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Lots of people invested in cooking accessories beyond air fryers during the pandemic, but now it’s time for restaurants to upgrade.
This is where Made In comes in. The cookware brand borrowed from its DTC business in 2020, but is now working again with chefs who need efficient and durable products to meet the increased demand.
- Hospitality is a “fast growing” segment for Made In, Jake Kalick, president and co-founder, told Retail Brew.
- According to Yelp, more than 22,400 restaurants reopened in the second quarter and ~ 20,000 first opened a store.
Too many cooks
Made In products can be found in more than 1,500 restaurants, including 20 Michelin-starred restaurants that don’t necessarily have all of the bells and whistles that daily DTC customers enjoy. Made In is now preparing to launch new products that deliver what matters.
Maintaining close relationships with chefs to better understand what they need is of paramount importance to Made In’s B2B business.
- For example, Made In worked with Chef Tom Colicchio earlier this month to develop a knife set that is used for cutting, deboning, skinning and filleting fish.
- Colicchio, owner of Crafted Hospitality and Made In Investor, equips its restaurants with Made In products.
“In the hospitality industry, in the past you bought your tools through a third party … that’s a middleman for other kitchen brands,” said Kalick. “I don’t think they generally bring the feedback on the brands they represent and create new products.”
Find a balance
Make no mistake, Made In’s DTC business is going nowhere. The company has sold more than half a million kitchen appliances since last year, resulting in a sales increase of more than 4.86x.
- Made In has teamed up with Tecovas, an Austin-based boot company, on a summer BBQ set out next month.
The big picture: Made In aims to strike a balance between the needs of its DTC customers and its restaurant partners. These interests often coincide, but sometimes they don’t.
“The challenge of working with chefs is that you are responsible for their business,” said Kalick. “They have deadlines in which they have to open. If they don’t have enough pans for service that evening, they won’t be able to complete the number of meals they need or their cooks will be overwhelmed. In that regard, we are really an extension of their business. ”- KM
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