Patrick Daly, Innovative Foodservice Group
Innovative Foodservice Group’s Patrick Daly has a wealth of experience in the foodservice industry. He spent 28 of his 35 years in the foodservice industry in the kitchen, working his way up the food chain from cook to executive chef. Today, as a sales representative and project manager for IFG, his customer base includes public schools, school districts, hospitals, universities, hotels and independent restaurants. While based in Orlando, he spends a good amount of time working with customers in Tampa.
Q: How do you apply your hospitality background to your sales role?
A: It’s very simple. The way I look at it is I’m still creating hospitality whether I’m in a restaurant selling food and beverage or in sales selling equipment. You can apply all the principles in getting to know your clientele, getting them what they need and building a relationship with them. All the principles of running a restaurant can be easily applied to selling restaurant equipment, whether big or small. I think the biggest thing is just building a relationship. Listening to the good and the bad. You have to be open-minded and never take ‘No’ for an answer because you can always turn that around and make it a positive.
Q: What are a few lessons you’ve learned in the kitchen that you apply now to your current role?
A: The first one is do not stress out. Take a deep breath and know that you can get through anything. It’s probably one of the biggest things I’ve learned because there’s no hurdle high enough that you cannot tackle. The second lesson is you have tons of resources at your fingertips in the kitchen, and the same applies in my current role. I have an entire staff that I can reach out to. I also have all of my manufacturer reps, so I can reach out and talk to a ton of them. In doing so you encounter people who may be more knowledgeable than you and you may be able to see a different angle or different viewpoint you can take when tackling something.
Q: There are a ton of products out there. How do you help operators find the ones that best meet their needs?
A: You have to ask questions. You have to be an investigator. If someone says they want an oven, they have countless options from which to choose. Do they want a deck oven? Do they want a convection oven? Do they want a combi oven? Do they want a gas or electric oven? What is the application they’re going to use it for? I don’t want to sell someone something they don’t need. If they’re just going to cook pizzas, there’s no need for a combi oven. Asking a lot of questions is what I’ve found to be the best way to go about it.
Q: What keeps you so engaged and what excites you about the future of the industry?
A: The evolution of the equipment is incredible. I’m sure with AI coming on board, there is going to be a lot more robotics coming into it. I’m seeing ways that we can help operators become more streamlined and save on labor. Finding help is a big challenge for operators right now. The industry as a whole is going to change and become more automated. It’s great to learn about these things. That keeps it fresh.
DSR 3-2-1
Patrick Daly, Innovative Foodservice Group, sits down with Jason Wange, Foodservice Powerplant Network, to talk about being named an FE&S DSR of the Month.
Find more episodes of DSR 3-2-1 here
Foodservice Equipment & Supplies Presents DSR 3-2-1 is sponsored by Salvajor.
