Truffle Kings, a newly launched ecommerce website based in Toronto and specializing in gourmet Italian foods, is planning on expanding throughout North America and is also exploring opportunities to open a cafe/retail store in Canada.
The company, founded by Canadian-Italian entrepreneur Marco Tallarico, is also in the process of producing a live broadcast show called “The Truth About Olive Oil,” which he described as an “edgy, entertaining and educating engagement where audiences will be let in on the truth about the olive oil industry and clear up common misconceptions about Italian products and culture.”
Plans call for the show to be broadcast four times per year before a live audience of about 200 people.
“Think ‘Tony ’n Tina’s Wedding’ meets TED Talk,” Tallarico told SFA News Daily, referring to the immersive musical and the educational lecture series, respectively.
Truffle Kings currently carries a handful of Italian products, including olive oils, vinegars, truffle-infused foods and fresh truffles, as well as a monthly subscription for Lavazza Coffee. The company also offers fresh truffle subscriptions.
Tallarico said there was a space in the market for a retailer that can supply fresh truffles consistently, which he described as logistically challenging.
“We hope to be a constant source of fresh truffles for foodies and chefs,” he said.
The subscription services are designed to encourage customers to visit the site regularly, Tallarico said.
“If they’re in the coffee subscription, they know that their box is coming to them every month with the coffee,” he said. “They can then go online and add products to the order without having to worry about shipping costs.”
He said he chose to partner with Lavazza because of its premium positioning.
“The whole point of Truffle Kings is to expose the North American market to integral brands from Italy whose production you can trace right back to the terroir,” Tallarico said.
Other brands featured on Truffle Kings include truffle products such as pearls, dust, vinegars, and crisps from Geofoods; vinegars from Malpighi, which is one of Italy’s oldest vinegar houses, and olive oils from Marina Palusci and Fratelli Pugliese.
Tallarico said Truffle Kings plans to add more brands and products in the coming months.
The company is promoting the website via social media, YouTube, and other online channels, with a focus on user-generated content, which Tallarico described as “the future of food marketing.”
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