More often than not, those we meet cooking and serving food to feed those in need are Republicans. Thats what America is about. for ten dollars. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. If youve never ordered from The Spice House before, use the promo code NOPOLITICS to get free shipping on your first order. paper, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, in February of last year. Its a level of notoriety Penzey says he never sought for himself or his company, but he said he felt compelled to speak out because of the danger he believes Trumps presidency poses. Kristi Walton, the owner of Sweet Impact Chocolates in Kenosha, encouraged Penzey to reach out to the Uptown Kenosha Facebook page through Twitter. Conservatives take, with a caption claiming that Penzey had gone full By Amy Rabideau Silvers of the Journal Sentinel. But thats not the case. 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. Bill Penzey, the outspoken chief executive officer of Penzeys Spices, wrote in a newsletter to his customers last week that he intended to "loot" his own store in Kenosha and give away spices and seasonings to food pantries. But his . Years ago, Bill Penzey invited his in-laws to live in the family duplex - and gave them the nicer half - because of what family meant. Human life means everything; stuff, not so much.. 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. Earlier this year, Penzeys Spices unveiled its latest blend a salt-free chive and garlic mix for sprinkling on tomatoes, scrambled eggs or salmon. The giveaway idea was spurred by a letter sent to Penzey that said he would be singing a different tune if his own . a philosopher and storyteller who liked to put his customers to work grinding spices as he off-handedly lectured about the lore and Penzey, a bespectacled, rosy-cheeked man in his middle years, founded Even better, they make a Bavarian seasoning! His views are his views. 10 Accomplishments of the First Two Years of the Biden-Harris Administration. Goodbye, Penzeys - Facebook Penzey clocked in with $92,000 in spending on Facebook advertising from September 29 to October 5, 2019. You didnt want to go there, because the guy couldnt stand kids, and you felt that he was constantly hovering over you judging you for failing to live up to his extremely particular standards. Lets commit to giving the people a better choice. You may well lose a chunk of your AM Other promotions and commentary have supported issues like truth in science and praising Democratic election victories. 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. But instead of printing a recipe on the label of Justice seasoning, the owner of the company sent a pointed message to his customers: Justice is the light that has guided America through every storm. I buy all of my spices at my local spice shop, but they have nothing in stock like the Bavarian blend. When thinking about recreating your favorite flavors from far-off lands, Milwaukee, Wisconsin seems like an unlikely locale for sourcing those ingredients, but the city is actually the birthplace of the one of the United States' foremost spice retailers. position to advocate for progressive values. Penzeys Spices CEO renames MLK Day 'Republicans are racist weekend' Its an unusual and risky move for any business; most typically try to avoid alienating half their customer base. Publicly available data about Facebook ads also revealed that Penzey spent almost $120,000 from October 28, 2019 on blatantly anti-Trump ads. Bill Penzey, Sr., was a philosopher and storyteller who liked to put his customers to work grinding spices as he off-handedly lectured about the lore and history of the spice trade. Make this right. "Family was important to him, his wife and us kids and the . elitist lefty. A conservative food blogger declared his intent to Loss of life is always more serious, Walton said about the property damage during the unrest in Kenosha last week. Penzey refuses to be silent on social issues. Scott Walker went to war with the teachers union. to celebrate the It was the '80s and mail-order catalogues were all the rage, so in1986 Penzey Jr. decided to create a mail-order spice catalogue (via Refrence for Business). "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. They did, and in a follow-up email, Penzey attempted to lure them back by offering two $25 Penzeys gift cards for $35. Dan provides unique conservative commentary and analysis of stories that the mainstream mediaFull Bio. With Mr. Trump not in power, whats a hater to do? Isnt that great? September 4, 2020 6:14 pm CDT. 'Sooo he wants to go out of business?' Penzeys Spices - Twitchy In the past year, Penzey has used his business as a platform to deliver If someone is very passionate about it and has businesses and services available to community members in uptown and downtown, theyre going to want to help them rebuild and get going again.. Penzeys Spices - Wikipedia Milwaukee had a socialist tradition here; even in the times of the Red Scare it was tough to vote them out, Penzey said. Here Are 10 Alternatives to Penzeys Spices - Minnesota Right Now Got that? Simply saying I never thought hed win might be enough. anniversary of the Supreme Courts decision on marriage equality. Theres a happy ending here. Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Penzeys says the spice blend comes from, or is at least inspired by, the cooking of owner Bill Penzey Jr.s grandmother. 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 . Penzey sent a customer newsletter in the fall of 2020 saying that he intended to "loot" his own stores and send free inventory to food pantries. Penzey has used his public platform to critique America's mass shootings and to celebrate marriage equality. Penzeys Spices founder and CEO Bill Penzey Jr. sent out a newsletter promoting a deal offering three spices and 10 . Despite this possibility of losing customers, Penzey Jr. has continued to use his platform to make the company's left-leaning beliefs known. Since I ask you to read my emails, I feel its only right that I read each of your replies. Penzeys Spices CEO renames MLK Day 'Republicans are racist weekend' Mr. Penzey sent a rambling missive to his companys list of customers declaring Martin Luther King Jr. Day as All Republicans Are Racist Day. Heres what he sent to his customers: Racism Update: At Penzeys we believe its not the use of tools that set us on a different path from the rest of the animal world; what has set humanity in motion is cooking. In 2010, amid the battle over immigration crackdowns in Arizona, Penzey created the Arizona Dreaming spice blend. In the catalogue, Penzey Jr. shared photographs and stories of his adventures with customers. presidency of the United States of Americawent viral, earning coverage everywhere from USA Today to Fox News. Appealing to the worst in people may have worked for him briefly as the Democrats had their meltdowns over Mr. Trump. Nobody can be replaced, and buildings can be. It was just one more way Penzey lived his life. How do we get the [new] customers to see all the good things set in motion when you take the time to cook for the people in your life, Penzey said. Im just here for the spices.. It's called Penzey's Spices. The independent spice retailer isnt shy about mixing politics and business, and Penzey said that the giveaway was inspired by the Milwaukee Bucks walking out of the playoffs after the Jacob Blake shooting last month. dont be surprised to see your promotions suddenly, finally, find active George Wallace. I notice some are closing now. never bring politics or personal opinions into our spice company, they 6 Places to Put on Your Southeastern Wisconsin Bucket List. Penzey unabashedly shares his political views with his customer base. All Rights Reserved. Crains story from 2009 describeda palpable tension between brother and sister. But all of this pales to his reaction to Trump. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. [10] Penzey was widely criticized for this email, with 40,000 people unsubscribing from their newsletter, however, Penzey stated that 30,000 new people had signed up to their newsletter. Whether by nature or nurture, he became very much his own man. This treasure map says so, How L.A.s Doug Emhoff became the White Houses voice against antisemitism, His family saved a girl from Nazis. On July 6, 2017, two years after Trump kicked off his Presidential campaign by calling Mexican Price: $4.49 for a 4-ounce bag. Bill Penzey doing what he does best: annoying Republicans. 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. Somewhat ironic considering Kings message of hope and unity. Spice seller Bill Penzey says he felt compelled to speak out because of the danger he believes Trumps presidency poses. He urged other Major influences included Russian mystic George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff and Zen Buddhism. He's not easy," his son explained, speaking in a 1994 profile. [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. [6], In 2012, Penzeys had 67 retail locations in 29 states. For customers who preferred their cardamom pods without a side of Our Wisconsin A freelance reporter covering crime, community and social issues, Ethan Duran is based in Milwaukee. 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. I know lots of good men and women who voted for Trump, and the idea that Bill Penzey despises them puts me off of his business for good. Bill Penzey Jr., 58, who founded the . The C.E.O. Who Called Trump a Racist (and Sold a Lot of Spice Mix) The initiative was in response to Kenosha business lootings after the shooting of Jacob Blake. But Im not about to spend a solitary sou, farthing, or pfennig in the store of a merchant who has such open contempt for people like me. He was 78. Although it reached a peak of 67 retail locations in 2012, the COVID-19 pandemic led to some permanent store closures, which left the company with 53 locations. But the thing is elections have their consequences. I want other businesses to look at what were doing, Penzey said while writing new Facebook ads at his home. He wrote in part: Remember how Republicans, going against a mountain of evidence to the contrary, once again lied and said BLM wasnt a peaceful movement, but instead terrorists inciting violence throughout the country and then raced out to buy a crapload of guns because maybe they were finally going to get their chance to shoot a Black person? 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. You never know who among your customer base (or your potential customer It manages its successful business with great products, actual kindness and genuine appreciation. e-mail in which he assailed the food media, critiqued my past Im giving thanks to everyone who stands up to remain honest, caring, loving, merciful, and humane in these difficult days.. 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. So stupid. What's his net worth? This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 12:26. felt the need to distance her business from Penzeys: the two of them He said that period taught him that when government actually spends taxpayer dollars on things that benefit taxpayers, the buses run on time, the streets get plowed, the schools are good.. His parents divorced and finally the courts ordered Bill, 8, into foster care. into a subjective debate over which cinnamon is the best! Erd wrote. Work was meditation for Penzey, who found plenty of both as he ground and mixed his spice blends, always by hand. boycott the company, going so far as to mock up a satirical jar of The line crossed us, the soft-spoken 56-year-old said in the kitchen of his home. After Losing the Supreme Court, Will Wisconsin Conservatives Exploit the State Constitution to Maintain Power? businesss bottom line. How the Republican Party sold out to Fox and its owners and ultimately arrived on the same page as Russia is one for the history books to work out.. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Trump dangles prospect of pardons for Jan. 6 defendants if reelected, Supreme Court vacancy offers Biden, Democrats a chance to energize voters after setbacks, For 40 years he blamed himself for a girls murder. Penzey, who is married to wife Jeri, has always been a far left liberal and . victory in the special Senate election in Alabama. "Weve set a nice little Boycott Penzeys! Before Penzey Jr.'s politics put him in the national spotlight, his collection of hard to find herbs and spices gained a sizable following with home cooks across the country. Ethan Duran, Last Updated If a marketing strategy ever needed medication, this would be it. Penzeys Spices and the business of hate - Washington Times A few days after Penzeys e-mails exploded onto the national [7] In March 2020, Penzeys announced closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He tries to pay attention all the time to details, and to develop his life. in 1992. "It was like what was happening in this little Wauwatosa store was connected with the world.". Ethan Duran With a twinkle in his eye - and usually a reference to some bit of philosophy or history - Bill Penzey Sr. loved nothing better than talking with his customers at The Spice House. Conservatives must distinguish between the science of economics and the art of political economy. Im a conservative who did not vote for Trump, but I dont want any part of Bill Penzeys sanctimony and condescension. How can we use that same thing to do something a little bit different?. "I can't begin to count the number of customers who agree with [Penzey's] politics, but then say they don't like his nastiness," the insider says. It was not, however, a coincidence that Erd I used to use their spices faithfully. He lost nearly a tenth of his subscribers. When visiting a Penzeys Spices location,The Kitchn appreciated the sensory elements of the shop, writing "A small bowl of the spice was set out so you could take a whiff or even have a taste if you wanted to. The American people are taking notice. Facebook page. "It was significant," the insider says. Feel free to let Penzey Spice Co. CEO know how you feel about his Seema Mehta is a veteran political writer who is covering the 2024 California Senate race as well as other state and national contests. He has criticized former President Donald Trump and has promoted racial justice. 7 talking about this. He came in second only to Trump himself, who spent over $700,000 in pro-Trump advertising. He worked so hard to keep family together, because of the way he grew up.". - anyone in need of a new spice purveyor: free shipping to those who used The result is a sea of milquetoast It may have been mere coincidence that she chose to single out cinnamon News/Talk 1130 WISN, Milwaukee's Talk Station, Mark Belling, Jay Weber, Dan O'Donnell, Vicki McKenna, the official Penzey's Spices Facebook page posted on January 16, 2017, post on the Penzey's Spices page on June 20, 2017, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. This is the future, he told his home-town When I wrote asking for an interview last month, he In 2019, The New York Times reported that Penzey had spent the second-highest total on Facebook ads related to Trump and impeachment. Penzey spiced up customers' lives
