14 Entrepreneurs Who Built Food Empires | Big Business Marathon | Insider Business

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Pat LaFrida has transformed his father's butcher shop into a top meat source for American restaurants, known for high-quality meat with minimal seasoning. Juniors, a cheesecake business, has raised prices due to increased costs, but remains committed to consistency and plans to introduce new products to navigate industry challenges like rising food costs.

Insights

  • Pat LaFrida revolutionized his family butcher shop into a top meat supplier for restaurants, focusing on quality and precision in meat cutting.
  • Junior's cheesecake business faced challenges due to rising costs but maintained customer loyalty by staying true to their recipe and innovating new products.
  • Tabasco meticulously grows and processes peppers for their iconic sauce, maintaining a global presence with daily bottle production.
  • Crawfish farming in Louisiana thrives through a symbiotic relationship with rice fields, contributing to Southern Louisiana's culinary heritage and economic success.

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Recent questions

  • How does Pat LaFrida ensure meat quality?

    Pat LaFrida ensures meat quality by transforming his father's butcher shop into a top meat source for American restaurants. His facility has a dry aging room that holds 15,000 cuts of meat at specific temperature and humidity levels to prevent spoilage. Master butchers use precise knives for cutting, and a band saw is operated by them for specific cuts and high-volume orders. The company focuses on delivering high-quality meat with minimal seasoning to clients like Peter Luger and Shake Shack, ensuring freshness and excellence in every cut.

  • What challenges did Junior's cheesecake face?

    Junior's cheesecake faced challenges like a cream cheese shortage and inflation, impacting production and pricing. Despite rebounding sales to pre-pandemic levels, profits significantly dropped due to increased costs. To combat this, Alan decided to raise prices as product costs doubled, maintaining retail prices to retain customers. Despite rising food costs, Alan remains committed to consistency in the cheesecake recipe, planning to introduce new products like Cheesecake shakes and updated cake flavors to navigate challenging times.

  • How does Tabasco sauce production work?

    Tabasco sauce production involves meticulously growing peppers for seeds, selecting the best for color, size, and flavor in greenhouses. Hand-picking 10 million pounds of peppers annually, they are mashed into a paste and aged in white oak barrels with proper ventilation and pressure release. After blending with vinegar and other ingredients, the sauce is bottled, with the factory producing up to 700,000 bottles daily. This meticulous process ensures the global presence and quality of the renowned hot sauce brand.

  • What is the process of harvesting crawfish in Louisiana?

    Crawfish in Louisiana are harvested from November to July, emerging from burrows in rice fields after flooding in late September. Harvesting involves using traps that are emptied and baited within seven seconds to prevent the crawfish from dying in the heat. The rice plant provides an ideal environment for breeding and feeding crawfish, creating a mutually beneficial relationship. Tons of crawfish are loaded onto trucks and taken to processing facilities, contributing to the rich culinary culture of Southern Louisiana.

  • How are bagels made at Utopia Bagels?

    At Utopia Bagels, bagels are placed on racks to proof for half an hour, then moved to fridges for fermentation. Each rack holds a thousand bagels, totaling ten to fifteen thousand per fridge. Boiled and seasoned with flavors, bagels are placed on boards in the oven, with a Middleby Marshall 1947 oven producing up to a thousand per hour. Boards are flipped for even cooking before serving to customers. Utopia Bagels' success is attributed to the dedication of its workers, offering 30 types of bagels and various sandwiches to serve 3500 customers weekly.

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Summary

00:00

Pat LaFrida: Butcher to Top Restaurants

  • Pat LaFrida transformed his father's butcher shop in New Jersey into a meat source for top American restaurants.
  • The dry aging room at Pat's facility holds 15,000 cuts of meat at 36°F and 80% humidity to prevent spoilage.
  • Master butchers at Pat's facility use boning knives and scimitar knives for precise meat cutting.
  • A band saw is used for specific cuts and high-volume orders, operated only by Master butchers.
  • Pat's team delivers meat locally within hours, with the Press Club Grill in NYC receiving thousands of pounds weekly.
  • Pat's company supplies Peter Luger, a renowned NYC steakhouse, since 1998, focusing on high-quality meat with minimal seasoning.
  • Pat's company also supplies Shake Shack with a special blend for their burgers, producing over 200,000 patties daily.
  • Mel's Butcher Box in NJ uses Pat's blend for burgers and other meat cuts, including skirt steaks and meatballs.
  • Pat LaFrida's family has a rich history in the meat business, with Pat taking over as CEO and expanding the company significantly.
  • Juniors, a cheesecake company, faced challenges like a cream cheese shortage and inflation, impacting their production and pricing.

16:54

"Junior Sales Rebound, Tabasco's Pepper Process"

  • Junior sales have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, expecting $110 million in sales this year, but profits have significantly dropped due to increased costs.
  • Alan decided to raise prices as product costs for cheesecake have doubled, although retail prices haven't deterred customers over the years.
  • Despite rising food costs, Alan remains committed to not altering the cheesecake recipe, emphasizing the importance of consistency.
  • To navigate the challenging times, Alan plans to utilize robots and introduce new products like Cheesecake shakes and updated cake flavors.
  • Diversification has been key for Junior's survival, with supermarket sales catching up to restaurant revenue, maintaining a 50-50 split in volume.
  • Alan expresses confidence in the sustainability of the business despite escalating food prices, attributing it to the company's expertise and customer demand for cheesecake.
  • Tabasco, a renowned hot sauce brand, meticulously grows peppers for seeds in greenhouses, selecting the best for color, size, and flavor.
  • Hand-picking 10 million pounds of peppers annually, Tabasco mashes them into a paste, which is shipped back to Avery Island for further processing.
  • The paste is aged in white oak barrels, with a meticulous process of filling, sealing, and stacking, ensuring proper ventilation and pressure release.
  • After blending with vinegar and other ingredients, the Tabasco sauce is bottled, with the factory producing up to 700,000 bottles daily, maintaining the brand's global presence.

33:32

Louisiana Rice Farmers Thrive with Crawfish Integration

  • In the 1980s, Louisiana rice farmers began cultivating crawfish alongside their grain, leading to a successful venture.
  • Crawfish, freshwater crustaceans native to Louisiana, emerge from their burrows in rice fields after flooding in late September.
  • Harvesting crawfish involves using traps that are emptied and baited within seven seconds to prevent the crawfish from dying in the Louisiana heat.
  • The rice plant provides an ideal environment for crawfish breeding, feeding, and fertilizing the fields, creating a mutually beneficial relationship.
  • Crawfish are harvested from November to July, with tons of crawfish being loaded onto trucks and taken to processing facilities.
  • Madison McIntyre, not from a farming background, built a successful crawfish enterprise by starting small and expanding to own multiple businesses in the industry.
  • Crawfish are processed by unloading them into tanks, steaming them alive, and then peeling and packaging the tail meat for distribution.
  • Crawfish have been a significant part of Southern Louisiana's culture for centuries, with Cajun and Creole influences shaping their culinary importance.
  • Madison's success in the crawfish industry has been challenged by rising costs, competition, and the need for foreign labor due to the demanding nature of the work.
  • Despite industry challenges, Madison's company has remained profitable, reinvesting most of the earnings back into the business to ensure sustainability and growth.

50:32

Bagel and Cookie Businesses: Behind the Scenes

  • Bagels are placed on racks covered with plastic and left to proof for half an hour.
  • Bagels are then moved to one of three fridges to ferment for at least 24 hours.
  • Bagels are opened to reduce heat and stop rising, contrary to expanding proofing.
  • Each rack holds approximately a thousand bagels, totaling ten to fifteen thousand bagels per fridge.
  • Bagels are boiled, then seasoned with flavors like poppy, sesame, or everything mix.
  • Bagels are placed on boards to prevent sticking in the oven, with six bagels per board.
  • A Middleby Marshall 1947 oven can produce up to a thousand bagels per hour.
  • Boards are flipped in the oven for even cooking before being served to customers.
  • Utopia Bagels offers 30 types of bagels and various sandwiches, serving 3500 customers weekly.
  • Utopia Bagels' success is attributed to the heart and soul of its workers, creating a welcoming atmosphere for customers.
  • George Kwan's cookie business sources ingredients globally, making 20,000 cookies monthly.
  • Bestseller is the sea salt chocolate chunk cookie, using various high-quality ingredients.
  • S'mores cookies are time-consuming, with each piece manually assembled and packaged.
  • Bang Cookies initially attracted customers with its name, leading to rapid growth and multiple locations.
  • Cookies are shipped nationwide, with plans for further expansion.
  • Jason Wang's noodle shop expanded to 12 locations in NYC, known for wide hand-ripped noodles.
  • Spicy cumin lamb plate is a popular dish, combining lamb with wide noodles uniquely.
  • Noodles are made with a simple dough mixture, pulled to order for optimal chewiness.
  • Lamb is cooked with seven ingredients and chili oil for signature flavor and heat.
  • Xi'an Famous Foods' growth is attributed to loyal customers and unique, flavorful dishes.

01:07:53

"Bakery and Cheese Shop: A Culinary Journey"

  • Various types of bread are made at the bakery, from ciabatta and sourdough to more unique options like raisin and sunflower seed spelled.
  • Dough is shaped before being sent to a humidity-controlled proofing room for fermentation.
  • After proofing for different durations based on the dough type, everything goes into the oven room.
  • The bakery has a deck oven and three convection or rack ovens for baking the bread.
  • Freshly baked bread is shipped out daily, except for one loaf kept for the narrator.
  • Casa de la Mozzarella, run by a Sicilian Father and Son duo, produces thousands of pounds of cheese weekly.
  • The shop is renowned for its hand-pulled mozzarella and Italian sandwiches.
  • Oracio and Carlo, the owners, started small but grew into local celebrities due to their dedication and quality products.
  • Missy Robbins, a chef with two Michelin stars, opened a restaurant in Brooklyn known for its pasta.
  • The restaurant has a pasta room where 10 different types of pasta are made daily, including unique shapes like malaritas.

01:25:38

"Green's Babka & Cricket Flour Innovations"

  • Green's vodka is a family recipe that has remained unchanged for 50 years, originating from Anna Green's kitchen on the Lower East Side.
  • The traditional babka from Green's is made with simple ingredients like sugar, flour, oil, water, and eggs, without any butter or dairy.
  • The babka production involves flattening the dough, sprinkling it with flavorings like cocoa or cinnamon, cutting and twisting the dough, and braiding it into the iconic babka shape.
  • Green's workers package the babkas for delivery to various stores and markets, with the bakery filled with the scents of chocolate and cinnamon.
  • Entimo Farms in Ontario has built a cricket empire, turning crickets into powder for various food products due to their high protein content and sustainability.
  • The farm harvests about 50 million crickets weekly, aiming to triple production, with a focus on the tropical house cricket for its fast growth and nutritional value.
  • Crickets are processed from egg to harvest in about six weeks, with the farm producing 9000 pounds of protein weekly, suitable for various food products.
  • The farm utilizes every part of the cricket, including their manure as fertilizer, and is exploring automated solutions to increase production and lower costs.
  • Cricket flour, priced at $12 for four ounces, aims to overcome North American perceptions of insect-based food, with Asia already embracing crickets as a popular food source.
  • Cassava, a staple food in Nigeria, is being processed by companies like Sultry International to prevent spoilage and tap into global export markets, transforming the lives of local farmers.

01:42:18

Unlocking Nigeria's Cassava Export Potential

  • Cassava peels can be repurposed as animal feed, while cassava is crushed into smaller pieces by a crusher to produce starch or flour, which can be used in various products like pastries, bread, noodles, and sorbitol, a sweetener used by companies like Unilever for toothpaste and mouthwash.
  • Despite Nigeria being a top cassava producer, it lags in exports, with Thailand earning significantly more from cassava exports in 2021. Nigeria's potential lies in cassava flour, ethanol production, and other lucrative products, but the challenge remains in increasing awareness and government support to boost exports and tap into the vast economic opportunities cassava offers.
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