Penzey has for years made political assaults on Republicans and conservatives a routine part of his "A Note from Bill" emails to customers, but the insider says he ratcheted up his rhetoric after Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. Penzey isnt shy about how his politics have continued to benefit his Penzeys Spices is a retailer of spices in the United States. House GOP Passes Bill That Would Take Food and Healthcare From Wisconsin Families, Government Helps/Hurts My mother is the down-to-earth one. American iconography in sports. Wednesday, February 2, 2022, Click here for reprint permission. But like many things, businesses approach to politics has changed in the Trump era: Corporate leaders increasingly speak out directly about the administrations policies and the presidents statements. After urging voters to head to the polls in Kentucky, Virginia and Mississippi, Penzey wrote: For the rest of us its time to get talking 11.3.2020. I have no idea what the Erds politics are far as I know, they could be commies, or they could be Trumpkins but they dont seem to make a habit of getting on their high horse and insulting their customers. 2023 Cond Nast. The United States' finance policy is following in Greece's footsteps. We still dont fully know what happened with the last presidential election. With Mr. Trump not in power, whats a hater to do? That was a big step for us.. What it does understand is that healthy, educated voters don't vote against the best interests of our nation's children. Since May of 2018, Penzey has used his company to disseminate paid political . [9], On January 14, 2022, CEO Bill Penzey sent out an email newsletter announcing that he would be renaming the extended Martin Luther King Jr. Day sale weekend to "Republicans are racist weekend", with the reasons given including alleged voter suppression in red states and their response to the George Floyd Protests. Their existing market is a somewhat politically aware market who likes this kind of thing, so its not going against the current.. The business moved to N. 3rd St., and then a couple of more times in the same neighborhood, now at 1031 N. Old World Third St. Got that? You may have read Tuesday Nights email. That changed this Ukrainian refugees destiny. "As far as customers unsubscribing from his email list, that's only part of the story," the insider explains. Encouraging people to choose love and kindness. Disgusted by the hateful approach, The Daily Mail reported the reaction of some Democrats who posted comments on the company website: Im a Democrat and liberal, and all that, and I know not all Republicans are racist. Theres a happy ending here. Feinstein has vowed to return to Washington, but what happens if she doesnt? So stupid. focus on the food industrys sexual-harassment problem. he was definitely the first to do so while hawking a free bottle of "Its great if you can share these cards and maybe find us new customers, but if the discount makes you being our customer a bit easier, feel free to get them for yourself," he wrote. The kindness of tens of thousands of generations of cooks created our humanity, but racism, sexism, and homophobia can all very quickly unravel all the goodness cooking puts out into the world. for ten dollars. While the mail-order catalogue has been scaled back in frequency, Penzeys Spices does a robust business online, where they offer everything from Adobo Seasoning (a spice mix popular in Mexican cooking) to Zatar (a Middle Eastern spice blend). 3 Things You Don't Know About Kwik Trip, Wisconsin's Favorite Convenience Store, Economy Bill Penzey has a thriving spice business in spite of, or perhaps because of, his unapologetically left-leaning political statements. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In case you missed it, Penzeys Spices' unhinged CEO, Bill Penzey, publicized a weekend offer called "Republicans Are Racist!" . The 2024 presidential race begins: Will it be a repeat of 2020? Milwaukee had a socialist tradition here; even in the times of the Red Scare it was tough to vote them out, Penzey said. It operates retail outlets as well as mail order and online shopping . The Penzey Spice catalogue was a one-man show, with Bill Penzey Jr. not only writing and designing the contents, but also filling orders and traveling to far-off destinations in search of the perfect specialty spices for the company to sell. Bill and Ruth opened their transition-into-retirement store at 1244 N. Glenview Ave. in Wauwatosa. Americans, in general, are tired of the hate and demonizing, especially when people are using it to gain something for themselves. Its unusual to have someone be so vocal, said Pradeep Chintagunta, a marketing professor at the University of Chicagos Booth School of Business. In the emails of those Republicans who voted for someone other than the partys nominee, I sensed genuine pain at having the strength of character to not go along with what was happening, but nonetheless be grouped in with those who were. Turns out, it's not profitable to smear your customers, Bidens idea of freedom should frighten every liberty-loving American. If I had a corporation, I would be doing my best to figure out how to have that corporation work to support the true values, compassion, and kindness of the American people.". 6 Places to Put on Your Southeastern Wisconsin Bucket List. Penzey's email not only accused all Republicans of being racist, but also of fantasizing about killing black people. Their daughter, Kathy, and son-in-law, Paul Boarman (1955-2021) took over the business . Spice buyer -- non-Trump-voting me -- takes his business elsewhere. The business grew steadily, which led to the first retail store location by 1994. No, I didnt vote for Trump, but as far as Im concerned, I would like for Bill Penzey to assume that I did. In 2016 Rod Dreher at The American Conservative was reporting on another screed of Penzeys and discovered Mr. Penzeys parents had left the original family spice business to his sister Pam and her husband, apparently leaving Bill Jr. out in the cold. [1] The company is headquartered in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin , and had 600,000 catalog customers in 2007. Over time The Spice House focused on selling spices. After the 2016 election, Penzey sent an email blast to customers, saying if they voted for Trump they had just committed the biggest act of racism in American history since Wallace stood in the schoolhouse doorway 53 years ago, referring to the segregationist Alabama Gov. Penzeys Spices chief executive Bill Penzey sent an email to his customers on Jan. 14 calling Martin Luther King Jr. Day, "Republicans Are Racist Weekend." Penzey sent out another email Friday asking customers to purchase gift cards, saying that the company lost 40,005 subscribers, or 3% of its customer base, since the first letter was sent . You are your partys future, and you deserve my admiration and respect, and your countrys as well. It was just one more way Penzey lived his life. I think its good for companies to be involved in what they think is right or to speak about it, said Roger Bell, 69, who was shopping in the Penzeys Spices store in Wauwatosa, Wis., recently. This is the spice company owned and run by Bill Penzey Jr., a hate-filled man who decided mixing leftist political vitriol and smears would be a good business plan. If you are lucky and younger family members are still coming over for Thanksgiving, before its too late, take a moment and honestly think about how your actions must look through their eyes. For example, a New Yorker piece reported that Penzey launched a giveaway of Mexican vanilla extract two years after Donald Trump's campaign, when he called Mexican immigrants "a tremendous infectious disease.". For the rest of you, you just voted for an openly racist candidate for the presidency of the United States of America. Hes finding out thats not necessarily the case. They married in 1957. A freelance reporter covering crime, community and social issues, Ethan Duran is based in Milwaukee. Penzeys Spices founder and CEO Bill Penzey Jr. sent out a newsletter promoting a deal offering three spices and 10 . Penzeys Spices CEO Bill Penzey renamed the weekend celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. as "Republicans are racists weekend" in a promotion for his company. Spice seller Bill Penzey says he felt compelled to speak out because of the danger he believes Trumps presidency poses. radio-listening customers, but if you really are honest and sincere, This is no longer sixty years ago. Im not a big one for boycotts, and it doesnt bother me one bit if a merchant holds political opinions opposed to my own, and advocates for his or her candidate or issue. Bill Penzey Sr. and his wife started the business in the 1950s, and Patty inherited it. The one problem is that many of the new customers dont cook, while many of the customers he has lost were regular cooks who routinely needed to replenish their spice supply. retail locations, is Americas largest independent spice retailer. In the business world, conventional wisdom holds that controversial Market Realist is a registered trademark. "[Penzey] brags about how many people are on our email list, but I can tell you that the overwhelming majority of them aren't actually customers," the insider explains. [4], In 1986, at the age of 22, Bill launched a catalog business of his own. When I wrote asking for an interview last month, he Penzey refuses to be silent on social issues. Make this right. 7 talking about this. Facebook page. A lot of people send me pictures of their spice collection. In the catalogue, Penzey Jr. shared photographs and stories of his adventures with customers. He has not shied from his political views: In the mid-2000s, he put a gay male couple who had triplets via a surrogate on his spice magazines cover, long before same-sex marriage had the support it does today. It's just kind of ick all around. With the advent of social media, he The couple brought their son Bill Jr. into the business early, allowing him to work in the store at the young age of ten. Cooking unlocked our potential and gave birth to reason, to religion, and to politics and government. Shortly after President Trump was elected as the 45th President of the United States, Penzey's Spice Company founder and CEO Bill Penzey took to Facebook to accuse his supporters of embracing racism. In your defense, most of you did so without thinking of the consequences of your candidates racism, because for most of you the heartbreaking destruction racism causes has never been anything you or your loved ones have had to experience. Apparently, Penzeys Spices owner Bill Penzey really hates Republicans and sent out an email featuring a sale called, 'Republicans Are Racists Weekend.' We won't copy and paste the whole . expanded his platform to include the e-mail newsletter and a company Our kindness really is our strength. Those in the market for Turkish ground sumac berries and mace blade may not have much luck at their local grocery store, but items like those are what's given Penzeys Spices staying power (via Forbes). Appealing to the worst in people may have worked for him briefly as the Democrats had their meltdowns over Mr. Trump. throughthedecades, he wrote. Simply saying I never thought hed win might be enough. "In the wake of the Citizens United ruling that made unlimited corporate spending in politics legal, we've given a free pass to the corporations doing that spending. The self-looting in response to a police shooting and social unrest matches a recent trend of businesses tying marketing with activism. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Most of the responses thanked Penzey for taking action. "It was just the launching point for what Penzey's has become," his son said. responded with one of the great rejection letters of my career, a long If youve never ordered from The Spice House before, use the promo code NOPOLITICS to get free shipping on your first order. I do shop some places just because of their politics and the way they treat people and employees and the customers, and things like fair trade.. Subscribe for as little as $5/mo to start commenting on Rods blog. companies led by figures who take left-leaning, progressive positions. Reference for Business states that in 1994, Penzey Jr. revisited the idea of opening a retail shop in his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Normally, he explained, Penzeys sells $50 gift cards for $35, but his aim was to make up for the customers who had left after he called all Republicans racist. "What if we no longer turned a blind eye to those corporations that lobby and buy politicians to bulldoze the public good for their own gain?" - Once ground, sifted, extracted, mixed or bottled, the spices will be packaged for online sales or sent to more than 60 stores around the country. Rod Dreher is a senior editor atThe American Conservative. "Weve set a nice little Boycott Penzeys! Penzeys Spices has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars this fall promoting Facebook ads long stream-of-consciousness missives supporting impeachment of Trump or railing against the Republican Party and Fox News. While the country drowns in Democratic hypocrisy on everything ranging from the open border to the economy to crime and the collapsing stability of the international order, theres something about how tightly unhinged leftists hang on to their hate. While critics and even other spice companies have questioned this move, Penzys Spices online sales rose 60 percent after one particularly politically-charged newsletter was sent following the 2016 presidential election, so they must be doing something right. That same year, Penzey sent gift boxes of spices to every teacher and support worker in Milwaukees schools including a new blend called Forward as then-Gov. Mixing politics and parsley: Why this spice seller spent $700,000-plus on Facebook ads for Trump's impeachment. Penzeys Spices has not yet responded to a request for comment on the insider's claims or how Penzey's rants have impacted the company's sales. history of the spice trade. Shortly after President Trump was elected as the 45th President of the United States, Penzey's Spice Company founder and CEO Bill Penzey took to Facebook to accuse his supporters of embracing racism.. As he stands behind an imaginary banner of "love and unity," the arrogant little CEO Bill Penzey can't help but reveal how little tolerance he has for anyone who disagrees with his views. Penzey has used his public platform to critique America's mass shootings and to celebrate marriage equality. United States, Bill Penzey sent an e-mail to a few thousand people. Loss of life is always more serious, Walton said about the property damage during the unrest in Kenosha last week. When I lived in Philadelphia, I used to shop at a Penzeys Spices shop in my neighborhood. The two companies have not always coexisted peacefully: a Frank Italiano worked the business until age 83 and passed away in 2006. It manages its successful business with great products, actual kindness and genuine appreciation. The founder has said in the past that his strong political stance might have lost some customers while gaining others in the meantime. "They just agree with his politics and sign up every time he makes the news.". Penzey, Bill; Penzeys One Staff (2008). Quebec Seasonings with any five-dollar purchase. And with the election of Trump, he found an issue that But something else may be afoot with Mr. Penzey. Dan provides unique conservative commentary and analysis of stories that the mainstream mediaFull Bio. I buy all of my spices at my local spice shop, but they have nothing in stock like the Bavarian blend. "That money has hand-picked and elected those Republican politicians willing to place loyalty to their donors ahead of loyalty to their voters.". I do miss their selection of dried chilis.. Feb 1, 2022. The emphasis, as his wife explained, was less on running a business and more on sharing knowledge of the spice trade and philosophy. She started at the Los Angeles Times in 1998, previously covered multiple presidential, state and local races, and completed a Knight-Wallace fellowship at the University of Michigan in 2019. The revelation that Penzey's Spices owner Bill Penzey has spent more than $100,000 boosting a political Facebook post calling for President Trump's impeachment and removal from office has exposed Penzey as a colossal hypocrite. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. Bill, Jr., spun off his own namesake spice For years his public marketing has been about disparaging Republicans and former President Donald Trump. But all of this pales to his reaction to Trump. In our nearly a million years gathered together around the fire, cooking shaped our bodies and transformed our minds. think if you dont care about your customers and what they care about, It won praise from Web sites replenishing inventory. So will Penzeys escape the responsibility for its actions, or will Bill Penzey finally admit that his Facebook posts are ultimately just empty words since it's obvious that he can't be bothered to practice what he preaches. Three weeks later, Penzey attacked political spending in a lengthy Facebook screed. In 2005, then the owner of more than two dozen stores, Penzey founded a food magazine with a . the success of the special, generated such a flood of business that the "Business has been very slow.". Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Penzey finds controversy over his political musings amusing, given the world-changing and often hostility-filled history of the spice trade over millenniums. That same year, they began the William T. Penzey Coffee Co., a coffee and tea store, at N. 33rd and W. Galena streets. paper, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, in February of last year. flaming liberal politics, another spice company awaited with open "In 2017, our retail operations department flat out . The spice CEO told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the company received more than 5,000 responses to the newsletter. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. obviously real. company in 1986; Erd and her husband, Tom, took over her parents business I was especially fond of their Bavarian spice blend. The American Ideas Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, D.C. 2022 The American Conservative, a publication of The American Ideas Institute. his namesake company in the late eighties as a mail-order business. The former Ruth Ann Burns became his partner in life and in business. Not him. unleashing a wave of ugliness unseen in this country for decades, he Penzey, who is married to wife Jeri, has always been a far left liberal and . His wife, Lenore, retired from Pleasoning in 2007. Bill Penzey, Jr. founded Penzeys Spices in 1986 and followed in his parents' footsteps. "So much of the destruction that has happened here in Wisconsin, and has now begun to take place on a national level, has nothing to do with the values of Republican voters and everything to do with behind the scenes unlimited corporate political spending," Penzey's Spices posted on July 12, 2017. For customers who preferred their cardamom pods without a side of This week's inclusion hero is Penzeys Spices, based in Wauwatosa, WI.
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