If business leaders don’t have their eyes fixed on the future, they often find themselves stuck in the passing lane. In that spirit, the folks at CORE (formerly CORE Foodservice) have spent 2026 shifting into a higher gear.
CORE’s recent name change is just part of the sales agency’s evolution since becoming part of Acosta Group five years ago. During that time, as CORE has continued to help manufacturers sell into restaurants, distributors and other away-from-home channels, it has also expanded into new spaces and verticals, and added The Culinary Edge food consultancy to its group.
“The evolved name better reflects who we are today and who we will be moving forward, to meet the needs of our clients,” explained Mike Baker, CORE’s Chief Sales Officer. “We’ve gotten into new, additional spaces and new verticals, and ‘foodservice’ doesn’t properly define us anymore.
“When you look at the foodservice business as a whole, there’s a lot of gray areas now that didn’t exist in the past,” Baker added. “When you think about convenience stores, for example, I mean, convenience foodservice barely existed 10 years ago; now convenience stores are like chain restaurants, and we need to be part of that.”
Additional categories like grocery foodservice and the beverage sector are expanding – and CORE is part of that evolution.
The agency will continue providing clients, including restaurant operators, suppliers and F&B manufacturers, with expansive assistance as they seek varied solutions and increased efficiency. But CORE is also broadening its horizons.
“Our customers – both distributors and operators – need sales support and expertise in everything from disposables to food to beverage to alcohol. Shouldn’t we align with our customers and partners and be the one- stop shop?” Baker said.
A Key Ingredient: AI
Artificial intelligence will be part of CORE’s evolution. The agency is building multiple AI models, for example, that it believes will help clients work more effectively.
“I believe AI can make us more efficient,” Baker said. “We’re building an AI engine today that looks at all the data we have – what we know about the customers and what they buy.”
CORE is also putting AI to use as a tool for salespeople.
“We want to ensure that our team is highly informed when working with a customer, to help provide the best solutions,” Baker noted.
AI is also helping CORE identify consumption trends. The rapidly evolving technology is used as a tool by CORE employees like Director of Culinary David Jutras and Director of Mixology Jeanette DeWolfe as they pinpoint trends.
As a result, Jutras and DeWolfe use AI as inspiration, informing key trends and latest consumer movements they’ve identified, like:
- Soft-serve cocktails
- Protein cold foam
- “Swicy” menu items, like Korean fried chicken with gochujang-honey glaze
- Crunchy items like Panko-coated chicken sandwiches
On-Site Assistance
CORE employees like Jutras and DeWolfe also spend many days on countless virtual calls with restaurant clients, then drafting lengthy white papers that suggest new menu items.
“I recently worked with PJ’s Coffee out of New Orleans,” DeWolfe recalled. “I presented them with a frosted strawberry lemonade and they were really impressed. They said, ‘you really did your homework.’”
Margaritaville represents another successful partnership for CORE.
“Margaritaville’s partnership with the CORE team has consistently delivered thoughtful, innovative menu ideas that align with our brand and our guest expectations,” said Tom Kempsey, who serves as Vice President of Food & Beverage for Margaritaville Hospitality. “Every Ideation brings fresh perspectives. We’re always impressed with the creativity, collaboration, and results.”
“We’ve been building strong relationships,” Jutras said. “Our clients find tremendous value in this. For example, it’s key for operators these days to be able to use a product in multiple ways across their menu, so I always try to provide various ways that are aligned with their brand.
“We provide meaningful menu ideation solutions to customers,” he added. “We build strong, lasting partnerships and provide measurable sales success.”
An Eye Toward the Future
Now, more than ever, industry leaders looking to break free from the pack need to utilize collaboration. These days, partnerships are imperative for business leaders, Baker said.
“The clients that we have – and that we’re embedded with, for a true partnership – see great results,” Baker said. “They look to us for access to customers and relationships. They look to us for our know-how and our ability to sell the product and to understand the product.”
The process of openly sharing information has become invaluable in the industry.
“Information is power, and I think for a long time in the foodservice industry people held that too close to the vest,” Baker said.
“If you’re sharing in a full, 360-degree fashion, investing in partnerships that way is really going to pay dividends,” the CORE executive said. “If I look at my clients that are truly sharing across the board and collaborating, those clients tend to see significantly better results.”
When CORE partners with F&B businesses, its goals are the same as its partners’.
“When they win, we win,” Baker said.
Partnering with CORE can help businesses offset challenges like labor. In 2026, few businesses have the financial wherewithal to offer a thorough training program, but CORE’s knowledgeable staff can provide tutelage.
“This is an aging industry,” Baker said, “and we need new blood in this business. If you look across our client base, most of them would tell you that within five years they’re going to lose 50 percent or more of their sales team, due to retirement. That’s a challenge for this business.
“In the last few years, CORE has focused on building for the future, bringing new people into the business in a number of ways, from our Acosta Group leadership development program (LDP), our University partnerships, and our internships – building a strong bench of dedicated young professionals.”
In 2026, if a business isn’t focused on accelerating toward the future, it’s essentially stuck in neutral. CORE’s leadership came to that conclusion long ago.
“In an industry that’s continually facing new challenges, you want to change to meet those new needs, which is why we’re transitioning from ‘CORE Foodservice’ to be known as ‘CORE,’” Baker explained.
