Restaurant brands have snagged the loyalty crown for youthful consumers, promising the experiences they pay a premium for in their own homes. One company that has skyrocketed off such association is Carbone Fine Food, Co-Founded by Chef Mario Carbone, renowned for his upscale Italian restaurant of the same name.
“Because Mario and the group saw a need to bring elevated dining beyond the restaurant and into the home, we have been able to grow beyond our expectations and more quickly than we could have anticipated,” Chris Wendling, Executive Vice President of Marketing, recently shared with me.
After enjoying organic growth on the part of the company, Chris’s team is revving the engines following updated packaging, an expanded product line, and positive feedback from retail partners.
“Our new items rolled out in Whole Foods in January, seeing great feedback and traction,” Chris said. “Coming off early acceptance in five new items we recently debuted, there has been a lot of innovation and more still to come as we approach Summer Fancy Food Show.”
Teasing that there will be a big reveal at an exclusive event hosted by the New York-based company during the industry event an industry event June 30, Chris gave me some small insights into what buy-side partners could anticipate in explaining a recently launched Black Truffle Alfredo.
“We want to bring the same quality we are known for in the restaurant industry, so when we say ‘Black Truffle Alfredo’ it is not a flavoring. We assure there is truffle in every batch, matching the culinary experience,” he said.
The company has also added three new Alfredos and is exploring new formats in the future, though that is something Chris assures me will come down the line.
“Product-wise, we will maintain our focus on pasta sauce. Here we see a long runway with plenty of growth potential,” he says. “With SFFS on the horizon, we look forward to hosting and showing appreciation to all our partners. They will be the first to see the big branding reveal we have been working on.”
The other area of focus the company is expanding its wings in is brand awareness, taking a more active approach to marketing since Chris moved up into his new role earlier this year.
“The truly impresive part about this brand is we have gotten where we are—No. 2 in U.S. natural, key and climbing household penetration, and more—without a traditional marketing focus. We were fortunate enough to hit the ground running with an existing fan-base because, regardless of age on paper as a company, our team has the expertise which has ultimately led to our growth over the past four years. But, at the end of the day, we have to reach more consumers where and how they want to be reached,” Chris observes. When discussing how the company will go about this, he assures me it will be an extension of the organic growth Carbone has already seen. “Finding ways to tie our branding to what feels natural and unprovoked is paramount. The surprise to me is what we’ve accomplished without traditional targeting, and I’m excited to see what we are capable of now that we are.”
With new labels rolling out in the coming weeks, SFFS here before we know it, and much more from Carbone following these key calendar events, stay tuned to Deli Market News for all the latest.
