commissary INSIDER - June 2017 - 5

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PHOTO: DEL REAL FOODS
THE COMPANY SAYS A KEY TO ITS SUCCESS IS AUTHENTIC PREPARATION OF ITS
FOODS, LIKE PREPARED MEAT WITH OPEN-KETTLE COOKING.

ers. An internal brainstorming process ends with presenting Del
Real's more mature retail and club new items to get feedback.
"It's driven by a combination of both pull and push type of situations," Bowden says. "But we always try to develop items that
are authentic. They have to be cooked in traditional methods
and we don't over-commercialize them."
This is emphasized by the fact that the company's ownership
- the original founders from whom the original recipes come
- are still involved. Long-time employees like Bowden, who
has been with Del Real for 13 years, and Morales, in her 11th
year, also play a huge roll.
"We're kind of going through our mission statement today.
We're trying to boil down the essence of the company and it really does come down to the work ethic of the company and the
humility of the owners," Bowden says. "When I interview people, I tell them you have to leave your ego at the door. It's a real
special organization started as a family business that was passionate about people and the products that were being made.
"One of my objectives is to make sure that we never lose that
essence. That's really our secret sauce."
It all adds up to high-quality food that can pull off the rare feat
of seeing success on a national level while also continuing to
earn the stamp of approval from people who grew up with authentic Mexican foods.
"Even individuals who don't know what authentic carnitas are,
they know what good food is," Bowden says. "And people who
know what good Mexican food is are amazed. My wife emigrated from Mexico and she'll tell me if it's not right. She's blown
away by our products. The food quality is why I came to the
company when it was very small and I'm still here."

2200 Lunt Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
www.lawrencefoods.com

http://www.lawrencefoods.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of commissary INSIDER - June 2017