Mission, Texas – The Texas 1015 Sweet Onion (TX1015) marketing campaign wrapped up the inaugural TX1015 Sweet Onion Restaurant week promotion on May 8th. The historic marketing campaign, currently in its second year, was focused directly on Texas consumers to increase awareness of the TX1015 Sweet Onion.
Dante Galeazzi, manager of the South Texas Onion Committee (STOC) BB #:162353 and CEO and president of the Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) BB #:162361 remarked, “Restaurant Week was a great opportunity to bring attention to the TX1015 Sweet Onion, but it also brings a lot of promotional buzz to the restaurants and eateries of a region. After all, our first and easiest consumers should be the ones who drive past these fields every single day. Sharing the message about the bounty of our local fresh produce. The campaign partnered with restaurants in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Each participant was given a 50-pound bag of TX1015 Sweet Onions and tasked with creating a TX1015 Sweet Onion-themed drink or dish to inspire their dining guests. After indulging in those menu inspirations, diners had the power to vote for their favorite dishes helping all participating restaurants boost online promotions, with the top three restaurants receiving a prize package.
The winners of the competition were:
• 1st Prize – Frankie Flav’z Craft Burgers & BBQ Co. serving a Brisket Blooming Onion
• 2nd Prize – Schneider’s German Gasthaus & Beergarden serving a Zwiebelschnitzel a variation of schnitzel topped with a heaping pile of fried TX1015 Sweet Onions
• 3rd Prize – Teddy’s BBQ serving smoked onion sausage & burgers mixed with TX1015 Sweet Onions
Restaurant Week brought a lot of attention to the TX1015 Sweet Onion brand, with 2,500 social media engagements reaching 85,956 people, 2,600 new website visitors, and a total of 695 online votes over the 10-day event.
The participants of this year’s competition were spread out between Mission and Brownsville and offered a plethora of different food options ranging from elegant to fast-casual dining. Galeazzi continued “Restaurant Week allowed us to shine a spotlight on the creativity of the region’s local food scene and tap into the diverse flavors of South Texas. I’m grateful we were able to partner with so many great businesses, to reach so many people, and happiest of course to see all the creative ways they were able to cook with the TX1015 Sweet Onion.”
About the Texas International Produce Association
The Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) was founded in 1942 and represents over 330 member companies as they educate, advocate, promote and represent the fresh produce industry of more than $10 billion dollars that is either produced in Texas or considers Texas its first point of arrival for domestic distribution. For more information, please visit www.texipa.org.
About South Texas Onion Committee
The South Texas Onion Committee (STOC) was founded in 1961 as a result of Federal Marketing Order #959 South Texas Onions. Order #959 authorizes quality regulations, research and promotion programs, and markings, pack and container regulations for onions grown in South Texas. The STOC is made up of growers and shippers handling onions in the 35 counties of South Texas that make up the governed area. For more information, please visit www.tx1015.com.
