Penzeys Spices CEO Rips Trump Brand Of Hate, Business Soars

Shortly after the election, Bill Penzey, the CEO of Penzeys Spices, sent out an email decrying the results and the Trump brand of racism and hate that swept the country. It read, in part:

"The open embrace of racism by the Republican Party in this election is now unleashing a wave of ugliness unseen in this country for decades. The American people are taking notice. Let's commit to giving the people a better choice. Our kindness really is our strength."

Since I ask you to read my emails, I feel it's only right that I read each of your replies. In sifting through those replies it was clear that, though not intended, a good number of people seemed to sincerely believe in my statement I was calling all Republicans racists. In the emails of those Republicans who voted for someone other than the party's nominee, I sensed genuine pain at having the strength of character to not go along with what was happening, but nonetheless be grouped in with those who were. I apologize for writing something that caused you pain; that is not the person I want to be. You are your party's future, and you deserve my admiration and respect, and your country's as well.

For the rest of you, you just voted for an openly racist candidate for the presidency of the United States of America. In your defense, most of you did so without thinking of the consequences of your candidate's racism because, for most of you the heartbreaking destruction racism causes has never been anything you or your loved ones have had to experience. But the thing is elections have their consequences. This is no longer sixty years ago. Whether any of us like it or not, for the next four years the 80% of this country who did not just vote for an openly racist candidate are going to treat you like you are the kind of person who would vote for an openly racist candidate.

You can get angry at everyone else for treating you like you just did the thing you just did, or you can take responsibility for your actions and begin to make amends. If you are lucky and younger family members are still coming over for Thanksgiving, before it's too late, take a moment and honestly think about how your actions must look through their eyes. Simply saying "I never thought he'd win" might be enough. But if you have the means, leaving a receipt from a sizable donation to the ACLU or the SPLC accidentally laying around where you carve the turkey, might go over even better.

Right wing Trump apologists were beside themselves in fury and rage. They threatened to bring on a huge boycott and destroy the business.

And they failed miserably.

Apparently, Penzey's email struck a chord with many Americans because business went through the roof:

According to that Dec. 1 email sent to customers, online sales are up 59.9 percent and gift box sales are up 135 percent since those remarks. Apparently, customer loss — even though there were promises of boycott on social media in protest of Penzey's comments — wasn't much of a problem for the spice maker.

"Willing to take a hit for what is right, we did what we did," the company said in Thursday's email. "In the two weeks since, online sales are up 59.9 percent, gift box sales up 135 percent. And we didn't have a catalog arrive in this window this year, while last year we had 1.1 million!

"Yes, maybe for the moment we have lost 3 percent of our customers because of the so-called 'right wing firestorm.' And, yes, they send emails of rage, and ALL CAPS, and bad language with the hope of creating the perception that they are bigger than they really are. But what we learned is that, in terms of retail spending, Donald Trump simply has no one supporting his views for America. He has no constituency."

Looking at the company's Facebook page, the gentle reader can see that the accolades are continuing to pour in, supporting Penzey for his courageous stand.

When I was but a boy, my dear late mother made sure that I knew how to cook so that I could take care of myself when the need arose. Besides teaching me the basics, she also taught me the importance of using the proper ingredients. This included fresh spices from Penzeys. Since then, I refuse to use anything but in cooking my meals. It really is that good.

Kudos to Bill Penzey for putting his personal reputation and his business on the line in order to take a stand for Americans and American values. If only we had more business and civic leaders who show real leadership like he does.

RIP Bill Penzey, Sr.

Bill Penzey, founder of The Spice House and the Penzey Spices business, passed away at the age of 78 due to an apparent heart attack:

Spices became a sort of metaphor for his life. Ever the philosopher, Penzey could taste the ancient tangents of thought like a thread of saffron on the tongue. Work was meditation for Penzey, who found plenty of both as he ground and mixed his spice blends, always by hand.

"Bill believed spices were calling us," Ruth Penzey, his wife, once said. "Certainly they called him. He has had a love affair with spices, and he just couldn't know enough about them."

William T. Penzey Sr. died of an apparent heart attack Wednesday evening as he walked home from their little Wauwatosa shop. He was 78.

He became the patriarch and inspiration for the Penzey family spice businesses. His son and daughters continue the family tradition. In separate corporate enterprises, the next generation now runs the downtown Milwaukee location started by their parents and has expanded to new stores in Wisconsin and beyond, and into online sales.

Bill and Ruth opened their transition-into-retirement store at 1244 N. Glenview Ave. in Wauwatosa.

There Penzey did what he called "spice work." The emphasis, as his wife explained, was less on running a business and more on sharing knowledge of the spice trade and philosophy. The smaller operation also allowed them to close, even for a month at a time, if they wanted to.

The former Ruth Ann Burns became his partner in life and in business. They married in 1957.

That same year, they began the William T. Penzey Coffee Co., a coffee and tea store, at N. 33rd and W. Galena streets. Within the next decade, it became The Spice House, specializing in spices and herbs.

I remember when I was but a wee lad, my folks would take me with them on their regular trips to The Spice House. It was one of the few times that I actually enjoyed going shopping with them because as soon as you entered their store, you were transported to a whole new world just by your sense of smell.

While my folks and the Penzeys were chatting away, I would entertain myself by either going from jar to jar to drink up the scents of the cinnamon, the nutmeg, the rosemary and all the other herbs and spices. Sometimes I would just stand there and absorb the aroma of all the spices mixed together, wishing there was some way to capture that smell and bottle it to be savored on later occasions.

As I grew up, my mom taught me how to cook. Most of the dishes she taught me were basic meals, but whether plain country cooking or something more elegant, she always told me that the best way to make it delicious, healthier and less expensive was to use fresh spices and seasonings like you could get at Penzey's.

After I got married, I thought I'd be frugal and just buy some cheap off the grocery store variety of spices. I did that once. I haven't bought one spice or seasoning or herb that did not have the Penzey label on it in over ten years.

If you haven't already, give them a try. They got stores everywhere. You won't be sorry.