Planting Hope Continues Expansion into Foodservice Channel by Adding Dot Foods Distribution and Entering Rōti Restaurants
- Dot Foods, Inc., the largest foodservice redistributor in North America, will soon be stocking both RightRice® Veggie Rice and Hope and Sesame® Sesamemilk
- Rōti fast-casual Mediterranean restaurants have added RightRice® to the menu at all locations
CHICAGO, IL and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 10, 2022 / The Planting Hope Company Inc. (TSXV:MYLK)(OTCQB:MYLKF)(FRA:J94) ("Planting Hope" or the "Company"), a plant-based food and beverage company focused on producing the world's most nutritious and planet-friendly products, is pleased to announce the addition of both RightRice® Veggie Rice and Hope and Sesame® Sesamemilk to the product assortment at Dot Foods, Inc ("Dot Foods"), the largest foodservice redistributor in North America. Dot Foods will shortly be stocking both Original RightRice® Veggie Rice in bulk 20lb bags and multi-award-winning Hope and Sesame® Barista Blend Sesamemilk in 32oz shelf-stable cartons.
"As a company, Planting Hope is committed to expansion in the foodservice channel from restaurants to business & industry commissaries to espresso cafés with our wide range of plant-based, sustainable products," said Julia Stamberger, CEO and Co-founder of Planting Hope. "Foodservice is an excellent channel for consumers to encounter our brands and products. We're thrilled to provide more nutritious and delicious options to all foodservice operators, in the sizes and formats most convenient for their operations. Through foodservice, our brands gain consumer exposure and trial for products that consumers can then buy at their local grocers and bring into their homes. With their ability to reach any foodservice customer in the United States with as little as one case of our product, Dot Foods is the critical lynchpin to opening distribution to all foodservice operators and scaling our business in this channel."
Ms. Stamberger has been committed to developing better-for-you, nutritious foodservice products for almost 20 years, starting with creating the first ‘airline snackbox' program for United Airlines. She subsequently scaled that initiative, and then independently developed and launched the shelf-stable ‘snackbox' programs for most major airlines in North America.
"I've often said that airlines and foodservice programs are amazing channels for young brands to get exposure to new consumers," continued Ms. Stamberger. "As long as it's the right product for the application and optimized operationally to the channel, it's a win-win for brands, foodservice operators, and consumers. Foodservice buyers get delicious products that function well in their operation; brands get exposure and trial from thousands of customers; and those consumers get tasty, better-for-you options. At Planting Hope, we have fully embraced the foodservice channel as a strategic and synergistic complement to our grocery retail business."
RightRice® Veggie Rice Launches at Rōti Restaurants
RightRice is being added to the topping menu as a nutritious and delicious addition to any bowl, salad, or pita at Rōti's fast-casual Mediterranean restaurants beginning in November 2022. Headquartered in Planting Hope's hometown of Chicago, Rōti operates in five cities in the U.S. and 26 locations will be incorporating RightRice® onto their ongoing menus by name.
"We are pleased to be partnering with Rōti restaurants, known for healthy and delicious quick-service Mediterranean foods," said Ms. Stamberger. "Rōti has added a cold RightRice® salad for topping any item on their unique ‘Build Your Own' menu. Rōti's topping bar is filled with tasty additions that make every base meal more delicious - and nutritious!"
"We are excited to bring RightRice® into our restaurants at Rōti and offer a product we find to be unique in the market," said Justin Seamonds, CEO of Rōti. "With our special seasonings and Eastern Mediterranean flavors, RightRice® is a fantastic option for guests who want more protein and fiber without the carbs and still have a clean ingredient profile. Our customers are savvy, engaged food lovers and discovering RightRice® in our restaurants is something we think they'll love!"
RightRice® Veggie Rice as topping at Rōti
About Dot Foods, Inc.
Dot Foods is North America's largest foodservice industry redistributor, offering more than 183,000 products from over 1,020 food industry manufacturers across 12 primary distribution centers in the U.S. Dot consolidates those products and delivers in less-than-truckload (LTL) quantities to distributors nationwide on a weekly basis, with a mix of temperatures and products, and a combined minimum of just 5,000 pounds.
About Rōti
Rōti operates leading fast-casual Mediterranean restaurants with 34 locations across the Midwest. Rōti passionately believes that eating better actually tastes better, too. Rōti serves fresh food made with care from real, responsibly-sourced ingredients with bold Mediterranean-inspired flavors.
About RightRice®
RightRice® is a vegetable-based, protein-rich, low carbohydrate alternative to white rice that's packed with fiber and complete plant-based protein. RightRice® is the first of its kind: a shelf-stable grain that's 90 percent vegetables (lentils, chickpeas, green peas), and delivers on taste, functionality, and nutrition. With more than 10g of complete protein and 6g of fiber per serving, RightRice® provides almost four times the protein and 40 percent fewer net carbohydrates than traditional white rice, plus it can be prepared in 10 minutes. RightRice® is available in both Original (unflavored) and in a range of pre-seasoned flavors, including Garlic & Herb, Spanish, and Cilantro Lime. RightRice® Risotto provides a protein-rich, easy-to-cook alternative to traditional Risotto. All RightRice® products are made using real herbs and spices, and are plant-based, non-GMO verified, gluten-free certified, and kosher certified. RightRice® products are currently sold in more than 8,500 doors in leading retailers across North America, including Whole Foods Market, Wegman's, Kroger, Sprouts, and Publix, and in Canada can be found at Walmart stores. RightRice® is ideal for foodservice applications, and is featured on restaurant menus, including CAVA locations nationwide. RightRice® Risotto was awarded Best Sauce/Store Cupboard Product in FoodBev's 2021 World Plant-Based Taste Awards and received the 2021 Eco Excellence Award for Best Gluten Free Product, in addition to being chosen as a 2021 Editors' Pick for Best New Product by Progressive Grocer. For more information visit: www.rightrice.com.
About Hope and Sesame®
Hope and Sesame® has cracked the code on unlocking the dense nutrition in tiny sesame seeds to create a plant milk that's good-for-you, planet-friendly, and delicious! Sesame is highly sustainable, thriving in arid climates with very little water, is naturally drought- and pest-resistant, and can self-pollinate. Nutritionally comparable to dairy milk, Hope and Sesame® Sesamemilk delivers 8g of complete protein per serving (including all nine essential amino acids) - that's 8x the protein in most almond and nut milks and 3x the protein in most oat milks! Developed for and approved by top baristas, Hope and Sesame® Barista Blend Sesamemilk froths, steams, and foams like a dream, is great for latte art, and delivers 4g of complete protein per 8oz serving. Sesamemilk is an excellent source of both Vitamin D and Calcium and its core ingredient is the ultra-nutritious pulp upcycled from sesame oil extraction. All Hope and Sesame® products are vegan, Certified Gluten-Free and Certified Kosher, free from soy and dairy, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Certified by the Plant Based Foods Association.
Hope and Sesame®'s products have received myriad industry and consumer awards, and they keep coming: Hope and Sesame® Barista Blend Sesamemilk was awarded Best Novel Creamer by Good Housekeeping in their 2022 Best Coffee Awards, won Best Product at Coffee Fest Chicago 2022, received the international GAMA 2022 Innovation Award for Best Hospitality Product, and was a finalist for Best Product of the Year at the 2022 Specialty Coffee Awards; Hope and Sesame® Sesamemilk was awarded Best Milk Alternative and Best Plant-Based Sustainability in FoodBev's 2021 World Plant-Based Food Awards; signature Chocolate Hazelnut Sesamemilk flavor received the 2020 Sofi Award for Best New Product, Plant-Based Milk from the Specialty Food Association.
About The Planting Hope Company Inc.
Planting Hope develops, launches, and scales uniquely innovative plant-based and planet-friendly food and beverage brands. Planting Hope's award-winning and cutting-edge products fill key unmet needs in the skyrocketing plant-based food and beverage space. The Planting Hope brand family includes Hope and Sesame® Sesamemilk, Barista Blend Sesamemilk, and Sesamilk™ creamers, RightRice® Veggie Rice, Mozaics™ Real Veggie Chips, and Veggicopia® Veggie Snacks. Products from Planting Hope brands are available in more than 9,000 doors and more than 50,000 total distribution points at grocery retailers throughout North America, and are carried by key distributors to grocery, foodservice, and cafés. Founded by experienced food industry entrepreneurs, Planting Hope is a women-managed and woman-led company focused on nutrition, sustainability, and diversity.
For more information about Planting Hope and where to find its award-winning plant-based brands please visit plantinghopecompany.com, sign up for Planting Hope news emails HERE and follow on LinkedIn. An informational webinar on The Planting Hope Company from CEO and Co-founder Julia Stamberger is available HERE. To follow the brands on Instagram and Facebook, please visit: @hopeandsesameco, @veggicopia, @rightrice, @mozaicschips.
Contacts
Company Contact:
Julia Stamberger
CEO and Co-founder
(773) 492-2243
Investor Relations Contacts:
Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital
(905) 326-1888 ext. 1
Caroline Sawamoto, IR Labs
(773) 492-2243
Media Contact:
Alex Jessup, Jessup PR
(323) 529-3541
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to hereafter as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will, or may, occur in the future, including statements about the Company's ability to execute on its goals, the timing pertaining to these goals the potential demand for the Company's products, the timing and success of anticipated product launches and distribution of the Company's products, and the Company's business prospects, future trends, plans and strategies. In some cases, forward looking statements are preceded by, followed by, or include words such as "may", "will," "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "continues", or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. In preparing the forward looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, the assumption that demand for the Company's product will be sustained or increase in accordance with management's projections, that the Company's internal research and analysis is indicative of broader market trends and the Company's anticipated future demand for its products, that changes in consumer preferences in the plant-based food industry will continue in accordance with the Company's expectations, that the Company's current business objectives can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected, and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Although the management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company, as well as trends identified by the Company affecting its industry can be found in the Company's annual information form dated January 6, 2022 and the Company's continuous disclosure record available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Such cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements made in this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
SOURCE: The Planting Hope Company Inc.
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