The 2012-13 marketing year saw major gains for promotions of Idaho potatoes in the foodservice sector, according to Don Odiorne, Idaho Potato Commission vice president of foodservice.

The actual number of promotions written was about the same as for the prior year, he said, but the level of participation was unprecedented. “We had participation from a lot more units than we ever had before. We put an offer out there, and they are taking advantage of it.” As a result, “We had tremendous success.”

Idaho Potato Commission foodservice field directors Jef Pryor, Tod Schmidt and Armand Lobato.A number of factors accounted for that success, Odiorne explained. In particular, “potatoes were economical,” whereas many other fruits and vegetables were more problematical because they had encountered “some difficulties” with drought or weather factors throughout the season. Consequently, the Idaho potato industry was “in this ideal position of people wanting to promote potatoes and operators wanting to offset the cost of their protein,” and they were “willing to try potatoes on the menu like never before,” Odiorne said.

Because the commission was able to ascertain early on that the 2012 harvest would yield a large crop, it chose to start foodservice operator promotions earlier than usual. Starting in September meant that “we were promoting Norkotah variety potatoes just as they came out of the ground, and it meant that we had a head start on the Russet Burbank variety,” Odiorne said. “It also meant that for the first time in a long time we could include the reds and yellows and fingerlings that quite often start out the season.”

As an example of the year’s successes, “we did a national promotion” with a major foodservice distributor, Odiorne said. “In previous years, we were getting less and less participation” from the distributor’s divisions. But this past year, “we got corporate behind it,” and instead of 15 divisions participating, “we did 55.”

Going into the 2013-14 season, the situation will be different, Odiorne noted. The industry has less acreage, and early indications from the harvest are that yields will be more normal and the crop’s size profile will not be skewed as heavily to large potatoes. So “what has changed as we go into this year” will be for the commission to take “a more measured approach” with foodservice distributors and operators. The commission’s objective is “to make sure we work with as many of the same people” as possible “and retain that business through this season — that market share we gained last year [and] keep the momentum going.”

So far, he said, “it seems like the initial response to that from the customer base has been good.” The attitude seems to be, “We had a good experience with Idaho, so let’s stay with it.”

One emphasis for the commission is to try to get mention of Idaho potatoes on foodservice takeout containers such as baskets or cups, as well as on signage in the restaurant. “If we can get our logo on there, that makes a strong statement for the chain: ‘We only use the finest ingredients,’” Odiorne said.”We are starting to see that come back.”

Meatheads, a gourmet hamburger chain out of the Chicago area, is a good example of that, he said. The chain uses 22,000 pounds of potatoes a week in 11 locations, and “they requested the Idaho logo” for signage use at each location.

Because steak chains use so many Idaho potatoes, “we are starting to work more with the steak chains,” he said. “We think we can be helpful to them right now, because their cost of beef, pork, chicken, fish, all of the protein items, has shot up.” If they can “get some relief” on their food costs by having potatoes as a side dish, “that is helpful.”

Ideation is a critical process in foodservice, according to IPC President Frank Muir. “The chefs are the gatekeepers to the restaurants.” The commission is working with chefs on “all sorts of creative ideas” for innovative ways to use the potatoes that they are already sourcing, and also to use other varieties of Idaho potatoes besides the russets in their menus, and thus “supplement and increase their potato presence in the restaurants.”

The commission’s foodservice print advertising campaign is now promoting all varieties, Muir said. ”The chefs love it. It adds much more excitement to the menu.”

The commission is working with Chicago-based Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations on menu ideations, Odiorne said. The firm is tasked with costing out menu side dishes and finding innovative potato dishes in addition to the usual best sellers that operators can use to offset the high cost of meat.

“We are in a unique position that we haven’t been in for a while of almost being the hero to the menu,” Odiorne said. “We’ve got something that is economical — the cost per unit to the customer is quite reasonable — but the perceived value is quite high.”

In its foodservice advertising campaign as well as in its new Chef’s Calendar, the IPC is again featuring chefs and chef recipes, he said, noting that sometimes doing something new isn’t nearly as effective as repeating something that has been very successful.