That's Family!!!

Members of your family are in trouble. They were given half an hour to pack everything they want to keep. The rest will be destroyed. Then they're tossed on a bus and sent to a strange town. When they get off the bus, they are put in a giant room with hundreds of other strangers in the same situation. Remember, these are members of your family. They have no job, no home and no food.

What would you do?

That's the situation in which Leidenheimer Baking Company, of New Orleans, LA found itself in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. And help came from an unexpected source...one of their customers. Jason's Deli.

But first, some background. Leidenheimer Baking Company is a family-run business that specializes in the best bread you'll ever put in your mouth. Sandy Whann, current CEO and President, is the fourth generation to lead Leidenheimer Baking Company. George Leidenheimer came to New Orleans from Deidesheim, Germany, and founded the bakery in 1896. They quickly realized they would need more space, and moved to their current location in 1904.

Originally, Leidenheimer baked the heavy, dense brown breads of his native Germany, but it was by producing New Orleans French bread with its crisp crust, that Leidenheimer found fame. Leidenheimer bread is still unique because over a century later it continues to be made using the same time-honored process. In a city like New Orleans, where eating is almost a religion, producing the perfect French bread is a sacred mission to the employees of Leidenheimer Baking Company. "Conceptually, the process hasn't changed in 100 years," boasts Whann. "Also, we're blessed to have the employees we have. We have numerous employees that have been with us for decades. Multiple family members from the same family. I'm the fourth generation to run this business. We'll be 111 years old this year. How? We don't change the things that work."

When Hurricane Katrina hit, they found themselves unable to operate. Employees were displaced, and the business came to a halt. And that's when Jason's Deli came to the aid of its family. "When Jason's Deli learned that some of our employees were relocated to Houston after Hurricane Katrina," says Whann, "they asked us ‘What can we do for them?'" It is a question that Whann asks every one of his customers, and now it was being asked of him.

The thirty plus year relationship between Jason's Deli and Leidenheimer Baking Company truly is a family story. And one that Sandy Whann loves to tell over and over again. "Joe (Tortorice, founder of Jason's Deli) called my father on the phone one day, and said ‘I've got this deli that I've opened up. I'll be in New Orleans next week, can I buy some French bread from you?' So he came in with a Suburban and loaded it up with bread. Now it's a couple of tractor trailers with the Jason's Deli logo on the side picking up bread for po'boys and muffalettas. That's still dad's favorite story to tell."

But the relationship was put to the test in the aftermath of Katrina. "We were flat on our backs and Jason's stood by us," explains Whann. "We would have never continued to exist if they didn't truly live what they say about being a family company and a partner. They were bringing gift certificates to our employees in the shelters. It was incredibly humbling, and it gave us a great sense of pride in this relationship."

"But," Sandy says, "it's not unbelievable coming from Jason's Deli. That culture naturally breeds that kind of response."

And it is that bond that has made both companies grow. In 2003, when Jason's Deli asked for bread that was free of artificial trans-fats, Leidenheimer agreed. It was years before anyone else even considered such a switch. "Jason's makes their vendors better as companies because they are so progressive," states Whann.

So what would you do if your family members were in trouble? Jason's Deli knows. And so does Leidenheimer Baking Company.