The Chefs' Warehouse Magazine - Spring 2023

SPRING IS BUSTING OUT ALL OVER

by Bruce Luong, CW Executive Vice West Coast and Canada

AS WE MOVE INTO THE SUNNIER and more temperate days of spring, I am excited to share a handful of developments that have blossomed for CW West since the start of 2023.

At the top of the new year, my team in NorCal, which includes Andy Brown and Peter Saridis, was thrilled to acquire Mike Hudson Distributing based out of Petaluma, CA. Acquiring MHD, with its fifty-four-year history and reputation for being a quality, family-owned, and operated Northern California Distributor, ignites CW’s presence in the specialty retail market. We are very excited to move forward and collaborate with MHD’s amazing team.

A more recent advancement I am proud to share is the acquisition of Essence Food Service, a family-oriented importer and distributor focusing on Italian specialty ingredients based in Toronto, Canada. Adding Essence Food Service, achieved with the help of CW’s Jaime Salter, is especially thrilling for CW Canada, as it allows our business in this vast region to expand on what has traditionally been primarily a pastry-focused market for us.

I am also happy to share that CW West has recently signed a lease for a brand new facility in Portland, OR. We are elated to finally provide a stateof-the-art warehouse for Alexis Foods and Provvista to come together under one roof.

On a less sunny note, the weather on the West Coast these past months has created immense challenges. Our team has done a great job of rallying and ensuring that there is no interruption to customer service whenever possible. With several atmospheric rivers in NorCal, blizzards in Tahoe and Colorado, frozen rain in Texas, and multiple road closures in Portland and Seattle due to storms, it has never been more crucial for our employees to go beyond the call of duty and make every effort to make deliveries outside of road closures. Our people have really been spectacular, doing what’s necessary to get the job done. I would like to give a special shout-out to our dedicated (and often brave) drivers who have fought the winter storms firsthand and always ensure that our customers get their orders through rain, sleet, or snow.

We look forward to getting back to seeing our customers, going to the farmers market again, and doing the outdoor activities we love. Having been isolated for so long, first by the pandemic and more recently by the weather, there’s a palpable spirit in the air with people energized by being out and about. We’re also seeing a lot of enthusiasm regarding people wanting to try new ingredients. Everyone also looks forward to the West’s beautiful spring and summer months when businesses can benefit from outdoor seating and increased sales.

Finally, I am very happy to share that our very own CW Magazine West, after enjoying much positive word of mouth and attention in our regions these past eight years, will be blossoming and expanding into CW Magazine National with its first Summer edition coming out June 15th. I look forward to our publication connecting the dots across CW’s vast territories and sharing the broad scope of amazing stories illuminating our extraordinary chefs and vendors from ‘sea to shining sea.’

Wishing everyone a bright and flourishing spring!