Encourage Customers to Treat Dad to a Steak Dinner on Father's Day

Posted to BeefRetail.org in conjunction with March 2010 issue of Retail Beef Blast.

Feature Middle Meats Leading up to Father’s Day
Now is the perfect time for you to take advantage of a big opportunity with wholesale middle meats. Significant price decreases in rib and loin cuts mean you can offer your customers a great eating experience at a terrific value, while generating profits for your meat department. Check out the wholesale price update for the latest wholesale pricing information.

Many of your customers like to make Dad feel like a hero on Father's Day when he fires up the grill for a delicious meal for his family. Help your customers make Dad feel special this Father's Day by suggesting delicious steak dinner ideas that the whole family can help prepare. Stock the meat case with a wide variety of steaks, and incorporate some of these tips into your merchandising plan to place steak at the top of the menu this Father's Day:

Start with steak: Help your customers choose steak for the center of the plate, and build a meal around their favorite cut. Use signage that identifies which steaks are ready to cook and which benefit from marinating. Pass out the Father's Day Customer Handout; your customers will appreciate knowing the “3 Easy Steps to Grilling” to help make that perfect steak for dad. Help your meat associates get up to speed on the complete steak story with the Steak section of Beef Training Camp.

Keep it simple: If Dad is a meat and potatoes guy, customers can pull together a delicious supper of grilled steak, baked potatoes and salad in no time. Merchandise with pre-wrapped baking potatoes and bagged salad mixes, and customers can leave your meat department with dinner in hand.

Play up the promotions: Showcase savings for your customers by participating in these three great promotions running during Father's Day (You will win too with increased beef sales!):

Anheuser-Busch^® Bud Family Hispanic Promotion: If Dad enjoys a beer with his steak dinner, your customers can get huge savings with this Hispanic grilling promotion. In-store tearpads on Bud Family displays will offer up to $10 mail-in rebates for beef.

Snyder’s of Hanover^®: If Dad wants to relax and snack on the couch for Father’s Day, be sure your customers take advantage of this promotion. It includes in-store displays featuring an IRC for $2 off beef with the purchase of any two Snyder’s 16 oz. pretzels or tortilla chips, 10 oz. flavored pieces, nibblers or pretzel chips.

Sutter Home^® Build a Better Burger^®: If you tie into this promotion leading up to Father's Day, your customers can work on perfecting their secret burger recipes using dear old Dad as the judge. He can decide who’s the real burger grill master. The promotion, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2010, includes a full-page FSI calling attention to a beef coupon. In-store displays including case cards, danglers, neckers and shelf talkers will also be included. The grand prize winner of the recipe contest goes home with $100,000!

For more details about these promotions, view the 2010 Promotional Calendar.

Share recipes: Take advantage of new recipes in the Beef Recipes and Photography section on BeefRetail.org that feature fresh flavors from bottled ingredients; suggest these two mouth-watering choices to your customers:

Steaks with Tomato Tapenade give Dad exactly what he wants for Father's Day - a thick, juicy steak! The tapenade includes tomatoes, olives, basil and Parmesan cheese. These delicious Mediterranean flavors take an original steak to a flavorful eating experience. And, the recipe only takes 30 minutes prep and cook time, leaving your customers more time to spend with Dad on his special day.

Grilled Salsa Steak Appetizer upgrades the standard "chip and dip" starter from "ho-hum" to "ole!" by combining grilled flat iron steak with jarred salsa, fresh cilantro, creamy guacamole and crunchy tortilla chips for a fabulous appetizer that will get the taste buds singing.

Make it special: Have premium cuts on hand like Ribeye (bone-in or boneless), Top Loin and T-Bone Steak for customers who want to turn it up a notch for Father's Day. These cuts have historically been big sellers during the week leading up to Father's Day. Merchandise with tri-color peppercorns and red wine to help customers create the steakhouse experience at home.

Stay on track: Remind customers that lean beef fits beautifully into a healthy eating plan. Families can grill up a lean steak for Father's Day and enjoy great beefy flavor with less than 10g of total fat, 4.5g or less of saturated fat and less than 95mg of cholesterol per 3 ounce serving. Spread the good news about the 29 lean cuts of beef to your customers.

Use these tips to make dad and steak perfect partners on Father's Day!