CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc.®, Chambersburg, PA. This week's podcast episode of "Beyond the Plate," hosted by Andrew "Kappy" Kaplan, features Julie Martin of Martin's Famous Potato Rolls and Bread. Julie talks with Kappy about the Martin family's journey into the bread world, sharing some fun stories along the way, and discusses how Martin's continues to give back to the community.
Julie Martin is the social media manager and granddaughter to the founders of Martin's Famous Potato Rolls and Bread. "People love to hear how my grandparents started baking in their small, one-car garage, and now, three generations later, we make the number one branded hamburger roll in America. It's an all-American dream story."
When Kappy asks the question, "When you wake up in the morning, are you thinking about making rolls or are you thinking about making the world a better place?" Julie responds by saying, "Those two things are tied together in our case!" And she goes on to say that making the best rolls possible helps them to create memorable family meals and outings, but also, striving for excellence and having a successful business allows them to make a difference in the lives of their employees, customers, and many charities and service organizations.
Kappy asked Julie if there was a moment when the family realized that the company was a success. Julie replied that there have been many benchmark moments over the years, but one interesting one was when she showed her grandma a picture of then-first lady, Michelle Obama, eating a burger on a Martin's Potato Roll and said, "Grandma, did you ever think that the First Lady of the United States would be eating your roll?" And her grandma shook her head, laughed, and said, "We were just trying to feed our family."
Julie goes on to tell about how the growth of the company has not altered the dedication to product quality, family values, and the community. "One of my favorite things that we do is to offer good jobs for people so they can feed their families," says Julie. She explains that the company is truly a family company as the Martin family, who owns and operates the company, has worked side by side with various families through several generations. "There are people working at Martin's whose parents worked with my grandparents, and now they and their children work here as well."
A core theme of Beyond the Plate is sharing stories of benevolence from notable names in the hospitality and food industry. Charitable giving has always been a priority for Martin's. Founder Lloyd Martin set the example by listing charitable contributions on the very first page of every business ledger since 1955. "My grandma and grandpa started the company with the idea of giving back," Julie explains. "If we can help, we will."
Now Martin's takes opportunities to give to hundreds of charitable organizations and events, especially as needs become evident, as Julie explains: "When the hurricane hit Houston last fall, I had been watching the news, seeing how many people were displaced from their homes and in shelters because of the hurricane. I walked into my dad's office and asked him if there was something we could do to help. He said, 'Let's send them some bread.' …We did, we sent two tractor-trailer loads of bread, around 40,000 loaves," says Julie as she tells the story of helping during the hurricane that devastated the Houston area. "That's what I love about working here. My dad didn't hesitate to give and to help."
Julie and the entire Martin family hopes that by caring about people and their community, and demonstrating that through giving and supporting numerous charitable organizations, that it will inspire others to help, volunteer, and support charitable organizations as well. A common saying around Martin's is, "Together we can do so much!"
The Martin family are honored to be a part of many family celebrations through their roll and bread products as well as having the privilege to help others in need through sustenance created by the baking business.
The Beyond the Plate @potatorolls episode is live! You can find the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Libsyn, Spotify or on the Beyond the Plate website.
Kappy is VP of Culinary Operations for Rachael Ray, and the Co-Founder and Director of Rachael Ray's cooking and kids charity, Yum-o! He is also the Founder and CEO of Culinary Advisors LLC, a strategic culinary advisory service. "The main reason we do this podcast is to share the inspiring stories that listeners may not be aware of. Most people know these chefs from the food in their restaurant or from a show on TV. We love being able to share these behind the scenes, and sometimes never heard before, stories as well as how these incredible humans give back to their community… beyond the plate." Season 2 has an exciting line-up of extraordinary interviews with intriguing and inspiring stories from famous chefs like Guy Fieri, Spike Mendelsohn, Robert Irvine, and more. Kappy has created a dynamic production team for this podcast project using the talents of his associates, Shant Petrossian, Ian Cohen, and Joel Yeaton, who have worked with him through the years in the food television industry.
Follow along on social at @onkappysplate, @btplatepodcast or go to www.beyondtheplatepodcast.com.
Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc.® is an all-American family owned and operated consumer goods company headquartered in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, focused on baking high-quality bread and roll products using high-quality ingredients. They are rigorously dedicated to extraordinary taste, quality, and customer service that proudly represents their legacy of cherished eating experiences and truly sets them apart from their competitors. Since the 1950s, the business has expanded from a home garage business into two commercial baking plants and continues to grow and flourish in areas of established distribution. Martin's mission encompasses more than just baking the best bread and providing good American jobs. They also believe in giving back to their community and the world around them. Through volunteering time and donating resources, they support many charitable organizations, such as food banks, afterschool programs, disaster relief, and others that provide sustenance and comfort to people in need, both close to their baking facilities and abroad. For more information, visit www.potatorolls.com.
Source: Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc.