A Chat With Justin Rashid, founder and president, American Spoon Foods

CS: Have you had any mentors in this business or business in general?
JR: Probably not in the formal sense. Living up here in a small town, not in an urban area, you’re somewhat isolated up here. But I’ve long admired Chuck Williams [Williams-Sonoma founder] as the consummate merchant of not only specialty foods, but tabletop and cookware. But my area is specialty foods, and I admire him as a individual with impeccable tastes who really focused on his customers.