# The Release of Our Foodservice Tracker Tool for CPG Brands

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2026-10-28
- Length: 25m
- Episode: 393
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-10-28-the-release-of-our-foodservice-tracker-tool-for-cpg-brands
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/5d4dc71f

## Summary

Jenna Cameron, founder of Jenna Cameron Consulting and former foodservice sales expert at JUST, Alpha Foods, and Wild Earth, joins host Daniel Scharff to launch Startup CPG’s free Foodservice Tracker, a database of approximately 1,500 operators, distributors, and redistributors. They discuss how early-stage brands can use the tool to navigate the complex foodservice channel, distinguishing between back-of-house products like plant-based eggs and front-of-house grab-and-go items. The conversation covers strategic tactics such as targeting specific job titles on LinkedIn, leveraging scrappy methods like campus ambassadors and station takeovers, and avoiding common pitfalls like ignoring operational constraints like high-heat oven compatibility.

## Outline

1. Introduction: The Free Foodservice Tracker and Jenna Cameron's Background
2. Inside the Tracker: 1,500 Contacts, Distributors, and Prioritization Data
3. Back of House vs. Front of House: Product-Market Fit in Foodservice
4. Pitching Strategies: LinkedIn, Phone Calls, and Short Decks
5. Trade Shows and Regional Growth: NACE, DOT, and Vistar
6. Scrappy Tactics: Campus Ambassadors, Station Takeovers, and Networking
7. Common Mistakes: Solving Operator Problems and Operational Constraints

## Topics

- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- JUST (company)
- Alpha Foods (company)
- Wild Earth (company)
- Dot Foods (company)
- Vistar (company)
- Natecuff (other)
- Firstbite (tool)
- Sodexo (company)
- Aramark (company)
- Chartwell (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [290 - Taylor Foxman is the master connector for CPG's!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-09-26-290-taylor-foxman-is-the-master-connector-for-cpgs) (People of Packaging)
- [What It Really Takes To Build a Food Business: Part 2](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-10-25-what-it-really-takes-to-build-a-food-business-part-2) (How I Built This)
- [What It Really Takes To Build a Food Business: Part 1](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-10-18-what-it-really-takes-to-build-a-food-business-part-1) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (2025)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-07-09-advice-line-with-jeni-britton-of-jenis-splendid-ice-creams-2025) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Pete Maldonado of Chomps](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-05-02-advice-line-with-pete-maldonado-of-chomps) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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