In addition, Instill announced a series of partnerships formed to support Foodscape.com. Each partner delivers value to restaurant operators by offering expertise to the richness of Foodscape.com. Strategic alliances include:
- National Restaurant Association and its Educational Foundation, the leading business association for the restaurant industry, will provide content, educational courses and materials exclusively to the site, making Foodscape.com an online destination of choice for restaurant education and training.
- Procter & Gamble's Commercial Products Group, operated as part of P&G's Global Food and Beverage Business, will provide comprehensive educational content specific to the unique needs of small chains and independent restaurant owners. P&G markets more than 300 brands to nearly 5 billion people in more than 140 countries. P&G holds more patents in food technology than any other U.S. food company.
- Angelica Uniform, Bare Associates, Big Tray Restaurant Equipment, RestQuip and Value Star are several of the new specialty partners who have joined Foodscape.com since March of this year.
- Biztro, Hewlett-Packard Company, Icon LLC, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Nation's Restaurant News, and Visa U.S.A. are charter partners who offer technology, services and content to independent restaurants.
"With Foodscape.com, and its alliance partners, Instill is delivering on its vision to supply key services to this targeted segment of the supply chain, independent and small chain operators," said Mack Tilling, CEO, Instill. "Launch of this site closes a significant loop in our strategy to service the entire supply chain, from independents, distributors to manufacturers. From here, it's just a matter of exponential growth."
"By making valuable information available that is specific to the unique needs of small chains and independent restaurant owners - virtually at the push of a button - the efficiency of doing business in foodservice will greatly be improved," said Charlie Pierce, vice president of P&G's Global Commercial Products Business. "We're delighted to play a part in this innovative business tool."
"The National Restaurant Association has been working on an Internet strategy that will take its education and training programs to the next level of exposure and innovation," said Steven C. Anderson, association president and chief executive officer, National Restaurant Association. "Instill's significant presence, leadership and reputation in this industry with strong customer and partner alliances makes Foodscape an obvious ally for our Educational Foundation to extend its education and training programs."
About Foodscape by Instill
Foodscape by Instill (www.foodscape.com) delivers industry news, education materials, best practice case studies, operation resource listings, a community chat forum and e-commerce services. The Web site is comprised of five major areas:
- Industry news - Customized editorial content will be provided by a variety of sources, including Nation's Restaurant News, and the National Restaurant Association.
- Education - Foodscape will offer online training, educational materials and demonstrations of 'best practices" from top chefs and industry leaders, such as, Lettuce Entertain You, National Restaurant Association and its Educational Foundation and Procter & Gamble. Topics range from food safety and sanitation to menu analysis and lease negotiation. Other information resources are recipes, recommended books and videos, and profiles of industry leaders.
- Resources - Tools and resources addressing needs ranging from analyzing cost of goods and labor efficiency to crisis management information, employment search, and administrative services. Partners National Restaurant Association and Value Star will provide a resource directory.
- Restaurant Community - The community page will offer an "Ask the Expert" forum where industry experts will answer questions from operators. There will also be an active discussion forum between members.
- e-Commerce - Ability to purchase products and services such as equipment, office supplies, and insurance through alliance partners, with future availability of food and beverage procurement through current distributor relationships.
Availability
The Foodscape.com Web site is live today at www.foodscape.com. Foodscape.com will be demonstrated at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago on May 20-24 at Instill booth No. 5669.
About Instill Corporation
Instill has been providing e-Business services to the foodservice industry since 1993, delivering e-commerce and information services to the restaurant supply chain including operators, distributors, and manufacturers. Instill's suite of Internet services enable more efficient procurement processes and business intelligence. Instill consolidates industry-wide data and provides business intelligence capabilities for improving the profitability and market positions of its customers.
The company services and links thousands of operators with their key distributors. Some of the operators using Instill services include, Applebee's International, Brinker International, Delaware North, Fine Host, Five Star, Lettuce Entertain You, Marie Callender's and Sodexho Marriott Services. Instill also provides services today to many of the major food manufacturers and has strategic alliances with such partners as The National Restaurant Association, Procter & Gamble and Technomic. With over 160 employees, Instill is headquartered in Redwood City, California, with offices in Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Southern California. Instill can be reached at 888-Instill or visit Instill's Web site at www.instill.com.
