My dad worked in the warehouse for the University of Albany and once in a while on weekends, he would take me to the kitchens to drop things off. One day, I walked into the kitchen where one of the cooks was making spaghetti sauce in a 100-gallon kettle. He was throwing in herbs by the handful and immediately I knew I wanted a career in the foodservice industry.
So when I was 14 years old, I got a job working in the kitchens after school and on weekends. I started washing pots and pans but tried to get those done quickly because after completing those tasks the cooks would sometimes let me help them. That was where the real fun was.
There were times when I would spend three hours making pancakes on a 36-inch electric griddle during brunch. If my griddle did not look shiny enough upon my arrival, though, I would spend time seasoning until it was right. And if the pancake batter the cooks made was not the consistency I wanted, I would tinker with it until it was how I wanted it to be. My pancakes had to be perfect.
Indeed, foodservice was in my blood.
After graduating from high school, it was off to the Culinary Institute of America to get a degree. I graduated from the CIA on Friday and went to work on Monday as a chef-manager for an on-campus cafeteria at the University of Albany. For nine years I worked my way up the ladder before eventually getting promoted to director of residential dining. In that role, part of what I did was design new foodservice concepts and specify the equipment that would go into them.
Eventually it became time for a change and one of the dealers I had worked with offered me the chance to get into the foodservice equipment side of the industry. I had not sold equipment before but did have experience selling my ideas for new concepts to the university’s board of directors. That experience, paired with my passion, hands-on knowledge of the industry and a strong appetite to learn, led to a second chapter in my career that’s spanned nearly 24 years. When I was cooking on that griddle, I never gave the hood above a second thought. Now I know how important it is and how to sell it.
As I prepare to retire, a couple of other important lessons still stick out.
One thing I learned at the CIA that stays with me today is the concept of mise en place: everything in its place. That applies to designing a buffet and even prepping for a meal. It also applies to kitchen design. After designing a restaurant, the equipment gets delivered and everything goes in its place to ensure an effective and efficient operation.
Most importantly, I learned you can’t go it alone in this business. I may be able to go out and sell the equipment but for a project to be successful it requires the company owners who have the capital and connections to get things done, the purchasing department to place the orders, the warehouse to accept orders and the delivery crew to get things there. I have to attribute my ongoing success to my customers old and new, the manufacturers’ reps, and most importantly the entire B&G team. We won’t have repeat customers if we all don’t our jobs. Customers come back because they know they can trust you and you try to solve their problems.
Wayne T. Esposito, Outside Sales Rep, B&G Restaurant Supply, Albany, N.Y.
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