009 Guiding Local Food to Grocery Aisles with Paul Abbott

Paul Abbott from Giant Eagle Market District joins our table, and he's not coming empty-handed. He's here to unpack the journey of local food producers, from crafting their unique flavors right through to the moment their products hit the shelves. From the delight of tasting Pittsburgh's own Leona's Ice Cream Sandwiches or savoring La Familia's pasta sauce, knowing you're supporting the heartbeat of our food community. Our conversation with Paul reveals the dedication behind Market District's role in partnering with these culinary gems and how the relationships enrich our local food culture.

Get ready to pull back the curtain on what it takes for a product to go from concept to consumer. Through stories like a local salsa brand's rise to fame, we highlight the intertwined paths of personal dedication and community support that mark the success of Pittsburgh's food artisans. Learn how feedback and relationships are crucial in navigating the retail landscape, and discover the surprising ways that store leaders and team members scout for potential products that might just be the next big thing on your dinner table.

Finally, because we believe the soul of Pittsburgh is best experienced through many voices, food enthusiast Raquel Holiday and listener Eric P share notable food favorites – from comforting White Spaghetti with Breadcrumbs to the delectable mix of Mexican cuisine and frozen custard. Pull up a chair and prepare to indulge in the stories and tastes that define our vibrant culinary scene.

Transcript

Doug: 0:02

Welcome to the Pittsburgh Dish. I'm your host, Doug Heilman. If you're a food maker or producer, how do you get your food item into the big grocery store? Our guest knows the process. Where is frozen custard a perfect match for Mexican food? Our friend Raquel has the spot and does spaghetti pair well in your brioche bun? Well, not quite, but our recipe of the week does know how to pair them both perfectly. All that ahead. Stay tuned. We want to thank Beano's Deli Condiments for being a sponsor of the Pittsburgh Dish. If you're making your next veggie platter or antipasti or a hummus tray, think about finishing it with a drizzle of their classic sub-dressing made with the olive oil, or even some of their white pizza sauces. Find more information about Beano's products at their website, conroyfoods. com. Now back to the show. Hey, so thank you for coming on the show. Why don't you introduce yourself with your name and your title of where?

Paul: 1:11

you work. Hi, doug, it's great to be here. My name is Paul Abbott. I work for Giant Eagle Markets and specifically on our Market District format, so I'm our senior director for Market District merchandising and experience, and I've been with Giant Eagle now for 34 years.

Doug: 1:26

Oh, my goodness, Paul, I have to be honest with you. When we met, I heard your title director at Giant Eagle Market District, and when I think of this show I think about spotlighting a lot of small businesses and makers. I had no interest in having you on until I found out what you do. Can you tell our listeners what your role really is there? What does it?

Paul: 1:50

involve, sure. So the role that I'm in is really centered around helping us manage the Market District, and Market District is our food-centric brand. Our team is really set to develop and find emerging trends, things in the local food scene and help us differentiate for the people who really care about everything related to food, and we want to be that first choice of everything related. So that's where we spend most of our time on and it has all the things you would expect from Giant Eagle, the things that the legacy of well over 90 years of history brings, but it's that extra level of foodiness, if you will, that we really spend our time and effort on to differentiate.

Doug: 2:36

What I really want to hone in on is something you said there about the local producers and makers. That's really what won me over, because I thought, well, why does Giant Eagle need more time on my podcast and in everybody else's ear? So I was fascinated when you started listing off the amount of local producers and makers. Do you have any idea how many are featured in Giant Eagle Market District?

Paul: 3:03

It gets into the hundreds. The hundreds, okay. Um, I don't have that specific number because it's we add them, you know, in many cases almost weekly or sometimes several per week, uh, in any of the market areas where we operate.

Doug: 3:16

But uh, it's a significant number, yeah so some that I knew right off the bat Leona's ice cream sandwiches, Alla Familia pasta sauce, Sorgel's Orchard cider, Any any other new ones that I'm missing that you can recall.

Paul: 3:30

Relatively recently. Locally roasted coffee is one that comes to mind where we've we've been doing business with La Prima espresso company now um, probably since 2017, I think, but more recently we've added De Fer, which has a pretty nice business in the strip district on Smallman. We've added Red Hawk.

Doug: 3:49

Over in Sharpsburg, correct?

Paul: 3:51

So we've been seeing that customers have really responded well to locally roasted coffee specifically and we've seen more options out there of really good, high quality, premium locally roasted coffee. So we've been adding a lot more of those kinds of things and that category just lends itself to more in that area, so that those are ones we have a lot more coming and we've been seeing success with that's super specific to more recent times and you also had mentioned to me even about produce like uh Clarion River Organics.

Doug: 4:20

That's right, huge supplier.

Paul: 4:22

Yes, for guys Right, and we've been working with Clear River Organics in various degrees for a number of years now and every year we buy a little bit more produce from them in season. People don't realize that. You know, we've become the largest customer of theirs just through that effort and it's it really comes back to what's the best that the region is producing in food and because we have these really good relationships, it's like we have. We have really great kale right now and you know it's awesome. So, like, let's, let's figure out how to buy that kale. Yeah, you know, first if we can or make that a good option for our customers. And it's not hard to convince a consumer to love local. It's almost in the DNA of your sense of place. We keep seeing that, all other things being equal, people opt for the local option when you make that available to them.

Doug: 5:19

So we work really hard to really leverage that as much as we possibly can and help support these local makers and farmers and it's not always the cheapest and in fact I would say you know I've heard from friends to sell themselves but to get out into your distribution system is really lifting sort of the whole food scene in the Pittsburgh region and anywhere else Giant Eagle chooses to expand.

Paul: 5:55

Yeah, without question, and we really view our position as a Pittsburgh-based company or regional-based, you know, supermarket. Our scale and size is big enough that it's actually meaningful to the local food system, but not so big that you can't feel like you're doing business with a very small company, and that's what our team takes a lot of pride in, like when you have a problem, you call us and we answer the phone. People don't think of a larger supermarket company as that nimble or that small acting.

Doug: 6:26

Right.

Paul: 6:27

And I think that's one of the things that has really helped us get to what we feel is a leadership position around supporting a local food system and because we have that market share size, we can actually make a more localized food system and that's a meaningful difference in the economy and to the social network of all the people and the jobs that it creates and related things.

Doug: 6:48

Going back into being hyper-local and that you're here, you're investing back into the local region and you're really helping a lot of folks come up. What I would love to talk about is if I am a local maker or producer we just had Aycho Melange Hannah Olson, she makes macarons Okay, she was on a couple weeks ago or if you have a hot sauce or you're making dumplings and you want to get into market district, can you kind of step us through how that process would go for somebody that's out there producing something and they want to get into your distribution?

Paul: 7:25

Absolutely. The interesting thing here is that there is not a single playbook, because it has to start always with our mutual customers in mind, like beyond anything else. We have to never lose sight of who it is that's going to become the eater at the end, or the purchaser or the customer. Who it is that's going to become the eater at the end, or the purchaser or the customer, and also as the maker or the grower, the artisan, what is it that they're trying to do? Is this a hobby business and you just want to sell a little bit of like? Or are you aspiring that this is your life's work and you're going to build a nationwide company? That's different for every single person, okay, and for us it has to start with. Just tell us what you're trying to do, number one, so we understand what the vision is. Yes, whether or not it comes to fruition remains to be seen, but we want to just hear what you're thinking, and I know that'll change in two years. You'll might shift courses, but we'd like to know that up front. Then we start to get into the more tactical stuff once we kind of understand the positioning. Number one does it really taste good? That's obviously very subjective. We taste a lot of food. That's our jobs. To use a macaron as an example, I've eaten macarons from probably 200 bakeries and I bring with that evaluation that level of experience. I'm not an expert. I don't know Like my taste buds aren't superior to everybody else's. I just have a frame of reference that I can start to provide. Well, I think this is really either really just delicious and sometimes it's as simple as that, other times it's.

Paul: 8:58

This is different from what's out there and that's what makes us it's white space. It's perhaps an unmet need that people don't know they have yet or is it just duplicative and that becomes a different business problem for us to all think about and it's like okay, great, is this going to help us sell more of this category if we already have two options? As an example positioning, how do we want to tackle this? So you have a chance to be successful, so we start to go through that. Then it goes into food safety. How are you making it? Where are you making it? Can it, you know, can we be very confident in what? What ends up on their shelf? We don't want somebody making it in their home kitchen and, of course, walking in the store. Right, it might still be delicious, but we can't trust not at that level, correct yeah on.

Paul: 9:43

We find out all those questions and then if it's not ready yet, we'll just say not ready yet, but we'll try to give you the guidance and support to say here's who I think you should talk to in either a peer network or I know a co-packer that can do that.

Paul: 9:59

And then I think we take this very stair-stepped approach and then we finally get to love it. We think it's going to work, we think our customers are going to love it, we think it's, we know we can trust it, safe, our qa team will approve the item and we feel really great about all those things. Then it's just the last pieces. How do we actually get it into the store consistently in stock so the customers can count on it to be reliable? And there's a whole distribution network we have to solve and we have a lot of background on what's the right one for them. So it's very nuanced. But again it goes back to that while we are a big company, you're getting this level of guidance along the way from our team. Because we care so much about local being an important part, we are willing to do this hard work that many companies of our size and bigger just don't dedicate the resources or effort against.

Doug: 10:48

I think it could be a great learning experience for someone that approaches you and gets that feedback. I mean feedback to me is always a gift very valuable. How does one go about the initial approach, saying I have a thing and I'd love to get it in market district?

Paul: 11:04

So that's happened pretty organically over a long window of time. Okay, the food community and system is actually pretty closely connected and you're probably aware of that. I'm aware. Like, as soon as you know somebody, they know somebody who knows somebody Right, and the stuff ends up finding its way to you in one shape or another, sometimes through that network.

Doug: 11:25

Are folks coming to you or are you actually reaching out? Is it sort of a two-way? Yes, yes.

Paul: 11:30

Both. So when we think about not just our jobs as merchants like on myself and my team but even our like, remember our store leaders, our department leaders, our team members that are out there. We say things to them like, hey, if you go to a farmer's market, see if you can talk to the owner and just say, hey, is there any interest here? Give me a business card, they'll send it to us. They have all these leads, yeah, and they're out there in the field and sometimes it may not be of interest to them, but they'll come to us through our own teams that way. But it's not just the one person who owns the final decision, it's actually potentially. You know, we have 30-some thousand team members across all our market areas that are out sending us things that they see and think are cool. Sometimes it's I went to a restaurant and I love this sauce and turns out they have a bottle that they sell by the cash register and maybe that would work for us, and so it comes that way.

Paul: 12:22

And then there's also the people that are just in the business. It's our distributor partners, it's some of the sales brokers that are out in our regional community that are really trusted people in the business. And, like I said, everybody knows somebody once they're in this business. Whether it's they buy an ingredient from them or they just know them as a general food person or acquaintance, they end up in the same circles or same places. It's not very black and white.

Doug: 12:49

It's actually very nuanced, very nuanced, very organic, if you will. Very much so. Could you walk us through maybe a little bit of a real-life example? I'll throw out. Just say, like Two Ugly Mug Salsa, or Ba ck to Clarion River Organics, how that journey has gone, for you know one or two examples.

Paul: 13:10

We can use Two Ugly Mugs as an interesting one, I love those guys.

Doug: 13:13

They're on my Instagram.

Paul: 13:15

I got introduced to them and this goes back to some of the earlier mentions of this community I was speaking at a how to Start a Food Business in Allegheny County event hosted by La Dorita in Sharpsburg, so I just did my segment. It was the same thing we're talking about. How do I get into a supermarket was the theme, and I spent 20 minutes or 30 minutes talking them through some of these things and afterwards I was approached by, uh, the Two Ugly Mugs and they're like hey, like hey, we want, we're doing a salsa thing. And and, uh, that's kind of cool.

Doug: 13:49

salsa is pretty easy to make you had mentioned this to me Like it's one of the products that you could make it and probably have a lot of competition, correct?

Paul: 13:57

Yeah, because you can make it in your own kitchen pretty quickly and it's not hard. It doesn't require a lot of specialized equipment, right? So it's fairly easy to get into. And then what often happens with those types of products is that your focus group becomes your friends and your family, who are generally not as honest as they probably ought to be sometimes. So everybody at the party loves your salsa. You should sell this.

Paul: 14:20

That's a very common story, of course, and it's not to say they're being dishonest. They could absolutely be. They're being hopeful, yeah they're being hopeful, but they're not like. Well, hey, try these 50 salsas and tell us which one's your favorite Right, because that's a different, and do it blind.

Doug: 14:36

Yeah, that's a very different critical and you know, a more strategic approach.

Paul: 14:41

Correct. So we started to say, listen, this is going to be a little bit of a not an uphill battle, but it's going to have some resistance along the way around customer adoption. But we were. It was very clear from the beginning. They had a passion to kind of and that grit that it takes very often to just start something new and see it through, even when it gets hard. So I kind of got that vibe right away from just my conversation with them. So as soon as we start to see and feel that, it already makes me feel good about it in generally. So he's like we want to help these folks, you know, and we talked through it and we've, you know, over that journey.

Paul: 15:12

We started, we started very small, and we've changed distributors a couple of times, partly because, you know, either distributed themselves wasn't the right fit for them or, you know, over time it turned out to not be as good as we thought for the, for the logistic path, yes, but we kept at it and kept saying, okay, that's not, let's find the next solution. And then, each time, though, they kept growing, and so theirs was not a decline scenario that we sometimes will see with a brand it was each time a little bit better than last year, a little bit better than last year. And then they kept after the great partners. They come in our store, they do demos, they talk to our customers. So it's a really mutually beneficial partnership all around. And here it is today where we have it, essentially in the Pittsburgh region, in most of our stores.

Doug: 15:55

I just saw it as a huge display. That's why I knew they were in there. That's right.

Paul: 15:59

And then because they have that boots on the ground in our stores, talking to our customers. The store leaders love them Because not only is it local, which already feels good, but it's the person who owns the company, who started the business or somebody really tied to it that is willing to come in. That goes a long way. So they get extra support from the store. Teams are happy to put displays up in the right places and help them. So that's it. That's an example of you know how that? That's a great story.

Doug: 16:26

Yeah, that's a great story you had also mentioned to me. You know we had talked earlier about Clarion River Organics. You were at an event up north, that's right, and they were just speaking casually and admitted to the whole crowd of really locally dedicated food people that their business with you is so intertwined it's.

Paul: 16:48

I don't want to say critical, but they don't make decisions without talking to you, that's right and we were at a farm day that our distributor that has a connection to Clarion River Organics, Three Rivers Grown, Nathan Holmes, who's become just a remarkable friend of ours in the industry in the community, leads that group and Clarion River Organics the cooperative, and invites us to this Farm Day, which is meant to just be a celebration of people who love local food to come see the farmers and meet the families who grow and produce this amazing, truly amazing food. We were all there together and we had some of our competitors in the room. We had some of the end customers from the byproducts and other ways all sitting there and it was just to your point. It's just like our largest customer is Giant Eagle. There was a lot of people that were very surprised to hear that and he's like, yeah, they said they have, they're great partners, they really care about this stuff. They have enough stores that if you live somewhere, you can probably find one of the products in season or in some of the packaged goods that we sell in the distribution side and in most of the stores in the region.

Paul: 17:57

A lot of people don't realize how well supported that is and they were very surprised by that. So you know, obviously it feels good when you start to see the distribution partner and the growers who appreciate that business, but also some of the customers of ours that you know they're like. I never realized that it's like we got to do a better job, sometimes, probably, of letting people know. You know how how much we are really committed to this local piece.

Doug: 18:24

Well, I will tell you, that was the aha for me, when you and I were talking like I did not understand that relationship that's being built with so many folks that they'll even call you before they buy their next truck or something because they want to include you in their plan.

Paul: 18:41

Right, there's another quick story on this that I remember. That was kind of funny in a way. You don't think about it, but we use Jubilee Hilltop for pasture-raised eggs. They're in Somerset County. I'd met them at down at the convention center. There was a little local food show and I don't even remember what it was called, I think it was only one and done. And we'd gone there and Neal Salyards from Jubilee Hilltop was there and I said you know we're doing pretty well with these local eggs, Neal, and you know we're only in five market district stores.

Paul: 19:08

At the time I said you know I'm thinking about expanding this to like the next group of Giant Eagle stores, that really this makes sense. You know maybe another 10 stores. And he said, oh, I have to get some more chickens. It's an obvious response, right, but one that very few consumers ever think about, right. And when you're in a big food system, you know where things are probably done. At the truckload level there's a little bit of ebb and flow that can happen For a very small family farm. The demand can go up and it's like I'm not going to be able to meet the demand.

Doug: 19:38

Yeah, what do I do now? What do I do?

Paul: 19:40

And if I get the chickens do? I know you're going to buy the eggs and what if you don't, and those kind of things happen, and so that's why this hard for a retailer. It's changing all the time, but you have to be committed to doing it, and for all the right reasons. I'm Paul Abbott with Giant Eagle and Market District and you're listening to the Pittsburgh Dish.

Doug: 20:01

You know, Paul, I have to be honest. I you know, I walk in to the store sometime and I look at a price and I'm I say that's too expensive. But I also don't know what goes into it. And so I think about food costs and inflation and everything that people are up against. I wonder for these makers and these producers how do you set price? How does that happen?

Paul: 20:23

So it has a lot of factors, as you might imagine, and number one, the cost on the maker side is a big and probably the biggest part of that which goes into how are they sourcing ingredients and those sort of things? Very often for small makers, they're sourcing ingredients not efficiently at all, partly because they don't have a background in that, and so they may be paying more than they need to, I should say.

Paul: 20:50

Not to say it's too much, but more than they could be. But that's the starting point. There is also what does the customer expect and what's the dynamic of the category you're in. So you know you'll get into certain categories and you might see really large range because of you know one is less expensive, you know, maybe it's a commodity product.

Doug: 21:09

Pasta sauce. Yes, Pasta sauce can be as low as maybe $2 and as high as.

Paul: 21:14

I think $15. Well, using that example right, Did you use a fresh tomato or did you use a canned tomato? What about all the herbs and spices? Was it dried garlic or was it fresh garlic?

Doug: 21:22

Was it real Parmigiano-Reggiano All those things.

Paul: 21:25

Those are all real factors that add up and then ultimately, you can taste the difference. Yes, it doesn't mean it's better. Everybody has a preference on their palate, so the price doesn't always isn't a proxy for better For everyone.

Raquel: 21:37

For everyone.

Paul: 21:38

Yeah, it's personal, but those are the drivers of some of those things. And then the last piece is like you know what's the dynamics of the category? Pasta sauce has a huge range, as you mentioned. Yeah, but even over time, as those brands get bigger, they tend to need to figure out ways to take efficiency and scale to lower the price, to become more effective in that in the marketplace, because they've gotten bigger and bigger and bigger. Right? when Alla Familia is an example, yes, that's what I'm thinking about.

Paul: 22:04

That's a local, still smaller batch production and it's in Pittsburgh. It may not work as well in Indiana if we're at that price point. When there's no brand recognition, people don't know the restaurant Right. So there's those kind of dynamics in there. So we've been really focused on building Pittsburgh with that brand so it fits the scale and the production model and I think over time we would say, boy, if we want to expand this stuff, we have to figure out a way to get that to come down. But this is a for-profit business so everybody has to be. We can't just start asking everybody to sharpen the pencil, but you have to figure out how do you? Is it a co-packing opportunity? Is it a batch size? Is it ingredient sourcing, all the while never compromising the quality of that product.

Doug: 22:50

Yeah, if someone goes to Alla Familia, they know that it's not the lowest priced Italian meal either, and so the pasta sauce also matches that. They can kind of command that right now. But if you had someone coming in and they're not being efficient with their buying or their distribution or whatever, are you giving them some guidance on how to do better with those sourcing?

Paul: 23:09

items, yeah, and we'll often ask questions where they've opted for an ingredient that doesn't come through to the customer right. So I've seen some makers that'll have a product say it has five ingredients in it. They've chosen to use one organic ingredient and four conventional ingredients. So the first question is I'm not I'm not saying organic is better or not. That's not my. The point here is to say well, you can't say your product's organic because you have four non-organic ingredients in there. Why would you think about paying more for one of them if you're not hitting that all of them?

Doug: 23:44

it's either all or nothing.

Paul: 23:45

So if you want to be an, organic, go get organic ingredients, and then it drives the price that people might be willing to pay for. But if you're not positioned that way and it's not going to be a certified organic item, but you're paying for an organic ingredient there unless it adds for the quality of the sensory experience, the taste or something that might be something you want to consider. So it's those kinds of questions and we try not to. We don't want to run people's businesses at all, but those are the things just to think through and you have to. Again, it's your business, it's your brand, you have to figure out how to position it. But sometimes we see those kinds of things that are driving, like we think, unnecessary costs for the way they're being positioned today, and so that kind of stuff does come up from time to time. So it's very complex in a lot of ways.

Doug: 24:25

Yeah, it's fascinating, and I think, at the end of the day, what I'm hearing from you is it is a two-way street and by having those conversations you're going to at least get some guidance or forethought into maybe how to do better. That's right. Thanks for that. Yeah, paul, this is really so enlightening. I think what I haven't asked is anything about you yet. So you've been with Giant Eagle and Market District for a really long time. Do you want to tell me a little bit about your beginnings there?

Paul: 24:51

and how you've come up through it's been literally my entire adult and slightly before adult life. I was 16 years old and I was anxious to get my driver's license, so I passed on the first try, you know, I was pumped. And then I learned that gasoline costs money and then car insurance costs money. And try, you know, I was pumped. And then, um, I learned that gasoline cost money and then car insurance costs money and I, you know, my parents weren't going to be able to provide all that for me. So I was like man, I guess I have to go get a job. And my mom was a giant Eagle, regular every week, faithfully, you know. Caste Village for us, for the folks in the region, the.

Doug: 25:23

South.

Paul: 25:23

Hills and the South Hills's where you grew up, yep, in castle shannon, but right on the white hall border. It was just a place that I was. I was so comfortable with because, probably from the time I was riding in the cart as a child, that's where my mom went for groceries and I recognized the people there that were working there. So when I I need a job, I just want one place to fill out an application, because I just had this inherent comfort and the phone rang literally the next day and and I was very nervous about like I'm a 16 year old kid I got, went in. I'm like man, what do I have to do? What do I have?

Doug: 25:51

to say You're now working in your local Giant Eagle. You've known your whole life they hired me like, like okay, great, you're hired.

Paul: 25:57

I was like, oh wow, that was pretty exciting and you know it was. I never expected it to be a life's work. You know, I thought it was going to be a summer job, maybe I could work part-time during school year, and I did those things, but very quickly on, I don't think I was really understanding the magnitude of what I was learning there. You start to learn a lot about business just from being there every day, of course, and you see this orchestration of events to get thousands of items that are perishable into one place for customers. And then you start to see the people that you know in your community shopping there, yes, and you're like, actually, this place is really important.

Raquel: 26:35

Yeah, all your neighbors are there, yeah.

Paul: 26:36

And so you start to kind of like it caught me. And I started, just like you know what, this isn't just a job bagging groceries anymore. Like it's starting to feel like this is important work and I it was like a light bulb went off and I'm, I love this. So you know, that kind of kind of kept me and I got to the point pretty quickly that I just realized I didn't want to leave the business. Like I was like I want to make a career here and, and you know, against probably the, the advice of guidance counselors and everybody else, they're like why do you want to work in a supermarket? And I'm like, because this is like I can see a career path, I can see people that have had really great careers and I'm meeting the people that drive our trucks and I'm meeting all the folks that it takes to do this. And it's way beyond what you, what most people think of. So that just caught me. And so how? How many years?

Doug: 27:24

now 34. 34 years, 34 years. And did you go off and get a degree to support you or all come up through the business?

Paul: 27:31

No, I came up all through the business.

Doug: 27:33

I did?

Paul: 27:33

I did, you know, not proudly, but because I was so caught by the business. I did go to the University of Pittsburgh for three semesters, but I chose to leave because all I wanted to do was work in that store and actually keep going up in a leadership position. So I you know it was, I was 18 years old I said, hey, listen, I want to, I want to be in a management role. And you know, I was trying to do both partly out of the pressure to just get a degree, because that was what everybody told me I had to do Even now.

Doug: 28:03

today, I think there's still pressure when you don't need the professional college degree.

Paul: 28:07

That's right, that's right and I don't regret it. To be honest with you, it's worked out perfectly, yeah, but I just said you know what, I'm just going to go do it and I became a night Crew manager and then so that just kind of led into different leadership Robinson giant eagle store, which is up on Steubenville pike, and we closed that store in 2009 to build the Market District Settlers ridge that was my grocery store for 20 years.

Doug: 28:33

Awesome, you know. So I yeah.

Paul: 28:34

Then shifted over to market awesome well, thank you, I get my steps, yeah, when I go into market so, um, that's kind of what my path was. And then all along, like I was getting this passion for food because we were in the food, I was around it it all day. I didn't start out from a foodie household. My mom was a convenience cook she was an assembler of food, not like a from-scratch passionate.

Paul: 28:55

She fed the family. That's when I grew up on it, which was most of the people that I lived with. As I started to get more exposed to this, I started to learn more about it. That also caught me. Not only was it the business, but like the actual content of what it is we were being purveyors of. So I learned more about it and then I became an incessant learner. So I just wasn't good enough to just say that's a delicious cheese. I had to know where it came from, what was, how do you make it, what's the difference between? You know, yeah, milk and sheep's milk, cheeses, etc. So I just kind of started to learn all those things on the specialty side and then ultimately I became a store leader in the market district banner.

Doug: 29:30

When did Market District start to appear?

Paul: 29:32

2006. 2006. Yeah, two stores in Pittsburgh. So it was now our current Shadyside store and our South Hills store that that really amplified this passion for food, because that was what our banner was all about and it was like something that I already had an interest in. It was like pouring gasoline on that fire and I just couldn't get enough of it. So we started to make a lot of stuff in store that we didn't use to. So now we were like we had chefs and culinary people in our stores and starting to make all these foods. So, like, the whole thing just kept on going and as I learned more about specialty food and it was, uh, probably about 12 years ago now that I moved into the current merchandising team in the corporate office to help lead the assortment in the procurement side of like, how do we find these things and how do we source these unique products? You've won an award for doing this.

Paul: 30:22

Yeah, actually just recently, yeah, I was, uh, very blessed to be um awarded the Award for Outstanding Buyer with the Specialty Food Association. So that'll be formally awarded at the June Fancy Food Show in New York at the Javits Center.

Doug: 30:38

Oh that's cool, super cool.

Paul: 30:39

Congratulations. Thank you so much, but that's how I got into the specialty food side.

Doug: 30:44

So it's really from coming up from within. I think that's an amazing story.

Paul: 30:48

It's a common story, believe it or not, with some folks in Giant Eagle. Yeah, the real world experience of being at the place where our customers are shopping is so important because, even to this day, and even though every year, you know, goes by, I'm a little more removed from how stores run and things change, of course, but you never lose sight of what customers are expecting, what they need. When you're making business decisions, you always have the customer in mind. Boy, does it help you make better decisions, and I think that 20-some years yeah, it feeds into everything you do today.

Paul: 31:21

I could not have learned that any other way Right.

Doug: 31:24

Thank you so much for sharing that Thanks. Do you have goals for what's going on in your current role, or does market district have more goals in the next couple of years?

Paul: 31:35

Expansion yes, we now total have 23 stores Of market district, of market district between Pittsburgh, cleveland, columbus, and we have one store in Carmel, indiana, okay, and we are opening a second one this June or, I'm sorry, july, excuse me in Westfield, just north of Carmel, indiana. So we have found Market District to be a really good format for growth. So I think we'll continue to see where those opportunities go, where obviously the customers have to be positioned to love food and the things that we offer and respond to it. So we'll continue to look for those opportunities. When we opened in Indiana, which that's very far away from Pittsburgh yeah, I've been to Carmel.

Doug: 32:15

Yeah, it's a drive. It's beautiful, it's a drive.

Paul: 32:18

And you have to like Interstate 70.

Paul: 32:20

Yes, you need cruise control, pretty much. But we spent, you know, more than a year out there, almost weekly, and what we had to do is we had to represent the local community there. You had to learn the local food scene, sure. So we'd go there and we'd go into every store of every shape and size, whether it was a big box store or a little corner, independent, and we opened the doors there, you know, independent. And we opened the doors there and I thought even then we were best in class for supporting local in Carmel, indiana. But it took a lot of upfront work, you know, had to be real, and we had to know the people. And again, we'd love to know the people that make and produce these amazing foods.

Doug: 33:00

Well, I would also just add I mean, when it's local, I think generally it's just better, whether it's fresher produce or it's some connection that you know it's right there. So that's what I love about the things you're doing right now.

Paul: 33:14

So for me this is very personal, but I played the guitar my whole life. I took lessons. My parents were. I was lucky enough that they sent me to take lessons for five years. It was one of the most important early things in my life that I still play to this day. It was one of the most important early things in my life and I still play to this day.

Paul: 33:26

What's interesting is that what I think about with local is that some maker, producer, farmer is sending their child to learn an instrument, learn how to dance, taking whatever the class or the interest is. And you know, I think about where's that money coming from? And if they aren't selling the food or they aren't selling the thing, then like that's enabling so much beyond just that you have a business. But it's like they're, it's their family and they're those livelihoods, and it's like somebody who's learning how to play the piano today, because we have been really good partners and that that stuff has always stuck with me to say, you know, that's pretty impactful and it and to me that does mean local is better. If you have a choice between the two, right, I'd much rather know the family and what the impact is. It's a pretty powerful thing, great point.

Doug: 34:15

Paul, thank you so much for being on the show and sharing a little of your story and for our listeners and maybe makers out there that are listening, how to go about getting into your network if they want to.

Paul: 34:28

So we can go to gianteagle. com. They have a location on the website where you can click in if you wanted to be a supplier. Often we go to a store leader, like if you're close to a store you know, go in and have a conversation. Yeah just meet the store leader and say hey, I'm a local maker, I'd love to see if you have an interest in this, and then they'll pass it back to us too. That's probably generally the most effective, because you get a little bit of like interest in vetting in the front side.

Paul: 34:55

Yes, that helps, and usually the store leaders get excited. They are happy to share it with us too.

Doug: 35:07

So I always recommend going in and talking to our store teams is probably one of the best ways to do so. That is probably one of the best pieces of information we shared today. Paul Abbott, thank you so much for being on the Pittsburgh Dish. Thank you, Doug, for having me. So, Paul, before I let you go today, I always like to ask our guest what was the best dish you ate this week?

Paul: 35:25

It's actually a very difficult question. My wife's a wonderful cook and I enjoy cooking as well. In terms of a meal, it was at home and we typically make a once every couple of weeks. A very thick cut Berkshire pork chop Wow, a very thick cut berkshire pork chop wow and um, with you know the loin cut with the porterhouse type cut and uh, my wife braises it in like a like a crusade type thing with pears and some fresh thyme and some other, you know things. So it's kind of has like that comforty food you know thing about it. So that's it certainly was that?

Paul: 36:04

now, my job also lends me to taste a lot of food, right, so we're working on some bakery stuff right now. So I went to a tasting with our bakery development team and we are working on a really scratch signature nut roll. Oh, so we were tasting some different nut rolls. So that's looking ahead for seasonal it was. There was several different options, so it was probably probably that bite was just like yes, you know we're starting to get there and it was just an amazing thing.

Paul: 36:34

It's not something you eat year round, so that had that moment of like man. I haven't had a nut roll in a while and that's a very Pittsburgh-y thing. Like we don't sell as many nut rolls in other markets where we operate. So, like that's very Pittsburgh-y, so that's probably the best bite, all right Pork.

Doug: 36:49

Chop from your wife and nut roll.

Paul: 36:51

Local Berkshire pork I should have mentioned if. I didn't.

Doug: 36:54

Okay, you're good at your job. Thanks again. All right, bye-bye, up next. The weekly recommend Thanks to Isaley's for being a sponsor of the Pittsburgh Dish, from their classic chip-chopped ham to their variety of ice cream flavors and even to their coffee you can find more informa tion about all of their products on their website at Isalys. com. I recently caught up with my food friend, Raquel Holiday, who hails from Beaver County, and I wanted to know a couple local spots that she really likes. Let's have a listen. Hey, Raquel, nice to talk with you again.

Raquel: 37:32

Hey, Doug.

Doug: 37:33

What's a quick, casual bite that you would hit up without any plans in mind.

Raquel: 37:38

So obviously I live in Beaver County, so there's this place that is a seasonal Mexican food and frozen custard stand, and I know that that sounds like a wild combination.

Doug: 37:51

I love that combination Mexican food and custard, and so what's it called?

Raquel: 37:55

It's called Hank's Frozen Custard and Mexican Food.

Doug: 37:59

I'm okay with that, so you can burn yourself with.

Raquel: 38:02

They have this hot sauce called El Scorcho and my go-to order there is a chicken quesadilla with El Scorcho. Add jalapenos, because you must add spice to life, dip it in some sour cream and then finish it off with. They call it a flurry but it's not mixed, so it's just like layers. And I get a flurry with vanilla custard and it is like fresh, like hand scooped custard, with half cookie dough, half sprinkles, because that is still the child in me and I love that it's not mixed, so you're just getting those like chunks. It's almost like a, like a layered Sunday and that is like.

Raquel: 38:38

I wouldn't even say it's quick because, trust me, the line there gets gets like outrageous, but it's a quick bite to eat it's like a Beaver county staple and anytime I post about it, the most random person will always message me and be like I love hanks and I'm like I do too so they have this good underground following they do have an underground following. It's definitely like a Beaver county staple, like the first week of the year like they.

Raquel: 39:01

They close for like two or three months out of the year because obviously, like you, wait outside so they're not going to be open in the middle of winter, but I just went two times in their first reopening week.

Doug: 39:11

So they're back open, right now.

Raquel: 39:12

Yes, they are back open right now.

Doug: 39:14

I love this for a just. I'm going to be in Beaver County and I need a place that I want to happen upon.

Raquel: 39:21

And pretty much everything's under $10. So if you're trying to stay like under budget, it is a great spot. You can sit outside if the weather's nice, it's perfect. It's very close to the river. If you would ever want to like, go take a walk on the river, et cetera.

Doug: 39:33

And so, again, this is Hank's Frozen Custard and Mexican Food.

Raquel: 39:36

Yes, in technically New Brighton, but I would consider it like very close to Beaver.

Doug: 39:42

All right, Raquel. Thanks so much.

Raquel: 39:44

Thanks.

Doug: 39:51

You can Ra quel Holliday at forkyapgh on Instagram. Our recipe of the week comes from listener Eric P, who shared a family recipe titled White Spaghetti with Breadcrumbs. Let's give him a call and learn a little bit more about this dish.

Eric: 40:10

Hello.

Doug: 40:10

Hey, Eric, it's Doug, hey, Doug. Hey, I'm calling about this recipe that you submitted this week your mom's white spaghetti with breadcrumbs and raisins. It sounds really interesting and I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about it. Is this like a family recipe? Is this something that you make all the time?

Eric: 40:32

Yeah, it's been passed down for probably two generations with our family. My mom makes this every year for our Christmas Eve feast of the seven fishes dinner. But I kind of make it, you know, throughout the year because it's pretty simple and it's pretty light and it's pretty easy too.

Doug: 40:56

And if any of our listeners haven't seen the recipe yet, you start off by actually making some breadcrumbs out of brioche buns. You sort of pulse them in a food processor till they're like nice and fine, you mix them with golden and dark raisins along with walnuts, and then you toast all of that.

Eric: 41:11

Yes, yes, and it's just. And when you toast it you just sort of keep an eye on it, you know you don't have to overcook it. Maybe every 10 minutes stir it a little bit in the oven to keep it browning evenly.

Doug: 41:25

Okay, and then you make some pasta. I think you said, you guys like spaghetti or linguine, then you layer this right in a dish. Is that right?

Eric: 41:34

That's right. So after the bread crumbs you're done, you put your serving dish out, you layer it with the breadcrumb mixture first, then a little pasta and you just sort of alternate until it's all it makes it mounds up in the center.

Doug: 41:57

It makes a really nice presentation and great for serving at room temperature. It doesn't have to be hot. Oh, that's good to know. So after you assemble it all, it's it's ready to go.

Eric: 42:02

It's ready to go.

Doug: 42:03

Yeah, it sounds delicious. Eric, thanks so much for the recipe. Do you ever change this up or do you stick with tradition?

Eric: 42:10

Yeah, actually I have found that for an alternate version, like a more savory version, I eliminate the raisins and the walnuts, just toast the breadcrumbs with the olive oil. Just toast the breadcrumbs with the olive oil and then, once it comes out, mix a little Parmesan, reggiano and olives, like different variety of sliced olives, and it gives it a really interesting flavor with the pasta. Very savory.

Doug: 42:39

Oh, that sounds great. I like both of these versions. Eric thanks again for the recipe.

Eric: 42:45

Hey, thanks Doug, I appreciate it. Alright bye bye. Bye bye.

Doug: 42:58

You can submit your own recipe by going to our website at www. pittsburghdish. com and look for our Share a Recipe form. That's our show for this week. We want to thank all of our guests and contributors, and to Kevin Solecki of Carnegie Accordion Company for providing the music to our show. We'll be back again next week with another fresh episode. Stay tuned.