# S3 E12 T67 - Riverwards

S3 E12 T67 - Riverwards 

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[00:00:07] Intro: Discovery Commerce Loop 

[00:00:07] RiverWards142: So we just got back from Riverwards and this is an example of the Discovery commerce loop. see on Instagram, a from  

[00:00:19] Tom Limongello: Jenkins. I send it to thumbs up. And  

[00:00:24] Tom Limongello: my  

[00:00:24] Tom Limongello: steel pan and we've got dinner now. What are we making tonight? 

[00:00:28] RiverWards142: Yes, we're making chicken.  

[00:00:30] Tom Limongello: Um,  

[00:00:31] Tom Limongello: what's really cool about living next to River Wards is that  

[00:00:35] RiverWards142: Finazzo  

[00:00:36] Tom Limongello: has a  

[00:00:37] RiverWards142: stores  

[00:00:38] FoodCam-142: the thumbs up.  

[00:00:39] Tom Limongello: like the modern grocer. He's relationships from when he was a buyer at Whole Foods, getting produce from Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey. 

[00:00:47] Tom Limongello: New Jersey. 

[00:00:47] Tom Limongello: and making it available in the city very small format. And what's  

[00:00:53] RiverWards142: even more amazing than that is I learned that three 50 years was actually  

[00:00:58] RiverWards142: the  

[00:00:58] Tom Limongello: reason that [00:01:00]  

[00:01:00] RiverWards142: was founded. William Penn  

[00:01:02] RiverWards142: taking the  

[00:01:03] Tom Limongello: produce from those areas and bringing it to Philadelphia for export to London. 

[00:01:07] Tom Limongello: So Vincent Finazzo is basically living out the dream.  

[00:01:11] Tom Limongello: dream. did we get everything that we need from this recipe? No. What are we missing? Kale? I guess we gotta go back. Let's go, let's go talk. Say hi to Vince. 

[00:01:21] Tom Limongello: Are we actually getting it?. 

[00:01:29] Tom Limongello: This store is really, it inspires people, but it's not in the way that a lot of people are inspired by technology or screens. It's really just a local store and it's about serving the immediate community.  

[00:01:41] Tom Limongello: Hey, come on in come in!. 

[00:01:51] Tom Limongello: Let's get the kale. You know which one it is. There we go. Alright.  

[00:01:56] Tom Limongello: Alright. All right.  

[00:01:57] Meet Vincent Finazzo & Riverwards 

[00:01:57] Tom Limongello: Welcome to the middleman. We are here at River After Dark. I'm here with Vincent Finazzo  

[00:02:04] Tom Limongello: How are you? good. Thanks for 

[00:02:06] Tom Limongello: for having me. 

[00:02:06] Tom Limongello: Time. Are you cold? 

[00:02:08] Vince: No, 

[00:02:08] Tom Limongello: we're in the 

[00:02:09] Tom Limongello: second.  

[00:02:11] Tom Limongello: so I lived next to 

[00:02:12] Tom Limongello: Rivers for How long have you 

[00:02:14] Tom Limongello: been 

[00:02:14] Tom Limongello: here? Since 2002. Here? 

[00:02:20] Tom Limongello: you've been here Philly since 2002. But how long has, oh, no, I'm sorry. Riverwards 

[00:02:23] Vince: 2022. Okay.  

[00:02:24] Vince: so It 

[00:02:25] Tom Limongello: feels longer. I apologize. 

[00:02:26] Tom Limongello: Yeah. 2022, the store 

[00:02:29] Tom Limongello: has been here. Okay. And so in the been um, we've watched you guys grow. 

[00:02:35] Tom Limongello: up. You this amazing juice Um, you know what I love about it's that you're  

[00:02:40] Tom Limongello: curating this produce all these cool brands, tell me about, you know, just 

[00:02:44] Tom Limongello: your mission of the store footprint. You're  

[00:02:49] Vince: Sure. Well,  

[00:02:50] Riverwards' Mission: Redefining Convenience 

[00:02:50] Vince: here at riverwards what we're passionate about is kind of  

[00:02:55] Vince: redefining convenience, store, small format, full shop. [00:03:00]  

[00:03:00] Vince: That's what we're after. So so the ability to pack your entire grocery list into a smaller store,  

[00:03:07] Tom Limongello: right  

[00:03:08] Vince: you can get clean proteins, good ingredients. And tons of fresh produce under one roof. 

[00:03:15] Vince: Um, that's we're after. So you're a grocer. You're I'm excited because I'm actually talking  

[00:03:22] Vince: to the GM of retail media or the merchant. You're the actual guy. You 

[00:03:26] Tom Limongello: run the whole thing. Right. Um, and that means that you're an entrepreneur I remember we were talking yes to everything. 

[00:03:33] Tom Limongello: But tell me about like, your, your philosophy of 

[00:03:35] Vince: Yeah, I, I guess that's 

[00:03:37] Tom Limongello: our biggest, uh, how 

[00:03:41] Vince: got, how I get into all the problems, right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I I think have to just be ready 

[00:03:50] Vince: to solve And whether that problem is a new career career or  

[00:03:56] Vince: a business It's just ground. [00:04:00] Just saying yes has, you know, helped me get into where it's, you know, when I was still in Whole Foods, I, I was very passionate about. Supply chain Riverwards being just an idea at that You know, and then for me, like, you know, building up, really like list of suppliers.  

[00:04:26] Vince: Okay.  

[00:04:27] Vince: And using who I knew through Whole Foods. Friends of their friends or whatever, uh, being able to connect those dots to that needed it. Right. And you know, that kind of was the bud of like a friend opening up a bar and being like, Hey, I need lemons and limes. Can you get that? And the answer. Yeah. Yes. I get that. The guy get you Yeah. You  

[00:04:51] Vince: know, and then just figuring it out. And you're still doing that. You're still figuring it out. Oh, it, um, you came into this amazing space.[00:05:00]  

[00:05:00] Tom Limongello: um, what was 

[00:05:00] Tom Limongello: this 

[00:05:00] Tom Limongello: before? Uh, 

[00:05:02] Tom Limongello: so 

[00:05:02] Tom Limongello: so  

[00:05:03] Vince: historically it was.  

[00:05:04] Vince: was Built  

[00:05:05] Tom Limongello: as,  

[00:05:06] Vince: a tannery okay. Okay. And so to tan animal hides in here. That's  

[00:05:12] Tom Limongello: high ceilings 

[00:05:13] Tom Limongello: is where  

[00:05:15] Vince: they would fent out the heat and the steam. Um,  

[00:05:18] Vince: and, and then it a lot of lives, um,  

[00:05:22] Vince: art, studios, performance, arts  

[00:05:25] Vince: and lived as the painted bride at one point. Oh wow. Okay. Which is a  

[00:05:32] Vince: historical Philly performance art organization. Um, there 

[00:05:38] Vince: was some private residence at some point. Um, and then 

[00:05:44] Vince: we got a hold it in winter of 2020.  

[00:05:48] Vince: Okay. And slowly renovated it completely.  

[00:05:53] Vince: How did you find that? solve done? Uh, so  

[00:05:59] Vince: [00:06:00] we, one. we got a really good deal on our lease  

[00:06:03] Tom Limongello: Okay. 

[00:06:03] Tom Limongello: Okay. because  

[00:06:05] Tom Limongello: was  

[00:06:06] Tom Limongello: the first winter after COVID.  

[00:06:08] Vince: Um, 

[00:06:10] Vince: everyone was 

[00:06:10] Vince: unsure of the future of.  

[00:06:11] Vince: of physical retail. And so we got good deal. And then the second part of that, we were able to get, um, financing through, uh, a local development or pIDC and through the SBA.  

[00:06:28] Vince: What's the size of this? Uh, retail? It's just under 4,000, and then there's  

[00:06:34] Vince: about nine 30. And then how many  

[00:06:36] Tom Limongello: SKUs are in  

[00:06:37] RiverWards - SmoothieCam: Uh,  

[00:06:38] Vince: around 4,500.  

[00:06:40] Tom Limongello: Okay. Um.  

[00:06:41] Tom Limongello: Um, and is this the size that you want to do or  

[00:06:45] Vince: looking to do  

[00:06:46] Vince: bigger  

[00:06:47] Vince: or the same size or, 

[00:06:48] Tom Limongello: um, 

[00:06:48] Tom Limongello: have one up in Fishtown, right? Yep. And I'm smaller than this. Okay. Um,  

[00:06:53] Tom Limongello: there's  

[00:06:53] Tom Limongello: a couple aspects of  

[00:06:55] Tom Limongello: that we haven't fully explored 

[00:06:57] Tom Limongello: yet,  

[00:06:57] Vince: so the next iteration's [00:07:00] gonna be a little bit bigger. 

[00:07:01] Vince: Okay. I mean, it  

[00:07:02] Vince: will,  

[00:07:03] Vince: consumers like me need another store. I know right now it's kind  

[00:07:06] Vince: guys in Costco and that's basically it.  

[00:07:08] Vince: That's  

[00:07:08] Vince: amazing that you said that. because that's like my dream. 

[00:07:10] Vince: Okay.  

[00:07:11] Tom Limongello: I 

[00:07:11] Tom Limongello: think it should just be working  

[00:07:12] Vince: Costco. 

[00:07:13] Tom Limongello: uh, 

[00:07:14] Vince: you  

[00:07:14] Vince: can get everything. Um, yeah, I mean,  

[00:07:18] Vince: I think uh, there 

[00:07:21] Vince: a market for it in  

[00:07:22] Tom Limongello: Philly  

[00:07:23] Vince: and in in denser urban areas. 

[00:07:25] Vince: Right. And I think that we still have a share of that market to take.  

[00:07:31] Vince: So when you're figuring out like the assortment in this 

[00:07:34] Vince: store, 

[00:07:35] Vince: uh, you were telling me. your Sort of special approach to like how you're filling this up  

[00:07:40] Vince: tell me your philosophy  

[00:07:41] Tom Limongello: there.  

[00:07:42] Tom Limongello: Sure. Um,  

[00:07:44] Tom Limongello: I  

[00:07:44] Tom Limongello: like to take a  

[00:07:45] Vince: category by category  

[00:07:47] Vince: in the  

[00:07:48] Tom Limongello: essence  

[00:07:49] Vince: building recipes. 

[00:07:50] Vince: Okay.  

[00:07:51] Vince: So, um,  

[00:07:52] Vince: like I, I mentioned to you before  

[00:07:55] Building the Assortment: A Cookbook Philosophy 

[00:07:55] Vince: like passions as I like to. Eat  

[00:07:58] Vince: cookbooks. Yeah, I [00:08:00] course I like to cook from home.  

[00:08:01] Vince: any cookbook  

[00:08:02] Vince: I can get my hands on, I get read it,  

[00:08:06] Vince: cover to cover 

[00:08:07] Vince: and  

[00:08:08] Tom Limongello: and try to extract ingredients 

[00:08:12] Vince: trends them.  

[00:08:14] Vince: Yeah, so, you know,  

[00:08:16] Tom Limongello: it, 

[00:08:16] Tom Limongello: it,  

[00:08:16] Tom Limongello: it 

[00:08:17] Tom Limongello: could be different items depending, like for example, 

[00:08:20] Tom Limongello: you know, 

[00:08:21] Tom Limongello: right now  

[00:08:23] Vince: seeing  

[00:08:23] Tom Limongello: lot 

[00:08:24] Tom Limongello: return 

[00:08:26] Tom Limongello: to  

[00:08:26] Tom Limongello: whole 

[00:08:26] Tom Limongello: foods 

[00:08:27] Vince: and 

[00:08:28] Tom Limongello: whole non-processed foods 

[00:08:31] Tom Limongello: right? 

[00:08:32] Tom Limongello: Uh, recipes 

[00:08:33] Tom Limongello: that are, you know, 

[00:08:35] Tom Limongello: 5, 6, 10  

[00:08:37] Vince: total,  

[00:08:38] Tom Limongello: um, 

[00:08:39] Vince: process  

[00:08:40] Tom Limongello: and  

[00:08:40] Tom Limongello: kind  

[00:08:41] Vince: of like down to earth cooking and, you  

[00:08:43] Vince: know, that would be different from  

[00:08:45] Vince: four or five years ago.  

[00:08:46] Vince: So when you're trying to figure all this out, what, what sort of trade offs do you need? to, I  

[00:08:53] Tom Limongello: a 

[00:08:53] Tom Limongello: small store, so 

[00:08:54] Tom Limongello: like  

[00:08:54] Tom Limongello: are  

[00:08:54] Tom Limongello: there certain proteins  

[00:08:56] Tom Limongello: that 

[00:08:56] Tom Limongello: don't make it, or, 

[00:08:57] Tom Limongello: you know, like snacks that don't make it? 

[00:08:59] Tom Limongello: Yeah. [00:09:00]  

[00:09:00] Vince: Yeah,  

[00:09:00] Vince: I mean, 

[00:09:01] Tom Limongello: I try to keep 

[00:09:01] Vince: a 

[00:09:03] Vince: classic 

[00:09:04] Tom Limongello: Eclectic  

[00:09:05] Tom Limongello: mix. Of ingredients, 

[00:09:09] Tom Limongello: you know, 

[00:09:10] Tom Limongello: Um, for proteins,  

[00:09:13] Vince: we try to work with as  

[00:09:14] Vince: many  

[00:09:15] Vince: local farmers as we can get our hands on. And  

[00:09:18] Vince: when there's something in season and it's coming, that's what we focus on, 

[00:09:23] Vince: You know, 

[00:09:24] Vince: Listen,  

[00:09:25] Vince: a a,  

[00:09:26] Vince: a  

[00:09:27] Whole Animal Programs & Local Sourcing 

[00:09:27] Vince: a cow can weigh 

[00:09:29] Vince: 4, 

[00:09:29] Vince: 5, 600 right? 

[00:09:31] Vince: And there are  

[00:09:32] Tom Limongello: two flank steaks on one  

[00:09:35] Vince: Um, if you go to a  

[00:09:36] Tom Limongello: grocery  

[00:09:37] Vince: there's piles of flank  

[00:09:38] Tom Limongello: steaks that  

[00:09:39] Vince: connected to an entire animal or multiple animals. so we  

[00:09:44] Vince: Whole  

[00:09:45] Vince: a whole animal program  

[00:09:46] Vince: where, you know, we're only have. a Couple, handful  

[00:09:51] Vince: flank steaks a week. Yep. You know, but we gotta sell  

[00:09:54] Vince: six, seven.  

[00:09:55] Vince: hundred pounds of ground beef that,  

[00:09:58] Tom Limongello: uh,  

[00:09:59] Vince: to make sure that we're [00:10:00] practicing a sustainable model. I  

[00:10:01] Vince: I like that. I never realize that. But one of the things that I  

[00:10:04] Vince: realized.  

[00:10:06] Vince: versus a couple of years ago, I would look for something  

[00:10:10] Vince: because  

[00:10:10] Vince: the recipe said that I wanted that.  

[00:10:12] Vince: Um.  

[00:10:14] Tom Limongello: wasn't 

[00:10:14] Tom Limongello: there, I'd be upset and I would kind of like just  

[00:10:16] Tom Limongello: chalk  

[00:10:16] Tom Limongello: it up  

[00:10:17] Vince: take the L and  

[00:10:18] Vince: like, oh,  

[00:10:19] Tom Limongello: just not gonna  

[00:10:20] Vince: now, I go to ChatGPT  

[00:10:22] Vince: and it swaps something 

[00:10:23] Tom Limongello: out for 

[00:10:24] Tom Limongello: Sure. And it's, and  

[00:10:26] Tom Limongello: I'm kind of like. 

[00:10:26] Tom Limongello: like, 

[00:10:27] Vince: okay. I can switch  

[00:10:28] Tom Limongello: out,  

[00:10:28] Tom Limongello: you  

[00:10:29] Vince: on the produce side, I can switch 

[00:10:30] Tom Limongello: things out really know, I think it might be annoying to your cause I'm playing around, I might still be on my own home WiFi 

[00:10:37] Vince: but,  

[00:10:38] Vince: you  

[00:10:38] Vince: know, it's, for  

[00:10:39] Tom Limongello: it is, liberating 

[00:10:41] Vince: interesting to hear that its more sustainable so 

[00:10:42] Vince: That's good. 

[00:10:43] Vince: Um, so sticking with the merchandising part of it, I think  

[00:10:48] Tom Limongello: me 

[00:10:48] Tom Limongello: is come from people who 

[00:10:51] Tom Limongello: listen to the Middlemen podcast. We are  

[00:10:55] Tom Limongello: living  

[00:10:56] Tom Limongello: in a world of  

[00:10:57] Tom Limongello: large supermarkets multi-brand [00:11:00] retailers, those 

[00:11:01] Tom Limongello: supermarkets have, walls toothpaste of, you know, one, 

[00:11:07] Tom Limongello: soda  

[00:11:08] Tom Limongello: like  

[00:11:08] Tom Limongello: one brand  

[00:11:10] Tom Limongello: aisle, right? 

[00:11:11] Tom Limongello: Um, 

[00:11:11] Tom Limongello: you are 

[00:11:13] Tom Limongello: clamping this down into 

[00:11:14] Vince: like So I  

[00:11:15] Tom Limongello: want to 

[00:11:15] Tom Limongello: hear more of the brands that 

[00:11:18] Tom Limongello: come 

[00:11:18] Tom Limongello: out like the 

[00:11:19] Tom Limongello: like lifecycle. 

[00:11:20] Tom Limongello: But brands at some point they cool. So, so 

[00:11:25] Tom Limongello: tell me about your 

[00:11:26] Tom Limongello: process there. Yeah, well, you  

[00:11:28] Tom Limongello: in 

[00:11:29] Tom Limongello: order to  

[00:11:29] Tom Limongello: get on the shelf  

[00:11:30] Tom Limongello: right, we 

[00:11:30] Tom Limongello: need to  

[00:11:31] Tom Limongello: to define any, whether that's condiment or  

[00:11:34] Tom Limongello: or, 

[00:11:36] Tom Limongello: or,  

[00:11:36] Vince: or, or whatever. 

[00:11:38] Tom Limongello: Um, then we 

[00:11:40] Vince: at the  

[00:11:41] Vince: as a Alright, are there some  

[00:11:43] Vince: classics? You know, I said, crackers, you gotta have saltines.  

[00:11:47] Vince: It doesn't matter how fancy or not  

[00:11:50] Vince: you're salty 

[00:11:51] Vince: just  

[00:11:52] Vince: important. Yeah.  

[00:11:52] Vince: Yep.  

[00:11:53] Vince: Um,  

[00:11:54] Vince: they're, you know. 

[00:11:55] Vince: you know, 

[00:11:58] Vince: Part of that category. Yeah. [00:12:00]  

[00:12:00] Vince: they can become an anchor. 

[00:12:01] Vince: And  

[00:12:01] Vince: And then start to build  

[00:12:03] Vince: on, okay, well there's these  

[00:12:04] Vince: cracker  

[00:12:05] Vince: and know, there's 

[00:12:07] Vince: these 

[00:12:07] Vince: are 

[00:12:08] Vince: training.  

[00:12:09] Vince: you know, different spices that  

[00:12:11] Vince: like Zatar 

[00:12:13] Vince: you know, there's  

[00:12:13] Vince: hot chili, crisp  

[00:12:15] Vince: crackers,  

[00:12:15] Vince: or something like. that. Yep. You know, and that might help us kinda round  

[00:12:19] Vince: out  

[00:12:20] Vince: category make sure that  

[00:12:23] Tom Limongello: everything that 

[00:12:23] Tom Limongello: you want. Right. And then 

[00:12:24] Vince: might be cool new  

[00:12:26] Vince: cracker 

[00:12:26] Vince: company  

[00:12:26] Vince: company from down the street or from 

[00:12:29] Vince: doing differently?  

[00:12:31] Vince: that? We 

[00:12:31] Vince: into the mix. now we might have  

[00:12:33] Vince: too 

[00:12:33] Vince: many 

[00:12:34] Vince: things  

[00:12:35] Vince: in the category, right?  

[00:12:36] Vince: So we slim it down.  

[00:12:37] Vince: And 

[00:12:37] Vince: so then 

[00:12:38] Vince: we might look to certain  

[00:12:41] Vince: we're always gonna like get what is actually  

[00:12:45] Vince: Driving.  

[00:12:45] Vince: Yeah. Right. Um, 

[00:12:47] Vince: we 

[00:12:47] Vince: heat. 

[00:12:47] Vince: keep saltines and oyster crackers  

[00:12:51] Vince: because  

[00:12:51] Vince: those are just 

[00:12:52] Tom Limongello: Yeah. They're 

[00:12:53] Tom Limongello: staples.  

[00:12:54] Vince: Yeah.  

[00:12:54] Vince: And we don't really wanna take  

[00:12:56] Vince: memo because  

[00:12:57] Vince: count  

[00:12:57] Vince: us for that.  

[00:12:59] Vince: [00:13:00] But  

[00:13:00] Vince: we might not need three or four  

[00:13:02] Vince: different.  

[00:13:04] Vince: Spicy  

[00:13:05] Vince: hot chili crackers. Yeah. 

[00:13:07] Vince: So then how we  

[00:13:09] Vince: make the decision? 

[00:13:10] Vince: Well, if they're all selling or they're  

[00:13:12] Vince: not selling, we might take it to be like, who is  

[00:13:17] Tom Limongello: kind 

[00:13:17] Tom Limongello: of 

[00:13:18] Vince: that bell 

[00:13:18] Vince: curve.  

[00:13:19] Tom Limongello: Cool anymore,  

[00:13:20] Vince: It's like  

[00:13:21] Tom Limongello: around  

[00:13:22] Tom Limongello: Maybe rewards.  

[00:13:25] Vince: Yeah,  

[00:13:26] Vince: Yeah,  

[00:13:27] Vince: Now 

[00:13:28] Vince: turn it. Yeah, I, I  

[00:13:30] Vince: was talking about the Discovery Commerce Loop earlier, and you  

[00:13:34] Vince: me, I go straight from, you know.  

[00:13:37] Tom Limongello: you know,  

[00:13:37] Tom Limongello: seeing on Instagram 

[00:13:39] Tom Limongello: video reel 

[00:13:40] Tom Limongello: or 

[00:13:40] Tom Limongello: something like that. 

[00:13:41] Tom Limongello: And walk over here and it's here and That's really nice.  

[00:13:44] Tom Limongello: Um,  

[00:13:46] Tom Limongello: if I get too brand loyal, I can see that, you know, getting annoying. Oh yeah.  

[00:13:51] Tom Limongello: get, 

[00:13:52] Tom Limongello: just as 

[00:13:53] Tom Limongello: we make them happy. But  

[00:13:55] Vince: I said, if something's  

[00:13:56] Tom Limongello: Target 

[00:13:57] Vince: and you can get it everywhere and it doesn't 

[00:13:59] Tom Limongello: [00:14:00] matter. Yeah. It's even worth it. Yeah. 

[00:14:01] Vince: it worth the Right,  

[00:14:02] Vince: spacing?  

[00:14:02] Vince: right. Um, 

[00:14:04] Tom Limongello: and so then 

[00:14:06] Tom Limongello: take that 

[00:14:07] Tom Limongello: into consideration and being like, oh, 

[00:14:09] Tom Limongello: It's  

[00:14:10] Vince: its life  

[00:14:11] Vince: for  

[00:14:11] Vince: us. Well, I mean that, that sort of very natural goes into the world of  

[00:14:17] Tom Limongello: brands get 

[00:14:18] Tom Limongello: Sure. So  

[00:14:19] Brand Lifecycle: Poppi, Siete & the Acquisition Treadmill 

[00:14:19] Tom Limongello: Poppi gets it pulled out by Pepsi, or Siete  

[00:14:22] Tom Limongello: gets pulled out 

[00:14:23] Tom Limongello: also by Pepsi, right? 

[00:14:24] Tom Limongello: I think. So like potentially 

[00:14:27] Tom Limongello: some of the goal or, or is it a distribution thing? Do you 

[00:14:30] Tom Limongello: even get them after that? 

[00:14:32] Tom Limongello: still get  

[00:14:32] Tom Limongello: we 

[00:14:32] Tom Limongello: can still get 

[00:14:33] Tom Limongello: Okay. Um.  

[00:14:35] Tom Limongello: but they, they lose the excitement 

[00:14:38] Vince: and that, that Poppy is  

[00:14:42] Tom Limongello: now  

[00:14:43] Vince: Yeah. 

[00:14:44] Vince: Right.  

[00:14:44] Vince: Poppi's in the airport because Pepsi  

[00:14:47] Vince: has certain contracts  

[00:14:48] Vince: with,  

[00:14:49] Vince: those food service companies  

[00:14:50] Vince: And now  

[00:14:51] Vince: Poppi's everywhere.  

[00:14:53] Vince: Is  

[00:14:53] Vince: it worth my shelf space?  

[00:14:55] Vince: No. No.  

[00:14:56] Vince: You know, are There second, [00:15:00]  

[00:15:00] Vince: correct. There might be like  

[00:15:02] Tom Limongello: nine 

[00:15:03] Vince: of Poppi Um, and I think  

[00:15:05] Vince: pared  

[00:15:06] Tom Limongello: it 

[00:15:06] Tom Limongello: down 

[00:15:07] Tom Limongello: to  

[00:15:07] Tom Limongello: the top two, and then eventually you just disco'ed it completely,  

[00:15:11] Vince: completely,  

[00:15:12] Vince: um, which gives  

[00:15:15] Vince: Yeah.  

[00:15:15] Expo West Finds & Trending Products 

[00:15:15] Vince: you went to Expo West, right? 

[00:15:17] Vince: did you see this year? Sure, a lot. Uh,  

[00:15:20] Vince: Uh,  

[00:15:21] Vince: as far as it  

[00:15:22] Vince: goes,  

[00:15:22] Vince: I  

[00:15:23] Vince: it  

[00:15:23] Vince: doesn't have to be soda, what 

[00:15:24] Tom Limongello: was fun 

[00:15:24] Vince: here?  

[00:15:25] Tom Limongello: Oh man. Expo West was What was fun this year? 

[00:15:28] Tom Limongello: People, there's so many 

[00:15:30] Tom Limongello: amazing people that have created all these  

[00:15:32] Tom Limongello: brands.  

[00:15:32] Vince: Brause. 

[00:15:33] Vince: Brause was this 

[00:15:34] Vince: German.  

[00:15:34] Tom Limongello: German 

[00:15:35] Tom Limongello: soda company that we're gonna try to bring in. 

[00:15:37] Tom Limongello: Okay. Um, like Dave  

[00:15:39] Tom Limongello: Date and Apple. Oh, interesting. Um, think 

[00:15:45] Tom Limongello: oaky or sparkling apple 

[00:15:47] Tom Limongello: Juicy So go in. here.  

[00:15:50] Tom Limongello: here. Yeah. 

[00:15:52] Vince: I  

[00:15:52] Vince: Bawi,  

[00:15:54] Vince: we've had them Oh yeah. a long time. Um, of course  

[00:15:57] Vince: have a new hibiscus flavor [00:16:00]  

[00:16:00] Vince: coming out, which I  

[00:16:02] Vince: Expo is a Ohio place, right? Uh,  

[00:16:04] Vince: we have a lot of  

[00:16:05] Vince: brand discoveries. Uh, for  

[00:16:08] Tom Limongello: instance,  

[00:16:09] Vince: section 

[00:16:10] Tom Limongello: have, 

[00:16:10] Tom Limongello: um, 

[00:16:12] Tom Limongello: drippy, cheese. 

[00:16:14] Tom Limongello: Heard that sauce. Think  

[00:16:16] Vince: Tostitos queso Yeah,  

[00:16:19] Vince: with real whole ingredients.  

[00:16:22] Vince: real dairy,  

[00:16:23] Vince: preservatives, shelf stable,  

[00:16:25] Vince: just.  

[00:16:26] Tom Limongello: Clean and, and 

[00:16:28] Tom Limongello: that's what 

[00:16:29] Tom Limongello: trend wise. 

[00:16:31] Vince: Will be good when  

[00:16:32] Vince: start  

[00:16:32] Vince: playing Yeah.  

[00:16:33] Vince: That be good? Yeah. You know,  

[00:16:34] Vince: um,  

[00:16:36] Vince: you  

[00:16:36] Vince: can enjoy it for flyers.  

[00:16:37] Vince: Yeah. I guess, it, yeah. 

[00:16:39] Vince: um,  

[00:16:40] Vince: um, 

[00:16:41] Tom Limongello: okay, so 

[00:16:42] Vince: keeping with this, because I, you know, there's been some news recently. 

[00:16:45] Tom Limongello: Yeah. Unilever just bought Grüns 

[00:16:48] Tom Limongello: Sure. Um, I used  

[00:16:49] Tom Limongello: to 

[00:16:49] Tom Limongello: work, so at Unilever 

[00:16:51] Tom Limongello: and. 

[00:16:52] Tom Limongello: I  

[00:16:52] Tom Limongello: watched them recently sell 

[00:16:54] Tom Limongello: pretty much all the food brands. Right. They sold 

[00:16:56] Vince: stuff.  

[00:16:57] Vince: Right? 

[00:16:57] Vince: they  

[00:16:57] Tom Limongello: they sold the ice cream mostly. Um, [00:17:00] like, I worked on like, 

[00:17:01] Tom Limongello: Knorr and Helmmans and Skippy  

[00:17:02] Tom Limongello: and,  

[00:17:03] Tom Limongello: and, all that stuff. 

[00:17:05] Tom Limongello: it 

[00:17:05] Tom Limongello: feels 

[00:17:06] Tom Limongello: they're retreating from food  

[00:17:08] Tom Limongello: into 

[00:17:08] Tom Limongello: wellness. And I guess the question to you is, is that a 

[00:17:11] Tom Limongello: good place for these really big brands to. go? Because you're, you're Kind of  

[00:17:14] Tom Limongello: a 

[00:17:14] Tom Limongello: friend to the, the smaller business. Is it better for them 

[00:17:17] Tom Limongello: to go there or should they go  

[00:17:18] Tom Limongello: the 

[00:17:19] Tom Limongello: Campbell's Sovos 

[00:17:21] Vince: Sovos route where RAOs  

[00:17:22] Tom Limongello: um, 

[00:17:23] Tom Limongello: sauce  

[00:17:24] Tom Limongello: goes to  

[00:17:25] Tom Limongello: sort of,  

[00:17:26] Tom Limongello: be 

[00:17:26] Tom Limongello: put out to pasture? 

[00:17:29] Tom Limongello: We'll see the story's still on. 

[00:17:31] Tom Limongello: so 

[00:17:31] Tom Limongello: there's 

[00:17:33] Vince: questions. 

[00:17:33] Vince: Yeah, it's a couple questions. So I'm known for that 

[00:17:36] Tom Limongello: of 

[00:17:36] Vince: Yeah, I'll, hopefully I can get them 

[00:17:38] Tom Limongello: em all. 

[00:17:39] Vince: Unilever. 

[00:17:41] Tom Limongello: Unilever's a gigantic. Yeah.  

[00:17:43] Vince: as a  

[00:17:44] Vince: a founder in CPG are  

[00:17:48] Vince: you creating something to make a difference or are you creating something to sell? 

[00:17:53] Vince: And that has to  

[00:17:54] Vince: a  

[00:17:55] Vince: decision. Early on, you know,  

[00:17:58] Vince: it doesn't, but [00:18:00] you know, as far as road,  

[00:18:01] Vince: you  

[00:18:03] Vince: is a category that's been around  

[00:18:05] Tom Limongello: Super 

[00:18:06] Vince: greens, right? You  

[00:18:08] Vince: You know, 

[00:18:08] Vince: all that 

[00:18:09] Vince: has been around for a while. To package  

[00:18:11] Vince: to a gummy 

[00:18:12] Vince: isn't  

[00:18:13] Vince: really that  

[00:18:16] Vince: innovative.  

[00:18:17] Vince: Um, you know, 

[00:18:19] Vince: but 

[00:18:20] Vince: their marketing was really good. 

[00:18:21] Vince: Their was really good 

[00:18:23] Vince: Cruz, uh, 

[00:18:25] Tom Limongello: took over Yeah. Um, 

[00:18:29] Tom Limongello: they  

[00:18:29] Tom Limongello: also  

[00:18:31] Tom Limongello: diversify  

[00:18:32] Vince: in, 

[00:18:33] Vince: uh,  

[00:18:33] Vince: like  

[00:18:34] Vince: wellness  

[00:18:36] Tom Limongello: and  

[00:18:37] Tom Limongello: to kids and drinks  

[00:18:41] Vince: and, or like, you know, like a,  

[00:18:43] Vince: yeah. And They also hit the GLP-1 wave right at the right time. Correct.  

[00:18:47] Vince: But  

[00:18:47] Vince: I  

[00:18:48] Vince: guess the question is for  

[00:18:50] Vince: this  

[00:18:50] Vince: format Yeah. 

[00:18:51] Vince: Your,  

[00:18:52] Vince: you 

[00:18:52] Tom Limongello: know, your 

[00:18:53] Tom Limongello: nutritional 

[00:18:55] Tom Limongello: play  

[00:18:55] Tom Limongello: is to to eat the real snacking 

[00:18:58] Tom Limongello: is, is[00:19:00]  

[00:19:00] Tom Limongello: adjacent. 

[00:19:01] Tom Limongello: Um, sure. But it's,  

[00:19:02] Tom Limongello: you 

[00:19:02] Tom Limongello: know, I think 

[00:19:05] Tom Limongello: if you're just eating the 

[00:19:06] Tom Limongello: snacks, you're gonna 

[00:19:07] Tom Limongello: need for supplements. Um, but  

[00:19:10] Vince: supplementing  

[00:19:11] Tom Limongello: with 

[00:19:12] Tom Limongello: produce.  

[00:19:13] Tom Limongello: And so I think that that, that part of it's,  

[00:19:15] Tom Limongello: I guess it's just 

[00:19:16] Tom Limongello: not your story. You 

[00:19:16] Tom Limongello: just,  

[00:19:18] Vince: that happen, 

[00:19:18] Tom Limongello: I mean, I, I, you 

[00:19:19] Tom Limongello: know, there are brands,  

[00:19:21] Tom Limongello: are 

[00:19:22] Tom Limongello: there are 

[00:19:22] Tom Limongello: brands that  

[00:19:23] Tom Limongello: sell 

[00:19:24] Vince: from the  

[00:19:25] Tom Limongello: that then have 

[00:19:27] Tom Limongello: to 

[00:19:27] Tom Limongello: private  

[00:19:28] Tom Limongello: equity bigger corps. 

[00:19:30] Vince: I think 

[00:19:31] Tom Limongello: for Grüns it's like they exited Unilever  

[00:19:34] Vince: Unilever 

[00:19:35] Vince: Over 

[00:19:36] Vince: billion Yeah. Um. 

[00:19:38] Vince: is  

[00:19:39] Vince: Grüns going have 

[00:19:42] Vince: that holding power? 

[00:19:44] Vince: Probably 

[00:19:46] Vince: they continue to innovate?  

[00:19:48] Vince: I think they'll continue  

[00:19:49] Vince: to saturate  

[00:19:50] Vince: That's what I think. You have 

[00:19:52] Vince: Ollie, which is also Unilever product. Um. That was, yeah. Do you,  

[00:19:58] Vince: do 

[00:19:58] Vince: you sell, I mean, you have a bit of like [00:20:00]  

[00:20:00] Vince: a section. we don't, we 

[00:20:02] Tom Limongello: don't, we adjacent 

[00:20:04] Vince: Um,  

[00:20:05] Vince: you know,  

[00:20:06] Tom Limongello: and for 

[00:20:07] Tom Limongello: me it's like, okay. 

[00:20:09] Tom Limongello: you know, that's,  

[00:20:10] Tom Limongello: that 

[00:20:11] Tom Limongello: story. seeking 

[00:20:13] Tom Limongello: out through 

[00:20:14] Tom Limongello: Yeah.  

[00:20:14] Tom Limongello: Because of that deal. Um,  

[00:20:17] Tom Limongello: like I said before, you know they're gonna be in every 

[00:20:19] Vince: target  

[00:20:22] Vince: And every walmart and every Meijer 

[00:20:24] Vince: Kroger  

[00:20:25] Vince: before we know it. So, um, to me it seems like  

[00:20:31] Vince: the trend. 

[00:20:31] Vince: for these bigger companies  

[00:20:33] Vince: is  

[00:20:34] Vince: they, 

[00:20:34] Vince: are not 

[00:20:35] Vince: innovating anymore. 

[00:20:37] Vince: Pepsi, 

[00:20:37] Vince: Coca-Cola,  

[00:20:39] Vince: Right. They're not inventing  

[00:20:41] Vince: anything.  

[00:20:42] Vince: They would just acquire.  

[00:20:44] Tom Limongello: Yep.  

[00:20:44] Tom Limongello: Um, so 

[00:20:46] Tom Limongello: that 

[00:20:46] Tom Limongello: to 

[00:20:47] Tom Limongello: RAO's 

[00:20:48] Vince: and  

[00:20:48] Vince: Campbell's, right?  

[00:20:49] Vince: Campbell's  

[00:20:50] Vince: is  

[00:20:51] Vince: this 

[00:20:52] Vince: historically  

[00:20:53] Vince: brand,  

[00:20:54] Vince: um, 

[00:20:56] Vince: for them to acquire Rao's  

[00:20:58] Vince: is like. Born  

[00:20:59] Vince: out of a [00:21:00] single restaurant in New York.  

[00:21:01] Vince: Yep. 

[00:21:03] Vince: Uh, 

[00:21:04] Vince: we'll see.  

[00:21:05] Vince: I remember  

[00:21:06] Vince: when I was at Whole Foods and they were  

[00:21:08] Vince: pumped  

[00:21:08] Vince: to sell Rao's at $10 a jar,  

[00:21:11] Vince: and  

[00:21:12] Vince: everyone was like, you are insane.  

[00:21:14] Vince: one's gonna buy  

[00:21:16] Vince: or jar. 

[00:21:16] Tom Limongello: Ragu is like $3. or something right now. 

[00:21:18] Vince: Yeah. Pasta sauce, and now 

[00:21:20] Vince: you 

[00:21:20] Vince: know, 

[00:21:21] Vince: you have Rao's 

[00:21:22] Vince: hanging out around seven or eight bucks everywhere. 

[00:21:27] Vince: Will, the  

[00:21:27] Vince: degrade? Will that 

[00:21:29] Vince: run. Will they innovate?  

[00:21:30] Vince: You  

[00:21:30] Vince: are products or are we just gonna wait 

[00:21:34] Vince: for, 

[00:21:35] Vince: You  

[00:21:36] Vince: to buy,  

[00:21:38] Vince: you know, 

[00:21:39] Vince: Carbone or..  

[00:21:40] Tom Limongello: Yeah, I mean, that sort of 

[00:21:41] Tom Limongello: seems to be  

[00:21:42] Tom Limongello: Sort of treadmill, right? So, okay. So  

[00:21:45] Tom Limongello: let's  

[00:21:45] Tom Limongello: change 

[00:21:46] Tom Limongello: it up  

[00:21:46] Tom Limongello: talk more about,  

[00:21:48] Tom Limongello: So  

[00:21:49] Tom Limongello: the  

[00:21:49] Tom Limongello: way that you get customers in the store. My wife and I share pictures of your 

[00:21:53] Tom Limongello: hand and then, 

[00:21:54] Tom Limongello: you  

[00:21:54] Vince: art artichoke or you  

[00:21:57] Vince: pineapple or  

[00:21:58] Tom Limongello: it is that's [00:22:00] week, from your you have your circular, which is literally hand drawn stuff of what's on sale. 

[00:22:06] Vince: So. 

[00:22:07] Store Aesthetics, Social Media & the Erewhon Comparison 

[00:22:07] Tom Limongello: Tell 

[00:22:07] Tom Limongello: me about sort of your 

[00:22:08] Tom Limongello: organic,  

[00:22:09] Tom Limongello: Like social presence. 

[00:22:11] Tom Limongello: I, I think aesthetics 

[00:22:13] Tom Limongello: yeah. Are huge for me.  

[00:22:15] Tom Limongello: Um, 

[00:22:16] Tom Limongello: from we 

[00:22:18] Tom Limongello: stores  

[00:22:18] Vince: and  

[00:22:18] Vince: um, Merch  

[00:22:19] Vince: Yeah.  

[00:22:20] Vince: I,  

[00:22:20] Vince: I can't. a  

[00:22:22] Vince: shout out to Sarah Connor. Okay.  

[00:22:24] Vince: my wife, Okay. interior designer, uh, has  

[00:22:27] Vince: helped us  

[00:22:28] Tom Limongello: with  

[00:22:29] Vince: the  

[00:22:30] Vince: current stores and future ones to come. 

[00:22:33] Tom Limongello: Yeah. Uh, 

[00:22:33] Tom Limongello: she's doing a great job Yeah. You have one in 

[00:22:35] Tom Limongello: Detroit 

[00:22:35] Tom Limongello: now too, right? We're opening a store in Detroit.  

[00:22:39] Tom Limongello: This summer.  

[00:22:39] Tom Limongello: Great. 

[00:22:40] Tom Limongello: And Kyle Schwander who's 

[00:22:42] Tom Limongello: Our 

[00:22:42] Vince: our in,  

[00:22:44] Vince: in, house,  

[00:22:45] Tom Limongello: uh, 

[00:22:46] Tom Limongello: artist, graphic designer, um,  

[00:22:49] Vince: he's  

[00:22:51] Vince: he's super talented and kind of taking  

[00:22:52] Vince: my  

[00:22:52] Vince: passion  

[00:22:53] Vince: for  

[00:22:55] Vince: American  

[00:22:56] Vince: and French  

[00:22:57] Vince: drawings. 

[00:22:58] Vince: Oh,  

[00:22:58] Vince: Oh, okay. That's  

[00:22:59] Vince: [00:23:00] yeah, that's great. 

[00:23:00] Tom Limongello: Into 

[00:23:01] Vince: yeah, I  

[00:23:02] Vince: wouldn't have been able to place that but Yeah. those, like, you  

[00:23:04] Vince: old,  

[00:23:06] Vince: you know,  

[00:23:07] Vince: print  

[00:23:08] Tom Limongello: an orange cut in half. And, 

[00:23:10] Vince: um, I've always found those to be really beautiful  

[00:23:12] Tom Limongello: and so we kind of took that and,  

[00:23:14] Vince: here. 

[00:23:15] Vince: I think, like,  

[00:23:16] Vince: you mention English to creatives and us is kind of. The beginning of 

[00:23:23] Tom Limongello: what I'm 

[00:23:24] Tom Limongello: I'm after. 

[00:23:24] Vince: is, is making sure that the beauty of retail isn't forgotten.  

[00:23:28] Vince: Yeah.  

[00:23:28] Vince: Because even  

[00:23:30] Vince: in the newest grocery stores, um, they're kind of forgetting that stuff. Right.  

[00:23:35] Vince: Most of the produce is coming plastic. 

[00:23:39] Vince: Not  

[00:23:39] Vince: a lot of oranges. Um, they  

[00:23:42] Vince: merchandise it poorly. We, we kind of use it as  

[00:23:46] Vince: an art form, stuff like that. Yeah. Um, and you're not just doing  

[00:23:50] Vince: sort of art on your own, you're leaving space for creators. Like,  

[00:23:54] Vince: I'm  

[00:23:54] Vince: looking over at your juice bar. And that was sort of when that happened. Um,  

[00:23:59] Tom Limongello: I think 

[00:23:59] Tom Limongello: some[00:24:00]  

[00:24:00] Tom Limongello: of the people in old 

[00:24:01] Tom Limongello: started to get upset. 

[00:24:02] Tom Limongello: It's like, oh, there are  

[00:24:03] Tom Limongello: now.  

[00:24:04] Tom Limongello: Um, 

[00:24:04] Tom Limongello: but basically 

[00:24:05] Tom Limongello: the  

[00:24:05] Tom Limongello: comparison was made, oh, this is, Erewhon this is, you know, this Philly's version. Maybe 

[00:24:12] Vince: expensive. 

[00:24:12] Tom Limongello: Maybe it's, you know, 

[00:24:13] Tom Limongello: but, but 

[00:24:14] Tom Limongello: beautiful nonetheless, and I'm assuming you're getting 

[00:24:16] RiverWards - SmoothieCam: tons of Instagram,  

[00:24:18] Tom Limongello: Instagram, earned media from that. 

[00:24:20] Tom Limongello: Yeah, yeah. we 

[00:24:21] Tom Limongello: we get a lot of traction from the juice  

[00:24:23] Tom Limongello: bar. 

[00:24:24] Tom Limongello: Um,  

[00:24:25] Tom Limongello: you know, the goal behind the juice bar  

[00:24:29] Vince: was 

[00:24:29] Vince: the  

[00:24:30] Tom Limongello: juice and smoothie 

[00:24:32] Tom Limongello: that.  

[00:24:32] Vince: Could highlight the  

[00:24:35] Vince: ingredients  

[00:24:36] Tom Limongello: stores. Um, 

[00:24:38] Tom Limongello: you  

[00:24:39] Vince: Erewhon's 

[00:24:40] Vince: more, 

[00:24:41] Vince: uh,  

[00:24:42] Vince: esoteric 

[00:24:43] Tom Limongello: wellness 

[00:24:44] Tom Limongello: approach to  

[00:24:46] Vince: the beverage, you guys  

[00:24:48] Vince: minimal whole 

[00:24:48] Vince: ingredients, right?  

[00:24:50] Vince: Um, you.  

[00:24:51] Vince: We do  

[00:24:52] Vince: get tagged where they're like,  

[00:24:54] Vince: Let's,  

[00:24:55] Tom Limongello: Philly's Erewhon. 

[00:24:55] Vince: Erwan. 

[00:24:56] Tom Limongello: um  

[00:24:57] Tom Limongello: I I think 

[00:24:58] Vince: Erwan is, is a 

[00:24:59] Tom Limongello: pretty [00:25:00] cool  

[00:25:00] Vince: I don't  

[00:25:01] Tom Limongello: like the comparison, that much. I we're 

[00:25:06] Tom Limongello: individual on our own and we do our own thing. Yeah.  

[00:25:08] Vince: Um,  

[00:25:09] Vince: but you know. 

[00:25:10] Vince: know, 

[00:25:11] Vince: you also can't pick and choose what  

[00:25:14] Vince: the 

[00:25:14] Vince: the internet  

[00:25:14] Vince: decides is popular. Yeah.  

[00:25:17] Vince: they love it. 

[00:25:18] Vince: Okay, 

[00:25:19] Vince: So,  

[00:25:20] Vince: um,  

[00:25:21] Vince: I will have to ask you about like,  

[00:25:24] Vince: everything that we talk about on the podcast is about having  

[00:25:26] Tom Limongello: the brands  

[00:25:28] RiverWards - SmoothieCam: pay to get the retailer 

[00:25:30] Tom Limongello: traffic to the store, or, 

[00:25:31] Tom Limongello: you know,  

[00:25:32] Tom Limongello: pay for targeting you  

[00:25:34] Vince: people are converted. 

[00:25:35] Vince: None of that's happening. There's also 

[00:25:37] Tom Limongello: no parking lot 

[00:25:38] Tom Limongello: here that there was no, so like you're really going in alone in a 

[00:25:42] Tom Limongello: lot of ways. Um. 

[00:25:43] Tom Limongello: How do 

[00:25:43] Tom Limongello: you sustain that? Or is is there an end goal or like how 

[00:25:47] Tom Limongello: you fix that? Yeah,  

[00:25:47] Vince: Yeah,  

[00:25:48] Vince: I mean, 

[00:25:49] Grocery Margins, Growth & the No-DoorDash Philosophy 

[00:25:49] Vince: money. So grocery 

[00:25:53] Vince: money's never been the objective.  

[00:25:57] Vince: Our margins are small 

[00:25:58] Vince: right? 

[00:25:59] Vince: and [00:26:00] where modern grocery has found margins. 

[00:26:03] Vince: In 

[00:26:05] Vince: retail  

[00:26:05] Vince: me, uh,  

[00:26:06] Tom Limongello: online 

[00:26:06] Tom Limongello: doing, Marie? 

[00:26:08] Vince: Sorry. 

[00:26:09] Vince: You don't even do like DoorDash, right?  

[00:26:10] Vince: Yeah. 

[00:26:11] Tom Limongello: Uh, and we 

[00:26:12] Tom Limongello: talk about why.  

[00:26:13] Vince: Yeah.  

[00:26:13] Vince: Uh,  

[00:26:14] Tom Limongello: wellness,  

[00:26:15] Tom Limongello: you  

[00:26:16] Vince: don't have massive supplement  

[00:26:18] Vince: uh,  

[00:26:19] Vince: prepared foods.  

[00:26:20] Vince: We have an in-house  

[00:26:21] Vince: food program, but it's very minimal. Sandwiches good. 

[00:26:25] Vince: Um.  

[00:26:28] Vince: And so  

[00:26:29] Vince: we've  

[00:26:29] Vince: been able to create  

[00:26:30] Tom Limongello: model that works turning on those margin 

[00:26:36] Vince: builders that everyone  

[00:26:37] Vince: depends  

[00:26:37] Tom Limongello: on. Right. Uh, 

[00:26:38] Tom Limongello: that 

[00:26:39] Vince: gives us a lot of  

[00:26:41] Vince: future growth.  

[00:26:42] Vince: Yeah. Potential. Uh, if you were to choose to  

[00:26:45] Tom Limongello: to  

[00:26:45] Tom Limongello: expand and  

[00:26:46] Tom Limongello: turn those on, uh, because.  

[00:26:49] Vince: Inadvertently,  

[00:26:50] Vince: figured out how to do  

[00:26:51] Vince: the hardest stuff first. That's  

[00:26:54] Vince: admirable.  

[00:26:54] Vince: Um, and so  

[00:26:56] Vince: speaking  

[00:26:57] Vince: of that, and probably close it out with the real estate [00:27:00] angle, um, if you were to do a bigger store Yeah. 

[00:27:03] Tom Limongello: And I know, I don't think you've seen 

[00:27:04] Tom Limongello: Plur1bus, but my favorite thing that 

[00:27:06] Tom Limongello: happened on 

[00:27:08] Tom Limongello: year is 

[00:27:08] Tom Limongello: that, 

[00:27:09] Tom Limongello: uh.  

[00:27:10] Vince: The  

[00:27:10] Vince: star of the 

[00:27:11] Tom Limongello: woman sa, 

[00:27:13] Tom Limongello: She,  

[00:27:14] Tom Limongello: you  

[00:27:14] Tom Limongello: know, her, 

[00:27:15] Tom Limongello: local store and they 

[00:27:17] Tom Limongello: immediately 

[00:27:18] Tom Limongello: build it back up in 

[00:27:19] Tom Limongello: like, you know, a couple of hours. so  

[00:27:22] Dream Store: Butcher Counters, Cheese Mongers & Expansion 

[00:27:22] Tom Limongello: if you had that 

[00:27:24] Tom Limongello: 20,000 foot  

[00:27:25] Tom Limongello: space,  

[00:27:26] Vince: you know,  

[00:27:27] Tom Limongello: dream that you can't do here?  

[00:27:30] Tom Limongello: Uh, I would dive  

[00:27:31] Tom Limongello: the 

[00:27:32] Tom Limongello: dive into the elements, uh. I would do in  

[00:27:39] Vince: service butcher counter  

[00:27:41] Vince: Okay. Right.  

[00:27:42] Tom Limongello: Know 

[00:27:42] Tom Limongello: your butcher, 

[00:27:43] Tom Limongello: know what exactly where things are coming from. Yep. 

[00:27:45] Vince: You  

[00:27:45] Vince: can go talk to 

[00:27:46] Tom Limongello: John at the butcher pre-order your stuff 

[00:27:49] Tom Limongello: I  

[00:27:50] Vince: I  

[00:27:50] Vince: do a lot of steel pan, chicken 

[00:27:51] Tom Limongello: leg, you know. 

[00:27:53] Tom Limongello: Uh, Instagram recipes and like you guys don't have. Exactly the right car. I'm like, yeah, I know. 

[00:27:58] Vince: Yeah. So, 

[00:27:58] Vince: yeah. So you,  

[00:27:59] Vince: [00:28:00] know, uh,  

[00:28:00] Vince: able to have that relationship 

[00:28:02] Vince: with. 

[00:28:02] Vince: a butcher who can good, they're from  

[00:28:05] Vince: farm.  

[00:28:06] Vince: Um,  

[00:28:07] Vince: I  

[00:28:07] Vince: can cut you with Tomahawk t-bone  

[00:28:10] Vince: and  

[00:28:10] Vince: ready for your birthday.  

[00:28:11] Vince: pre-order brisket for your holiday. All of that stuff. Um,  

[00:28:15] Vince: really bringing back the romantic side of 

[00:28:18] Vince: a butcher to  

[00:28:19] Vince: counter 

[00:28:20] Vince: where it isn't just someone 

[00:28:21] Vince: that doesn't wanna be there, but someone that is passionate about that work, um, and bring the theater back into Paris. Yeah. Uh, and I, I think I like that Heavy Metal Sausage people. It can be.  

[00:28:33] Vince: Yeah.  

[00:28:34] Vince: It's great. Um, I, I, love that  

[00:28:36] Tom Limongello: so much. 

[00:28:36] Tom Limongello: Uh,  

[00:28:38] Tom Limongello: the 

[00:28:38] Tom Limongello: same thing with cheese. Um, you know, 

[00:28:41] Vince: cheese monger, cheese counter. 

[00:28:43] Vince: This 

[00:28:43] Tom Limongello: is not a  

[00:28:44] Tom Limongello: bad cheese.  

[00:28:45] Tom Limongello: uh, selection  

[00:28:45] Tom Limongello: It's not.  

[00:28:46] Vince: We  

[00:28:46] Tom Limongello: do 

[00:28:46] Vince: we do 

[00:28:47] Vince: a very, very  

[00:28:49] Tom Limongello: conscious,  

[00:28:49] Vince: curated selection.  

[00:28:51] Tom Limongello: But  

[00:28:52] Tom Limongello: we need to be able to walk up  

[00:28:53] Tom Limongello: that and with someone 

[00:28:55] Tom Limongello: cuts a little piece  

[00:28:57] Tom Limongello: Yeah. 

[00:28:57] Tom Limongello: Yeah. Um, 

[00:28:58] Tom Limongello: those white glove [00:29:00] aspects of grocery theater are  

[00:29:01] Tom Limongello: are dead  

[00:29:03] Vince: Yeah. I mean, 

[00:29:03] Tom Limongello: mean if 

[00:29:04] Vince: it wasn't for Reading Terminal Market, where else you it. 

[00:29:06] Vince: Sure, yeah.  

[00:29:08] Tom Limongello: And, 

[00:29:08] Tom Limongello: those are what 

[00:29:09] Tom Limongello: I'm asking. Um,  

[00:29:11] Vince: elements  

[00:29:13] Vince: getting  

[00:29:13] Tom Limongello: you  

[00:29:14] Tom Limongello: to have these offscreen  

[00:29:16] Vince: experiences  

[00:29:18] Vince: a grocery store that let you. Get excited about food at.  

[00:29:24] Vince: fine.  

[00:29:24] Vince: So I,  

[00:29:25] Vince: would be remiss  

[00:29:26] Vince: I don't, uh, ask  

[00:29:28] Vince: on behalf of my mother.  

[00:29:29] Vince: Um, she lives down in  

[00:29:30] Vince: Palm Beach now. There's a, in West Palm, there's a place called  

[00:29:33] Vince: NORA or north of the railroad. 

[00:29:36] Tom Limongello: And 

[00:29:36] Tom Limongello: they need, 

[00:29:37] Tom Limongello: they need a Riverwards  

[00:29:39] Vince: like, they should 

[00:29:39] Tom Limongello: come in here. 

[00:29:40] Tom Limongello: Would  

[00:29:40] Tom Limongello: you go to a place as far away as that? Or  

[00:29:43] Tom Limongello: can  

[00:29:43] Vince: you do new  

[00:29:44] Tom Limongello: building or 

[00:29:44] Tom Limongello: you only do  

[00:29:45] Vince: do you know,  

[00:29:46] Vince: sort  

[00:29:46] Tom Limongello: reclaimed buildings 

[00:29:48] Vince: Um, 

[00:29:49] Tom Limongello: what, what's your, what's your 

[00:29:51] Vince: do, I, on the real estate  

[00:29:52] Tom Limongello: side, there's a, a 

[00:29:54] Tom Limongello: couple 

[00:29:55] Vince: I love old  

[00:29:57] Vince: I saving them and making, um, these. [00:30:00]  

[00:30:00] Vince: Uh, 

[00:30:00] Vince: derelict 

[00:30:02] Vince: private spaces, public and you know,  

[00:30:05] Vince: anyone  

[00:30:05] Vince: can open the front door.  

[00:30:07] Vince: Um, you know, that being said, there are 

[00:30:11] Vince: farmers 

[00:30:12] Vince: and food leaders across this entire country that  

[00:30:15] Vince: would  

[00:30:15] Vince: love to connect with.  

[00:30:16] Vince: Um, grocery  

[00:30:19] Vince: is hard right now. We, you know, we have. 

[00:30:23] Vince: 2%.  

[00:30:24] Vince: be three operable, profitable markets.  

[00:30:28] Vince: Markets go capital intensive. It's not easy like tech, our margins are single digit. uh, it's not  

[00:30:36] Vince: as  

[00:30:36] Vince: attractive to, um, investors 

[00:30:40] Tom Limongello: As 

[00:30:41] Tom Limongello: other  

[00:30:41] Vince: elements,  

[00:30:42] Vince: know? And so yeah,  

[00:30:45] Vince: we,  

[00:30:45] Vince: have the ability to grow.  

[00:30:49] Vince: We  

[00:30:49] Tom Limongello: just don't have  

[00:30:50] Tom Limongello: the capital  

[00:30:51] Tom Limongello: to as fast as I  

[00:30:53] Vince: So we have,  

[00:30:53] Vince: we  

[00:30:54] Vince: have a store that's gonna open in a couple of months, and then probably 18 months after that.  

[00:30:58] Vince: that.  

[00:30:59] Vince: [00:31:00] Um, and  

[00:31:00] Vince: even that  

[00:31:01] Vince: is, you know, really  

[00:31:02] Vince: stretching our resources  

[00:31:04] Vince: Well  

[00:31:05] Vince: Yeah, we'd love 

[00:31:06] Vince: to figure out how to help you with that because I feel like I, I feel bad about  

[00:31:11] Vince: how easy,  

[00:31:11] Vince: my life is that Riverwards is so close to me, so., You know,  

[00:31:14] Vince: do, through 

[00:31:16] Tom Limongello: credit 

[00:31:16] Tom Limongello: card data, we're able to kind  

[00:31:18] Tom Limongello: of like do a little bit of census  

[00:31:22] Vince: and,  

[00:31:23] Tom Limongello: And,  

[00:31:23] Vince: the number of people that  

[00:31:24] Vince: live  

[00:31:25] Vince: less than a half mile  

[00:31:27] Tom Limongello: that  

[00:31:27] Vince: are in our stores more than three times a  

[00:31:30] Vince: week is over 70%. Wow. 

[00:31:33] Vince: And 

[00:31:35] Vince: we didn't invent anything new. This is the old European style  

[00:31:38] Vince: of  

[00:31:38] Vince: like,  

[00:31:40] Vince: I'm  

[00:31:40] Vince: gonna walk to the market and get stuff for dinner and breakfast and lunch, and I'll come back  

[00:31:44] Vince: when I  

[00:31:45] Vince: need  

[00:31:45] Vince: more  

[00:31:45] Vince: food you 

[00:31:46] Vince: is  

[00:31:47] Vince: in Rebuttal of the  

[00:31:49] Vince: Sunday.  

[00:31:51] Vince: $300, $400 shopping cart full food.  

[00:31:53] Tom Limongello: You jam it all 

[00:31:54] Tom Limongello: in the fridge,  

[00:31:55] Vince: half of it goes bad.  

[00:31:56] Vince: You know?  

[00:31:57] Vince: Um, 

[00:31:59] Vince: so I [00:32:00] think that we, 

[00:32:00] Vince: we, 

[00:32:00] Vince: have 

[00:32:01] Vince: an opportunity to open more of that  

[00:32:04] Vince: business. Great. Well, I appreciated, Thank you for opening up the store. To me, this was  

[00:32:10] Vince: of  

[00:32:10] Vince: my goals for this year 

[00:32:11] Tom Limongello: was to do 

[00:32:11] Tom Limongello: more in store like this, so I.  

[00:32:13] Vince: I'm really glad we got to do it. 

[00:32:14] Vince: Yeah, yeah.  

[00:32:15] Tom Limongello: Thank you.  

[00:32:15] Vince: Thanks man.  

[00:32:16] ​ 

[00:32:16] ​