Product Evaluations
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersOak Brook, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Product Evaluations firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Product Evaluations
- Legal name
- Product Evaluations, Inc.
- Website
- https://productevaluations.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Product Evaluations is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oak Brook
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Product Evaluations business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Foodservice Research Services: Product Evaluations provides custom-tailored foodservice research programs to restaurant chains and foodservice industry suppliers. Services include qualitative research (focus groups, observation, co-creation, interviews, in-kitchen research) and quantitative research (online studies, telephone interviews, taste testing, product placement). Revenue is generated through project-based custom research engagements rather than standardized product sales.
- FoodForum Operator Panel: Exclusive online community of foodservice professionals who participate in surveys. Operators earn points redeemable for rewards (gift cards, electronics, housewares, foodservice items, or charity donations) in exchange for their opinions on new products. This serves as a recruitment and engagement mechanism for research participants.
- FoodView Consumer Taste Test Panel: Consumer panel that sponsors taste test research on behalf of food companies, restaurants, and industry entrepreneurs. Panelists earn money for participating in taste tests typically lasting 30-60 minutes at physical locations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free membership with points-based rewards |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Product Evaluations product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Product Evaluations delivers custom-tailored foodservice marketing research to restaurant chains and foodservice manufacturers/suppliers. Its offerings combine qualitative research (focus groups, in-kitchen research, co-creation, controlled cuttings) and quantitative research (online studies, telephone interviews, taste testing, product placement) executed through proprietary facilities and methodologies including the FoodView 360° research facility, the FoodView Consumer Taste Test Panel, the FoodForum Operator Panel, the MenuBridge menu development process, and the VolCalc sales forecasting model.
Product overview
Product Evaluations is a foodservice industry marketing research company offering a platform of research products and services. The core offerings include FoodView 360° (a combined taste test facility, commercial kitchen, and focus group center), the FoodView Consumer Taste Test Panel (paid consumer panel), the FoodForum Operator Panel (online foodservice professional survey community), MenuBridge (menu development research process), and VolCalc (sales forecasting model). Additional modules include Controlled Cuttings qualitative research and specialized research toolkits for Innovation, Product & Category Management, Brand Management, and Customer Strategies. The company serves restaurant chains, manufacturers/suppliers, and consumers through custom-tailored research programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FoodView 360°: Commercial kitchen, focus group facility, and research center for menu testing and innovation research
- FoodView Consumer Taste Test Panel
- FoodForum
- VolCalc
- MenuBridge
Products and services
- FoodView 360° Combined taste test facility, commercial kitchen, and focus group facility designed for high-speed menu testing, product research, and innovation. Includes audio/visual recording, online interviewing with real-time data, multi-camera and multimedia videography, food photography, and green screen interviewing capabilities, sold to foodservice clients as an integrated research environment.
- FoodView Consumer Taste Test Panel Paid consumer taste test panel for new food products, restaurants, and industry clients. Panelists attend 30-60 minute taste test sessions at facilities in Oak Brook, IL and Pasadena, CA and earn compensation for participation, delivering consumer sensory feedback for client research programs.
- FoodForum Operator Panel Exclusive online community of thousands of foodservice professionals from every segment of foodservice who complete surveys on new products. Members earn points redeemable for rewards including gift cards, electronics, housewares, foodservice items, or charity donations, supplying operator perspective for client research engagements.
- MenuBridge Integrated menu development research process sold to chain restaurant clients that connects them to consumers across the menu lifecycle, including ideation brainstorming, kitchen creation, live discussion sessions, online surveys, taste testing, and in-market testing with comprehensive reporting and analytics.
- VolCalc Proprietary validated sales forecasting model for new foodservice products, delivering forecasts that client reports show fall within 3-12% of actual sales outcomes based on more than 20 years of validation and ongoing research refinement.
- Custom Foodservice Research Services for Manufacturers and Suppliers Custom-tailored foodservice research program for foodservice manufacturers and suppliers combining qualitative and quantitative methods with categories covering innovation, product and category management, brand management, and customer strategies; delivered as project-based engagements.
- Custom Foodservice Research Services for Chain Restaurants Custom research services for chain restaurant clients including menu development validation, consumer taste testing, menu pipeline validation, and in-market testing programs delivered through the MenuBridge framework.
Quantifiable outcome
- VolCalc forecasting model accuracy within 3-12% of actual sales (based on client-reported results)
Companies that use Product Evaluations
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Product Evaluations technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Product Evaluations partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)coreProduct Evaluations is a proud contributor of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The NRAEF's mission of service to the public is dedicated to enhancing the industry's training and education, career development, and community engagement efforts. Product Evaluations supports ChooseRestaurants.org through this relationship.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Product Evaluations competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Circana (formerly IRI + NPD): A large global market research firm with deep foodservice (via legacy NPD) and CPG coverage, serving chain restaurants and manufacturers with syndicated point-of-sale data and custom research. Overlaps with Product Evaluations but operates at much greater scale and breadth.
- Mintel: A global market research firm covering food and drink trends, consumer behavior, and product innovation. Comparable in serving restaurant and supplier clients with consumer insights, though broader in category and geography than Product Evaluations.
Direct peers
- CHD Expert (Part of NielsenIQ): A foodservice industry data and research firm tracking the away-from-home market across operators, distributors, and manufacturers. Comparable in serving foodservice manufacturers and operators with research and intelligence, though stronger on data infrastructure than Product Evaluations.
- Datassential: A foodservice-focused market research firm providing menu tracking, operator surveys, and consumer insights to restaurant chains and suppliers. Closely matches Product Evaluations' vertical focus on foodservice research and panel-based methodologies.
- Technomic (CoStar): A longstanding foodservice industry market research and advisory firm (now part of CoStar) that serves restaurant chains and foodservice manufacturers with syndicated and custom research. Directly comparable to Product Evaluations in target customers, foodservice specialization, and research methodologies.
- CFI (The Foodservice Information Group): A foodservice industry research firm providing operator and distributor insights to suppliers and manufacturers. Comparable in foodservice specialization and B2B research model serving similar customer segments as Product Evaluations.
Others
- Restaurant Business: A leading restaurant industry media brand publishing operator-focused research, rankings, and trend analyses. Comparable target audience of chain restaurant executives, though business model is media-led rather than custom research-led like Product Evaluations.
- QSR Magazine / EnsembleIQ: A foodservice industry media and research publisher covering quick-service and chain restaurants, including proprietary research and operator surveys. Adjacent connection through foodservice research publications reaching the same buyer base as Product Evaluations.
Emerging players
- Black Box Intelligence (by Wisely): A restaurant industry intelligence and benchmarking firm providing operator surveys, financial benchmarks, and guest experience data to chain restaurants. Comparable in foodservice specialization and panel-based operator research approach.
- Pentallect: A specialized foodservice consulting and research firm focused on distribution, sales, and channel strategy for foodservice manufacturers and operators. Comparable target customer base and foodservice-only focus, though narrower in research methodology offerings than Product Evaluations.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Product Evaluations social profiles
Digital presenceProduct Evaluations financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Product Evaluations leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Product Evaluations funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Product Evaluations M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Product Evaluations
What does Product Evaluations do?
Product Evaluations delivers custom-tailored foodservice marketing research to restaurant chains and foodservice manufacturers/suppliers. Its offerings combine qualitative research (focus groups, in-kitchen research, co-creation, controlled cuttings) and quantitative research (online studies, telephone interviews, taste testing, product placement) executed through proprietary facilities and methodologies including the FoodView 360° research facility, the FoodView Consumer Taste Test Panel, the FoodForum Operator Panel, the MenuBridge menu development process, and the VolCalc sales forecasting model.
Is Product Evaluations a public or private company?
Product Evaluations is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Product Evaluations founded?
Product Evaluations was founded in 1970. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Product Evaluations based?
Product Evaluations is headquartered in Oak Brook, United States, in the North America region.
How does Product Evaluations make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Foodservice Research Services are the primary driver. The others are foodForum Operator Panel and foodView Consumer Taste Test Panel.
Who are Product Evaluations's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Circana (formerly IRI + NPD) and Mintel. Direct peers are CHD Expert (Part of NielsenIQ), Datassential, Technomic (CoStar) and CFI (The Foodservice Information Group). Others are Restaurant Business and QSR Magazine / EnsembleIQ. Emerging players are Black Box Intelligence (by Wisely) and Pentallect.
Does Product Evaluations have an API?
No public API is recorded for Product Evaluations.