Grateful. Happy Thanksgiving. Thankful.

We are feeling a bit out of sorts this Thanksgiving season. Most of us aren’t cooking a big turkey, coordinating who brings the green bean casserole, or making sure we have enough folding chairs this year and it’s really sad. We miss our family and our friends. We miss handshakes, hugs and happy hours. We miss you! And still we are grateful.   Some of the things we are thankful for are the small tokens of appreciation we get when we exceed expectations. We are grateful for every single quote request and order. Geez…we are even thankful for the funny memes our customers text us.   We are grateful that most of us get to work from home and for the ones who want to work at the office there is that freedom and place to go.   We are thankful that our new video segments on YouTube are being helpful and well received. We are grateful to our team for working together to create content our customers like. With their Child Nutrition customers, Foodservice Director, Food & Beverage, Facilities, Research & Development, Quality Assurance, Purchasers, Merchandisers, Dealer sales people customers, Chefs, Cooks, Managers, Service Agents, and Consultant customers in mind they developed 5 different segments.

•  Behind the Line segment is a quick video shot in a customer’s kitchen, our test kitchen or maybe even our home kitchen. We site a feature, something unique about a specific product or piece of equipment we represent. • Small Bites segment is us giving our take-a-ways on content we have read. Sometimes its an article from an association like FCSI, sometimes a post from one of our brand partners, sometimes a blog post. We do not create the content, just share something we found useful. • What’s in the Box (yes, we know) segment is content (so far video) of a piece of equipment we choose, give a bullet point breakdown of what we like about it and tell how an end user might find that particular feature(s) helpful in their operation. • Question du Jour segment takes a question that we or one of our brand partners gets and turn it into content. First siting the question, then of course giving the solution. • Off the Menu segment is our way of connecting and sharing our cooking experiences at home. We miss getting to connect with our customers on the same level and frequency as before and this is our way to reach out. • Foodservice for Thought is a podcast produced by Forbes Hever & Wallace, Inc. with the mission to inform and connect people to and within the foodservice industry through conversation. The FSFT podcast is on its third season.

We are grateful to our co-workers for their CAN DO work ethic, their gumption and drive. We are grateful for their sense of humor and their willingness to check in on each other often.   For our manufacturer partners that have gone above and beyond to include us in your business decisions you have our loyalty, enthusiasm, commitment and gratitude.   We are grateful to the Foodservice for Thought podcast guests and the charities they support that make our world a better place.   To the Oklahoma, Texas and National Restaurant Associations we are in awe of the work you do for restaurants. We are grateful to your members, your volunteers, and your staff for what seems like 150% effort at all times. You never take your feet off the gas.   Thank you to MAFSI for weekly Board calls working long hours to accomplish growth and support during these times of constant change.   Thank you to MAFSI, NAFEM, CFESA, FCSI and FEDA for supporting your members, area food banks and working to bridge differences to strengthen our entire industry.   Media outlets like FE&S, R+D, FER, The Ashton Report, Catering Insight, Foodservice Consultant, Food & Beverage Director, Nation’s Restaurant News and others are keeping us informed of trends and industry happenings regularly, helping us feel connected. We are so thankful to have their information to guide our decisions.   We are grateful for social media that helps us stay in touch and meet new friends.   We are thankful. We are grateful. And we wish you Happy Thanksgiving. Who knows…maybe it will turn out to be wonderful in some ways?!?! Fingers crossed