Staff Spotlight: Tony

Tony has been part of the AllSpice team for a few years now, and splits his time between the retail location in the East Village and our production facility in West Des Moines. If you're a regular visitor of the shop or the Des Moines Civic Center, he probably looks familiar.

We recently chatted with Tony about food, AllSpice, and more, and here's what he had to say: 

What do you like to cook?

Tony cooks daily, and based on the treats he brings in to share with us, we know his heart is in baking. "I love baking - especially pies!" he says. His favorite is rhubarb custard, and we agree... it's darn tasty!I 

How did you originally learn about AllSpice?

"I was out strolling the East Village and the aroma lured me in," he told us. Turns out he loved it so much he couldn't leave, so we started paying him!

What’s your favorite food?

Based on his love of baking, one might think he's got a soft spot for sweets, but Tony told us, "I’m actually addicted to cheese and potato chips and am currently in need of a support group."

We're pretty sure he's found his "support group" in the AllSpice team. We're not sure we are helping, though... we keep a bowl full of a variety of lunch-sized packages of potato chips for snacking on throughout the day.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

We learned that he's basically "eye-talian!" Tony shared his experience with us living in Italy for 10 weeks as an exchange student, and it sounds like a blast.

Other fun facts about Tony is that he's built a bit of an eclectic resume - he's been a teacher, an EMT-B, a pharmacy technician, and, now a spice guru. Oh, and he's made chocolate shakes for Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton.

What do you like to do when you’re not at the shop/warehouse?
"You'll find me breaking out the leg warmers!"

Tony loves nature and spending time strolling around Des Moines' many parks. When he's not walking there - or at AllSpice - you'll find him at the Civic Center, sometimes slingin' cocktails.

What do you like most about working at AllSpice?

Like most of the AllSpice team, Tony loves learning. "As a former educator, I love learning about our products and passing what I learn along to our customers. It's my favorite part of the job." 

What’s your favorite guilty (culinary) pleasure?

"There are too many to list (have we talked about cheese and potato chips?!?). I can spend hours watching all the food shows on Iowa Public Television. Everything looks so good!"

Make sure to say hi to Tony the next time you bump into him at the shop, the Civic Center, or at the park.