Foodie and the Beast – Jan. 31, 2021

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

• Along with her husband, William Gutierrez, Jodi Lehr, partner, Santa Lucia Estate Coffee, a boutique company known for selling its premium 100% Nicaraguan coffee to restaurants, hotels and caterers. With over 25 years’ history, Santa Lucia isn’t a fly-by-night business but one of D.C.’s original sustainable coffee companies. Its big COVID pivot in 2020 involved turning a wholesale restaurant/hotel/office and catering program into an ecommerce enterprise;
• First she was a marketing executive with Saks Fifth Avenue, helping retailers promote their luxe goods. Then she became one of the D.C. area’s foremost publicists representing a variety of hospitality and retail clients. Then … she came over to the dark side: Heather Shaw Menis, founder — along with her husband — of Curio by Fifth & Main, which features mindfully curated decor, gifts, accessories and beauty and wellness products;
• Seen on this past season of “Hell’s Kitchen,” celebrity chef J.R. Robinson is the man in the kitchen and behind the business concept for KitchenCray. He joins us with the complete 411;

• Luanne Savino O’Loughlin manages Olio2go, an online (and brick-and-mortar) retailer of Italian olive oil based in Fairfax, Virginia. One of her top resources is Giorgio Franci, owner of Frantoio Franci, one of Italy’s most awarded olive oil producers. And we are doing a real olive oil tasting!