This is San Diego week here at the T60 blog. We took a trip out west last Monday and Tuesday for a shoot, and I did my best to accumulate some good material to write about.

First-up, I was THRILLED to see that Chicago-based celebrity chef Rick Bayless has a Frontera Grill spinoff in O’Hare Airport’s American Airlines terminal called Frontera Tortas. If you’re not familiar with Bayless, you’re probably not a foodie. Suffice to say, he’s one of our nation’s best chefs and his specialty is Mexican cuisine.

What struck me is he didn’t miss a beat with this grab-n-go food stand. My sandwich was outstanding… second best breakfast sandwich I have ever eaten (The Commuter at La Grande Orange Grocery in Phoenix remains the champ)… but the other thing was that he didn’t miss a beat marketing-wise.

There are two TVs in the small bar area where you can eat. One was tuned to the Olympics, the other was tuned to Mexico: One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless… his TV show.

I’m sure they just run episode after episode on a loop, and why not? There have to be tons of people passing through O’Hare who have never heard of Rick Bayless, so why not take the opportunity to introduce him using the best means available… video.

Bayless is one of the most decorated chefs in the country, but he doesn’t rely on his ability in the kitchen to make an impression. He uses well-produced video to carry his passion for Mexican food to as many people as possible.

Business leaders could learn a thing or two from him… one torta at a time.

–Tony Gnau

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