Newsmaker Interview: Jeffrey Metz

FM sat down with President/CEO Jeffrey Metz of newly renamed Metz Culinary Management for a quick interview to get his thought following the company's rebranding initiative rollout. Some highlights...

Were there any operational changes that accompanied this rebranding initiative?

"It’s really just the brand. We’re working on strengthening our name. To this point, there really has been no clear definition of who we are and what we do as a company. Metz has a great reputation, but we wanted to make sure that what we do and what we stand for is a bit more clear in our name."

Were there any particular trends in the industry that prompted this change?

I definitely wanted to emphasize our culinary side. We’re very strong on culinary—it’s our expertise, basically—but I wanted to make sure people know we are in the culinary management business. We are a restaurant-inspired company, we have restaurants in our portfolio, and to me, the best things about a restaurant are the chef-created food and the great diner-friendly environment. So I think, being restaurant-inspired, we need to characterize our entire company as one that has that hospitality mindset. And that means treating guests in a hospital, for example, as if they were in a very attentive restaurant.

How do you see the competitive environment in the management company sector, especially as regards the so-called “Big Three” vis a vis regional independents like Metz?

They’re all great companies, but I think the fact that we’re managed as a family lets us be a lot more nimble than some of the bigger companies and to be able to give great personalized support.

Does this rebranding signal any change in the types of accounts Metz will be targeting?

I don’t think so. I think we have some great partnerships out there and we’re going to continue to grow, but I don’t think it’s going to change the kinds of accounts we’re looking for.

You are pretty diversified…

We are. We’re in healthcare, we have environmental services, we have corporate dining, higher education, K-12—I think we’re the second largest K-12 provider in Pennsylvania, actually.

Do you sense any shift in market perceptions about management companies in general, especially among public institutions?

I think it’s becoming more positive and it gives us a great opportunity to capitalize on it and grow our business.