Founder Files: Bringing a Familiar Face (& Tastemaker!) Back to Food52

Jojo is back in the house!

Back in 2014, after we’d launched our Shop and it took off, Merrill and I realized we needed to bring on an experienced team. Industry friends kept telling us to hire Jojo Feld. So we did. It didn’t take long to see her strengths. She had an eye for great products that no one else was selling. Partners loved her. And she was a team builder.

It also didn’t take long to see that she wasn’t going to be a team member who did whatever we said. We were going to have spirited debates about what should and shouldn’t go into our Shop. She was our kind of people. Plus she liked beer—kinship!

Jojo stayed with us for 7 years, as the Shop grew to become the core of our business. Jojo brought Seedlip to the US market, sourced vintage gems like the Poterie Renault collection, found exclusives like our gold-dipped pinch bowls, dreamed up Mugs52, and initiated collaborations like Food52 x Hawkins New York dinnerware.

She also planned team outings (to Manitoga, Russel Wright’s home and studio), events with magicians, and Halloween parties with a costume parade for team members’ kids and their dogs.

Jojo is a key part of what made Food52 special. After she left, in 2021, she spent time in Martha-land and the world of fine dining with Daniel Humm’s Make It Nice group, then she headed up growth at the premier home goods trade show, Shoppe Object.

But—finally!—we got Jojo back, this time as our GM, heading up all parts of Food52’s business. Not just our Shop but our content and everything else we do. Get ready for a curated cascade of must-have products for your kitchen and home, wacky community events, fantastic recipes, and smart home content. She’s coming back with a whole new view on how we can do better.

I look forward to having stare-down discussions with her over the merits of mustard vs. moss green table linens. Welcome back Jojo!

Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at the New York Times. I’ve written several books, including “Cooking for Mr. Latte” and “The Essential New York Times Cookbook.” I played myself in “Julie & Julia” — hope you didn’t blink, or you may have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tad, and twins, Walker and Addison.