Qualitaly_124

AUG. SEP. 2021 II other services that are directly linked to catering that were completely forgotten. Among these, a very large slice is made up of distributors. Well, I’m not here to air grievances or try to get what we have not been given. However, there is one winning situation that - in my opinion - comes out of this difficult period, and that is our Cooperative. All the members have rolled up their sleeves and, even making flights of fancy, each activity in its own area has tried to continue to demonstrate proximity and attention to its customers by giving an effective support and contribution to keep the entire sector on its feet. It is true that some did not make it, and this represented further damage for us distributors, but the tsunami that hit us, fortunately for CIC members, did not leave an insurmountable aftermath. This is the proof that our Cooperative is a solid and cohesive unit, that we are serious and professional partners, and that those who board our train can have a safe ‘journey’ with the guarantee of arriving at their destination. And our ‘destination’ is to build together with our Ho .re.ca . partners what will be the future of post-pandemic catering. We’ll be there! Massimo Sassi, Director of Cooperativa Italiana Catering AT PAGE 6 QI MEMBERS Welcome to the new entries The year 2021 marks the entry of two new members into the Cooperative, adding to the ranks of an already consolidated and substantial group. They are two companies active in the lower Lazio region and in the Salerno area respectively. Here they are and the strings to their bow. by Manuela Falchero Abc Food Service Offer and strengths Founded in 2012, the company quickly established itself as a leader in the distribution of food and beverages in the provinces of Frosinone and Latina. Thanks to the move to new premises, completed in 2014, the company has been able to expand its product range, which today includes foodstuffs for restaurants and beverages, paper and plastic products for the Ho .re.ca . sector and cleaning and detergent products. ABC Food Service’s flagship service also includes a delivery service capable of ensuring home delivery of orders within 24 hours. Initiatives and requirements to overcome the crisis In October 2019, the company chose to make its online debut by activating its e-commerce site. A timely initiative, which enabled the company to cope with the closure of the Ho .re.ca . sector imposed by the pandemic, relying on alternative sales channels. In the end, the move proved to be a winner: after some initial management difficulties due to a lack of knowledge of the medium, digital has given, and continues to give, great satisfaction in terms of turnover. During the crisis, the company strengthened its presence in the small retail sector, thus balancing the loss of income from the mainstream sector represented by bars and restaurants. Today, the overall scenario allows for a return to a rebalancing between the two channels, so as to create a composite and structured mix, capable of supporting any new stop & go in eating out. This is also in consideration of the fact that - complains Abc Food Service - no help has come from the institutions. Planet Beverage Offer and strengths Founded in 2004 in Capaccio Paestum, in the province of Salerno, on the initiative of three partners - Donato Alonzo, Massimo Letizia and Nicola Di Fabio - it is a leader in food&beverage distribution in the Ho.Re.Ca. and SuperHo .re.ca. channels. Developed in an area with a strong vocation for tourism, it responds to the diversified needs of customers thanks to its large display areas, which currently cover an area of around 5,000 square metres, and a rich and varied assortment of 10,000 items, including food, beverages, service materials, fresh and frozen food. With its precise and highly professional logistics, including a fleet of 20 refrigerated and tarpaulin-covered vehicles, it is able to cater for all eating out consumption, from breakfast to after dinner. Aimed at providing all-round support to its customers, it has a sales network covering the entire province of Salerno, from the Amalfi Coast to the Cilento area. Fifteen agents follow the customer in all the phases of the commercial activity, from the realisation of the premises - starting from the design support to the supply of work equipment and furnishings, and the installation of counters, systems and rooms, draught beer kegs - to the setting up and realisation of wine and beer lists, menus and drink lists. Initiatives and requirements to overcome the crisis With solid foundations, the company was able to cope with the difficult environment created by the pandemic. “Unfortunately, the crisis is not yet behind us, our entire sector is still experiencing times of great uncertainty, to which we must add the problems linked to the market and industries, problems that range from the procurement of ingredients to large increases in transport,” says Sales Director Donato Alonzo. However, we must remain calm until this moment becomes just a chapter in our history. In fact, Planet Beverage firmly believes in a recovery in out-of-home consumption and in making up for what has been lost in terms of turnover over the two-year period 2020-2021. And the proof lies in the restructuring action that the company is undertaking to offer more and more products and services to both cash and distribution. A wide-ranging action to which important investments have been allocated, which also includes the transformation of the headquarters into a larger area of approximately 10,000 m2 indoors and 20,000 m2 outdoors. A wide-ranging operation that will allow other sectors to be added to the offer in order to cover the entire range of customer needs, from fresh produce to fish, from the butcher’s counter to frozen food, from fruit and vegetables to hotel supply. MAGAZINE