A recent article in Chicago Business News shows an interesting case of what I defined as a "strategic client" (an industry leader, a trend-setter and path-breaker that raises our "performance bar" as suppliers): Rick Bayless.
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Bayless -one of United States top ten chefs, internationally awarded and nationally famous- is an enthusiast of Mexican culture and food and developed during the eighties and nineties a couple of emblematic, high-end, gourmet restaurants in Chicago -Frontera Grill and Topolobampo- specialized in Mexican food and art.
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Once a year, Bayless takes his two restaurants entire staff -about 100 people- to different Mexican locations for an "immersion experience" in the original Mexican culture and food. This is for him the basis for innovation and experimentation as well as for a unique client experience in his Chicago restaurants, supported by people with his same passion and personal commitment to Mexican food and culture.
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During recent years, Bayless created a cable show "Mexico: One plate at a time" on Public Broadcasting System TV where he not only shows the culinary tradition of different regions of Mexico, but also cooked on location, commented the culture and introduced a brand of "Frontera Grill" food products.
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In 2007, Bayless introduced prepared meals sold through high-end food stores in the US such as Whole Foods and Fox & Obel, and created "mini-Frontera" food courts in US airports and Sears stores.
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His last adventure, however, shows how the passion for a product and a client experience turns frequently into helping others as "angel investor". Bayless' Frontera Farmer Foundation awarded grants for up to 450,000 dollars annually to local farmers in the Chicago area, promoting locally grown , organic food and all-year natural ingredients.
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The "half million dollar" questions are:
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- How could PII and ITSON use Bayless' experience and expertise?
- How Frontera's food experience and products could be applied to our products and services?
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Additional References
- Bayless, R. (1996) Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant flavors of a World-Class Cuisine. New York, NY:Scribner
- Bayless, R. (2007) Authentic Mexican 20th Anniversary Ed: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico . Chicago, IL: Morrow
- Bernardez, M. (2008) Capital Intelectual. Chicago, IL: GBP/ITSON
- Rick Bayless Web Site
- Frontera Foods Products
- Frontera Farmer Foundation
- Whole Body department Whole Foods program (video)
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