Auburn Magazine

And although the physical location of Purveyors
Kitchen is near the airport but below the radar – they
have no retail presence in Auburn – their empire
has some heft. Their advisory board includes Food
Network star Andrew Zimmern and gourmet food
icon Ron Mezzetta.
for risk.
In a burst of words and ideas, John outlines their histories –
Karen was a Manhattan executive, and John’s interests included
publishing, business and the next hot thing. They moved from
New York City to Minnesota on a whim; what followed were
forays into restaurants, catering and the grocery business. On
another whim, they wound up in California.
Evidence of the Foleys’ entrepreneurial chops is the
growth of their business. It was founded in 1979 as
Mad Will’s and “repurposed in 2015 as Purveyors
Kitchen,” and has thrived since then. PK has
launched more than 250 brands, and the staff has
grown from 16 to almost 30 in that time.
They specialize in natural and organic products.
John describes himself as somewhat impetuous but grounded
– and blunt. He offers an anecdote about having made a lowball
offer for a $100,000 boat years ago. The seller, insulted,
told John, “It’s gonna take a lot more bread that that.” Soon
thereafter, John overnighted 50 loaves of bread to the guy – and
they struck a deal on the boat.
John’s also a hands-on guy who enjoys working with clients,
producing a series of cooking videos in PK’s video studio,
devising marketing and advertising strategies, and writing for
the business’s handful of websites. Under their parent company,
Foodie Tout, the main site they run is foodiedaily.com, a vibrant
hub loaded with news about the food industry, Q-and-A’s with
chefs and restaurateurs, background on the couple, and portals
to other sites that relate to their business.
Their catalog includes new small-batch products,
established national brands and their own privatelabel
items. Their bread and butter consists of pasta
sauces, barbecue sauces, salad dressings, marinades
and spreads. They serve grocery, specialty retailers
and hospitality providers across the country.
Karen, who’s the CEO, says on the website: “Whether
co-packing for artisan purveyors or private labeling
for grocery and specialty retailers, Purveyors Kitchen
can guide clients through the process.”
Operating a food company in California presents
challenges unlike those found anywhere else. The
regulatory environment is strict – “We have the state
in here every week,” she said, for regular inspections
of the facility, its operations and its products.
John, the president of the company, says they have
no plans to leave Placer County. The airport site
works well for them, and it’s a short commute from