Smart Foodservice now owned by US Foods

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storewanderer
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Re: Smart Foodservice now owned by US Foods

Post by storewanderer »

Super S wrote: March 3rd, 2021, 6:16 pm
Over the last few days I have seen TV ads for the ChefStore. I find it interesting because I can't recall any of the previous names doing any radio or TV advertising. (I have seen newspaper ads usually just to advertise a new location)Makes me wonder if they plan to make this more of a mainstream type of store, it would make sense given how restaurants have been limited since COVID came into play.
Historically Cash & Carry was "wholesale only" or "businesses only" but I never had any issue shopping there as an individual and was never asked any questions or for a business license. When it converted to Smart Foodservice they took that decal off the door and started to advertise open to the public.

Interesting about TV ads. This store generally strikes me as running on tight expense controls. Limited hours of operations and only a few employees and those employees are constantly kept busy and work at a fast pace.

I'm not sure the average consumer knows who US Foods is. I only know from seeing their trucks and from that Ahold briefly owned them long ago.
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Re: Smart Foodservice now owned by US Foods

Post by babs »

storewanderer wrote: March 3rd, 2021, 9:36 pm
Super S wrote: March 3rd, 2021, 6:16 pm
Over the last few days I have seen TV ads for the ChefStore. I find it interesting because I can't recall any of the previous names doing any radio or TV advertising. (I have seen newspaper ads usually just to advertise a new location)Makes me wonder if they plan to make this more of a mainstream type of store, it would make sense given how restaurants have been limited since COVID came into play.
Historically Cash & Carry was "wholesale only" or "businesses only" but I never had any issue shopping there as an individual and was never asked any questions or for a business license. When it converted to Smart Foodservice they took that decal off the door and started to advertise open to the public.

Interesting about TV ads. This store generally strikes me as running on tight expense controls. Limited hours of operations and only a few employees and those employees are constantly kept busy and work at a fast pace.

I'm not sure the average consumer knows who US Foods is. I only know from seeing their trucks and from that Ahold briefly owned them long ago.
The sign at the Tigard, OR has been changed to US Foods Chef store. Yet I just saw a commercial for Smart Foodservice. Guess the media buying team isn't up to speed on things.
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Re: Smart Foodservice now owned by US Foods

Post by storewanderer »

babs wrote: March 3rd, 2021, 10:14 pm
The sign at the Tigard, OR has been changed to US Foods Chef store. Yet I just saw a commercial for Smart Foodservice. Guess the media buying team isn't up to speed on things.
I wonder if Smart & Final is somehow still doing the media buys given they are still handling most of private label and IT. But that is a pretty big screw up they'd run commercials under the old name.

It did seem like this name change was kind of sudden for some reason...

The receipt doesn't even have a logo on it either. It just says "CHEF'STORE" in small print right above the store address. Previously there was a logo on the receipt for Smart Foodservice. And the bottom of the receipt still has thank you for shopping Smart Foodservice and a link to the Smart Foodservice website. And my pending card transaction is for Smart Foodservice as well (we will see what it posts as, sometimes that is different than the pending).
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Re: Smart Foodservice now owned by US Foods

Post by SamSpade »

babs wrote: March 3rd, 2021, 10:14 pm The sign at the Tigard, OR has been changed to US Foods Chef store. Yet I just saw a commercial for Smart Foodservice. Guess the media buying team isn't up to speed on things.
Was it the Nexstar owned station? I have noticed them running Arnold bread commercials instead of Oroweat too. Their traffic staff/hub are probably working too hard.

I can attest that (at least where I work) the radio campaign is correct for the new name.
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Re: Smart Foodservice now owned by US Foods

Post by Super S »

storewanderer wrote: March 3rd, 2021, 9:36 pm
Historically Cash & Carry was "wholesale only" or "businesses only" but I never had any issue shopping there as an individual and was never asked any questions or for a business license. When it converted to Smart Foodservice they took that decal off the door and started to advertise open to the public.

I guess this varied over time and by location. 20+ years ago I attempted to buy something at the Kelso location (still in operation) when it was United Grocers, and was told I had to have a business license or a reseller permit. It wasn't until the last couple years that I bothered to set foot into the place again, and I honestly felt the prices were not all that great. We'll see if "ChefStore" brings any changes.
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Re: Smart Foodservice now owned by US Foods

Post by Super S »

SamSpade wrote: March 4th, 2021, 8:51 am
babs wrote: March 3rd, 2021, 10:14 pm The sign at the Tigard, OR has been changed to US Foods Chef store. Yet I just saw a commercial for Smart Foodservice. Guess the media buying team isn't up to speed on things.
Was it the Nexstar owned station? I have noticed them running Arnold bread commercials instead of Oroweat too. Their traffic staff/hub are probably working too hard.

I can attest that (at least where I work) the radio campaign is correct for the new name.
I will say that Nexstar has been busy in the Portland area. They own KOIN 6 and recently acquired KRCW 32, combined both stations into KOIN's downtown facility, replaced their transmitter antenna, and recently several of the Portland stations have been shifting around their subchannels, some of which at times air local commercials. In some instances the same subchannels are now duplicated on 2 or 3 stations, and I have to wonder if some are just running a different feed without local commercials until a contract runs out.

I personally have not seen any of the "wrong" commercials though...
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Re: Smart Foodservice now owned by US Foods

Post by storewanderer »

Super S wrote: March 4th, 2021, 8:53 am I guess this varied over time and by location. 20+ years ago I attempted to buy something at the Kelso location (still in operation) when it was United Grocers, and was told I had to have a business license or a reseller permit. It wasn't until the last couple years that I bothered to set foot into the place again, and I honestly felt the prices were not all that great. We'll see if "ChefStore" brings any changes.
The way it was explained to me by a very long term employee who was transferred down here from OR was previously their agreements with certain product suppliers were that they would not sell to end consumers and would only sell to businesses or others doing resale. So that was the reason for the previous requirement that the customer had to show some kind of business license or other resale paperwork. But after Smart & Final bought the chain they did something and that policy was taken away.

So I guess Smart & Final did one positive thing. I will give credit where it is due.
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Re: Smart Foodservice now owned by US Foods

Post by storewanderer »

Well, the Reno Store has its front building sign now saying US Foods. Sign crew went out and put in a new sign. However the signs on the side of the building as well as the sign at the side of the road all still say Smart Foodservice... odd.

Inside the store all of the signs still say Smart Foodservice except a few price signs in produce said US Foods. The POS system screen saver even still says Smart Foodservice.

The employees have US Foods Polo Shirts now (no more of the blue collared button up uniforms Smart Foodservice had) and wear blue jeans, basically they looked like customers, but a polo and jeans are definitely more practical attire for this working environment than the previous uniforms.
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Re: Smart Foodservice now owned by US Foods

Post by bryceleinan »

I went into the Carson City store the other day... they have changed a majority of the signage, however, not too many changes to the product lineup as of yet. They were able to order something for me that I have a hard time finding at other stores - something that was not as easy during the SmartFoodservice days. I think the places that will see an improvement are stores like Coos Bay where there is not another wholesaler until you hit Costco in Roseburg.
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Re: Smart Foodservice now owned by US Foods

Post by storewanderer »

bryceleinan wrote: March 13th, 2021, 9:59 am I went into the Carson City store the other day... they have changed a majority of the signage, however, not too many changes to the product lineup as of yet. They were able to order something for me that I have a hard time finding at other stores - something that was not as easy during the SmartFoodservice days. I think the places that will see an improvement are stores like Coos Bay where there is not another wholesaler until you hit Costco in Roseburg.
Smart Foodservice was able to order whatever you wanted from the Supervalu/UNFI order program, you just had to talk to the right person. I had a somewhat difficult time doing this in Carson City a couple years ago but eventually they did it. The whole interaction was interesting to say the least where I was first told no special orders, then told special orders are welcomed, then helped with the special order by the same person who initially told me no special orders then said he was joking the first time... dry sense of humor and some misunderstanding I think. There has been a management change due to a retirement recently, in the past six months, in Carson City.

Now I am guessing they can order anything from US Foods as well as the Supervalu/UNFI options. It will be interesting to see how long they continue the Supervalu/UNFI supply. I like the current mix.
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