Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/414972
November/December 2014 11 continued on page 32 Groff & Burkett Reinventing the traditional dealer, getting the most out of ecommerce, what the Millennial generation has in common with everyone… they've got a lot to say that we think you should hear. David Groff, President of the WEBstaurant Store Want to know how to snag your next leader? Take notes from Fred Clark, the architect behind Clark Associates' epic rise in the E&S power rankings. He's always on the prowl for new talent—even at a high school graduation. No, scratch that—especially at a high school grad- uation. That's where he re-connected with family friend and rising Penn State senior David Groff. The two exchanged pleasantries and then Clark proceeded to pitch his grand vision for discombobulating the market. "I didn't know anything about the industry or the compa- ny," says Groff, who now heads the distributor's online restau- rant supply company the WEBstaurant Store—the WEBstaurant Store whose sales increased nearly 300 percent in a single year. "Fred told me about some of the opportunities that he had coming up and called me right before my senior year. He had a very exciting vision for where he saw the company going over the next several years and that really appealed to me." As did Clark's hearty focus on building a brand buttressed by the ambitions of 20-somethings (when most dealers were still banking on experience). Take a tour of the company's new $5 million headquarters. From the foosball table to the egg chair suspended from the ceiling, there's a youthful optimism, encrusted with opportunity, oozing through the crevices. "A huge part of my decision to join Clark was about the potential for growth, in terms of the company, itself, and my own personal growth," says Groff. "I could potentially work my way up the ladder within a few short years, something that would be very difficult to accomplish in a larger company, or in a different industry, and that appealed to me." Groff officially started his E&S career in 2004, the same year the WEBstaurantstore.com was launched. He primarily worked in purchasing and inventory management, overseeing the transfer and distribution of product from the warehouse to the company's cash-and-carry locations. Then, Clark asked if he would be interested in taking on a side project: riding herd over the development of the WEBstaurant Store. "Fred said I have this new venture and I said sure, let's go," says Groff. The 2004 version is archaic compared to the e-juggernaut that now offers an inventory of more than 110,000, operates in three states and requires a team of 520 to keep it afloat. "It's been an exciting 10 years," says Groff, who recalls when the WEBstaurant store was in its parasitic stage. "We started with a crew of four, me and another guy on the phones in customer service, one person to pick orders, and another responsible for overseeing the IT side of it." He also juggled the company's original pay per click cam- paigns, managed the shipping process, and edited content on the site. "As we've grown, we've brought on a lot of really talented people who manage these areas way better than I did in the beginning," says Groff, "but doing a little bit of everything has given me an invaluable understanding and appreciation for each part of the company." News & Views recently spoke with him about the company's recruitment strategy and its massive online presence. N&V: I saw a great video on YouTube featuring one of your chefs cooking gnocchi. Actually, I saw quite a few videos, tweets, blog entries, and pics on Instagram. It's obvious you've invested a great deal of time in developing your online pres- ence. I'm curious, there's so much talk about the merits of social media, or lack thereof. How do you view its role within your company? Groff: We do all of the major forms of social media, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram. It's hard to measure an exact return but we see it as an additional way to build our brand. It's also a way for us to communicate with our customers. Some of them use it to ask us questions or make us aware of issues through various social media channels. So, we need to be there for that reason but also because many of our customers are there. The general public is there. We would risk becoming irrelevant if we weren't. N&V: You mentioned your presence on Pinterest. I had an opportunity to see some of your photos there as well and they were lovely. The platter of Cannoli Nachos comes to mind. Do you have a professional photographer on staff?