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GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2014 www.gourmetnews.com Retailer News RETAILER NEWS 1 6 BRIEFS US Foods Opens Nation's Fourth CHEF'STORE in Tempe, Arizona US Foods recently opened the country's fourth CHEF'STORE in Tempe, Arizona. CHEF'STORE is a wholesale food and restaurant supply store featuring an assort- ment of more than 6,000 pantry staples, specialty products and other must-have items for chefs, restaurant owners and other food industry professionals. "CHEF'STORE features everything from fresh produce and meats to pantry staples and cookware and makes getting the right products at the right prices easier than ever for chefs and restaurateurs," said David Schreibman, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for US Foods. "With its expansive selection, wholesale prices and no membership fee, CHEF'STORE is now the destination for Tempe-area chefs and food lovers looking to buy great food." The 60,000 square-foot store employs about 40 local residents, and member- ship is free and open to everyone. The newest CHEF'STORE is conveniently lo- cated at 3115 S. McClintock in Tempe, and it is easily accessible from anywhere in the area. "CHEF'STORE is the answer for Tempe- area chefs and restaurant owners looking for a convenient way to get everything they need seven days a week," said Steve Humphreys, Region President for US Foods. "With its intuitive layout and wide, easy-to-maneuver aisles, customers can get in and out quickly and back to business." Food safety is a top priority for US Foods, and the temperature-controlled areas in the store ensure that food is always kept at its proper temperature. Through its Stay Cool™ program, CHEF'STORE pro- vides complimentary frozen gel packs and offers cooler bags and other products to en- sure proper food temperature when cus- tomers transport perishables. "CHEF'STORE is going to change the way local food industry professionals shop," Humphreys said. "We've designed every aspect of the store to cater to our cus- tomers' needs and make the shopping ex- perience as easy as possible. With products in our store available in case and individual quantities, CHEF'STORE makes getting all the quality products our customers need and expect from US Foods even easier." Three additional CHEF'STORE locations can be found in Charlotte, North Carolina; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Columbia, South Carolina. As one of America's great food compa- nies and leading distributors, US Foods is making life easier for its customers through independent and multi-unit restaurants, healthcare and hospitality en- tities, government and educational insti- tutions and related businesses.The company offers more than 350,000 prod- ucts, including high-quality, exclusive brands such as the innovative Chef 's Line, a time-saving, chef-inspired line of scratch-quality products, and Rykoff Sex- ton, a premium line of specialty ingredi- ents sourced from around the world. Discover more at www.usfoods.com. To learn more about CHEF'STORE, visit www.usfoods.com/chefstore. GN Mouth.com Introduces FOOD & WINE Selects FOOD & WINE and online independent food purveyor Mouth.com recently announced an innovative new partnership. In addition to highlighting more than 1,000 items from small producers, Mouth will now feature a collection called FOOD & WINE Selects that includes products hand-picked by FOOD & WINE editors and the Mouth team. Every item is made in America by small, independent artisans. The Selects collection debuts with 20 new products, with additional items to be added every month. FOOD & WINE Selects will be available at www.mouth.com/fw. Among the items in the FOOD & WINE Selects collection are Strawberry Rhubarb Pate de Fruit from Willamette Valley Confectionery, Tender Belly's Dry-Cured Maple Bacon and Rustic Bakery's Savory Cheese Coins. On Mouth's site, each product features striking photography as well as serving suggestions and other valuable information from FOOD & WINE editors. Fresh & Easy Reintroducing Itself with New Marketing Campaign Fresh & Easy recently launched a full-scale marketing campaign inviting customers to discover an all-new Fresh & Easy. Since transferring to new ownership in November, the company has reinvigorated the brand and its stores with the aim of being the anytime, anyway, anywhere solution for getting healthy, convenient and affordable food. The marketing campaign will include radio, outdoor, digital and social media elements running in all markets. Campaign materials can be seen at www.itsabouttime.freshandeasy.com. The campaign is centered on five pillars that differentiate Fresh & Easy as a new kind of market designed for modern consumers: affordable organics, chef-prepared foods, product freshness, all-natural items and affordable prepared meal solutions. Fresh & Easy operates 167 stores in Arizona, California and Nevada. For more information, visit www.freshandeasy.com. Crumbs to Be Acquired by Lemonis Fischer Acquisition Company Crumbs Bake Shop Inc., a New York-based cupcake specialty store chain, recently announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement through which Lemonis Fischer Acquisition Company LLC, a joint venture created by Marcus Lemonis LLC and Fischer Enterprises, L.L.C., will acquire the Crumbs business. "I truly believe in the Crumbs brand and am excited to help the company enter into a new chapter in its history," said Marcus Lemonis. "I think there is tremendous opportunity to expand the Crumbs offering, build on the company's growth strategy and to leverage the synergies between Crumbs and other companies in my and the Fischers' portfolio." Lemonis Fischer Acquisition Company and Crumbs will evaluate the company's retail strategy with the goal of reopening select locations and/or opening new locations in the future. Saxelby Continued from PAGE 1 small size of the shop with its continued success. "It allows us to really move through products and rotate things and change product constantly," she said. The business philosophy behind Saxelby Cheesemongers is simple: the promotion of American farmstead cheeses produced at small, independent dairy farms in the American Northeast. "American farmstead is not only delicious, but it is made locally, and it is about supporting local farmers," Saxelby said. "The goal was then as it is today to be a bridge between the farm and the person eating the cheese." Saxelby offers customers a carefully cu- rated selection of artisan cheeses produced by farmers who she knows by name at farms she and her staff have visited them- selves. Although always looking to learn about new farmers and bring her customers something fresh, Saxelby does admit to hav- ing a few favorite cheesemakers. She praised The Cellars at Jasper Hill for its consistent commitment to producing great cheeses. Of West Cornwall, Vermont-based Twig Farm, she says, "They are unparalleled in terms of flavor and quality and nuance." She also ex- pressed particular admiration for Cazen- ovia, New York's Meadowood Farms. When it comes to the particular cheeses that are most popular among Saxelby Cheesemongers' customers, it can be diffi- cult to pin down a specific favorite, as the selection is constantly in flux. However, there are a few standouts Saxelby points out as particularly in demand. The Ledyard from Meadowood Farms is a current top seller – a soft-ripened sheep's milk cheese wrapped in grape leaves that have been soaked in local beer. Woodcock Farm's Summer Snow, a sheep's milk camem- bert-style cheese, is an- other favorite. And Cabot Clothbound Cheddar from the Cellars at Jasper Hill is a perpetual bestseller. At Saxelby Cheesemongers, Anne Sax- elby attempts to create a unique shopping experience that lures cheese aficionados and beginners alike away from the super- market cheese case and into this dedicated space where she can offer them something that they simply cannot get anywhere else. "We're really fun. Everyone that works at Saxelby, we have a really distinct passion for these cheeses. The experience is going to be a lot different from going to a grocery store. We are not intimidating, but try to educate through taste," she said. "We also have a selection of things you're probably not going to find at the grocery store. The quality of the cheese we have is amazing, because we are cut-to-order, and we move through our inventory really quickly," Saxelby added. In addition, Saxelby and her staff pride themselves on the personal service they are able to provide, guiding the customer to the particular cheese of their dreams. "We are a cut-and-wrap cheese counter. Nothing is pre-cut. Nothing is pre-packaged. When a customer comes up to the counter, we play 'cheese detective' and try to snuff out what they are looking for," she said. "We give as many samples as people may want … We really just try to ask questions and see what people are looking for." With the holiday sea- son approaching, Saxelby invites holiday shoppers to come into her shop to pick out the perfect cheese selection for a cocktail party or holiday get-together. And for those traveling home to spend the season with family, Saxelby Cheesemongers offers shop- pers a special selection that is sure to sur- prise and delight loved ones. For Saxelby, American farmstead cheese is a personal passion that extends well beyond her professional commitments and into her basic philosophies about life. And this com- mitment to our country's vast cheese land- scape shows itself in the quality of products that Saxelby Cheesemongers offers, as well as in the shop's quality of service. "For me, the pleasure of eating artisan cheese is just incredible. Once you've had a really wonderful piece of cheese, it changes your outlook on things in gen- eral," said Saxelby. "Cheese is a living thing and should be treated as such. We're en- trusted with these really wonderful things that the cheesemakers have made, and it al- most feels sacred in a way." GN

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