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Questions for the CMO of Lloyd Pans

2013-01-15T03:20:17Z

What is your role with Lloyd now?

President and CEO.

What do you spend most of your time focused on at this point?

Two areas.

Don Spencer has been my management coach for twelve years. He changed my job title. I’m now called the CMO. Chief Morale Officer. And I’ve found that the way to keep morale up is making sure people have meaningful work.

The second thing that I do is I’m always looking for the next good customer. We built a profile of what good customers look like and we know that not everyone qualifies to be a Lloyd customer.

Best piece of advice you ever received?

‘Hire people smarter than yourself.’ If you are the CEO and you are in a room full of your own employees and you are the smartest person in the room, you are not hiring very well.

Also: ‘Fifty percent of being smart is knowing what you are dumb at.’

What are you working on at Lloyd Pans right now?

What keeps me up at night is trying to get the balance between all our businesses. We have commercial pizza, commercial bakeware, and commercial cookware and then we have ManPans which is our consumer product.

We’d like to grow ManPans; it is something we can make when we are slow and put in the warehouse.

Tell us two fun things about Lloyd.

We are the first or second largest pizza pan manufacturer in the world. We sell orders up to 4 million dollars and we take orders for $49 on the internet. The scope of the work that we do is, I think, really phenomenal.

The other thing people are shocked by the number of pan emergencies we have. A small operator or a chain will have a restaurant they’ve had to find a location, get a permit to build, buy all the furniture and buy the oven, and then two weeks before their grand opening they say, “Oh my gosh, we have no pans.”

We’ve had at least 100 pan emergencies like that. We’ve put pans on a Southwest flight for a guy who called up at 9 am saying ‘I’ve got people coming tomorrow and I have no pans for my grand opening.”

Big guys will design a whole marketing plan around a new pan and six weeks before implementation, they will realize they don’t have any of the new pans.

We love procrastinators. We turn around things so fast that if they wait too long we are the only game in the world. If you plan poorly, we are it.

What do you eat when you are tired or stressed?

I’ve actually changed that. It used to be sweets. Now it is a cup of tea.

What kind of tea?

Any kind of tea as long as it is green.

What made you interested in connecting with Big Table?

I’ve been involved with philanthropy all my life and I’ve found a common theme in just about everything I’ve ever been involved in: ‘if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for the rest of his life.’

I think Big Table does a great job of teaching people how to fish. That is what attracted me: a hand up rather than a hand out.

Next to teachers, hospitality workers are the least appreciated in the world. Big Table gives people a sense that someone cares about them.

Big Table 2012 Year End Report

2012-12-15T17:40:53Z

In our year-end report below are snapshot statistics of Big Table in 2012, an introduction to our gifted board, pictures, quotes, ideas on ways to engage, and a request that you consider Big Table in your year-end giving. This was a year of great leaps forward for Big Table and we are so grateful to each of you for your support. Thank you.

Questions For Spokane Sysco President

2012-12-05T04:35:28Z

What is your role with Sysco?
President and Chief Operating Officer for Sysco Spokane.

Best piece of advice you ever received?
Save your money! Thanks, Dad.

Tell us two fun or surprising things about Sysco.
One - our corporation as a whole is the single largest purchaser of Northwest grown/processed products in the world! Two - Sysco has hosted nearly 400 small farmers in its “Good Agricultural Practices” workshops in the past two years.

What are you working on a company right now that is exciting or gaining traction?
We just held our 2nd “Chefs’ Table” Event, which are invitation-only, highly focused culinary events that allow our customers to interact with our specialists and suppliers in a more relaxed and intimate setting than a traditional food show. We are planning several more throughout our marketing area, with a focus on cuisine type.

Out of all the places in the community where your company could give, why do you support Big Table?
With its focus on the hospitality industry, Big Table is a natural fit for Sysco. We understand the challenges that many in our industry face, and Big Table is unique in their outreach to those in need. Plus, it is an organization that knows how to throw a party, and we are all about that, too!

What about Big Table aligns with the values you are working to live out as a company?
At Sysco, our vision is to be our customers’ most trusted and valued business partner. Trust and Value come in a lot of forms, but at a very basic level, we feel that trust is built when we truly value our customers – not just their business, but their commitment to their employees and communities. Big Table provides an ideal vehicle for us to put our values into action – whether by financial support or donating the time and talent of our culinary team to Big Table events.

What do you eat when you are stressed or tired?
Chips and Salsa. Lots of Chips and Salsa.

Whimsical Gastronomy From Brett Fontana

2012-11-15T05:54:39Z

The heart of Big Table is care, but we certainly do love greate food. Consequently we loved Monday night. For our November 12th Big Table dinner Brett Fontana from the Hayden Lake Country Club plated some wonderful courses built around simple ingredients reimagined.

Thanks Brett for the delicious creativity.

We also loved the descriptions of each course that Fontana provided. He talks with his hands just like we do.

Here he is describing the Second Course of the evening that he named "BLT."

Candied BACON and broiled LOBSTER with corn pudding, chipotle cream, and TANQUERAY fennel salad.

Second Course

Third Course

Salad mache with iceberg dressing, blue toast, and red onion jam.

Fourth Course

Coffee seared cod with corn grits, chervil, and candied orange.

Great Pizza, Great Cause. Dine2Care October at the Flying Goat

2012-10-19T23:17:56Z

Whether you are a regular at the Flying Goat or have never had their brilliant artisan pizzas, here is a great reason to go in or order out. From now until the 24th,the Goat will donate $5 to Big Table from every featured special pizza ordered.

Just what is this featured pizza?

We've tried it and Chef Gleason nailed it. He is brushing the dough with extra virgin olive oil and then topping the pizza with thin shaved panetta, fresh mozzarella, chantrelle mushrooms, carmelized onions, and fresh thyme. Then into the Wood Stone oven it goes for several minutes at 800 degrees. Out it comes to be topped with some shaved pecorino cheese. You want one (or if you are like us, two or three).

But the real kicker comes next Tuesday - October 23rd. 10 % of all sales that day at lunch and dinner (eat in or order out) goes to support Big Table. There will also be great beer and wine specials to kick in an additional percentage. Bring your friends.

If that isn't enough, you can also buy raffle tickets on the 23rd for a pizza feast for 8 at the Goat.

Matt Writes

2012-10-18T01:13:45Z

Dear Big Table Crew-

I’ve spend the past few weeks trying to put into words how your team truly blessed my family. It was confounding to me that Big Table would help in this way! I refused to believe that I was a candidate for such help. After years in the hospitality industry, I think most of us believe we will always be on the giving end of things (giving and serving others).

You describe your vision as helping those who are “falling through the cracks.” Well, we were stuck IN the crack but hadn’t fallen through yet, so I didn’t think that we were candidates for help.

Since losing my architectural design job in January of ‘09, we, as a family, took a huge setback financially that we’ve never fully recovered from. Almost four years of treading water financially, always a month or two behind, stuck in the crack so deep that a solution didn’t seem possible.

Beyond what your financial support has given us, we have a sense of hope. This new (foreign) feeling has opened up a different kind of dialogue between my wife [and me] and we are working to maintain this momentum. If you all have been sending prayer for us, well, they are being answered.

-Matt

BS IN A BAR Launches Next Week

2012-10-18T00:00:56Z

Yep. After brainstorming about it for over a year, we are finally ready to do it. A Bible study in a bar... two bars actually. Those two bars? The Satellite in downtown Spokane and the Flying Goat up on Northwest Boulevard.

If you’d like to be part of the conversation, we’d love to have you. Expect it to be low-key and simple. No bully pulpit. The goal is to have an honest conversation about the spiritual life and look at the Bible – particularly stories about Jesus – to explore where it has relevance for life today. We also plan to set aside time to wrestle with questions you might want to bring to the table.

The first two BS IN A BAR dates are next week – one time in the morning and one at night.

Monday, October 22 @ 10:30 am
At the Satellite Diner
425 West Sprague Avenue

Wednesday, October 24 @ 9:30 pm
At the Flying Goat
3318 West Northwest Boulevard

We’ll buy a bit of food to get the conversation going, and we’d love to have you join in. Call Kevin if you have questions: (509) 999-729.

When Chefs Get Serious

2012-09-14T04:30:36Z

Three more GREAT reasons to join us this Monday night.

Click here to get your tickets now. We'll have the bacon brittle waiting.

AUCTION SPOTLIGHT: Hand-Crafted Trestle Table

2012-09-11T03:31:33Z

What better to auction off at a BIG TABLE event that an actual table? How about an actual table AND a family-style Tuscan feast at said table for ten by Chef Sylvia Wilson?

You want this table. Built specifically for Big Table by Brian Fountaine and Bart Templeman, this finely-crafted trestle table is built without nails or hardware: only wood joints and pegs. It truly is a BIG TABLE with seating for ten. It measures 96 inches x 37 inches and is 29 1/2 inches tall. The table will be the object of conversation in your home for years to come.

Better yet, with the table comes a family-style Tuscan feast for ten from gifted chef and caterer Sylvia Wilson who opened Mizuna and now runs Feast Catering as well as running an award-winning food blog called Feasting At Home.

The table and dinner package is valued at $3500. Sign-up here for a ticket to the ranch evening and auction.

Auction Packages for September 17th

2012-09-06T23:01:37Z

Here are thirteeen GREAT reasons to join us for a night of amazing BBQ and fun at the Rockin' B Ranch. These would be the live auction packages so generously donated for the evening.

Downtown Spokane Overnight Escape

Slip downtown for a dinner at Catacombs, a night in the restored turn-of-the-century Montvale Hotel, and breakfast at the newly opened Scout. Catacombs, the Montvale, and Scout all are wonderful historic spaces updated with Rob Brewster’s impressive design sense, and the food at both Catacombs and Scout reflect the skill of Big Table friend Chef Tina Luerssen.
Value: $199

Craft Beer At Home Class

Dreams of crafting your own beer for friends and family? Turn those dreams into reality under the instruction of accomplished home brewer Aaron Meldrum who will personally teach you how to craft your own signature beer at home. At the end of the class, you’ll have two cases of beer to drink or share with friends.
Value: $300

Big Reds Wine Tasting For 12

Score a private Saturday night wine tasting of MONSTER red wines with Rocket Market Wine Guru Matthew Dolan at the market for you and eleven friends. Dolan's signature style is accessible and engaging as he both entertains and educates. The tasting includes pours of 9 different wines paired with artisan cheeses, bread, and a chocolate course.
Value: $350

A Southern Feast For 10

Bring the best of the Deep South to your own home in a dinner for ten from Louisiana daughter, radio personality, and accomplished cook Angela Monson. Angela will design a coursed southern feast in your own home featuring the likes of fried chicken, pulled pork, gumbo, crawfish etouffe, and pot licker.
Value: $700

Dinner with a Restaurant Critic and a Set of ManPans

Here is your chance to go undercover with food writer and critic Kevin Finch on an actual restaurant review and be part of a story that goes to print. If you have ever wanted to be a restaurant critic, this is the package for you – get behind-the-scenes tips and contribute to what is written. Then come home and become the chef yourself with a full set of locally-made, eco-friendly ManPans from Lloyd Industries.
Value: $750

Chef Dinner for 8 with James Beard Honored Adam Hegsted

Adam Hegsted is the first Inland Northwest chef ever asked to be the featured chef at New York City’s famous James Beard House and the culinary genius behind the successful underground restaurant, The Wandering Table. Adam is the executive chef at the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort and will cook one of his signature chef tasting menus for a group of eight in the newly renovated Ts’Elusm Steakhouse at the Casino Resort. Hegsted is known for his intricate coursed dinners that feature Northwest ingredients in creative and playful ways.
Value: $900

Top of the Red Lion Suite and In-Room Dinner for 8

Invite your friends to join you for a night at the top of Red Lion At The Park in the richly appointed Parkside Grand Suite for a chef’s dinner for eight by Executive Chef Don Rey. Then send your friends home and stay on for the night in the suite. Both the food with friends and the accommodations will make this a night to remember.
Value: $1100

Hand-Made Dinner Table and a Sylvia Wilson Tuscan Dinner

You want this table. Built specifically for Big Table by Brian Fountaine, this finely-crafted table will be the object of conversation in your home for years to come. It truly is a BIG TABLE with seating for ten. With the table comes a family-style Tuscan feast for ten from gifted chef and caterer Sylvia Wilson who opened Mizuna and now runs Feast Catering.
Value: $3500

A Week in Mexico at Puerto Vallarta’s Mayan Palace

Soak in the beauty of the Bay of Banderas, the Sierra Madre mountain range, the Ameca River and the Marina from your one bedroom ocean-front condo at the Mayan Palace in Puerto Vallarta. An exciting, cultural and relaxing vacation destination, the Mayan Palace offers endless luxuries and activities for you and your family to enjoy. Dining in Puerto Vallarta is perfect for the food enthusiast. The fresh fish, locally-raised meats, and seasonal ingredients inspire Vallarta's chefs, boosting the restaurant scene into one of the country's best. Wander through downtown Vallarta for fine sidewalk dining as diverse as the city itself. In Viejo Vallarta, you can enjoy a delicious Mexican meal at a casual eatery steps away from an acclaimed international seafood restaurant. You'll find French, Italian, German, and Asian venues tucked between galleries just on the other side of the Río Cuale. The condo can be booked on a first come first served basis anytime in 2013 with the exception of Easter Week and Christmas. Plan early as more times of the year are available.
Value: $1250

Red Mountain Winemaker’s Dinner for 8, Wine Cave Tour + 3 Magnums

Terra Blanca owners and winemakers Keith and ReNae Pilgrim are teaming up with the executive chef of Twigs in the Tri-Cities to offer an exclusive winemaker’s dinner for eight in the their exclusive Onyx Room on the winery estate after a tour of Terra Blanca’s massive underground wine caves. This is a night you won’t want to miss.
Value: $1800

Desert Wind Winery Luxury Stay, Winery Tour, and Dinner

The luxury rooms tucked into the rafters of the Desert Wind Winery are one of the best kept secrets of Washington Wine Country. Drive down for a perfect get away and receive a tour of the winery with barrel tastings and then a $100 toward dinner at the Winery’s fine Mojave restaurant.
Value: $850

Hand-Painted Coffee Table Paired with a Coursed Chef Dinner

Northwest artist Carrie Scozzaro created “Bounty” just for Big Table using themes from Sameul Taylor Coleridge’s famous poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Twigs Valley Executive Chef Josh Stidman designed a chef’s dinner of passed courses and wine to be enjoyed around the nautically-theme small table in your living room. “Bounty” features a recycled table top and cabinet doors, vintage hardware, silver leaf, and image transfers.
Value: $800

Coeur d’Alene Resort Escape with a Chef Dinner for Two

Enjoy a getaway overlooking Lake Coeur d’Alene at the newly remodeld Coeur d’Alene Resort with an intimate chef’s dinner for two at Tito’s Italian Grill. Executive Chef Jim Barrett is an advisory board member for Big Table and will make sure to give you special treatment.
Value: $500