Category: Private Label Branding

How to Make a Signature Burger for Your Restaurant

Posted on July 8, 2019

Go into any restaurant in America and we virtually guarantee you will see a hamburger (or two) on the menu. Did you know that every year, Americans consume more than 50 billion burgers per year? That works out to be about 150 burgers per person, per year! So, it’s safe to say that burgers are definitely America’s favorite food.

Have you ever wondered why people order hamburgers at a restaurant, when they could order other things that they can’t prepare at home? The truth is that restaurant burgers are typically not that different than frozen or fresh options for consumers in the grocery store. But it is how the burger is prepared at their favorite restaurant, and how it arrives at the table that impresses diners.

You see, when you grill a burger at home, you may not have all the ingredients (or the time) to prepare one that is restaurant quality; stacked high with all the delicious toppings. And so, when burger fans come to a restaurant, they want the ultimate burger experience. And that means the traditional sides, and incredible toppings.

Many restaurants go the extra mile and create their own signature burgers. A small selection of house made patties and toppings that is completely unique to their establishment. In some cases, restaurants offer it as a LTO or limited time offer, but there are many benefits and ways your business can capitalize on a signature burger for your restaurant.

Choosing an Uncommon Patty like American Kobe or Wagyu

When you want to make a statement on your menu, start with an uncommon burger that will get your customers talking? Premium American Style Kobe burgers stand above the standard patty, with a more rich flavor and superior marbling of the meat, which provides an incredibly juicy bite.

Customers see Kobe beef more often in the grocery stores, but it is still premium priced which means that average American doesn’t grill a lot of it at home. In short, American Kobe has intrigue and everyone definitely wants to try it, making it a perfect new addition to your hamburger menu.

Another option to explore is the ultra-premium Wagyu beef. Authentic wagyu is actually quite rare, and you can’t find it generally in your local grocery store. So, like American Kobe (and even more so) the Wagyu beef burger on your menu would be an exciting addition that your customers would love to explore.

Take Your Wagyu Burger Over the Top with Toppings

When you choose ultra-premium Wagyu for your restaurant menu, you want to think about the kind of toppings you plan to include. The sensation and flavors of this highest quality beef shouldn’t be masked by standard condiments; no one should really put ketchup on a Wagyu burger if they want to enjoy the full experience of the world-class beef.

But Wagyu can compliment gourmet and high-quality burger toppings. How would you dress a Wagyu or American Kobe patty for culinary success? We’d like to share some mouth-watering suggestions with you.

Grilled poblanos (trust us)
Grilled pineapple or pear
Bacon
Blue Cheese
Baked sweet potato
Caramelized onions
Grilled red onion
Shitake mushrooms
Swiss cheese
Smoked gouda cheese
Muenster

With premium American Kobe or Wagyu beef as the base of your gourmet restaurant burger, it’s hard to go wrong with virtually any robust topping. Just remember to keep the flavor focus on the tender beef of the premium patty.

How to Grill Wagyu and American Kobe Burgers

You don’t need a special grill in your kitchen or surface to prepare Wagyu or American Kobe burgers. They cook with the same ease as other frozen or fresh burgers. However, you will want to make sure that the internal temperature is 160°F for food safety purposes. Undercooking any kind of beef burger can cause food borne bacteria health risks.

One step that many gourmet chef’s do when preparing a Wagyu burger is to let the patty rest under a lid without heat, to allow the natural juices to proliferate through meat, before placing it on a bun and garnishing with amazing toppings. That’s the secret to an even juicier Wagyu or American Kobe beef burger.

Did you know that every year, our team at Miami Beef® produce millions of pounds of hamburgers and patties for our commercial wholesale meat customers? All patties we produce in our USDA Regulated Headquarter plant are available fresh or individually quick-frozen (IQF). We ship nationally and to international customers, supply institutional food service providers, and the hotel and hospitality industry.

After the past 100 years, you could say we learned a thing or two about creating delicious, healthy and nutritious beef patties and flavors that consumers enjoy. If you would like to explore our Private Label services to create your own brand, or a specific burger seasoned precisely to your specifications for your restaurant or franchise, contact our team to learn more.

Understanding The Psychology Behind Private Label Food Brands

Posted on February 17, 2019

For grocery retailers, the competition for sales has increased dramatically within the past ten years, with dollar stores and convenience retailers increasing the amount of every day food products that they provide consumers. The ‘pop in’ shopping experience is often viewed as easier for common food items, and American grocers are starting to feel the impact of this increased competition on their sales revenues.

There has never been a better time to invest in the development of unique, price conscious and trending fresh meat and frozen products, and as an international meat processor with extensive experience in private label branding, we’d like to share some industry insight and food for thought, about developing a new revenue stream with quality meat products.

The Appeal and Demand for Private Label Brands

The average American spends more than 6% of their net income on groceries, or about $300 per month according to some studies. Does that sound like less than you spend per month on groceries? The data reflects that most low- and middle-income households are trying to stretch their grocery dollars as far as possible, and that means hunting for better bargains when they shop for food.

The caveat is that American consumers are more aware today, than ever before, about nutritional value and quality. While on a limited grocery budget, they do not expect to purchase the highest level of quality, without paying a premium price. However, they also (on average) do not want to purchase food that may be low in nutritional value, or items that do not taste as good as some of the brand leading products that they have grown up on.

Private label brands assure the consumer that they are getting quality, without paying a premium price. If they have a favorable opinion about their favorite grocer, they trust that quality has not been compromised while manufacturing a private label food product. And they appreciate the price break that helps them stretch their grocery budgets further.

Millennial’s Love Private Label Brands

The next up and coming influential shopping segment, millennials are selective about the foods they purchase and the brands they choose. One of the most interesting things about millennials in terms of their purchasing trends, is that they are educated about branding, promotional advertising and online marketing.

That means that your average millennial shopper is more likely to not “believe the hype” when it comes to glossy big brand marketing. They are economically stable, but frugal and discerning about their budgets overall. And that means finding value and reducing costs wherever they are able to; and that includes trimming the fat from their monthly grocery budgets.

Some interesting new research supports the preference that millennial shoppers have for private label brands. One study conducted in 2018 “The Branding of Private Label” published by the Cadent Consulting Group, discussed that private label brands would hit a record high of over 18% of products purchased in American grocery stores that year. The average shopping cart is comprised of 25% private label brands, but for millennials, the number actually averages over 32%.

In addition to that increased number of private label brands that millennial grocery shoppers are choosing, they also indicated in the survey that they intend to purchase more, stating faith in the quality of products that carried the same name as the grocer they chose to frequent. There is a level of trust and appreciation for quality and understanding of price consciousness and value.

Food retailers are responding quickly to this purchase preference and opportunity. One of the most successful tactics used by private label grocery brands, is to visually improve the appearance of the packaging to closely mimic major brands. It is not to mislead the consumer, but rather to provide the same emotional experience that they enjoy when purchasing a major national brand.

Millennials want to experience the same satisfaction of putting a high-end brand leader in their cart or basket, without paying the price. But for these shoppers, the appearance of the packaging enhances their satisfaction and purchase experience.

While brands have focused on the Baby Boomer population segment for decades, as the consumer base with the most spending power, there are currently 83 million millennials (according to the last U.S. Census data) in America, compared to 75 million Baby Boomers. But as parents of young families, the millennial segment has increased grocery spending in the past five years, and that trend is expected to continue. Your sales growth as a grocer will depend on the ability to appeal to millennial food shoppers, and their growing family needs, and price and budget sensitivity.

Creating a New Private Label Brand of Meat

At Miami Beef® we have been the silent industry partner and resource for grocery chains across the United States, and internationally since 1973. We provide an in-house research and design team that helps grocers innovate trending and high-demand products, that can be added to the fresh or frozen meat section.

We begin by identifying gaps and opportunities for the grocer and provide a list of products such as turkey burgers, beef burgers, or exceptional premium American Style Kobe or Wagyu products, that appeal to different consumer segments.

We work with our retail customers to innovate delicious frozen meatballs, premium fresh grass-fed ground beef (in 1 lb. packages), steaks, chops, beef water and fajita sliced beef and more. We can customize the seasonings to help grocers create a product that is differentiated from major brand offerings, and our branding team can also assist with package design and more.

If you have considered creating a private label brand for your grocery store or chain, studies show that it is a lucrative business opportunity with high sales potential for grocers. It is also a good way to expand your brand awareness as a food distributor or retailer, by developing family-friendly and budget conscious foods that your customers will enjoy.

For more information on our private label branding services, visit our website and contact us to schedule a meeting with our research and development team. Miami Beef® can help you innovate delicious flavors, profitable meat products and a new line of private label fresh or frozen meats that your customers will love.

Display Strategies for Organic, Grass-Fed or Cage Free Fresh Meats

Posted on October 9, 2018

There is much more psychology going on behind the scenes of every grocery store layout and product display strategies than consumers may ever realize. For grocers, it comes down to every square inch of commercial space that is utilized to engage, inform and entice consumers to add new and favorite grass-fed or organic products to their grocery cart.

How can independent or chain grocers effectively market new brands of grass-fed or organic beef and other meat products, to meet the demand of consumers who are focused on reducing toxins (such as antibiotics and hormones) in their meat? If you want your customers to make an informed choice, here are some strategies that can help you market premium meat products to the consumers who are looking for them every day in your store.

Create a Specialty Section

Never mix organic or grass-fed fresh meat products with economy cuts or brands that are not premium quality. This is more a marketing and brand perception issue, than one of practicality where space is limited in the meat section. A choice to not differentiate your organic, grass-fed or premium brands of meat can impact sales.

We know that the methods used for organic and grass-fed beef production are more expensive, time consuming and in some cases, offer less profit to the producer. However, the result is a premium grade of meat that by far surpasses the nutritional value than other mass-produced meats. And those extra steps and costs result in a higher price for true grass-fed and organic meat.

The higher priced premium meats are not for every shopper who visits your grocery store. However, the ones that are looking to upgrade and scrutinize the meat they purchase, are making a deliberate choice to do so (at an additional expense). This means treating the products a little bit different than you would other economical or discounted varieties.

The consumer expects this distinction, and it is part of the buying process for consumers, particularly if they are following a regimented diet such as Paleo or Keto. They want to feel and know that they are buying something that is a step above other products. So, make room to create that specialty section to showcase your premium quality meats.

Color Matters for Visual Appeal and POP Advertising

When you think of organic meat, or grass-fed beef what color comes to mind? Green is a resonate branding color that helps remind consumers that they are purchasing a better than standard quality of meat. And your fresh meat display should follow that color scheme for best sales results.

Hues of light green remind us of grassy fields, being outside, and at the product level of marketing it makes us feel that we are making a much healthier choice. Take a look at other products marketed that are organic or grass-fed and you will see this same color and branding convention. By differentiating the color scheme in the fresh meat section, you can help direct consumers looking for premium meats, and help them find the healthier products they are looking for.

Provide Brochures and Additional Meat Product Information

Consumers are wary about false advertising, and they should be. The laws regarding the labeling of food products are not as stringent as they could be, and they can mislead consumers into believing that a meat product is organic, if it is labeled ‘Natural’. To make it more difficult for consumers, some meat products are labeled ‘Pasture Raised’ which isn’t the same as grass-fed meat.

For example, a meat processor or consumer direct producer can use the term “Pasture Raised” if the agricultural method allows for calves (in the example of beef) to remain for a brief period with the herd, before being transported to a feed lot. Essentially, the calve has had access to natural pastures, but that does not mean that the meat is true grass-fed.

And then there are cases where a meat product is labeled as ‘Grass Finished’. Again, the assumption is that the animal was free-roaming and given access to natural grazing, however it is also an industry tactic to allow feedlot raised cattle to graze for a period of six months to one year before maturing. That is not the implied meaning or true industry intention of ‘Grass Finished’, but it happens every day.

Consumers today are more informed than ever before, about those kinds of tactics and pricing strategies. They are willing to pay a little more for verified grass-fed beef, which means ranched beef the traditional way. But these informed consumers also reasonably expect some proof, regarding the method and agricultural processes used.

Don’t forget to include some of the most important benefits of purchase organic or grass-fed beef products, including higher conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) which some clinical studies have shown to have an anti-carcinogenic effect that also helps promote the metabolism of healthy fats.

Grass-fed beef also has 2-4 times more essential Omega-3 fatty acids than standard grain-fed varieties, and that matters because dietary sources of Omega fats are sometimes difficult to acquire. It is also higher than standard grain-fed beef in the following vitamins and minerals:

Beta carotene (precursor to vitamin A)
B vitamins
Magnesium
Potassium

It benefits the consumer and increases the authenticity, value perception and price tolerance for true grass-fed beef, if the grocer provides additional information in terms of a peel-off pamphlet, card or brochure at the point of sale. Help them understand and feel better about the healthier choice they are making, by supporting traditional and environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. And flavorful, nutritionally fortified meats.

Miami Beef® has been innovating quality meats for grocery stores, and private label burger brands for almost 90 years. Our USDA Regulated Headquarter Plan features state-of-the-art processing, adhering to strict HACCP guidelines. Contact us to learn more about our quality meats, and services available to help you create your own private label brand for quality organic or grass-fed meat products, including beef, cage-free turkey and more.

The Opportunity of Private Label Hamburgers for Grocery Retailers

Posted on July 12, 2018

Are you thinking about adding a new private label hamburger (fresh or frozen) to your grocery store? At Miami Beef® we work with national grocery chains to develop successful and flavorful chicken, beef and turkey patties for retailers.

Unlike developing a private label for a product that has an extended shelf life, such as household cleaning products, paper goods (i.e., tissues and napkins) or dried food products such as spices, beverages and similar items, fresh food products require expertise to develop, to penetrate market share.

Competing against national brand leaders for fresh food products requires a strategy. In this article we’ll share why developing a private label makes sense, and how to successfully innovate a unique product that can become a category sales leader for your business.

Consumer Demand for Private Label Products Is Growing

In spite of the fact that private label brands only make up a small portion of the overall product sells in American grocery stores, the overall demand for them continues to rise. According to a recent survey conducted by PLMA/Nielsen, only $1 out of every $7 dollars spent by consumers in an grocery store are allocated to private labels.

Did you know that Costco’s Kirkland Signature private label accounts for ¼ of total company sales annually? The entry of international grocery chains like ALDI have warmed American consumers to the idea that private label products can offer tremendous value and satisfaction.

What is stopping more grocery retailers from expanding into new categories for private label products? It’s not that fresh food private labels are not successful, it is that many grocery stores overestimate the cost and time it takes to develop a private label fresh food product.

The Sales Psychology Behind Private Label Products

The majority of American households are strategic about the amount of money they spend on groceries. From ‘extreme couponing’ to shopping in more than one location, the hunt for bargains and good food value that offers nutrition at a great price, is part of the never-ending pursuit to stretch the household budget.

There is no shortage of generic brands offered at a discount in any retail grocery store. The problem? Consumers are also aware that some unbranded products may be imported, and in spite of inspection and legal requirements to assure food safety, there is a great deal of apprehension that shoppers experience when they contemplate a switch from a recognized brand, to a generic label product.

From the consumers perspective, buying a generic product may come with a number of risks. First, they don’t know the food item, how it tastes, how well it cooks and other questions that they don’t have to answer when they stick to a nationally recognized brand. It’s about reliability and familiarity, and the relationship that the consumer already has with popular brands.

At the same time, food inflation has continued to rise disproportionately with income levels, and affordability for healthy foods has become a significant concern for American shoppers. Eyeing the lower priced generic brand is appealing, if it helps to stretch that grocery budget. But it is a little like rolling the dice; if they buy it and dislike it, they really aren’t ahead for taking that risk and the cost of throwing out something that did not meet their standards.

Private label products like household cleaning supplies, seasonings and baking ingredients are a little easier to weigh and experiment with, in the eyes of the consumer. There is consistency in certain products (for example, black pepper or table salt) that makes the purchase a lower risk, high value decision for the shopper. They feel comfortable going with a lower priced product, if they believe that the difference between the generic label product and the national leading brand is negligible.

Customers who shop at your grocery store or chain, do so as an act of trust. They identify with the grocery store and look favorably on private label brands, when they offer equivalent value for a more economical price point. It’s about saving money, without compromising on quality whenever the shopper chooses a private label product versus a recognized brand leader in the same category.

What Kind of Private Label Meat Products Should You Offer?

If your grocery chain is considering a foray into expanding your private label products to food items with a limited shelf-life, one of the best places to start is frozen hamburgers and turkey patties. Not only do frozen patties have an extended product life (when stored correctly) but there are constantly in demand by consumers who want fast and easy to prepare proteins.

For over 100 years, the family behind Miami Beef® has been innovating frozen hamburgers for the food service industry, institutional education and healthcare providers, the travel and tourism sectors, and American military commissary.

Our state-of -the-art processing facility in Miami Florida provides:

Organic meat patties
Frozen 100% all-beef burgers (economy to grass-fed varieties)
Turkey patties (cage-free)
Chicken patties
Blended burger varieties including pork and veal.
Premium American Style Kobe hamburgers
Succulent Wagyu beef patties
Black Angus burgers
Beef and Soy blends
Economical blends
Low Fat

Using traditional methods past down through three generations of family, Miami Beef® uses fresh ingredients to tailor flavors in our premium recipes. In our premium collection of burgers, we use no artificial flavors, just real ingredients folded into a hearty and healthy mix that consumers enjoy.

From supplying large national fast-food franchises to grocery store chains nationwide, Miami Beef has the processing capability to provide quality hamburger patties and private label fulfillment. We produce millions of pounds of hamburgers every year for our wholesale customers.

A Little Bit of Science and Support: The Research and Development Team at Miami Beef®

Our in-house research and development team is where all the magic starts to happen. Since the success of your private label hamburger or turkey burger relies on being unique to other products offered in your store, our industry experts will help you customize your product, with a variety of creative options.

First, we start with a discussion with your marketing team about your brand identity and culture. The next step defines the type of private label burger you will sell. You can customize your burger in four steps:

Identify the size and shape of the patty. Choose from:

Round
Natural
Oval
Square
Thick
Or Hoagie style

Determine your fat to lean meat ratios, to create an economical budget-friendly burger, or a health-conscious fat reduced product (or both). Choose from:

90/10
85/15
80/20
75/25
73/27
70/30

Build your customized flavor profile. Upgrade your burger flavor to one of our premium, all-natural ingredient blends to add value for your customer. Premium blends include:

Vidalia Onion
Portobello Mushroom
Jalapeno
Bacon Cheddar
Blue Cheese
Mushroom Swiss
BaKon (pork free alternative)
Salisbury

Coordinate branding and labeling with our research and development department, to design a package that will help the product become a sales leader in category, for your grocery store or chain.

Miami Beef® is the resource and processor behind many successful private label beef hamburger and turkey burger brands. We’re ready to help you create a new revenue stream with savory meat patties that your customers will appreciate and enjoy.