Twice Daily Partners With H.T. Hackney to Test Ready-to-Heat Meals

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tri Star Energy's Twice Daily convenience store brand is partnering with wholesale distributor H.T. Hackney Co. to launch a market test of items from MamaMancini's Holdings Inc.

The market test will include Meatballs in a Cup plus four ready-to-heat Meals For One at 47 Twice Daily locations in Tennessee. The new test placements are expected to begin shipping in September.

MamaMancini's strives to become the largest marketer and distributor of fresh, clean and easy-to-prepare foods, according to the company. The East Rutherford, N.J.-based company has a product portfolio consisting of meatballs, meatloaf, sausages and pasta bowls with beef, turkey, chicken and pork varieties, as well as an assortment of chicken-based dishes, olives, savory products and salads through its T&L Creative Salads and Olive Branch subsidiaries.

"Distribution with Hackney's family of retail foodservice partners is a highly promising milestone in MamaMancini's growing food service vertical," said Carl Wolf, CEO of MamaMancini's. "With over 20,000 locations, a successful test could position us for placement in thousands of Hackney's customer locations throughout the eastern United States.

"We hope this order represents our initial foothold into the estimated 300,000 convenience store, small grocer retailer, delicatessen, sandwich shop and comparable retail outlet market. The market size in foodservice is significant, with the aforementioned figure not including opportunities in other aspects of foodservice such as colleges and universities, corporate dining, travel hubs, stadiums, large group meetings and fast food," he continued. "We believe we can expand our foodservice products, such as our branded Meatballs in a Cup and Meals for One into traditional supermarket chains and club stores as well, with grab-and-go food offerings increasing in popularity.

"We are highly focused on expanding our product line in the foodservice vertical to complement our significant nationwide presence in tier-1 nationwide retailers, which could potentially represent a doubling of our total addressable market. Combined with our growth strategy targeting large, national retailers with our expanded portfolio of products, we believe foodservice represents the next large growth opportunity to scale our nationwide footprint as we continue to build sustainable, long-term value for our shareholders," Wolf concluded.

Based in Knoxville, Tenn., H.T. Hackney services more than 20,000 retail locations and stocks 30,000-plus products from strategically located distribution centers, creating a 22-state distribution network in the eastern U.S. Its supports retailers such as convenience stores, drug stores, travel centers and small grocery stores.

Twice Daily focuses on offering fresh, quality food and beverage items. Stores feature a fresh deli case with seasonal and handcrafted products, hot foods for all dayparts, a fresh bakery and more. Select locations also feature the company's White Bison Coffee banner, combining convenience goods with artisan coffee beverages and a fresh, handcrafted café menu.

Founded in 2000, Nashville-based Tri Star Energy owns and operates the Twice Daily and Sudden Service convenience banners and supplies fuel to wholesale trade channels in 14 states. It also owns premium coffee brand White Bison Coffee, including locations throughout middle Tennessee and north Alabama.