The Food Sage Welcomes You

Hi there, blogosphere.  So happy you stopped by.  I’m writing to you, exercising my blogging muscle and looking forward to developing some writing “chops.”  Hope you’re grabbing a cup of serious coffee (Timeless Roasters or Verve - a couple of our favorites) and getting ready to dig in and get acquainted.  You may be wondering - Who am I (we)?  And why in the world am I blogging?  Well, here’s the answer:  I have a food service company called The Corporate Chef.  My dad, Harry Russell, started the company in March of 1961.  Back then it was called Hava Snak Food Service (catchy moniker, right?).  The name said it all.  We used these stainless steel portable units with a roll top filled with pre-packaged snacks, candy bars (maybe cigarettes - not sure), sandwiches, and a pot of coffee.  The units rolled right into a company’s break room, and an attendant with a cash box and a smile took your money.  It was revolutionary.  Wow, has the corporate food service industry changed!

I joined in 1976 as a salesman (with a law degree) with a whole lot of passion (i.e. youth) and enthusiasm for building relationships and serving food (of course).  In 1991, my dad retired, and I moved to Silicon Valley, where innovation and a burgeoning high tech community were waiting.  And boy were those companies hungry!

Corporate food service was now employee cafes, and we stepped up to “taste” the boom.  Hava Snak Food Service became The Corporate Chef, and, once again, the name said it all.  Our business model was different from that of our competitors.  We invested in local chefs, restaurateurs, and caterers who would own the culinary experience in all of the locations.  Each cafe was unique, not cookie cutter.  A different model with unlimited opportunities.  So the passion is still present after 56 years in business (41 for me), and I’m so glad you’ve decided to hang out with me and dish about food, trends, et al in Silicon Valley, CA.