Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa looks back at the good and bad of an historic year for the cold chain, and what may lie ahead in 2021.

US Foods announced the launch of Holiday Scoop 2020, “Wow Your Diners On- and Off-Premise.” With this special edition of Scoop, operators can design family-style take-out meals to meet increased demand during the busy holiday season, and develop a new rotation of on-trend menu items to help fight menu fatigue whether diners are ordering to-go or dining in. Holiday Scoop features 14 items to help restaurant owners create standout menu items that not only meet diner demand but increase revenue opportunities this season.

Sysco, the leading global foodservice distribution company, announced the nationwide launch of ten exciting menu concepts exclusively for Sysco customers through the company’s Cutting Edge Solutions platform. These chef-tested and innovative products are being launched to help foodservice operators with on-trend dining options as they enter a new normal phase of restaurant dining amidst the global pandemic.

Guacamolito will be the first Mexican business to sell traditional and fresh guacamole to 'take-out' restaurants in New York City. According to Business Wire, the avocado market will have a CAGR of 5.3 percent until 2024, starting from last year. [1] The company will initially invest up to $5 million and will establish new offices in Los Angeles, California.

US Foods announced the launch of its Fall Scoop 2020 catalog, titled “On Point With Off-Premise – Designed To Make It.” This special edition of Scoop features 14 products designed to address trends within off-premise dining such as labor-saving products perfect for DIY meal kits, and products that will help ease diner safety and hygiene worries, including tamper-evident packaging and sanitation items.

Sysco announces the launch of Foodie Solutions, an innovative platform created to support foodservice operators in today’s rapidly changing business climate. With its broad-based perspective from supporting restaurants and other foodservice operators across the country, Sysco identified the most essential tools to help customers respond quickly to shifting business requirements and trends resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

By any measure, 2020 has been a historically difficult year for foodservice distributors. COVID-19 wiped out business for foundational customers like restaurants, hotels, caterers, stadiums, schools and other volume foodservice clients starting in March, and even today, as states attempt to re-open amid the uncertainty of where the pandemic is heading, an argument could be made that foodservice distributors have had to continuously pivot more than any other cold chain segment to stay afloat.

The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), an industry leader in the certification of gluten-free products and food services, is enhancing the branding of its Gluten-Free Food Service (GFFS). GFFS, which audits and validates restaurants and food businesses that serve gluten-free food, is launching a newly designed logo and signage that designates establishments as “Validated Gluten Free Safe Spots.”

On our latest From the Cold Corner Podcast, I sit down with Neil Russell, VP of corporate affairs at Sysco, for details about the company’s constantly evolving strategies during the pandemic. 

US Foods announced the launch of Spring Scoop, “Raising the Bar: The Classics – Celebrated and Elevated.” The 25th edition of Scoop features products designed to help bar-and-grill operators easily get creative and innovate with their menus, with elevated, upsell-worthy versions of their traditional bar-and-grill fare.