Brighter Days
by Bruce Luong CW Executive Vice President West Coast and Canada
ITH SPRING AND SUMMER on our doorstep, I am very happy to see a healthy appetite in regards to people wanting to dine out, especially on the West Coast. With so much enthusiasm blossoming in our industry, we’re feeling very bullish about the rest of the year.
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Diversity is strongly apparent in every market of our collective team at The Chefs’ Warehouse.
CW is proud to be a pivotal collaborator serving our vast, colorful territories of the West Coast. Texas being one of our most exciting territories (as featured in this edition of CW Mag), supporting and servicing the great chefs of this tremendous region and seeing high levels of success has really validated our growth strategy. Diversity is strongly apparent in every market of our collective team at The Chefs’ Warehouse. Possessing different perspectives and principles is one of the greatest reasons this industry is so dynamic. It is gratifying to see a plethora of talented female chefs like Gina Miranelli (La Strega, Harlo, in Las Vegas) and Rachel Haggstrom and Saree Musick (Justin Winery, Paso Robles) dominate the culinary landscape these past years.
Speaking of our dynamic industry, attending the recent Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas last February and the subsequent CW West Coast Team reunion was deeply inspiring. Finally having in-person time with our incredible vendors and the CW team was truly invigorating. This spring and summer is all about renewal. Moving through and past the challenges of the pandemic, we are stronger than ever. We are more resilient and appreciative of each other and more clear and focused on what our customers need.
We have spent a lot of time building and strategizing. It is rewarding to witness the seeds of our efforts blossoming so readily. This sunny season I look forward to continue to come out of the pandemic and see people’s smiling faces. I look forward to watching my daughters, who have both jumped up to higher-level clubs, play soccer in the company of others supporting and cheering on the games (potentially without masks). Finally, a big shout out of appreciation to our customers and employees for their patience these past two years. Your loyalty is vital to our ability to run our business and key to us supporting the optimum success of your menus and venues. Brighter days are here at last.
NEW! at The Chefs’ Warehouse THERE’S GOOD NEWS for bean-loving chefs looking to elevate their soups, casseroles and cassoulets! The Chefs’ Warehouse is now carrying Rancho Gordo, the legendary Napa-based purveyor of dried heirloom beans. Known for selling harder-to-find bean varietals, Rancho Gordo, through their Rancho Gordo-Xoxoc Project, helps small Mexican farms to grow indigenous crops while also encouraging genetic diversity. These high-quality, heirloom products also encourage Mexican farmers to preserve local traditions, while bringing top chefs in the US a range of artisan, obscure and wonderful beans that would be almost impossible to try otherwise. The Rancho Gordo line starts its rollout in San Francisco, and looks to expand to PNW, L.A. and beyond soon.
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Our Rancho Gordo Top 5: Garbanzo Beans Midnight Black Beans Pinto Beans Yellow Eye Cranberry Beans Retail is packed 12/1lb cs; FS is 1/25lb
