Kontos Foods, Inc., the Patterson, New Jersey, USA-based manufacturer and distributor of traditional Greek and Mediterranean foods, much of it frozen, has increased expansion efforts in Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The program, launched in conjunction with its local distributors, is targeted at both retail stores and foodservice establishments.
“In all these markets we are seeing an increase in requests from nearly all retail store chains, and restaurants, for products such as Flatbreads, Fillo Dough, Spanakopita, Baklava, and Gyro meats,” said Steve Kontos, the company’s vice president. “We are working closely with our distributors to better understand changes in the market, develop relevant culinary ideas, and provide new marketing and point of sale material to support growth.”
Warren Stoll, marketing and business development director, added, “Our distributors in the Caribbean have been very receptive to how we segment the flatbread market – for instance, our ‘Better-for-You’, Ethnic, Hors D’oeuvres, and Pizza bread segments. We are providing their sales teams with tactical support, new package designs, new floor display models, and recipe ideas, as well as strategic support and creative thinking. Over the past nine months, a similar effort in Quebec, Canada, has resulted in an 85% jump in sales for our local distributor.”
In addition to selling products throughout North America and the Caribbean, Kontos’ recent business-building efforts have also generated a growing base of customers in Europe, the Middle East and East Asia.
