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This story is published in cooperation with Willamette Week and Market of Choice.
Meet Holly, Michael and David.
Twenty years ago, while visiting Malaysia, Michael Pan’s family introduced him to a wide variety of foods. One of those was a family recipe for a tasty snack made from shiitake mushrooms.
It was a snack that would stay with him and change his life.
Opens in new windowYears later, Pan was selling his version of the snack, Pan’s Mushroom Jerky, at the Portland Night Market. There, he met John Boyle, chief merchandising and marketing officer for independent, family-owned grocer Market of Choice.
“He tried our product and chatted with me about Market of Choice,” Pan said. “He asked me to connect with their grocery buyer, which led to Pan’s launching in stores.”
From that Market of Choice springboard, Pan’s has gone on a successful run, expanding all across Oregon, landing a hefty investment on the popular television show “Shark Tank” in 2020 and now populating the shelves of more than 2,500 stores across the U.S.
That success is, of course, about more than a chance encounter at a night market. Pan said his collaboration with Market of Choice, and participation in their MOJO program, has been vital to his jerky’s success.
“Collaborating with Market of Choice has been a fantastic learning experience, helping us better understand the industry landscape and figure out how to grow our business the right way,” Pan said.
Holly Ong, the founder of Sibeiho (see-bay-ho), echoes Pan’s sentiments. Sibeiho is a Singaporean condiment brand with humble roots. Its foundation is built on Sambals originally served at farm-to-table Singaporean supper clubs by Holly and Sibeiho’s co-founder. The brand’s mission is simple: transform the multi-cultural flavors of Singapore into versatile pantry staples that inspire home cooks.
Opens in new windowSibeiho has since earned multiple Good Food Awards, and the brand has found homes at Portland Farmers Market, Market of Choice, New Seasons and fine purveyors like Providore. An impossible feat without the MOJO program.
David “Sauce Lord since 2017” van Overeem turned a passion for cooking and years of sauce experimentation into HAB Sauce. Some would describe his professional career as an ode to his family.
Opens in new windowWhen his partner was expecting their first child in 2016, David made a decision; he would walk away from his 12-year career at Nordstrom because he wanted to be present in his child’s life. He chose to spend the first two years as a stay-at-home dad. HAB grew out of that intentional parenting choice, and the choice not to sacrifice his ambitions, but to build them around his family.
“John Boyle introduced me to the program when I first started selling our sauces to Market of Choice in 2018. It was my first big break into grocery,” van Overeem said. “John has since been a big supporter of mine and other small business entrepreneurs in Oregon.”
Since its founding in Eugene, Oregon 47 years ago, Market of Choice has been a stalwart supporter of local makers. Today, the grocer’s 13 stores carry more than 7,000 local products – some 15% of its total product list. Market of Choice collaborates with food business incubators around the state, and its MOJO program offers makers much-needed guidance, development support, distribution solutions and promotion to help them bring quality products to market.
Hurdles – and solutions – ahead
As any entrepreneur knows, the path to success is often pocked with hurdles. Makers in Oregon face a lot of the same hurdles together as they navigate their way from startup to the store shelves. With nearly five decades of experience supporting local makers, Market of Choice has figured out ways to help them clear those obstacles.
For example, local entrepreneurs often have limited access to specially-tailored advice, lack of logistics support and training. It is not unusual for makers in the early stages to face challenges with distribution, difficult retailer requirements and fees, scaling production and managing growth.
To help startups navigate these seas, Market of Choice partners with BUILT Oregon, Xcelerate Women, Get Your Recipe to Market, The OSU Food Innovation Center, and Rogue Valley Food Systems (among others) to assist new makers in their journey to MOC shelves or beyond. The grocer provides free distribution for their products and advice on their go-to-market strategy, and its buyer and marketing departments offer industry advice, product and packaging insight, mentorship, coaching and marketing support.
They also get free distribution to Market of Choice locations, which helps save money.
“Typically, to get product onto the shelves of a multi-location retailer, small makers like us have to pay a distributor fee of 10-18%. That’s a significant barrier for an indie brand,” said Ong.
Opens in new window“Market of Choice’s MOJO program flips that entirely: Makers can drop off product at a centralized location, and Market of Choice delivers it to all their locations across the state on their trucks for free. The program has been a game-changer for us.”
In addition to the full suite of support small-batch producers get through Market of Choice’s MOJO program, sellers also get a one-year shelf guarantee, inclusion in Market of Choice digital marketing programs from social content and emails to web features, and four annual promotional events with discounts at no cost to the maker.
A lack of support also finds many makers stumped when it comes to amplifying and scaling their products. Market of Choice doesn’t charge slotting fees, and it allows startups to grow in one store or across multiple locations.
“HAB wouldn’t be able to have the presence we currently have in places like Bend, Eugene, Medford, Ashland and Corvallis,” said van Overeem, owner of HAB Sauce. “We’re so grateful we’ve been given that reach.”
Opens in new windowAdditionally, small entrepreneurs often face barriers to entry based on geographic and cultural barriers. Market of Choice’s Amplify program helps spotlight and support local food and beverage makers who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, women and veteran-owned businesses. That, combined with all the other support the grocer provides, is hard to beat, Ong said.
“Without Market of Choice and MOJO, we’d likely be limited to selling direct – at farmers’ markets and through our own website – and would have had to pass on one of the best local retail partners in the Pacific Northwest,” she said. “The program didn’t just help us grow; it made meaningful retail presence possible in the first place. We’re incredibly grateful for it.”
To learn more about Market of Choice head to marketofchoice.com/. Visit marketofchoice.com/local-makers to learn more about the local makers Market of Choice partners will.