Courtesy Kern Meat Company
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to reshape how the local food industry does business, longstanding St. Louis food wholesalers are getting creative in how they reach consumers.
Companies such as Kern Meat Company, Ole Tyme Produce, Kuna Foodservice, and Sunfarm are forgoing the middleman and selling directly to consumers. Kern Meat, which has delivered to local food establishments for 72 years, is offering curbside pickup at its facility on Cherokee Street. Customers can place orders through a Shopify page.
Matt Sherman, general manager at Kern, says the program was initiated after the company received phone calls from friends, neighbors, and clients asking if they would sell direct to the customer. In addition, Kern recently began distributing "retail packs" to country club clients for sale directly to their members.
Kern is also the local distributor for Brewer's Crafted Pork (beer-inspired pork products that utilize regenerative farming methods), an idea spearheaded by local chef Vito Racanelli.
Like other protein wholesalers, Kern is a USDA-approved facility that must adhere to strict standards, but Sherman says as soon as he saw what was developing in Seattle, he enacted additional measures that were "extreme but necessary" long before the virus became an issue here. In extreme situations, USDA regulations allow inspected companies to monitor their employees' health and hygiene (for instance, hand washing and body temperature monitoring). Sherman says Kern is also cleaning all contact points every 30 minutes, which he admits is "a pain we've all gotten used to."
Ole Tyme Produce, which has distributed food in St. Louis for almost 50 years, has launched a direct-to-consumer website, in which customers can place orders for curbside pickup at its facility in St. Charles. Customers call the company to set up a time for pickup, which is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.–6 .m. and Saturday from 8 a.m.–noon.
Eat Here Saint Louis, a wholesaler that sources from local farmers and producers within a 150-mile radius, is also pitching in. The company recently teamed up with Tower Grove Farmers’ Market to deliver fresh produce, local meats, and other artisan goods to customers’ homes.
Deliveries started two weeks ago and are expected to increase through the growing season. Customers can place an order through the Tower Grove Farmers' Market's online order form and then the produce is placed at the front door. “Our hope is that this approach will protect both you and our employees,” Eat Here Saint Louis said in an Instagram post.
John Pollaci, president of Sunfarm, recalls putting in a call to his web designer on March 15, the day restaurant orders began to taper off. With restaurants struggling, and some temporarily closing, Pollaci decided to go consumer-direct and become "a one-stop online shop," and not just for Sunfarm's product line (produce and dairy), but for in demand staples like eggs, toilet paper, paper towels, dish detergent, and even fresh baked bread from Fazio's Bakery. Community orders can be placed here for pick up the following morning. Grocery orders can also be delivered to St. Louis City and County.
Kuna Foodservice, which is based in Dupo, Illinois, and serves the St. Louis area, is taking a different approach. The food supplier is selling protein boxes with items such as angus ribeye steak, pork chop, and fajita chicken breast; produce boxes with items such as jumbo yellow onions, carrots, and potatoes; and, as of today, dairy boxes to local restaurants that can then be sold to consumers.
For example, Super Smokers’ BBQ, a Kuna client, carries protein boxes available to customers through online ordering. Robust Wine Bar, another client, is also carrying steak boxes available for curbside pickup.
“A lot of restaurants have been our customers for more than 40 years,” says Rose Woodward, director of marketing for Kuna. "They’re like family to us. We wanted to come up with a creative idea to support them and be a good partner during this time."
Editor's Note: This article has been updated with supplemental information.
