Ambassadors,
It has been M&T’s best year ever by a good bit. If you would have told me in 2005 what we are doing in sales now, I would have accused you of being delusional. It is still beyond my comprehension and I am so grateful as it has been quite the grind. The “little deli that could” keeps defying the odds and this simply doesn’t happen without an insanely committed team and incredible support and loyalty of YOU.
We are so fortunate and thankful for the M&T family.
SO many of you stepped up this year to help our beloved Izabella Jones in her battle with thyroid cancer. Money, food and messages of love have all helped her win and climb back into the seat of the soul of M&T.
Four years ago, we were steeped in the earth shattering diagnosis of Ryan Hidinger and working hard on a plan to build a war chest for he and Jenny to defeat Stage 4 gallbladder cancer. Team Hidi 1.0 happened on 1/27/13 and because of YOU, our vendor partners and restaurant peers $275k was raised.
It was your support of the Hidinger’s, and us, that created the spark of inspiration to launch The Giving Kitchen, which in less than three years, has granted out over $1,000,000 to nearly 600 of our hard working peers facing hardship or crisis. The TGK team has done an amazing job in such a short period of time. Ryan and Jen’s dream restaurant, Staplehouse, is owned by TGK and has a purpose of sharing the TGK story as well as raising funds for the 501c3. They were honored this past summer as The Best New Restaurant in America by Bon Appetite and GQ. Dinner reservations for entire month of January 2017 sold out in less than 15 minutes. Just mind boggling.
I’d say they are doing a pretty good job with the story telling… We couldn’t be more grateful to the incredible efforts and execution by Jen, Kara, Smith and their wonderful team. For those of you who have not made it in, please persist. The entire experience is world class and as good as the mission it supports.
1/9/17– We are once again going to be tapping a cask or two of Sweetwater’s Second Helping Double IPA on the anniversary of Ryan’s passing at 6pm in Eleanor’s. We will be selling pints at $10 each and about $7.50 of each sale will be going to TGK. Hope you will come tip a pint or three with us to honor our boy Hidi.
1/29/17 –Team Hidi 5.0 will be hosted at The Stave Room @ American Spirit Works and as of last night, there are less than 100 tickets remaining.
If you’ve never been, you are cheating yourself of the best culinary love fest experience with a thousand people that money can buy. You can’t match the level of energy that comes from our great restaurant community throwing a party to benefit their own. It is palpable.
See What I Mean > with these photos shot last year by the talented Erika Botfield.
I wish each of you a wonderful 2017 and hope you find more moments of happiness and fulfillment.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Ryan
PS- mark your calendar 2/5/17 for our annual anniversary Super Bowl potluck.
