Bob Evans

Bob Evans Farms operates over 550 restaurants and several manufacturing facilities that produce the most popular retail packages of mashed potatoes in the United States. These production facilities, as well as several co-packing partners also produce a number of additional side dishes along with a variety of custom products including “Oven Baked Potatoes”, Sausage and Gravy, Chicken and Noodles, and many more.

Bob Evans Restaurants (BER) has been an ongoing partner with the CW Hahn Co. for over 30 years. Throughout that time, BER has been dedicated to offering a carryout program for their customers in a very functional, Brand Specific, and cost effective line of packaging. Their goal has always been to increase carryout sales, offer their customers a secure package that gets the food safely to their destination, and do it with environmentally friendly, but cost effective packaging options.

CW Hahn Co. has been a supplier, advisor and product designer for many of these packaging products.

BER goals have included custom packaging, SKU reduction and consolidation, an attractive, consistent Brand Recognition with its packaging, and cost savings. These efforts included vendor consolidation, cost reducing custom products, and freight savings.

Several of the unique packaging solutions and innovations provided while working in conjunction with the CW Hahn Co., and many key suppliers around the world, include:

• One of the first “Co-extruded” custom clamshell plastic container with a clear lid and black bottom greatly improving the look of the take-out food, improving order accuracy via visual confirmation, reducing cost and speed with a hinged container, all resulting in a dramatic increase in carryout sales. BER and CW Hahn Co also worked to introduce the first perforated lid on these clamshell containers so consumers could easily remove the lids for easy product consumption.
• Jeff McKenney, owner of the CW Hahn Co was appointed to co-chair the BER carryout packaging committee to review all items resulting in many product changes and supplier consolidations that improved freight rates, product costs and Brand Recognition in the carryout program. With additional attention directed at the carryout program, sales per store achieved more than double digit growth over a three year period.

Bob Evan Foods (BEF) is the largest supplier of mashed potatoes for the retail market in the United States. They also manufacture a wide range of additional side dishes, many of which require specialty packaging. BEF and the CW Hahn Co. have worked closely with leading manufacturers to produce and supply several custom products including:

• A custom designed, logo’d container in several sizes for the side dish line.
• A custom, thermoformed, logo’d single serve container for side dishes.
• A custom CPET container that allows the product to be baked before it is sealed, resulting in an attractive product with that “Baked at home”, feel.
• Manufacturer consolidation for most of the BEF and BER plastic carryout packages resulting in greatly reduced freight costs, improved product costs, and inventory turns.

The CW Hahn Co is an ongoing supplier and advisor for all Bob Evans companies and their partners. We work closely to always be mindful of industry and consumer trends, new products, and manufacturing partnerships that will continue to supply quality products and services to support the integrity and consumer confidence in the Bob Evans Brand.

CC Image courtesy of Nicholas Eckhart on Flickr