Greetings!

I've been working hard with the bid process getting ready for the next order window, and I've received several emails and calls from Food Service Directors wondering what's up. So, without further ado...

FALL 2020 ORDER WINDOW & 1-on-1 TRAINING APPOINTMENTS

The Fall 2020 order window opens THIS FRIDAY! That's right, May 1st. This is order window #9 for us since we were handed the program from OPI, and it's going to be better than ever. Orders and signed signature pages are due by the end of the day on Thursday, May 28th. No, the Fall 2020 web page hasn't been created yet, so expect another email on Friday with links to the Fall 2020 info page with delivery dates, the item price sheet / order form download, and a link to the Marketplace.

I'm offering 1-on-1 appointments for those of you who either A) would like a refresher on the order process and what to expect, or B) are new to the program and want a more in-depth overview of the same info. Appointments may be booked between 8am on Friday, May 1, and 3pm on Friday, May 8, for either 15 minutes (refresher) or 30 minutes (full overview). First come first served, so feel free to reply to this email with your preferred day & time & I will email you back a confirmation and prep instructions.

NEW! 2020 - 2021 SCHOOL YEAR ORDERS & BID WINNER

We made a BIG change to our program. Huge. Items and prices are good FOR THE ENTIRE 20-21 SCHOOL YEAR. Yup. You read that right. Fixed prices, fixed items, no mid-year changes. There MAY be another change, but we (as in me and you, ALL of you) need to discuss that this fall. (You didn't think I was going to spill all the deets in the first email, did you?)

We received extremely competitive bids from both distributors, and I am pleased to announce that US FOODS WON THE BID BACK! For those of you who have a bid relationship with Tammie Claassen at US Foods, feel free to send her an email of congrats. I will share contact info with district who participate in this next order window.

A LITTLE TASTE OF THE NEW STUFF

I understand that many of the items available through our program haven't changed in a LONG TIME, and I felt a fresh new influx of products was LONG OVERDUE. I had to remove the items with very poor order history. Let's face it, we weren't getting any special pricing for those items. There were a lot. But that made room for 40+ NEW ITEMS, added by popular demand and Advisory Committee feedback. Things like hamburger & hot dog buns, blue raspberry frozen juice cups, and Izze sparkling juice drinks. New cereal bowl packs and bulk packs, potato products that CRISP WHEN BAKED, stainless steel soup spoons, and cheddar Goldfish Crackers mixed with Mickey Mouse ears shapes made JUST FOR K-12 SCHOOLS. You'll have to wait for Friday for the rest. *wink*

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