General Mills : Foodservice doubles down on supporting restaurants

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Feb 16, 2021 • By Hanna Johnson

It's been a challenging year for the restaurant industry. From managing COVID-19 restrictions to simply keeping their doors open,the impact on restaurantshas reminded us all of the valuable place theyhold in the heart of our communities.

That's why the General Mills Foodservice team decided to double the number of winners in its Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest, an annual contest that celebrates independent restaurants and food trucks, their one-of-a-kind dishes and the vital role they play in our communities.

The team awarded 20 winnersthis year,giving more restaurants and food truck operatorsthe opportunity to win $5,000as well as paid advertising and other marketing tools to promote their business.

'The goal this year was to recognize as many restaurants as we could, knowing they're all struggling in so many ways,' says Kelley Walhof, brand experience assistant manager,General Mills Foodservice. 'And we wanted to make entering the contest as easy as possiblebecause we know restaurants have so much on their platesright now.'

To enter, restaurant operators were asked to upload a photo of their recipe using at least one ingredient from General Mills Foodservice's participating brands, share how their business is doing and how their dish is bringing comfort to their customers during this challenging time.

In the past, the Foodserviceteam has traveled to the winners' hometowns to award them in person and hold acelebratory open house at their restaurants.

But this year, the team surprised winners with the news during a Zoom call.

VeneéPawlowski, owner of Black Magnolia Southern Patisseriein Greensboro, North Carolina, is a first-time winner for her Bourbon Banoffee Pecan Cinnamon Rolls.

'Cinnamon rolls bring warm, fond memories of comfort to people, and we want to do that with everything we make at Black Magnolia Southern Patisserie,' says Pawlowski.

She says her and her husband plan to use the money to expand their business.

'This is going to help us immensely get to wherewe need to be. This is a life-saving win right here.'

Veneé Pawlowski, owner of Black Magnolia Southern Patisserie in Greensboro, North Carolina, is a first-time winner in the General Mills Foodservice Neighborh…

'The winners have been much more emotional than in past years,'adds Walhoff. 'You can really tell that they neededthis now more than ever.'

Each of the 20 winners also received a 'celebration box' featuring a personalized sign and pennant to hang on their wall, a yard sign, an oversized check and a variety of fun marketing materials to promote their win.

Here's Suzanne Raiford, owner of Daisy's Lunchbox Café & Bakeryin Searcy, Arkansas,showing off her winning sign.

Raiford is a repeat winner for her Peach Praline Galettes, a longtime family recipe.

'I'm so excited. It's a real privilege,' says Raiford. 'It's very humbling to me to do this. It's very humbling that I was considered a winner.'

See the full list of winners and their recipes here. [link to website]

In addition to winning the $5,000 in cash, recipe winners have the opportunity to be named the 'People's Choice' Grand Prize Winner for an additional $5,000 donation to a local food bank.

The winner will be selected through a vote on General Mills Convenience and Foodservice's Facebook page. Fans can cast their vote by 'liking' and 'commenting' on a photo of the 20 winning recipes. The voting will last from Feb. 22-26.

The recipe with the most votes will be named the 'People's Choice' Grand Prize Winner and announced via Facebook Live at noon (CST) on Monday. March 1.

'We know that restaurants are the first to step up to help when their community is in need,' says Walhof. 'With the growing hunger crisis that has only been exacerbated by COVID-19, we look forward to donating $5,000 to a local food bank on behalf of our Grand Prize Winner.'

In addition to a $5,000 cash prize for themselves and securing $5,000 for a local food bank, the People's Choice Grand Prize winner will receive a VIP marketing package that includes a one-on-one culinary consultation with the chefs from General Mills Foodservice as well as additional marketing support to help them promote their business.

For more information on the contest, visitwww.neighborhoodtonation.com.

Hanna Johnson is a corporate communications associate at General Mills, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She manages 'A Taste of General Mills,' and helps represent the company on various social media sites, and contributes to the company intranet and website. She began her career at General Mills in 2019. More posts by this author