Brian Zuzartee brings a chef’s perspective to his role as a sales associate at Foundry Kitchens. Before joining the team nearly three years ago, he spent more than two decades in professional kitchens, including restaurant openings, regional operations and chef leadership roles across Canada.
Today, Brian helps clients think through equipment, workflow, budget and functionality, with a clear understanding of what a kitchen needs once service begins.
Below, Brian talks about moving from the kitchen to sales, building trust with chefs and why Foundry’s integrated approach helps clients make better decisions.
You spent 23 years as a chef before joining Foundry. What led you to make the move into sales?
“For me, the biggest thing was work-life balance. It was tough working day and night for long hours with your phone constantly going off all the time with calls and emails. I took a bit of time off to figure out what I wanted to do next, and then I had the opportunity to come to Foundry. It’s been a really good fit. Coming from the chef’s side, I understand the equipment talk. When I’m talking to a chef, I get it.”
How does your background as a chef help you support Foundry clients?
“When chefs are opening a restaurant, they’re excited. They want the best kitchen and the best equipment.
But the biggest thing is functionality. Is it going to work in the space? Is it going to support the way the kitchen needs to run? Sometimes people are excited about certain items, but those items may not be the right fit.
Because I’ve worked in kitchens, I can have that conversation in a practical way. I understand what happens during service, and I think that helps clients trust me.”
How would you describe your approach to sales?
“I don’t really consider myself just a salesperson. For me, it’s about building a relationship with each client.
Earning the trust of chefs and restaurant owners is not easy because they’re investing significant money in these decisions. You have to understand what they’re trying to do, be honest about what will work, and help them make good choices.
When everything comes together and the restaurant is working well, that’s the best part. It’s nice to see someone succeed.”
What do you like about working at Foundry?
“I like that there are so many skilled people here, and everyone brings something different to the project.
It starts with design. We have a great design team, and then it comes to equipment, budget, project management and coordination. Our project managers and project coordinators are very skilled and hardworking.
When a client comes in with a vision, we have the team here to help them work through the full scope. I think that makes Foundry very strong.”
What do clients rely on you for?
“They rely on us to understand what they need, what fits and what makes sense for their budget.
A client may come in with a vision, and our job is to help make that vision realistic. Sometimes that means finding the right equipment. Sometimes it means making a small change that improves the flow or makes the kitchen more functional.
At the end of the day, the kitchen has to work. That’s always the goal.”
What is your kitchen like at home?
“It’s organized. Very organized.
I love knives and different kitchen tools, so I have a lot of interesting gadgets at home. But after working in kitchens for so long, everything has its place. My spices are labelled. The fridge is organized. Bottles are facing forward. It’s first in, first out.
That routine just sticks with you.”