In 1994, these childhood friends decided to start a food company to produce a line of unique products with a scope and flavor perspective unlike any other products on the market. It was their goal to make the everyday consumer a chef at home. They wanted their food products to elevate the everyday eating experience by providing the ingredients necessary to prepare quick, easy to make, but great tasting meals that their customers could feel proud to serve to their friends and families.

The development of their product line was based on the premise that life should be enjoyed around the table, bringing family and friends together.  HEB Grocery Stores bought into their premise and created an exclusive partnership with the new company. Ten years later, Cookwell & Company is going strong; offering over 60 products with plans to extend their reach to Mexico and Europe in 2014.

Cookwell & Company was created to provide the basic flavor profiles for some of the best-loved dishes in America – gumbo, chili, Mexican chile-based stews, Mexican seafood dishes in the style of Veracruz, and Italian Cacciatore dishes – in a jar. All the consumer has to do is add meat and/or seafood. Cookwell does the slicing, dicing, mincing & pureeing, adding just the right combinations of spices and fresh herbs, allowing the consumer to serve nutritious, delicious meals within the constraints of his or her busy lifestyle.  Today, Cookwell & Company produces salsas, marinades, glazes, dessert sauces, BBQ sauces, quesos, salad dressings, soups and more. Also worth noting is that almost every product is Gluten-free!

Using all natural, premium ingredients has been a key focus of Cookwell’s since the company’s inception. The owners of Cookwell believe that you don’t need artificial flavors and preservatives to make a good product. In fact, they’re convinced that those artificial ingredients and chemicals take away from the true taste of the ingredients. That’s why they work tirelessly to find and source only the best and freshest fruits and vegetables to produce their products. “Because we are so careful about what we put into our products, it’s really easy to stand behind them” says Will Petty. But using quality ingredients is just the beginning of what it means to “Cookwell.”  They believe that cooking well is the key to living well. “When I think of living well” Kyle Green explains, “it’s about getting family and friends together, and what better way to do that than with food.”

To see the full line of products, visit www.Cookwell.net.

For media inquiries, contact Cynthia Smoot at 214-232-2401 or cynthia@gangwayadvertising.com

All Waitressville Uniforms are washable and hold their color amazingly.   One of Waitressville’s best features are the Bra-Friendly styles.  Almost all of Waitressville’s tops and dresses are Bra-Friendly, which is just another feature of Waitressville that keeps your staff looking great!  The tops, bottoms and accessories are mix and match so a restaurant can create a custom look without the expense of a custom design.  There are NO MINIMUMS (and bulk discounts!), so you have the freedom to outfit your entire staff or have special uniforms for ‘the big game’ or holidays!

“What you wear says everything about who you are and what you stand for,” says Waitressville founder and head designer Terra Saunders (pictured right).  For most establishments, outfitting their employee’s means handing them a T-shirt with the company logo on it or a golf shirt paired with chinos.  Saunders seeks to combine fashion with function and bring a more discerning approach to restaurant brands with her designs.

Waitressville also creates unique one-of-a-kind uniforms for restaurants as well.  The minimums for this are larger, but the look is all your own! Whether you operate a restaurant, bar, bowling alley or other form of entertainment venue, your employees serve as representatives and their look speaks volumes about your brand to the consumer.

Saunders has always had an obsession with uniforms.   “A uniform means you belong to something, whether it’s the Girl Scouts or a sports team.  It’s a status symbol of sorts and as a kid I just wanted to belong. I wanted a uniform,” muses Saunders.  Her dream came true when she joined the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in 1995.

Her dance background and experience with the Cowboys gave her the confidence to start Dallaswear Uniforms in 1998, designing dance apparel for other Pro Cheerleader teams.

Dallaswear currently outfits cheerleading and dance teams including the San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Stars and Oklahoma City Thunder – just to name a few.

In 2009, the owner of Twin Peaks Restaurant approached Saunders and asked her to design a “sexy lumberjack” uniform for his company.  Based on that successful partnership, Breastaurant Uniforms was created and is the undisputed leader for this niche of the food service industry.  Current clients include Double D Ranch (TN/LA), Whisky River (NC/FL), and Bone Daddy’s House of Smoke (TX).

Not wanting to limit her creativity (or income potential) Saunders has just launched Waitressville to provide restaurant owners worldwide with a one-stop shopping portal to purchase more fashionable apparel for their staff or the opportunity to design a look that’s completely unique for each brand.  Restaurant owners and managers can easily customize uniform styles, colors and logos directly online.

Media Contact:

Cynthia Smoot, Gangway
cynthia@gangwayadvertising.com
214-265-7976

On April 15, 2013 tragedy struck at the Boston Marathon when 2 bombs exploded near the finish line turning this annual celebration into a bloody scene of destruction. 3 people were killed and more than 260 injured. Those who were in the most critical of condition were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital where doctors worked around the clock to save lives.

In Charlotte, NC, a nurse named Nancy James was watching the events in Boston unfold on the news and wanted to do something to help. So, she asked for donations from her co-workers at the intensive care unit (ICU) at Carolinas Medical Center and with the $126 she collected, sent a pizza lunch to ICU nurses at Mass General Hospital.

And she thought that was the end of the story.

Two days later a fertilizer plant exploded in West, TX. At least 15 people were killed, more than 160 were injured and over 150 buildings were damaged or destroyed.  Those who were the most severely injured were sent to nearby Waco, TX where they were treated at Hillcrest Hospital.  Nancy’s gesture of a pizza lunch had touched Boston ER Dr. Chris Kabrahel and on April 19, he sent pizza’s to the ER staff at Hillcrest Hospital, “Thanks for all of your hard work,” said the handwritten note in black marker. “From one member of the E. R. family, Chris Kabrhel – Mass General Hospital.”

And he thought that was the end of the story.

Trace Arnold was volunteering in West, Tx when he first heard about the pizza’s sent by Dr. Kabrahel.  Arnold is also known as “The Rib Whisperer” and in addition to owning 3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House in Frisco, TX he also operates The Ultimate Smoker and Grill – an 18-wheeler mammoth machine that can slow smoke more than 2,000 lbs of meat, 1,000 hot dogs, 500 hamburgers or 200 steaks at one time.  When news broke of the explosion, Trace issued a “wheels up” order to his team and they headed down I-35 to help their fellow Texans by feeding over 6,000 victims and relief workers over a 3-day period.  Jill Barton was a volunteer helping Trace and his team in West in the days after the explosion first occurred. Her husband was a surgeon at Hillcrest Hospital in Waco and as Jill relayed the story of the pizza delivery to Trace, he got the idea to do something to say “thank you” to the hospital in Boston who had acted so selflessly during their own time of tragedy.

Arnold called Delta Airlines, who donated airline tickets and on April 24, 2013, Arnold and 5 coolers of ribs were on a flight to Boston where they served 250 of the ER staff at Mass General Hospital in Boston. The story made headlines across the country on sites like CNN, Huffington Post, Good Morning America, ABC News and Southern Living.

And Trace thought that was the end of the story. 

One of the TV stations that contacted us during this Boston trip was WBTV out of Charlotte, NC. They alerted us to the story of nurse Nancy James and her role in starting this entire pay-it-forward movement.  So, Trace Arnold decided to keep the movement going… Turns out that he was scheduled to be in Charlotte as a part of the HISTORY Channel’s Cross-Country Cookout Tour. Coincidence or destiny?! Trace contacted his partners at HISTORY and the scheming began to bring the story full-circle and pay it back to Nancy James.

On May 23, Trace Arnold met up with WBTV’s Good News reporter Kristen Hampton. They were waiting in a conference room at Carolinas Medical Center when Nancy James walked in to the surprise of her life: a bear hug from The Rib Whisperer, a pizza dinner from local eatery Fuel Pizza and 6 VIP Clubhouse passes to the HISTORY 300 that weekend. Nancy didn’t know what to say – she was scheduled to work Saturday. Not to worry! Unbeknownst to Nancy, a co-worker had already volunteered to cover her shift that day.

Nancy had never been to the Charlotte Motor Speedway and when she caught up with Trace at the event on Saturday she said to him, “You know, I never did any of this for attention…. I did it because I’ve been a victim of that kind of disaster.”  Trace had to ask, “What tragedy were you in?”

Her answer literally left him speechless.

Turns out Nancy was a survivor of the Grand Forks, North Dakota flood of 1997.  It was the most severe flood of the river since 1826. The flood reached throughout the Red River Valley, affecting the cities of Fargo and Winnipeg, but none so greatly as in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, where floodwaters reached over 3 miles (4.8 km) inland, inundating virtually everything in the twin communities. Total damages for the Red River region were US$3.5 billion.

And THIS is where the story really comes full-circle. 

Turns out the paint wasn’t even dry on Trace Arnold’s new 18-wheeler Ultimate Smoker & Grill creation in 1997 when the flood occured. It was the first time Trace gave the “wheels up” order to this team. And Nancy James and her family were among those his crew served during that time. She even remembers meeting Arnold’s Mother.  James told Arnold at the Charlotte Motor Speedway that his visit to Grand Forks during the aftermath of the flood “gave people hope” .

Turns out that this story wasn’t really about pizza and ribs at all. It was about giving people hope in their darkest hour. Trace Arnold and Nancy James have a bond that will last forever and they are both more committed than ever to continuing to pay-it-forward. Because as Nancy James put it, “Everyone should just do what they can.”

For media inquiries, contact Cynthia Smoot at cynthia(at)gangwayadvertising(dot)com or 214-265-7976.

photo: Nick Ut for Associated Press

Join Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick at 3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House on May 30 to see him shave off that famous beard – all for the love of Texas BBQ.

Earlier this month, Travis Frederick appeared on the Elf and Slater Show on 105.3 The Fan to talk about coming to play for the Dallas Cowboys.  During that interview Frederick was asked what he thought about Texas BBQ. His response was, “I’d say brisket is probably my favorite. Ribs are also delicious. The problem with the ribs is they get all in your beard and everything. It takes too much work to keep yourself clean.”

On May 30, Travis Frederick will join The Ben and Skin Show from 105.3 The Fan at 3 Stacks Smoke and Tap House. Floyd’s 99 Barber Shop will ceremoniously shave off his beard and then Travis will be served a Texas-sized BBQ meal by 3 Stacks Pitmaster, Trace “The Rib Whisperer” Arnold.  The Ben and Skin Show will be airing LIVE at 3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House from 2-6 PM. The shaving ceremony and rib dinner will occur between 4:30-5 PM.  Cowboy fans are welcome to come and observe! Travis would also like to encourage fans to bring by donations of clothing, supplies and non-perishable food items for tornado relief efforts.  3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House, in conjunction with Apple Moving, will be delivering all donations.

WHAT:    Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick shaves his beard
WHEN:    May 30, 4:30-5PM
WHERE:  3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House is located at 4226 Preston Rd, Frisco, TX 75034

For media inquiries, please contact Cynthia Smoot at 214-265-7976 or cynthia(at)gangwayadvertising(dot)com

Gangway recently hosted a media soiree at Bread Winners Inwood Village location to debut their new craft cocktail menu to members of the press and local food and nightlife bloggers. Bread Winners had always been thoughtful about the creation of artisan entrees to their menu. After 18 years, they decided it was about time to put as much thought into the libations they were serving, so Kendra Shier (VP of Operations) along with Genevieve Koons Herendon (Beverage Manager) set about to create delicious cocktails that matched the ambiance of the brand and needs of their consumers. The result? A menu of delicious options for the most discerning of drinkers, broken out into three tasty themes:

Tito’s Texas Sunrise

 HANGOVER ELIXIRS

Basil Berry Cooler

Skinny Lemon Drop

Sounds grander in scale, doesn’t it?! It is.

Here are a few of the online channels we have created and maintain for GRIP:

Sounds grander in scale, doesn’t it?! It is.

Here are a few of the online channels we have created and maintain for Monica’s Nueva Cocina:

Sounds grander in scale, doesn’t it?! It is.

Here are a few of the online channels we have created and maintain for Cristina’s Fine Mexican Restaurant:

Fort Worth Botanic Garden

On a clear Summer’s night this past June, employees and guests of Wells Fargo Advisors gathered at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens to enjoy a “Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to the Beatles”. Think Penny Lane with live trumpets. Yesterday with a string quartet. Attendees experienced the timeless hits of the Fab Four in orchestral arrangements played by the full Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra while enjoying a gourmet picnic dinner under the stars while sitting at lovely tables decorated with flickering (electronic) candles and bud vases of fresh flowers.  John Banks, Wells Fargo Advisor, Fort Worth Market Manager gave welcoming remarks to the crowd and talked of Wells Fargo Advisors love of supporting the arts and our local communities.

        

Chihuly glass art at the Dallas Arboretum

On a beautiful Summer night this past May, 750 guests of Wells Fargo Advisors were invited to wander the Dallas Arboretum gardens and behold dramatic glass sculptures and installations from renowned artist, Dale Chihuly. Fifteen exquisite and larger than life pieces were placed throughout the Arboretum grounds for guests to discover at their leisure throughout the course of the evening. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were served from Rosine Hall and music from the Dallas String Quartet provided the perfect ambiance to a splendid night of art and culture. A custom designed ice-sculpture was my client’s favorite touch for this event. Mine was the outdoor bars that were branded with the company’s logo and were illuminated at night. This is one party that guests are still talking about!