Paterson, New Jersey – Kontos Foods, Inc., a U.S.- based manufacturer and distributor of traditional artisan breads and Mediterranean specialty foods, today announced that the company has launched a redesign of its retail flatbread packaging. The new packaging, which offers a contemporary look with a nod to the cultural traditions of the past, will be in all retail markets by late August.
Kontos Foods made the announcement ahead of the International Dairy-Deli-Bake Seminar & Expo in Houston, Texas, where it will exhibit the new packaging at Booth #4833.
“The contemporary style is designed to stand out on supermarket shelves, improve differentiation between Kontos bread varieties and provide well-presented information for customers,” said Steve Kontos, Vice President of Kontos Foods. “To celebrate the history of these breads, we’ve featured an oval above the Kontos logo to help pictorially identify the different regions of the world where each of our flatbreads originated.”
For instance:
- Pita. The Greek coastal village represents the Pocket-Less Pita line of breads. While pita is found in the Middle East as well (and is called by the same name), the name is Greek and it was the first bread baked by Kontos Foods.
- Flatbread. The three heads of wheat on the Flatbread series represents the Fertile Crescent where, according to historians, wheat was first cultivated and flatbreads were first baked.
- Nan. The mandala, an ancient circular art form, represents the Nans of the Middle East and Asia. This symbol, first found in Buddhism, is used in all cultures and religions of this region. It symbolizes spiritual wholeness — food for the soul! Nan, the traditional bread of this region, has long been celebrated as a symbol of life — food for the body.
In the new package designs, as in the previous series, a distinctive color has been assigned to each variety. This enables a shopper to identify the variety quickly in the supermarket. Type faces and graphic devices on the packages were carefully chosen to provide clarity and convenient location of information important to the customer.
Kontos has added a QR Symbol to each bag, which links to the company’s recipes on the Kontos website. This allows consumers to choose a flatbread variety, find a recipe and shop for the rest of the ingredients while still at the supermarket.
Beginning in 1987, Kontos Foods began baking Pocket-Less Pita, its signature flatbread. The Kontos family had responded to market demand for this bread in the Northeast, and had made a substantial investment in a bakery to supply it. A positive reception for this variety of flatbread in ethnic markets and restaurants encouraged Evris Kontos and his son Steve to formulate additional varieties to serve other cultural groups.
Product quality and the replication of “the breads that my mother made” built Kontos’ reputation on a regional level in markets, diners and restaurants, as well as foodservice operations. Twenty years later, with the experience and the dedication of providing 50 quality varieties to very discriminating audiences, the company began placing its breads in major supermarket chains. This new packaging has helped Kontos gain entrée to additional mainstream grocers.
Kontos sells its products to retailers and foodservice establishments across North America and several other countries. Find Kontos on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Kontosfoods and follow the company on Twitter @KontosFoods.
About Kontos Foods
Founded in 1987, Kontos Foods, Inc. is a Paterson, New Jersey-based provider of artisan breads and traditional Mediterranean foods for restaurants, hotels, food service, retail specialty stores and supermarkets worldwide. The family-owned company specializes in hand-stretched flatbreads, including the Kontos Pocket-Less Pita®, Fillo dough, pastries, olives, gyro meats, and Greek yogurts, as well as nearly 50 varieties of multi-ethnic flatbreads. Kontos, which has over 225 employees and was founded by Evripides (Evris) Kontos with his son Steve, together bring over 100 years’ experience in the premium food industry. The company’s bread and Fillo products are made in the USA. Visit www.kontos.com or call (973) 278-2800.
Source: Kontos Foods
