" peradventure it ’s my little way to give back . "
A few weeks ago, the internet had a field day after the Chipotle CEOsuggestedthat to get bigger portion sizes, all you need to do is give the employee the look. 👀
This week, another food executive is going viral, but for morepositivereasons. Meet Don Vultaggio, the chairperson and cofounder of Arizona Iced Tea:
In aninterview with theToday Show, Don explained why he hasn’t raised the price on his 99-cent cans (which have been the same price since 1992) for more profit:
“We’re successful. We’re debt-free. We own everything. Why? Why have people who are having a hard time paying their rent pay more for our drink?”
“Maybe it’s my little way to give back,” he added.
Since the interview made the rounds onTikTokandTwitter, hundreds of people have praised Don’s surprisingly anti-greed perspective. On Twitter,one userwrote, “this is how ceos should act instead of being so greedy and money hungry.”
this is how ceos should act instead of being so grabby and money hungry
In another viral tweet that received 7.1 million views,user @ZwiezenZwrote, “Imagine not chasing endless growth and squeezing your staff and customers endlessly until it all crumbles. What a fucking concept?!”
Imagine running a job that is successful and healthy and just …. being well-chosen with that . Imagine not tag endless increment and squash your staff and customers endlessly until it all crumbles . What a fucking concept?!https://t.co / TsWItKL6x2
On TikTok, commenterssaidthey would start buying or switching to Arizona, even if they didn’t already buy it.
People were…ridiculously supportive.
Others compared Don’s strategy to that of Costco cofounder Jim Sinegal, whoonce reportedlytold CEO Craig Jelinek, “If you raise the effing hot dog, I will kill you. Figure it out,” after Jelinek requested a price raise on the $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, which has been the same pricesince 1985.
Don, who said he has “never texted or emailed anybody” (or ever opened up a laptop or computer, according to his son),toldTodayhe’s a little old-school when it comes to strategy. He said, “I’m focused on things like if my wife, my mother, my sister worked here, what would I want them to have? Maybe that’s an old-fashioned Brooklyn thing, but to me, that’s what makes business work.”
THE DONpic.twitter.com/TigJKF8487
So, while Don noted he can’t promise the can’s price will never change, he said, “Not in the foreseeable future. We’re gonna fight as hard as we can for consumers because consumers are my friend.”
Thanks, Don!
And for that I say thank you .
