Top Grower In California Partners With Monterey Hotel
July 30, 2013 
Producing fresh and flavorful produce since 1976, Nunes Company, based in Salinas, CA, formed a partnership with the Monterey Plaza Hotel in Monterey, CA. The hotel approached Nunes with the idea for a summer-long promotion of Foxy (Nunes’s brand) strawberries and vegetables being used in the hotel’s restaurants and spa. American Vegetable Grower asked Matt Seeley, vice president of marketing at Nunes, some questions about the promotion, which is called “Locally Overboard.”
AVG: How was this marketing partnership initiated – by Nunes or the hotel?
Seeley: The promotion was initiated by Monterey Plaza Hotel. They understand the value of the Salinas Valley and what fresh produce production means to everyone in Central California. And what better way to showcase our fresh fruits and vegetables than by working with one of the state’s finest hotel and restaurants to help share the story?
AVG: Kale, romaine lettuce, and baby broccoli have been incorporated into various food items for the Schooners (the hotel’s main restaurant) menu, but strawberries have been the primary product and are being used in a number of ways for both food and spa products for the hotel. Why were strawberries chosen as the main focus?
Seeley: Strawberries are the greatest impulse item the produce industry has to offer. Who doesn’t respond to a beautiful red, juicy strawberry?
AVG: Would it be more profitable for everyone if a larger variety of produce was incorporated into the restaurant menu?
Seeley: Strawberries are used in three different components: the feature restaurant, Coastal Kitchen; Schooners; and the spa with a variety of different strawberry massages. That is three excellent touch points in the hotel. We are fortunate to have so many places to incorporate our fresh produce items.
AVG: Is the restaurant using its own recipes or have its chefs been given recipes by the Nunes Company?
Seeley: The restaurant has developed a line of signature drinks and massage treatments — they developed and designed the recipes.
AVG: Are freshness and quick availability the only benefits to using locally grown produce? If not, what are the other advantages?
Seeley: Those are the two biggest advantages, but it also puts a name/face/family behind what the consumer is eating. In addition to the care and handling that goes into the growing and harvesting of all our products, consumers will know that these items were literally grown in their backyard while here on the Monterey Coast, and they will not be eating anything fresher than produce that was harvested today for consumption tonight or tomorrow.
AVG: Do you think a partnership like this could be replicated by Nunes with other outlets?
Seeley: Yes, it can be done again with other companies that incorporate fresh produce into their business mix.
AVG: What is the envisioned demographic for this initiative? (age, gender, income, geographic origination, etc.)
Seeley: The two major demos are those who live locally and enjoy a meal or spa treatment at a local restaurant/hotel, and tourists who visit from all over the world. The age/gender/income covers a wide segment — anything from 25 to 74 — we cut across all demos.
AVG: Is this a nice source of additional revenue for Nunes or would you see the benefit more in brand imaging for the Foxy line?
Seeley: This isn’t a money-maker. It is an opportunity to showcase our products to the local community as well as the thousands of tourists who come to the greater Monterey area. There have not been many, if any, cross-promotional tie-ins with Salinas Valley products and Monterey tourism. This is a great way for our industry to work hand-in-hand with the end users of our products.
“Locally Overboard” will continue for the rest of the summer, so if you’re in Monterey during this time, be sure to pay a visit to the hotel and enjoy a fresh meal or spa treatment.
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