Alaska Seafood Foodservice Operator Familiarization Trip
ASMI was honored to host a group of culinary and marketing professionals from Panera Bread, Taco John’s, and Captain D’s for an immersive familiarization trip through Seattle and Sitka July 12-17th. The trip provided participants with a firsthand look at the Alaska seafood story—from sustainable fisheries management, harvesting, processing, distribution, and culinary applications.
The trip began in Seattle where participants learned about seafood processing, quality assurance, food safety, and distribution. The group also explored Pike Place Market, visited the Seattle Aquarium, and connected with industry partners over shared meals featuring Alaska seafood.
The group then traveled to Sitka to experience Alaska’s seafood industry at its source. Participants toured processing plants, visited the Sitka Sound Science Center to learn about hatcheries and science-based fisheries management, and spent a day on the water experiencing Alaska’s marine environment and harvest sector firsthand. Other experiences, including tide pooling at Magic Island, exploring Sitka National Historical Park, and visiting Fortress of the Bear, further connected participants to Alaska’s unique ecosystem, communities, and culture. Throughout the trip, hosted meals showcased the diversity and versatility of Alaska seafood while creating opportunities to learn from fishermen, processors, scientists, and industry leaders.
One attendee shared, “The familiarity trip is the experience of a lifetime. I’ve always been a believer of ‘you have to see it to really understand it,’ and the Alaska seafood story really takes this to another level.” Participants noted that each experience built upon the next, creating a deeper understanding of the industry—from fisheries management and hatcheries to harvesting, processing, and the communities that depend on seafood. Another participant reflected, “It made sense of commercial fishing in a way that I could only have imagined ahead of the trip.”
Participants returned home better equipped to share the Alaska seafood story within their organizations. As one attendee noted, “A big takeaway for me was gaining a true understanding of ‘Wild Caught’ and the importance of not only how towns such as Sitka thrive on this part of the industry but also knowing the message that Panera Bread can speak to and support—this message is important to our consumers.”
