Beyond the Candy Bar: Transforming Iconic Treats into Foodservice Goldmines | Season 11, Vol. 4

In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg, “The Restaurant Guy,” and Jimmy Frischling, “The Finance Guy,” are joined by Herb Ring, National Foodservice Director of The Hershey Company.Herb shares how he got his start working in his family’s restaurants before transitioning into foodservice sales roles at companies like The J.M. Smucker Company. Twenty years ago, Herb moved his family to Hershey, Pennsylvania, to take on a role heading up foodservice sales and marketing at Hershey. He talks about major foodservice customers like Dairy Queen using nostalgic ingredients like Twizzlers for milkshake straws, the importance of data and chopped candy in driving Hershey’s explosive growth, and more!Key Takeaways[00:08 - 03:17] Introducing Herb Ring, National Food Service Director of Hershey[02:47 - 03:39] An opportunity to work at Smucker[03:41 - 05:51] Moving to National County, and working with Aramark[05:50 - 06:37] The first thing Herb sold for Hershey's was their chocolate syrup[06:38 - 08:18] Moving to Hershey, Pennsylvania for work. Realizing it was a great place to raise a family, and connected to major hubs like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington DC[08:20 - 10:34] How Herb helps food service clients avoid the sandpits of business[10:58 - 15:19] How Hershey's is using technology and innovation to drive better decision making. Using data, selling goods as ingredients vs just candy bars, and having connections across the food industry[15:28 - 18:36] Limited time offers and how customers are incorporating Hershey's products into their line of nostalgic desserts and alcoholic drinks[18:45 - 22:27] Reflecting on four years of the podcast and 156 episodes, Hospitality Hangout podcasting frequency shifting to weekly,[22:32 - 24:49] Spice is Right, the price of a wing combo meal at Wingstop[24:49 - 28:44] Branded Quickfire with Herb Ring