7 Steps to Sell Microgreens to Restaurants

How to Sell Microgreens to Restaurants

1. Research restaurants

If you want to sell microgreens to restaurants, then you need to first identify restaurants to approach. Consider the cuisine styles of different food places.

Logically, a restaurant will not be interested in your microgreens if it has no intentions of using microgreens in any of its dishes.

This is why you should sell to fine dining establishments, vegan restaurants, and salad bars. These places commonly use microgreens in their food. You can also try cafes, smoothie shops, and gourmet food trucks.

2. Understand the legal requirements

You must make sure your microgreens business is compliant with all applicable laws and regulations.¹ Research local, state, and federal laws that pertain to growing and selling microgreens.²

Read the fine print because rules can vary from one location to another. You should figure out if you need permits to handle food for sale and operate a business in general.

Reach out to a lawyer if you need help. Also, see if there are any seasoned microgreens sellers in your area who can give you a few pointers.

3. Perfect your packaging

If you want to sell microgreens to restaurants, then you need to optimize your packaging because well-designed packaging makes a good impression on customers. It also plays a crucial role in ensuring the freshness of your product.

First, choose the type of container to put your microgreens in. Consider clamshell containers and resealable bags. All containers should be food-safe and free of chemicals or residues.

Next, create professional labels that state important information, such as the date of harvest, your contact information, and any special care instructions. This is also a good time for you to think about marketing. Your labels should have a brand name, logo, and color scheme.

Then, use tamper-evident seals to assure restaurants of the quality of your microgreens. This is one way to establish trust with your customers.

Finally, think about how your microgreens should be stored before, during, and after a sale. Use coolers to maintain ideal temperature and humidity conditions.

4. Finalize prices

Pricing your microgreens for sale to restaurants requires careful consideration to ensure that you cover costs and generate profits, while maintaining a competitive position within the industry. Here is what you need to do to determine your pricing strategy:

First, think about your costs. How much money do you spend on seeds, trays, and soil? What about water and other utilities? Don’t forget about marketing and labor, if applicable.

Adding up these line items will help you determine the minimum price that you should be charging. Then, decide how much you want to go above this point by thinking about your desired profit margins.

You can study your competitors. What kind of prices are they charging? Perhaps you should stay within this ballpark unless your microgreens are objectively unique in some way.

If so, charge premium prices and see how the market responds. If the market responds favorably, then you can continue to charge premium prices.

However, if the market rejects, then you must lower the prices. In other words, finding the optimum price for your microgreens will be a process of trial and error.

Nothing is set in stone. Rather, you must be adaptable as market forces change over time.

5. Schedule a meeting

Now, it’s time to move on to one of the most difficult steps in the sales process: convincing restaurateurs to give you their time.

To successfully schedule a meeting with a potential restaurant customer, you can alternate between emails and phone calls. Introduce yourself and explain why the restaurant should buy your microgreens. You can talk about their benefits and how they will enhance the restaurant’s dishes.

If the restaurant is interested, then come up with a time and place where everyone can meet and establish a business partnership.

Expect rejection. Don’t feel discouraged if you approach a restaurant and they say no. Stay motivated and approach other restaurants until you have secured at least one meeting.

6. Give a great sales pitch

Bring samples of your microgreens to the meeting. As the restaurateur looks at them, you can re-introduce yourself and highlight what makes your microgreens special. If you’ve brought different varieties, then you can offer suggestions on which varieties the restaurant can use to enhance its dishes.

The restaurant owner will have questions after you give your sales pitch. This is why you should prepare for the meeting by anticipating some of these questions. Come up with comprehensive answers beforehand so that you can appear as professional as possible.

Here are some questions the restaurateur might ask:

Are your microgreens sustainably sourced?

Are your microgreens available year-round?

Do you have quality assurance measures in place?

Giving convincing answers to these questions will help the restaurant owner envision a long-term business partnership with you.

7. Focus on customer service

Congratulations. You should now have a business relationship with the restaurant. Now, focus on customer service and be the best microgreens seller that you can be.

Regularly deliver your microgreens as promised. Be accessible in case any issues arise. That means you must answer emails and phone calls promptly and in a professional manner.

If you think you can handle more business, then you can scale up operations and sell to more restaurants. However, be cautious when engaging in expansion efforts.

Make sure you can fulfill more orders by having the appropriate business systems in place, especially regarding quality assurance and cash flow management.

Overall, you should now know how to sell microgreens to restaurants. Follow the 7-step process and let success come your way.

Sources:

1. University of New Hampshire article on the Food Safety Modernization Act

2. Washington State government article on the Food Safety Modernization Act