Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/314415
executive chef, and then as the founder of New York-based Culinary Depot. Thirteen years young, it's still considered one of the new kids on the block in E&S. But stalwarts have taken notice of its quick start out the gate, buoyed by five consecutive years of 20 percent growth the distributor attributes to the fundamentals (i.e., 12- to 16-hour work days, an eagerness to jump through hoops) and momentum. Momentum is everything, says innovation coach and author Jeff DeGraff, who points to the ascent of Domino's Pizza from a small regional chain to a multibillion-dollar enterprise when he was a young executive there. Their secret—zeroing in on the untapped delivery market and anchoring locations in strip malls across the country, while competitors like Pizza Hut focused on the dine-in concept. For Culinary Depot, making an impression started with kosher. "There was a place and a need in the market for people who really understood how the kosher business worked," says Potash. "People were always calling me for suggestions on where to buy equipment and supplies. Finally, after being in the catering business for 20 years, I decided that I would sell the equipment myself, since I was always consulting." With a staff of three, consisting of Potash, his son Jacob, and daughter Pearl, Culinary Depot began by calling on small institutions and independents serving orthodox meals. "Our first job was a private preschool called Derech Emes," says Potash. "Then we did a bagel store and started doing some summer camps." The road to growth is very simple. Innovation is required to drive growth. You make something better or new (products, services, solutions, etc.) and you sell to someone better or new (markets, segments, channels, etc.). Basically, that's it; the rest is just fine print. –Jeff DeGraff, co-author of Leading Innovation: How to Jump Start Your Organization's Growth Engine Of course, massaging an idea, a product, a service or sheer will into a thriving business is easier said than done. Sholem Potash has done it twice, first as the culinary muscle behind a successful kosher catering business he started when he was an executive chef, and then as the founder of New York-based Culinary Depot. Thirteen years young, it's still considered one of the new kids on the block in E&S. But stalwarts have taken notice of its quick start out the gate, buoyed by five consecutive years of 20 percent growth the distributor attributes to the fundamentals (i.e., 12- to 16-hour work days, an eagerness to jump through hoops) and momentum. Momentum is everything, says innovation coach and author Jeff DeGraff, who points to the ascent of Domino's Pizza from a small regional chain to a multibillion-dollar enterprise when he was a young executive there. Their secret—zeroing in on the untapped delivery market and anchoring locations in strip malls across the country, while competitors like Pizza Hut focused on the dine-in concept. For Culinary Depot, making an impression started with kosher. "There was a place and a need in the market for people who really understood how the kosher business worked," says Potash. "People were always calling me for suggestions on where to buy equipment and supplies. Finally, after being in the catering business for 20 years, I decided that I would sell the equipment myself, since I was always consulting." With a staff of three, consisting of Potash, his son Jacob, and daughter Pearl, Culinary Depot began by calling on small institutions and independents serving orthodox meals. "Our first job was a private preschool called Derech Emes," says Potash. "Then we did a bagel store and started doing some summer camps." The road to growth is very simple. Innovation is required to drive growth. You make something better or new (products, services, solutions, etc.) and you sell to someone better or new (markets, segments, channels, etc.). Basically, that's it; the rest is just fine print. –Jeff DeGraff, co-author of Leading Innovation: How to Jump Start Your Organization's Growth Engine Of course, massaging an idea, a product, a service or sheer will into a thriving business is easier said than done. Sholem Potash has done it twice, first as the culinary muscle behind a successful kosher catering business he started when he was an Culinary Depot Culinary Depot Culinary Depot Culinary Depot Culinary Depot Culinary Depot Culinary Depot Culinary Depot Culinary Depot A Lesson in Growth Sprinkled with the Wisdom of Author and Innovation Coach Jeff DeGraff By Stacy Ward, Managing Editor fedastacy@verizon.net continued on page 14 The The The Right Right Right Kind of Kind of Kind of Growth Growth Growth I have been I have been I have been impressed with both how impressed with both how impressed with both how quickly Culinary Depot has quickly Culinary Depot has quickly Culinary Depot has grown and its willingness to fit within grown and its willingness to fit within grown and its willingness to fit within grown and its willingness to fit within grown and its willingness to fit within grown and its willingness to fit within the norms of the channel. So many new the norms of the channel. So many new the norms of the channel. So many new the norms of the channel. So many new the norms of the channel. So many new the norms of the channel. So many new companies just try to grow by any means necessary companies just try to grow by any means necessary companies just try to grow by any means necessary companies just try to grow by any means necessary companies just try to grow by any means necessary companies just try to grow by any means necessary and usually they are ones that cause margin erosion or other types and usually they are ones that cause margin erosion or other types and usually they are ones that cause margin erosion or other types and usually they are ones that cause margin erosion or other types and usually they are ones that cause margin erosion or other types and usually they are ones that cause margin erosion or other types and usually they are ones that cause margin erosion or other types and usually they are ones that cause margin erosion or other types and usually they are ones that cause margin erosion or other types and usually they are ones that cause margin erosion or other types and usually they are ones that cause margin erosion or other types and usually they are ones that cause margin erosion or other types of disruption. I am not saying that disruption is always bad. We need to continually of disruption. I am not saying that disruption is always bad. We need to continually of disruption. I am not saying that disruption is always bad. We need to continually of disruption. I am not saying that disruption is always bad. We need to continually of disruption. I am not saying that disruption is always bad. We need to continually of disruption. I am not saying that disruption is always bad. We need to continually evolve and grow but there are both healthy and unhealthy ways of going about it. evolve and grow but there are both healthy and unhealthy ways of going about it. evolve and grow but there are both healthy and unhealthy ways of going about it. –Brad Wasserstrom, FEDA Chair –Brad Wasserstrom, FEDA Chair –Brad Wasserstrom, FEDA Chair 10 FEDA News & Views