Let's talk about your restaurant and what we can do to improve every aspect of your business.'" ■ GREAT EXPECTATIONS