At the Potato Expo 2016, the United States Potato
Board (USPB) has launched its first Spud Nation
Food Truck, which is part of a new foray into an
experimental proactive, demand-building marketing
approach.
USPB President and CEO Blair Richardson explained why food trucks will provide valuable demand-building opportunities for the U.S. potato industry.
“By 2017, food trucks will be a $2.7 billion market, according to the National Restaurant Association,” he said. “Currently food trucks are only reaching about 50% of the U.S. population, but it’s one of the fastest growing market segments in foodservice, and several sources reveal there are huge opportunities for the future. Seventy-one percent of Americans polled in a recent survey indicated they are comfortable buying meals from food trucks. We need to be a leader and trend setter in this rapidly changing environment.”
A New Marketing Program
Spud Nation Food Trucks are part of the new marketing and education programs to be launched by the USPB in 2016. The state-of-the-art food trucks are owned by the 2,500 farming families involved in the potato industry. This means the USPB will control how potatoes are used, presented, and the delivery of the message. Food trucks are dynamic “billboards” showcasing the food they create and taking it to consumers where they live.
This venture enables the USPB to do new things, such as partnering with other industry groups in unveiling and rotating innovative new product launches. Spud Nation will have direct contact and actual consumer interaction at many levels. The USPB will have data on new, exclusively featured products, to share with the industry.
This food truck enterprise will enable the USPB to carry its message to market and leverage the messaging and health benefits of potatoes which have been gathered over many years of research. It will be a small, yet visible and growing part of the USPB marketing programs that is scalable.
Spud Nation Objectives
Spud Nation will have an objective to average $250,000 in total revenues per truck. The best food trucks produce $500,000-$750,000 in total revenues, so there is definite potential to earn above $250,000 per truck. The trucks will launch with nine menu items made with a vast array of U.S. potato products.
For more information, please visit www.potatoesusa.com