Having spent more than 30 years in the food service distribution industry, John King knows that it takes more than just delivering outstanding food products to his customers to help their businesses succeed. So, although his company (one of the largest independently owned broadline food distributors in the country) continues to provide the highest quality food products to restaurants, delis, health care facilities and other food businesses throughout the New York metropolitan area, King is equally as committed to delivering something else to his customers: “Business Building Ideas” that have been proven to help his customers’ businesses thrive and grow.
“Anyone can deliver food, but not anyone can deliver the type of ideas that can make a customer’s business more successful and profitable,” notes King, who founded J. Kings (www.jkings.com) in 1974 and now goes by the title of Chief Customer Officer which he created to highlight his overriding commitment to customer service. “Whether it’s helping our customers design and launch a new restaurant, or providing them with a steady stream of up-to-the-minute information about the food industry and market reports that that can help in their menu development, our customers know that we’re more than just their food distributor. We’re their partners in helping them grow their business.”
And perhaps there is no better partner in today’s food industry to have than John King, who prides himself on “not only knowing the food business, but loving it.” In fact, his background in the food business (and as an entrepreneur) reaches back to his boyhood years, when he helped his parents run their Long Island delicatessen. Just out of high school, he began learning the business from the ground up by making lunch deliveries and working the counter. When King learned that one of the deli’s food suppliers was going out of business, he saw an opportunity he could not resist, and started a route himself - soon serving not only his parents’ deli, but also a number of others in the area. After graduating high school, he bought his first truck in 1973 and converted his garage into a refrigerated warehouse. J. Kings Food Service Professionals, Inc. was organized into a sole proprietorship in 1974.
Today, J. Kings’ sprawling Holtsville, L.I. headquarters boasts a 125,000 square foot facility with three climate controlled produce rooms, a temperature controlled fleet of more than 50 vehicles and a state-of-the-art computerized on-line ordering system. In addition, the company currently has more than 300 professionals on staff - including sales people with innovative ideas and experienced buyers who know the needs of today’s chefs, restaurateurs and food business owners … and who share King’s commitment to growing the customer’s business.
In fact, John King’s overriding commitment to growing his customers’ businesses is behind the recent expansion of his own company to include a number of new divisions created specifically to respond to the needs of his customers. Within the past few years, J. Kings has launched the J. Kings Design Team - a team of professionals encompassing a wide variety of specialties to help design and launch restaurants, delis, bagel stores, food markets and any other type of food business.
The Design Team - which consists of some of the New York area’s leading architects, interior designers, culinary experts, equipments specialists, restaurant business consultants and marketing professionals - brings together all of the people needed to help launch a new food establishment these days. And, having already launched a number of area restaurants, caf/s, delis and food markets over the past few years (including the Harvest Caf/ chain of NYC-style bistros, the Captree Caf/ and Mr. Dennehy’s, the J. Kings Design Team continues to be something that King knows is of tremendous value to customers today … and something that again, points to his “difference in distribution.” Currently, one of his Harvest Caf/ restaurants is located within Forest Hills Hospital, in addition to other locations within the North Shore-LIJ Health System.
“In creating the Harvest Caf/, the J. Kings Design Team provided us with exactly what we needed to make our vision for this restaurant a reality,” says Robert Hettenbach, executive director of Forest Hills Hospital. “From the design of the overall look of the restaurant, to their expert culinary support and menu development, J. Kings made it possible for us to launch a restaurant which has been quickly embraced by the public.” Prior to the launch of the Harvest Caf/ last year, Forest Hills Hospital had spent six years operating without an on-site cafeteria or coffee shop, making it a much-welcomed addition to the facility.
In addition to the J. Kings Design Team, other ways that the company has responded to its customers needs includes their Kitchen Cuts Division (an on-site prep kitchen that gives customers the option of having J. Kings cut up their fresh fruits and vegetables, and which has become known as “the best on-site prep kitchen in the business”), their “Grown on Long Island” Produce Initiative (which links East End Farmers with top local chefs to deliver produce directly from Long Island’s farms to restaurants throughout the region) and their new “Ship’s Chandler” line of epicurean products, which offers chefs the finest imported products from around the world to meet the demands of today’s fine dining menus. And, since the company introduced their Mountain Blend Coffee Company division over fifteen years ago (a full-service coffee company known for its tagline of “Coffee Without Complications”), the coffee is now being served in more locations than Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and 7-11 combined. Through the Mountain Blend Coffee Company, in fact, J. Kings also demonstrates how it offers more to its customers than simply a great product. Mountain Blend not only provides great coffee from the finest beans, but becomes “partners” with each customer in the coffee business - offering customer support, program development, state-of-the-art equipment and the merchandising/marketing support that is helping so many of their customers today have a thriving coffee program.
However, perhaps nothing illustrates how much J. Kings goes “above and beyond” for their customers than their “Culinary Spectaculars.” These events, which are known for transcending traditional food trade shows, have become some of the most talked about events in the industry - and the best place today for food service professionals to get ideas for menu design and development, catering trends and business management ideas.
“Each year, our Culinary Spectaculars are attended by many of the region’s leading food service professionals, and have become legendary among food service vendors,” says Sinead Corcoran, who has been Corporate Chef and Marketing Director at J. Kings for 9 years. “Not only have they become some of the best food events in the area where professionals can see for themselves some of the most innovative ideas in food service and catering, but they have gained national recognition as one of the best shows in the industry.” In both 2004 and 2005, J. Kings has been honored by the International Foodservice Distributors Association for its excellence in food shows, where this year J. Kings was presented with the prestigious “Diamond Award” first place honor for its “Works of Art” Culinary Spectacular.
John King’s success is not only measured in terms of the growth of J. Kings, but in his contributions to the community. Currently serving as Chairman of the Board for Hospice Care Network, he has helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the organization’s Children’s Bereavement Program. And this month he will be kicking off a new program that he has created for local restaurateurs, called “Great Meal_Great Cause_Great Neighbors” — which was designed to have local restaurants donate a portion of their proceeds to three local breast cancer organizations: the Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline & Support Program, CancerCare of Long Island, and the Maurer Foundation for Breast Health Education. For more information about participating restaurants in this new program, visit the J. Kings website at www.jkings.com.
Throughout all of their new divisions, new programs and new business-building activities for their customers, however, J. Kings remains committed to what is perhaps their most important creed - and the principle on which John King founded his business more than 30 years ago.
“Our motto is, and always will be, to complete orders, on time, at a fair price,” stresses King. “This, combined with our insight in the food industry and our dedication to helping our customers’ businesses grow, is what ultimately sets us apart from our competitors …and what keeps our customers with us year after year, and decade after decade.”
For more information about J. Kings Food Service Professionals, call (631) 289-8401 or visit www.jkings.com.
