Trendystia MRC introduced the ConciergeVertical Labs solution for the benefit of emerging and established foodservice purveyors and technology vendors. ConciergeVertical™ provides content management, business support services, trade show marketing & administrative support and an idea vertical (lab), and . When industry purveyors want to sell, engage audiences and retain customers, they’ll look to ConciergeVertical (conciergevertical.com) for improved success rates. Often, there isn’t enough time or headcount to keep the content engine going, to follow-up on all qualified leads, or to strategize outside-the-four-walls thinking around audience and customer engagement. This is particularly true with emerging and growing purveyors. In addition to marketing and business-support solutions, as an idea vertical (lab), ConciergeVertical helps catalyze new opportunities and industry-born thinking around marketing programs, sales tactics and new methods of engaging restaurateur audiences. ConciergeVertical makes boosting engagement simple: ConciergeVertical Labs provides four main solution types, but is flexible as purveyor’s needs evolve: Marketing solutions: content management, case studies, articles, blogs Loyalty strategy and idea vertical: how to retain customers and better connect the dots between products, trends and application Trade-show support: press releases, email campaigns, booth compliance, social selling Business support: bookings, lead retrieval follow-up, temp marketing support Contact concierge@trendystiamrc.com

1. conciergevertical.com | concierge@trendystiamrc.com | 301.795.4978 | Part of Trendystia MRC
ConciergeVertical labs by Trendystia
Connect
Connect the dots between between
your products and consumer
& food application trends
Obtain seamless and affordable
content marketing services
Develop newsletters, whitepapers and
e-books without adding headcount
Engage
Obtain content management that supports
the efforts of your sales team
Develop customized lead generation material
Support for trade shows,
conferences and sampling events
Pre-trade-show support:
press releases, emails, bookings
Post-trade-show support:
lead retrieval follow-up
retain customers
Will you be seen as just another purveyor
or as a true business partner for the long run?
Develop loyalty programs that put the
spotlight on your capabilities as a
business partner
Help your clients succeed with their business
problems and with restaurant sales growth
About ConciergeVertical Labs
ConciergeVertical Labs provides marketing solutions, business support services and an idea vertical for foodservice
purveyors. Through its solutions, foodservice purveyors, including technology vendors, can make amplify their audience
engagement programs and foster loyalty in their client base.
About Trendystia MRC
Trendystia MRC helps multi-unit and multi-concept restaurant operators nationwide make the most of their menu
planning, development and implementation processes. Additionally, the firm serves as an advisory for customer engagement
programs. From its proprietary RoadMap7 trend-vetting & implementation process to food costing, menu rollout and training
support, Trendystia’s highly-accessible menu management services and affordable rates make it a top choice for emerging
and established restaurant companies, alike.
It’s your year. Let ConciergeVertical Labs help you...
Sell: Connect the dots between your products and today’s most meaningful trends and your products
Engage: Engage existing and prospective customers with informative and industry-born content
Boost sales programs: Get support for specific sale-oriented projects, including trade shows, fairs and sampling events
Think creatively: Develop concepts, strategies and markets by thinking outside the four walls of your business
Foodservice purveyors benefit from the accessible and affordable marketing services of ConciergeVertical Labs.
ConciergeVertical Labs is a business services and idea lab for foodservice vendors, suppliers and broadline distributors.
Whether incorporating trends into marketing campaigns and content management programs or preparing for high-
visibility trade shows, ConciergeVertical provides the type of support that can boost your already-stellar efforts in
reaching a restaurant audience. It helps you map and reach your goals without adding headcount or undue expense.

2. Trendystia MRC released its top food and food
prep trends list for Q1 of 2016. The consultancy
helps multi-unit and multi-concept restaurant
operators nationwide make the most of their
menu planning, development and implementation
processes, and boost their customer engagement
programs. Additionally, the DC-area based
consultancy helps foodservice purveyors and
technologyvendorsconnectthedotsbetweenfood,
preparation & menu trends and their compelling
products and services for the restaurant industry.
Through ConciergeVertical Labs, Trendystia
released a portfolio of services for purveyors and
vendors, including suppliers, distributors, mobile-
app vendors, reservation-system vendors, POS
companies, and manufacturers.
Seeds
From the
category darling
chia seeds to the
now famous pepitas
(pumpkin seeds),
restaurateursandfood
retailers are keen on a
exploring formulation
and preparation with
seeds, supported by
consumer interest in more
healthful ingredients and global
preparations. Chia seeds, pepitas,
sunflower, quinoa (a seed, cultivated as a grain),
flax seeds, hemp and nigella are just some of the
seeds open to culinary and product-manufacturer
innovation.
Upscaled soup, cold soup & broth bowls
As consumers focus on more artisanal
preparations of soup and broth, upscaled
soup, cold soup and broth bowls are not just
“goodfood,”butalsogreatcategoriesrestaurateurs
can use to build sales. As for cold soups, Industry
research firms have highlighted the rise of on-the-
go and drinkable soups like gazpacho and on-
the-go plant-based soups. Data points lead us to
believe that unique and differentiated preparations
create a reason for guests to visit restaurants and
create memorable experiences. Independent
and chain restaurateurs are elevating bone broth
and broth bowls, making these continued big
stars in the upcoming two quarters. Leave it to
broth preparations to enhance the on-premise
experience and for cold & drinkable soup to
appeal to those looking for takeout & portability
convenience.
Fermented foods
Digestive health and well-being drive
the increasing appeal of fermented foods
and beverages and their inclusion in
the American diet. A growing body of scientific
evidence suggests an interplay between
microbiome health and overall well-being, as
well as potential disease mitigation, with much
more study being undertaken and funded.
Getting ahead of the findings is the consumer
looking for longevity and well-being, particularly
baby boomers. According to the Food & Healthy
2015 Survey by IFIC, over 40% of consumers
are giving a lot of thought to the ingredients in
food and beverages. Many consumers
are finding respect for artisanal
fermentation methods and
natural fermentation. Kefir,
kombucha, kimchi, slaw
and global yogurt
products are finding
success on menus
and on retail shelves,
but there are many
other products that can
be fermented, whether
through a tie-back to
historical preparations or
new innovation.
Premiumization of meat
Commodity increases, sustainability
and deep culinary interest in making
the most of beef has led to the
premiumization of meat. New cuts of beef
represent ways for restaurants to show off
culinary creativity while keeping rising costs of
beef at bay and avoiding lower price points.
According to meat industry experts and
research firms, flat iron steak, hangar (flank)
steak, chuck boneless short ribs are some of the
most opportunistic cuts that can be optimized
in the kitchen. Concurrently, restaurateurs are
looking to continue exploration in game meats,
including bison, venison, ostrich, wild boar and
lamb, while charcuterie appeal is giving salumi a
next-gen spot on the table. Consumer interest in
protein and food in the functionality context give
this premiumization of meat an added boost.
Small plates/ shareable plates
This trend seemed to be well-
exhausted just a year ago, but the
social aspect of food and eating inside
Trendystia Top Food and Preparation Trends 2016
Courtesy of Harvey Enrile
ConciergeVertical Labs
Trendystia Menu Management
Trendystia Customer Engagement

3. Vegetables, roots and
nutritious plant-based
foods have ... come
back to the American
dining plate
restaurants plays well with small plates, which
help boost business, especially at happy hour,
at the bar, as well as during off-hours. The
social aspect isn’t just predicated on group
outings, but also the favorability of small plates
with solo diners wanting to go out and enjoy
meals in the vibrancy of the restaurant scene
(a trend in and of itself, which is on the rise).
Research firm Technomic, Inc., found small
plates are actually shared only 41% of the time
by adult consumers, based on a 2013 survey.
Proteins, like beef, which are currently on a cost
upswing, may benefit from menu placement in
small-plate dishes. Global dishes are benefiting
from the small-plate movement, making these
preparations more approachable to the non-
foodie American diner.
Superfoods of the earth
Are superfoods all marketing?
Vegetables, roots and nutritious plant-
based foods have been propped up and
have come back to the American dining plate
in grand fashion. Whether kale, spinach or the
trendier cauliflowers, super veggies have found
their starring roles on dishes. Marketing of
superfruits like acai and pomegranate have led
them to be economic powerhouses. Expect this
trend to continue as consumers seek out better-
for-you and more nutritious foods, and savvy
marketing and menu design calls attention to
superfoods in side plates, small plates and as
accompaniments of proteins. The appeal of
disease-fighting foods is becoming more exotic
and international, exemplified by the emerging,
Andean-originating purple corn, which contains
the antioxidant anthocyanin.
Artisan breads
Bread can be the new star of the dish,
reflecting consumption decreases in
white bread, increased usage of whole
grain and wheat breads, as well as a growing
interest in global breads, including flatbreads,
tortillas, tortas and worldly bagels. Tortas now
represent a menu penetration of 3% in non-
dessert, non-beverage categories, according
to data sourced from menu data analytics
firm Food Genius. According to research
firm Packaged Facts, 56% of consumers are
claiming to be cutting back on white bread (not
reflected in white-flour-based global breads).
Artisan breads are the markers of differentiation
for many sandwich and entree meal offerings,
when many other factors and ingredients would
have been comparable in the consumer’s eye.
Free-from (Clean label)
Free-from products have delivered to
the consumer food and beverages that
are free of certain allergens, including
gluten, eggs and nuts, have expanded in their
role to include formulations that are also free
of other ingredients that people are avoiding,
including artificial ingredients/colorings, GMOs,
antibiotics, wheat and other additives. A recent
Instantly survey of 4,200 consumers (Food
Navigator USA, October 2015) found that 79%
of the respondents view brands that drop artificial
ingredients more favorably. This area of interest
offers a huge opportunity for food retailers
and foodservice operators, alike, due to the
simplicity and transparency of free-from foods.
More and more restaurant chains are dropping
artificial ingredients from their main products and
committing to antibiotic-free meats, for example,
including McDonald’s and Noodles & Company;
the latter was an early adopter of using additive-
free meats in the fast-casual segment.
Savory dairy
From savory Greek yogurt and kefir, to
milk and dairy-based dips, savory is the
trend with much staying power. Savory
profiles can be blended or combined with chopped
or diced ingredients to provide a non-sweet profile
thatplayswellwiththeall-daysnackingmovement.
Tomato, cucumber and beet, for example, can
be blended and mixed in for savory goodness.
Smoked and roasted profiles in addition to savory
juxtaposed with sweet are giving tried-and-true
products like ice cream and yogurt a new look.
Look for more savory dairy products make their
way to limited-service restaurant concepts with
a better-for-you vibe, innovative casual-dining
chains, and to the shelves and e-commerce sites
of more food retailers.
Fire is on fire
Charring, grilling, roasting, and
smoking are preparation methods that
aregivingproteins,vegetables,rootsand
fruit added flavor and appeal. From the charburger
to the charred heirloom tomato, these preparation
methods are bringing excitement to meals across
segments in restaurants. Additionally, there’s
a lot of untapped potential that is particularly
meaningful to limited-service restaurant concepts
and packaged good manufacturers.