Nordic Waffles Expands Grocery Business
After gaining huge popularity at the Minnesota State Fair during the last two years and a limited grocery presence earlier this year, St. Paul-based Nordic Waffles, is making a major push into the grocery scene, marking a significant shift for the business.
A new sausage, egg and cheddar cheese waffle is being introduced at nearly all Lunds & Bylerys this week, and its popular bacon, egg and cheese waffle will now be available at nearly 140 stores throughout the Upper Midwest.
The new sandwich was created in response to growing demand for its bacon “All Day Breakfast” waffle, introduced in May. Since that launch and the ongoing eat-at-home trend that has become a way of life during the Covid-19 pandemic, more-and-more retailers have been adding it to their freezer section.
Nordic Waffles is challenging the traditional frozen waffle category with its distinct, artisanal Scandinavian style batter, comforting savory ingredients and made-by-hand quality. The growing list of regional grocery stores includes select Lunds & Byerlys, Cub Foods, Hy-Vee, Kowalski’s, Festival Foods and independent stores throughout western Wisconsin and outstate Minnesota.
“We saw immediate demand for the All Day Breakfast waffle and knew our grocery strategy, originally scheduled for 2021, had to scale up quickly,” said Jeremy Ely, CEO for Nordic Waffles. “As families continue to seek more flavorful meal solutions to enjoy at home, we moved quickly to ramp up production, reactivated furloughed staff, developed a new sandwich offering, refreshed our brand identity and packaging and worked closely with retailers to stage a full-scale grocery expansion.”
In 2021, Nordic Waffles plans to continue its retail growth as the new sausage sandwich rolls out to more stores, additional product innovations are introduced and production capabilities are enhanced. This new focus marks a significant shift for the business, moving from specialized foodservice locations to an everyday grocery store staple.
“On rare occasions, when customers can’t find Nordic Waffles in stock, they will track us down to see when more will arrive,” said Walter Schwartz, store manager with Lunds & Byerlys. “We’re very excited about the launch of the new waffle because it’s such a great selling product.”
Stine Aasland, known as the “Waffle Queen” in her native Norway, introduced her authentic Scandinavian sweet and savory waffle creations to the U.S. in 2016 and quickly become a Minnesota State Fair favorite in 2018. The business soon grew to include a location at Rosedale’s Potluck food hall and a foodservice offering with its freshly-made waffle batter and proprietary waffle-making equipment to restaurants, coffee shops and convenience stores in nine states.
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