The One Crucial Factor That Can Enhance Your Customer’s Image

With the foodservice industry expanding every day, it’s essential for your customers to find ways to set themselves apart. Many operators are demonstrating their commitment to transparency. The term “transparency” can refer to a number of factors in foodservice—from ingredient sourcing to restaurant management—all of which are important to consumers. For many operators, transparency can go a long way in enhancing their corporate image.

With a greater awareness around the impact of food, consumers have been shifting their preference toward clean ingredients and responsibly raised animal proteins that were fed a 100% vegetarian diet and never given antibiotics. Many manufacturers are eager to take advantage of the growing demand for transparency and high-value menu claims. It’s important to be aware of those that have taken only one step to meet that demand by offering proteins that were never given antibiotics but they may have received a diet that included animal by-products.

A little research can go a long way. Some poultry companies argue that if chickens and turkeys are not vegetarians, why feed them all-vegetarian diets? They’ll take advantage of that angle and use low-cost animal by-products, including the rendered bits leftover from processing, and even fats skimmed off processing plant wastewater or recycled from used restaurant grease.¹ Perdue Foodservice is different. Perdue offers 100% vegetarian fed chicken and turkey with No Antibiotics Ever – that means no animal by-products and no antibiotics, ever. Perdue chickens and turkeys get protein from soybeans and fats from vegetable oils—mixed with corn and other grains for energy, along with vitamins, minerals and probiotics that help keep them healthy without antibiotics.

PERDUE® No Antibiotics Ever Turkey, PERDUE^® HARVESTLAND^® No Antibiotics Ever Chicken and Turkey and PERDUE^® HARVESTLAND^® USDA Certified Organic Chicken are all raised on 100% vegetarian diets and can satisfy your customers’ diverse menu needs while still satisfying diners’ current demands for transparency. Perdue’s Commitment to Animal Care, which was recognized in the top 15% globally by the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, goes well beyond most other companies’ commitments to encompass not only the animals, but the people who care for and handle them, as well as stakeholders who have an interest in this area.

Food quality and sourcing are just part of the story when talking about transparency. Transparency can also refer to the “healthiness” of the business itself.² The vast range of informational sources available can influence how diners perceive your customer’s restaurant. You can help your customers cultivate trust among their diners by being the first to offer access to the information they’re seeking. Whether interested in transparency around the restaurant staff, ingredient sourcing practices, community investment or relationships with their vendors, an informative website or blog can help diners feel confident and educated when dining at your customer’s establishment.

While there are many factors that can help enhance your customer’s image, transparency is crucial. Help your customers get ahead by identifying the many ways they can demonstrate their commitment to quality. Whether it’s a detailed menu that clearly describes elevated ingredients and where they’re sourced, or a website that highlights the staff’s involvement in the local community, transparency creates trust and, in the end, can do a lot to enhance your customer’s image.