This article is brought to you by Stone Gate Foods.
Hiring is a challenge. Retaining that talent can be even more difficult.
“Retailers are trying to find that sweet spot where people without a lot of training can quickly make delicious, distinctive food,” said Jake Revak, marketing manager at Stone Gate Foods. “The problem we’re trying to solve for our customers is that they want to amp up their foodservice without having a lot of additional labor.”
He said that’s where an option like Tater Kegs can come in. The 1.5 ounce-sized taters are stuffed with different flavors, from bacon cheddar chive and Buffalo chicken to a breakfast spin or a take on a Reuben deli sandwich. “Our Tater Kegs are easy to prepare, grab-and-go food items. What we aim to do is reduce your labor while giving you the highest quality product possible,” said Revak.
Tater Kegs come frozen and are dropped into the deep fryer for six minutes.
“It’s practically a no-touch preparation and anyone with a timer can do it. It’s really simple and the result is consistent,” said Mark Traaseth, national sales manager at Stone Gate Foods.
From there, they stay fresh under a heat lamp for up to three hours, making it easy for employees to either prep them on demand or make a batch and package them for customers to grab themselves. “That’s really useful for c-stores because that three-hour timeframe gets them through the lunch rush and the afternoon snack daypart,” said Traaseth, noting another way to reduce the burden on employees.
Tater Kegs were born from a common, disappointing restaurant appetizer fail. The Stone Gate Foods team went out for a typical workday lunch and ordered loaded potatoes. “Two of us ended up eating all of the toppings off. Everyone else was left with soggy potatoes. So we said, let’s put all the goodness and flavor of the toppings inside the potato,” recalled Traaseth.
Because the flavor is inside, “You don’t really need a lot to go with it,” said Revak, noting that a key characteristic of a Tater Keg is that it’s simple—Tater Kegs can stand alone and don’t need to be used as a side for a larger meal. “A c-store can have their sauces or condiments out for customers to choose, but this is really a grab-and-go food, so employees don’t need to worry about making extra toppings or items. As something that doesn’t need anything additional to make it good, it is ideal for c-stores.”
This is part one of a two-part series on Stone Gate Foods. Learn more about Stone Gate Foods here, and look out for part two on Thursday.