An SMB in Quebec will save 20,000 pounds of vegetables during Super Bowl week while earning 16% of its annual sales. She is one of several food businesses that will use the event to replenish their coffers.
Frank Ménard and Pierre-Olivier Drouin, founders of Firebarns, take great pride in selling their cayenne sauce. Photo provided by Firebarns
“It’s a bit like our holiday season. This is 16% of our annual turnover that we will make in the coming days,” mentions Pierre-Olivier Gendron, co-founder of Pretty Ugly, which produces and sells chips and salsa.
“It's a good time to let people try our products that we haven't reached before. It's huge for us and the Super Bowl keeps coming to Quebec in a bigger way. It’s a unifying event.”
The Longueuil-based company's mission is to prevent food waste.
“For every pot of salsa, 2 pounds of vegetables were saved from waste,” explains the entrepreneur.
“Because we work with Quebec farmers and greenhouses, our salsa is of the same quality as the one in the restaurant. The same applies to corn chips made from spent grains, which are residues from the brewing grains of microbreweries.
According to his calculations, thanks to Super Bowl sales, 20,000 pounds of vegetables and 400 kilos of spent grains don't end up in the trash.
Fragmented orders
Imperial Snacking, a Quebec company that specializes in the production and sale of popcorn, also benefits from the popularity of the American football final.
Ashley Langevin (Marketing Director), Elvis Langevin (General Manager) and Audrey Martel (President) saw an increase in sales once the NFL playoffs began. Photo provided by Imperial Snacking
“We have been feeling the impact of the Super Bowl since the start of the playoffs in January, which represents 10% of our annual revenue,” mentions Elvis Langevin, vice president and general manager. Dealers set up displays with our products.”
“This week we expect to fill empty shelves across Quebec. Our goal is to be home on Sunday evening.”
For Imperial Snacking, distribution doesn't stop in Quebec. Mr. Langevin and his team had to deliver larger orders than usual in anticipation of the Oval Ball Festival in Ontario, Manitoba and other Canadian provinces.
A sauce in the foreground
Over at the sauce company Firebarns, there's one player who's stealing the show.
“We are seeing price increases for most of our products, but it is cayenne sauce that is our most useful player,” mentions Frank Ménard, co-owner and founder. Sales increased by 35% last year and it is still the product we will promote in our social media campaign.
“The Super Bowl has always been very important because our brand positioning has always been linked to sports due to the nature of our products. For us it’s a given.”
In recent years, Firebarns has made headlines for giving its employees time off the day after the Super Bowl. A tradition that will continue this year.
Can you share information about this story?
Write to us or call us directly at 1 800-63SCOOP.