It is not hard to see why Phil Gatto was inducted into the Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) Hall of Fame this year. He is a man whose central values revolve around bringing ethical and wholesome foods to the table, and with a career path that began at the ripe age of nine, that passion has certainly made its impact on the industry.
When he was young, Phil’s father and uncle bought a salami factory called Columbus Salami—which later became known as Columbus Craft Meats. The rest, as they say, is history.
“My father and uncle transitioned from my grandfather's small bar in downtown San Francisco, California, and became salami makers at 40 years old, which was a pretty major transition,” Phil, now the Co-Founder of True Story Foods, told me. “I often tagged along and was mentored by them. I thought, ‘This is fun, and it's good for them. It will be good for me.’ So that's how it all started.”
Columbus transformed from a small salami maker to a major specialty distributor—an accumulation of about 14 businesses over the span of 49 years. Once Phil graduated college, he began to notice changes in the industry. He recognized that superior service came down to two key components: people and quality.
“On the people side, being fair to our employees has always been extremely important. I learned that you take that effort to the marketplace along with your products,” Phil explained. “On the other hand, the quality of the product had to continually improve, as well as the service. We always try to be very customer-oriented by being transparent and genuine. It comes down to basic common sense and good human practice.”
After leading Columbus as its Chief Executive Officer for over two decades, Phil applied those same values when he co-founded True Story Foods. As he put it, the goal for this brand was to get back to the basics.
“When Whole Foods became more popular in the marketplace, there became a much greater awareness of where our food comes from. The idea of transparency really took root and created a curiosity and an opportunity for education,” Phil relayed. “From sustainability to animal welfare and nutrition, people are getting back to the basics. I think when you start that dialogue, there's an understanding and a balance between the industry and the consumer.”
On the topic of animal welfare, Phil shared with me about one of his current advocacy efforts in the meat industry. He recently took his third trip to Washington, DC, to support Prop 12 and the defeat of the EATS Act. This is just one more example of how the industry luminary uses his influence.
As our conversation came to a close, I asked the question we have all been burning to know. How does it feel to be inducted into the SFA Hall of Fame?
“I was very surprised because I didn't know my name had been put in. It humbled me, but in all honesty, I owe it to many, many, many people,” Phil began saying. “I look at myself accepting this honor for a lot of people who have mentored me and worked with me throughout the years to support the success of Columbus and the success of True Story. Food equalizes everybody. The food industry is full of wonderful people, and when you can leverage each other's stories or what we've learned and grown together with, it is so wonderful. I'm happy to continue in any way I can to help anybody that's in the industry to grow some of our experiences and what we've learned.”
I cannot think of someone more deserving of this honor. Congratulations, Phil. We are all grateful for your contributions and wisdom.
