2024 Hall of Fame award winner
Bob Bruno
RJ Bruno International
Many of the Italian specialty foods that are ubiquitous in the U.S. today owe their success at least in part to Bob Bruno, who has been at the forefront of importing olive oils, cheeses, and other products from Italy and building their popularity in the states.
The founder of RJ Bruno International has spent more than four decades connecting some of the best Italian food producers with U.S. consumers who seek to enjoy the quality and craftsmanship of European artisanal food making.
Although Bruno had spent some of his early adulthood in Italy, where he developed an appreciation for the country’s food craft, he actually got his start in the specialty food industry working for Amazon Coffee & Tea Co. The owners soon after began to use their alternative company name, De Choix Specialty Foods, which imported products from France, as well as other countries. Before long he met the leaders of the Colavita olive oil company, who were seeking to expand their distribution in the U.S.
In 1984, he became the first marketing director for Colavita in the U.S., and helped spearhead the adoption of extra virgin olive oil across the country. At the same time, he formed RJ Bruno International, and began representing Colavita and a handful of other companies.
“It was more about representation,” rather than strictly a brokerage, Bruno said of his company, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. “It was food-based, culture-based, and education-based.”
He noted that when he started in the business, specialty foods were still largely a niche industry, for the most part.
“Even in the first 20 years I was in the industry, people weren’t into all of those imported specialty foods,” said Bruno.
Bruno went on to help lead the expansion of other specialty food companies in the U.S., including Musco Food Corp., Fabbri USA, and most recently, Galvanina, an importer of mineral waters. During his time as president and chief operating officer of Fabbri North America, Bruno helped spread the popularity of Fabbri Amarena cherries throughout the American marketplace, and also played a key role in the rapid expansion of the market for gelato ingredients in the U.S.
The founder of RJ Bruno International has spent more than four decades connecting some of the best Italian food producers with U.S. consumers who seek to enjoy the quality and craftsmanship of European artisanal food making.
Although Bruno had spent some of his early adulthood in Italy, where he developed an appreciation for the country’s food craft, he actually got his start in the specialty food industry working for Amazon Coffee & Tea Co. The owners soon after began to use their alternative company name, De Choix Specialty Foods, which imported products from France, as well as other countries. Before long he met the leaders of the Colavita olive oil company, who were seeking to expand their distribution in the U.S.
In 1984, he became the first marketing director for Colavita in the U.S., and helped spearhead the adoption of extra virgin olive oil across the country. At the same time, he formed RJ Bruno International, and began representing Colavita and a handful of other companies.
“It was more about representation,” rather than strictly a brokerage, Bruno said of his company, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. “It was food-based, culture-based, and education-based.”
He noted that when he started in the business, specialty foods were still largely a niche industry, for the most part.
“Even in the first 20 years I was in the industry, people weren’t into all of those imported specialty foods,” said Bruno.
Bruno went on to help lead the expansion of other specialty food companies in the U.S., including Musco Food Corp., Fabbri USA, and most recently, Galvanina, an importer of mineral waters. During his time as president and chief operating officer of Fabbri North America, Bruno helped spread the popularity of Fabbri Amarena cherries throughout the American marketplace, and also played a key role in the rapid expansion of the market for gelato ingredients in the U.S.