Hey Jason’s Deli Family!
Before Jason’s Deli began, our founder, Joe Tortorice Jr., had great service at the forefront of his mind. Since the early days when Joe helped his father in their sandwich shop, J’s BBQ & Washateria, he has been inspired by serving others.
Hey friends!
We hope you guys are having a great summer. We wanted to take some time to reconnect since it’s been awhile since we’ve blogged. First of all, we’ve missed you! Hopefully you’ve been enjoying tons of free ice cream. You may want to grab a cone before you sit back and read this one!
What is it that really makes us Jason’s Deli?
As we continuously pursue our core value of serving only Highest Quality Food, we find that sometimes it's best to recalibrate our own senses in the test kitchen. That’s why this past month, we had a group work with us on the science of taste and sensory evaluation. We learned quite a bit during the course, including the fact that many people do not taste bitter flavors! Our food team tastes hundreds of products in the test kitchen each year, and it is important that we all speak the same language when evaluating.
Like many of you, I tend to become very introspective during the Holiday Season. This year, in addition to the usual events that cause me to look at my life and the impact I may have upon others, I was able to share in a whirlwind of events with my Jason’s Deli family.
I am often reminded of the words of our Creator, as spoken through the biblical passage of John 15:16. “You did not choose me. Rather, I chose you to go out and bear fruit. Fruit that will last.”
Over the past forty years, I have discovered that my definition of “bearing fruit” has grown in depth and breadth to more fully reflect the meaning of life.
Like many of you, we were deeply saddened by the loss of a true American original, Arnold Palmer. He was an inspiration to many, including our original owners - Joe Tortorice Jr. and Rusty Coco. They were business partners and avid golfers as well as cousins who grew up watching “The King” burst onto the scene in the 1950s popularizing golf on TV. Their fathers, “Big Joe” Tortorice Sr. and V.J. Coco, avid golfers themselves, pointed Arnie out to Joe and Rusty as a role model, admired and connected with his “everyman” mannerisms, his authenticity and unconventional processes.
I have worked for Jason’s Deli for 20 years in several departments and have gone from a single, young(ish) lady to a married mom with 2 kids! The one “job” that I feel has had the biggest impact on me and my family is that of Nutrition Specialist. I have been blessed to work closely with our Research and Development team for the past 15 years.
For years, you, our raving fans, have enjoyed the incredible variety we offer to you and your families. While we sell absolutely staggering amounts of what I consider to be the best Salad Bar in the industry, we are a deli. Delis - whether they be Kosher, Italian, Eastern European, Hybrids like one of my favorites: Zingerman’s, Grocery Stores, etc. - all have a few things in common, freshly sliced meats and sandwiches.
I love seeing the faces of the people with whom I am conversing when I tell them that I have, indeed, worked at Jason’s Deli for 22 years. Most people are in utter disbelief because, in this age of looking for greener grass, tech-heavy opportunities in my hometown of Austin or the allure of cashing out early after the sale of a startup, the average tenure at a private company seems to be about 3 years. Personally, I am not driven by any of those things. I want to wake up every morning and make a difference.