Broadline Foodservice Distributor Pitch

Example output

Broadline distributor pitch: Anchor & Ash → Meridian Foodservice Distribution

The distributor opportunity (their operator base, not just ours):
Meridian's core list is how their sales reps sell to thousands of operators across three states. This pitch isn't about winning one restaurant, it's about becoming one of the items Meridian's reps can recommend across their entire book. Frame it that way from the first sentence.

Why now — the pull-through proof:
Anchor & Ash already has demonstrated pull-through demand: roughly 40 independent restaurants are actively buying through a regional distributor today. That is the single strongest piece of evidence in this pitch — it proves operators want the product before Meridian has taken any risk on it. Lead with this, not with taste or story.

What this solves for Meridian:
- Their reps get a differentiated, already-in-demand item to offer operators who are asking for it by name or category.
- It reduces Meridian's own risk versus a truly unproven new supplier, since the pull-through demand already exists independent of their sales effort.
- Insert any specific category gap on Meridian's current list this fills, if known.

Addressing the minimum-volume question directly:
Broadline distributors typically want a minimum volume commitment before adding a new supplier — don't wait for them to raise it. Come with a proposed minimum order quantity and a case-volume ramp plan across the first two quarters, tied to the existing 40-operator base plus a specific plan to grow it once listed. If your volume today doesn't clear their typical threshold, be honest about that gap and propose a probationary listing with a review date rather than promising a number you can't hit.

Logistics and operations Meridian will ask about:
- Case pack, pallet configuration, and shelf-stable or cold-chain requirements — confirm which applies and state it plainly.
- Lead times and your production capacity to support their distribution footprint across three states, not just your current 40 operators.
- Whether you can support their rep incentive or spiff programs, which many broadlines expect from new suppliers seeking rep attention.

The commercial ask:
- Listing on Meridian's core, not just special-order, list, so their reps can proactively sell it rather than only fulfilling operator-initiated requests.
- A defined minimum order commitment from us, in exchange for active rep promotion during the first two quarters.

Likely objections & answers:
- "We carry thousands of SKUs, why you?" → Existing pull-through demand from 40 operators already buying it through another distributor — that's real, current demand your reps don't have to create from zero.
- "What's your minimum volume commitment?" → Insert your proposed MOQ with a quarterly ramp plan; propose a probationary review period if the number isn't yet where they'd want it.
- "Special-order or core list?" → Core list is the ask — special-order puts the burden on operators to know to ask for us by name, which caps growth well below what the pull-through demand suggests is possible.

Numbers to bring:
Current case volume through the regional distributor, proposed MOQ, case pack, and lead time.

Want this turned into a one-page distributor leave-behind, or a script for the initial rep conversation?