James Nov-Dec 2023 web - Flipbook - Page 38
Today the business is scaling closer to $100 million
in total revenue. We have experienced 10-times growth
in the past ten years, built a new headquarters and built
out more corporate support teams in HR, accounting and
marketing to attain more than 1,700 employees.
Proof of the Pudding is differentiated by scratch
made food— made from indigenous and local ingredients— and customized exceptional service. We do
not vary from the mission and strategy whether we are
catering a corporate event for 200 people or a Formula 1
Race for 150,000 people.
cM Can you talk about the partnerships you have and
how they have driven innovation within Proof of the
Pudding?
an Proof of the Pudding now has many divisions of
business that are all unique and custom built for our
customers. In addition to local catering, we proudly
partner and serve many exclusive iconic venue partnerships such as Zoo Atlanta, World of Coca Cola, The
Carter Center, Georgia International Convention Center,
Gas South Forum & Arena, Douglasville Conference
Center and Amphitheatre, Buford Community Center,
the Georgia International Horse Park, Circuit of the
Americas Formula 1, PGA Tour Golf Tournaments, Informa Boat Shows, College Football Premium Catering at
University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Alabama
and both premium and concessions at Mississippi
State, Duke and Wake Forest Universities.
All of these types of events and facilities vary greatly, and it takes great innovation and customizations
from our teams on location to execute and deliver in a
myriad of different logistical operational environments
and geographic markets.
cM You as CEO, and Proof of the Pudding, have been
called industry innovators. What does this mean to you?
an It means a lot to me, but any good leader is only as
good as the team around them. I say with 100 percent
humility, my best talent is finding great people which
our organization is full of. Not only do we find them, but
we focus on retaining our amazing leaders and on a culture that is different from many industry competitors.
Innovation comes through culture and creating
an environment where chefs are given freedom to be
creative and customize unique dishes for their specific
clientele. This is the harder way of doing things versus
being more cookie-cutter— but we know and have
proven it’s the right way.
cM It has been said that you are committed to bettering
the industry through advocacy and a strong investment
in your team. Can you expound on this?
an Regarding advocacy, I realized the hard way that the
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catering industry was extremely underrepresented in
terms of industry advocacy during the pandemic. The
restaurant lobbies and others were larger and better
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