Jojo is back in the house!
In 2014, after we opened our shop and it was successful, Merrill and I realized we needed to put together an experienced team. Industry friends kept asking us to hire Jojo Feld. So we did it. It didn’t take long for me to recognize her strengths. She had a nose for great products that no one else was selling. Partners loved them. And she was a team builder.
Photo by Food52
Photo by Food52
It also didn’t take long to become clear that she wasn’t going to be a team member who did what we said. We would have lively debates about what should and shouldn’t go into our shop. She was our kind of person. She also liked beer – relatives!
Photo by Food52
Jojo stayed with us for seven years as the shop grew into the core of our business. Jojo brought Seedlip to the US market, sourced vintage jewelry like the Poterie Renault collection, found exclusives like our gold-dipped pinch bowls, invented Mugs52, and initiated collaborations like Food52 x Hawkins New York dinnerware.
She also planned team trips (to Manitoga, Russel Wright’s home and studio), magician events, and Halloween parties with a costume parade for team members’ children and their dogs.
Jojo is an important part of what made Food52 special. Following her departure in 2021, she spent time in Martha Land and the world of fine dining with Daniel Humm’s Make It Nice group and then led growth at leading home goods show Shoppe Object.
But – finally! – we’ve found Jojo back, this time as our GM, leading all aspects of Food52’s business. Not just our shop, but also our content and everything else we do. Get ready for a curated cascade of must-have products for your kitchen and home, crazy community events, amazing recipes and smart home content. She comes back with a whole new perspective on how we can do better.
I look forward to having controversial discussions with her about the merits of mustard versus moss green table linens. Welcome back, Jojo!
Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at The New York Times. I have written several books, including Cooking for Mr. Latte and The Essential New York Times Cookbook. I played myself in “Julie & Julia” – I hope you didn’t bat an eyelid or you might have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband Tad and twins Walker and Addison.