Rick Gaido, Edward Don & Company

Rick Gaido When looking back over the course of their careers, people often like to say they grew up in the restaurant industry. In the case of Rick Gaido, key accounts specialist for Edward Don & Company, that’s exactly what happened. His family owns a 1,000-seat restaurant aptly called Gaido’s Seafood Restaurant in Galveston, Texas.

Some of Gaido’s earliest memories date back to when he was a toddler and the pantry prep cooks babysat him. He went on to earn a degree in hotel and foodservice management and eventually found his way back to running the family business as an assistant manager.

One of the family’s restaurant suppliers was Edward Don & Company. Gaido credits Pete Angenend, an Edward Don & Company district manager, with guiding him through the transition from operator to dealer sales rep.

That was 17 years ago. Gaido now handles multiunit accounts like Top Golf and Putt Shack. He specializes in tabletop items, smallwares and disposables but also sells replacement equipment.

Q: Why go work for a foodservice equipment and supplies dealer?

A: I had experience working with Edward Don & Company from a customer’s perspective. My rep at the time was professional, and the company performed how we expected them to perform. They were a family-owned business at the time, and their values aligned with mine. I just felt like designing kitchens was in my future. So, working with Edward Don & Company really aligned with who I was.

Q: How has what your customers are asking from you changed in the past few years?

A: When we do openings for a client, the expectation is to minimize back orders and make the opening process streamlined. So, their expectations have remained consistent. But on their tabletops, for example, some have gone away from china and started specifying melamine dishware. Others have asked us to stock other products that were not originally part of what we provided. For example, because we became such a trusted distributor, one customer now has us handling their drink mixes, too.

Q: In your words, what goes into writing the right spec?

A: I learned the hard way, it’s not what I want them to have. What’s important is knowing what they want. In some cases, they may want a very expensive plate in a challenging environment, and you know you will have to replace a lot of those plates. So, it’s a delicate balance. You have to communicate all of that in advance. I have to ask a lot of questions and communicate my concerns in advance, but ultimately the customer makes the final decision.

Q: What’s one way you are better today than you were three years ago?

A: There are internal processes at Edward Don that I may not have known as much about four years ago. I would input an order, and out it would come. Today, I have to know so much more about how the company works due to the volume and nature of my clients. This includes forecasting, planning and more. I have to use the technologies that we are provided with to succeed. I have to know and use our system better than I did before.

DSR 3-2-1

Rick Gaido, Edward Don & Company, sits down with Jason Wange, Foodservice Powerplant Network, to talk about being named an FE&S DSR of the Month.

Find more episodes of DSR 3-2-1 here.

Foodservice Equipment & Supplies Presents DSR 3-2-1 is sponsored by Salvajor.