The Hairnet Lady Is Not Here
Established as a top chef in Atlanta, one might also assume that Crawford gave up his culinary creativity when he left restaurant kitchens behind and joined Whole Foods in 2006. That’s another misconception. “When people think of a grocery deli, they imagine a lady wearing a hairnet, taking something out of a cardboard box,” says Crawford. “This is so far from the Whole Foods experience.” Although the store’s team members are trained and supplied with favorite and proven recipes, each store has the ability to try new recipes and projects. Each maintains its own focus and individuality. There is no stamped format.

“Most people are surprised to learn that menuing is done at the store level,” says Crawford. “There is plenty of room for creativity. In fact, more food is made from scratch than in most hotels. And that is something I would know.” Crawford has worked for four- and five-star hotels including Hyatt Hotels, back in the days when hotels had five restaurants, 100 cooks, room service, etc. “It was the ʾ80s, a time when many hotels were transitioning to vendor support and stopped making most things in-house,” he says. “The quality diminished and I didn’t want to boil stuff in a bag.” Crawford moved to Renaissance Hotels, a company that still made food from scratch. “In those days, I felt like I was chasing scratch kitchens.”

At Whole Foods, Crawford oversees the prepared foods for 40 stores, which includes the salad bar, hot bar and the chef’s case (where customers find entrées to go). Individual stores may also offer sushi and shawarma stations, gelato, burgers and even a sit-down restaurant. Crawford concentrates on innovation, training, presentation, pricing strategies and program consistency. He is involved in the design of new stores and ongoing renovations. “It’s action oriented and challenging,” he says.

Crawford’s strong culinary background has been an asset in the position. He graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in 1990. “This was before cooking schools were hip and popular,” he says. “I knew I wanted to become a better cook, but even my high-school counselor asked, ‘What’s a culinary school?’” Growing up in Georgia, Crawford worked in high school to help support his family. “It was a necessary responsibility for me, but I also loved working in kitchens. I enjoyed the rush of line cooking. Culinary school was the best thing I ever did professionally.”

Today, Crawford assists stores with culinary standards. If a store is having a problem, he helps find the root of the issue. He also likes to provide direct training for sanitation and menu programs. “When I ask a cook to do something, I know how to do it and that’s appreciated,” he says.

Creative Parts Make a Unique Whole
The company not only encourages innovation in individual stores, but also tries to support local food artisans. For instance, it was recognized that the mid-Atlantic has a passion for pizza, and a Neapolitan-style pizza program was introduced. “We brought in wood-fired pizza ovens and found a local pizza-dough maker to support us and make a healthier dough,” Crawford says. He is able to implement about eight new programs per year. Unlike other grocery retailers, the success of a program is not measured only by early margins. “If we get a positive customer response and the margins aren’t working right away, we figure out how to make it work.”

Crawford, hired from the outside, is a bit of an anomaly, as Whole Foods tends to promote from within. This is because team members need an understanding of the company’s culture and seven core values that lead them. The values include offering the highest-quality natural and organic products, delighting customers, supporting team-member excellence and caring about communities and the environment. Individual stores may focus on specific values that fit their needs.

Crawford was not unfamiliar with the Whole Foods mission prior to joining the company. At the time, he was chef and partner of 101 Concepts, a popular Atlanta restaurant group. He gathered with other chefs in the area, who were invited by Whole Foods to talk and explore food trends. Crawford recalls that the discussions were fueled by a passion for quality, sourcing and organic foods. Ultimately, Whole Foods offered Crawford employment and he accepted.

The move from restaurants brought about a lifestyle change. “I was almost 40 years old and was working 80 hours per week,” Crawford says. “I loved my work, but realized I couldn’t sacrifice my family. The new position allowed me to practice my trade and have a better quality of life.” Crawford can now dictate his own schedule. He puts in about 55 hours per week.

For those starting out, Crawford says that Whole Foods offers a great learning environment. The opportunity to rotate from the butcher, pastry and hot-kitchen departments provides a variety of knowledge. There is much in-store training, and cooks are also frequently sent to four-day boot camps at culinary schools.

When Crawford was starting out, he may not have considered working in a grocery operation, but his involvement with Whole Foods Market has turned out to be a perfect fit for his skills, creativity and culinary philosophies. “Now,” he says, “I am able to use everything I’ve learned and practice what I believe in.”

Lynn Schwartz, a former New York City restaurateur, is a writer based in Maryland.