Baking & Snack - August 2020 - 10

editorial

What do introverts and innovators have in common?

My husband is an introvert, and during this pandemic, he's probably yelling on the inside, "I was made for
this!" Working from home and limited social interaction are like a dream come true for him. For me? Not
so much. These days, I'd give anything to shake hands
and talk shop at a tradeshow.
Don't get me wrong ... no one in their right mind is
happy about the pandemic, not to mention all the tangential hardships that are emerging as a result. But in
times of crisis, innovators are the ones who were truly
made for it.
At Custom Foods in De Soto, Kan., owner Joe
Bisogno, ever the innovator, is rarely satisfied
with the status quo. That's how he started his
bakery in the first place - to make bread
for his Mr. Goodcents sandwich shops -
and grew it into a highly diversified frozen
dough business that serves foodservice, retail, school fundraising and more in markets
across the country.
His entrepreneurism along with President
Ethan Hart's passion for engineering efficiency and
sales director Mike Hurt's eye for opportunity have
kept Custom Foods going strong despite the pandemic.
When I visited with Mr. Hart, he shared stories of

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10 Baking & Snack August 2020 / www.bakingbusiness.com

innovation not only from within the walls of the bakery but also from its customers and sister companies.
Foodservice operators got creative with curbside
pickup campaigns like Goodcents' Stock the Fridge
initiative, where consumers could pick up pantry staples along with their sandwich orders. And pizza restaurants were already well-positioned for the shift to
curbside, some even adding their wine list to the takeout menu. (At my house, pizza, wine and movie night
is the new Friday standard.)
These days, it feels a bit like floating on a murky sea
of the unknown, but innovation can be the light to guide
us. The American Society of Baking's weekly Coffee
Breaks gives members a digital platform for 30-minute
small group discussions on how to creatively overcome
these new modern challenges. And in the third season of
our podcast, Since Sliced Bread, Senior Editor Charlotte
Atchley uncovers COVID-19 best practices from bakers,
snack producers, retailers and associations who have
supported their companies, customers and communities
in some ingenious ways.
Introverts were made for the quarantine life, and the
innovators will get us through it. Which one are you?
- Joanie Spencer, Editor
jspencer@sosland.com

EDITORIAL
Editor
Editorial Director
Managing Editor
Senior Editor
Digital Media Editor
Contributing Editors:

Joanie Spencer
Dan Malovany
Nico Roesler
Charlotte Atchley
Anna Wiber
Donna Berry
M. Hikmet Boyacıoglu

CORPORATE
Chairman and CEO
Charles S. Sosland
President
L. Joshua Sosland
Chief Financial and
Administrative Officer
Staci Greco
Chief Operating Officer and
Executive Editor
Meyer Sosland
Chief Marketing Officer
Jim Saladin
Corporate Headquarters
4801 Main St., Suite 650, Kansas City, MO 64112
Phone: (816) 756-1000; Fax: (816) 756-0494
E-mail: BakingSnack@sosland.com
Internet: www.bakingandsnack.com

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Baking & Snack - August 2020

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