Notes from the 2016 Best of Big D Party

The fall of 1984 saw a rare instance of an employee migration out of the D/FW Metroplex. In June, the inimitable H. Ross Perot had sold his brainchild, Electronic Data Systems, to the megalithic General Motors for an at-the-time astounding sum of $2.6 billion. As my own father was an executive with EDS, our family pulled up stakes and left Plano to head for Detroit, Michigan – a place I could only identify on a map as “the state with all the lakes around it”. We arrived on October 15, the day after the Detroit Tigers defeated the San Diego Padres to win the 1984 World Series, and some citizens “celebrated” with a riot in which cars were burned and one person was killed. This was not, I sensed, going to be anything like the atmosphere in which I’d been raised.

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As it happens, we found ourselves in the affluent suburb of Birmingham, which has recently been compared in a rather snotty article to Frisco though to my mind it has always been much more akin to Highland Park. I’ve also learned to have a great deal of sympathy for the civil discord that plagued Detroit in the latter half of the 20th century, and eventually found charm in a city with over three centuries of history.

However, as a twelve-year-old, all of it seemed bleak and depressing. I missed Dallas desperately. I missed the weather, the expansive sky, playing football on front lawns with my peers…and the skyline. Detroit’s architecture, which I have since come to appreciate, was more Gothic and ornate where it was not starkly industrial. When I thought of the city of Dallas as typified by the skyline, the words “new”, “modern”, and “vibrant” came to mind. While even Plano seemed full of the “Dazed and Confused” field party atmosphere, Dallas held the allure of being polished and glamorous. In a word, I was homesick, and as such romanticized the Dallas I’d left behind which I hardly even knew.

The allure of the downtown Dallas skyline, as captivating now as ever.
The allure of the downtown Dallas skyline, as captivating now as ever.

One consolation I had was the August 1984 edition of D Magazine which my parents had purchased before our departure. Here was a tangible reminder of my hometown, and I practically memorized that particular issue. I tended to eschew images that struck me as society pages, as I lacked the symmetry or commitment to orthodontia to fit that into that scene. But for some reason, I loved the “Taste of the Town” and “Toast of the Town” sections. Poring through this issue I could connect to a community, the community from which I was separated and would, I vowed with fierce determination, return the instant I graduated high school. I would get back to Dallas, to master the Metroplex and all its suburbs and neighborhoods. I’d know the best place to get donuts near the M streets, the best live performance venues in Deep Ellum, jog around White Rock Lake. I wanted to make Dallas my home.

OFFICE FRUIT DELIVERY FOR THE D/FW METROPLEX!

I hadn’t thought about any of this until a couple of weeks ago, when I held in my hand a ticket to the 2016 Best of Big D Party which took place Wednesday at The Bomb Factory. In our lives, we experience the feeling of having come full circle many times, and for this to happen, there must be identification of a familiar landmark. The fine folks at D Magazine not only provided such a landmark, they in fact were the landmark.

Instagram fun in Deep Ellum on the way to the event.
Instagram fun in Deep Ellum on the way to the event.

During my tenure with ORCHARD At The OFFICE, I’ve learned all the nooks and crannies of the Metroplex, as much out of necessity as anything. As we’ve grown to be the largest office fruit delivery service in the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex, I’ve been the bearer of fresh fruit to virtually every downtown office tower, chatted with clients in the hidden ridges of Irving I was hitherto unaware of, accompanied new tenants into brand new buildings in Plano and Frisco, worked warehouses in Grand Prairie, and brought baskets to banks in Bedford. The fortunate upshot of all this has been the sense of belonging to this community. One learns the addresses of buildings like an Uber driver and their occupants like a commercial realtor. Faces are placed with names, and personalities match the persons.

And so it was that I entered The Bomb Factory not merely as a representative of ORCHARD At The OFFICE honoring a favored client, but as a member of the community, there to bring in some small measure a sense of celebratory spirit.

The crowded ground floor of The Bomb Factory.
The crowded ground floor of The Bomb Factory.

I’m not sure how many attended the event but it was pretty close to 1,000 or more. The crowd was more or less what one acquainted with Dallas would expect: while primarily white, 20s and seemingly somewhat well-to-do, there was certainly a healthy mix of all races, ages, and even income levels. As we are home to so many corporate headquarters, people of every nationality have found the Metroplex to be ideally suited to work and raise a family. In the main area, the inquisitive patrons meandered about, sampling servings from mixologists and delectable delights from some of the restaurants that had been awarded the Best of Big D for the year. From what I tasted, the praise was well-earned.

(A particular highlight for me was sampling a bit of ahi poke from TJ’s Seafood Market & Grill, served with a large dried banana chip with macadamia nuts, cucumber, and a wasabi-based sauce I could have drank a pint of. Forcing myself to have just one of those bites was a true test of will!)

A representative from a local bar serves up the fun.
A representative from a local bar serves up the fun.

As befitting the term “party”, the ceremony was kept to a minimum. The Dallas Police Department was honored, an important point for the community after the night of July 7 in which a lone gunman killed five officers and injured nine others. If there was any other fanfare I must admit I missed it, as for all the excitement the party was on a Wednesday, and even the 9pm end time proved too much for a man who works a sixty-hour-per-week minimum – a habit I learned from watching EDS employees.

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Overall, while the event may not have benefited ORCHARD At The OFFICE beyond this blog, for me it was a lovely night out, something I look forward to attending in the future with my amazing wife. And, to complete the Dallas-ness of it all, I was able to watch the sunset from the Omni Dallas hotel. It was great to relax as the light faded on this modern, vibrant town I love, a town which still feels new to me.

D Bash 2016 04

Our Willow Baskets


Presentation is a vital component of the ORCHARD At The OFFICE fruit delivery service. We “eat with our eyes” and so we do our best to make sure the fruit is attractive as well as delicious, and that it comes artfully-arranged in our fabulous willow baskets sourced from a Top Secret location.

Willow basketLao Tzu said “shape clay into a vessel; it is the space within that makes it useful.” So it is with our baskets. Form must follow function, and you can’t spell function without fun! So we fill our baskets with edible smiles: bananas, apples, oranges, clementines, pears, peaches, plums…everything an office desires to stay healthy and happy!Fresh fruit in willow basket When the baskets are empty, we retrieve them from our customers so that they can get limitless opportunities to provide happiness to businesses throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and Greater Houston.

One week, they might be used to deliver fresh fruit to an accounting office in North Dallas…

Making delivery in willow basket…and the next, they might be providing healthy snack alternatives to a software development firm in Sugar Land or Houston. Reusing our willow baskets is part of our commitment to reducing waste. Avoiding single-use cardboard boxes is better for the environment!

Whenever you see the signature willow basket, you can be assured that the fruit inside is guaranteed to be fresh and delicious!Willow basket at meeting

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Nature Nate’s Raw Honey

nature nates raw honey office

Nature Nate’s Raw Honey packs are the perfect addition to your office fruit delivery! They’re the ideal complement to bananas, peaches, and apple slices. Simply squeeze a bit on with each bite! They’re also perfect for those who like to enjoy oatmeal or tea at the office. Additionally, they’re great for infused water with a squeeze of lemon or lime.

As an addition to our Best of the Best (pictured above) or supplement to our bulk offerings, Nature Nate’s Raw Honey packs that extra punch of flavor that will thrill your staff and keep them working happy and healthy all day long!

Delicious Raw Honey

Nature Nate’s is local – they’re on a farm in McKinney! – and they’re wholly committed to the idea of purity. They keep it real via an all-natural process without pasteurization which ensures that the flavor and nutritional content of the honey is as it was upon creation. For ORCHARD At The OFFICE, being able to offer individual packs of this delicious product as part of our add-on specialties is a testament to the value of partnership. Everybody wins!

The Perfect Complement

So, if you’re a fan of honey as well as fresh fruit such as bananas, plums, apples, pears, nectarines, peaches, and citrus fruits, contact us at 972-295-9091!  Whether you are looking for regular fruit delivery to your break room or board room, or you’re having a special event such as a training session or health fair, we are your go-to office fruit delivery specialist in DFW and Greater Houston! With no contracts and easy payment terms, we make healthy snacking simple. Check out our product selections, sign up online…and LIVE WELL!

Nature Nate's Raw Honey
Delicious water infusion with Nature Nate’s Raw Honey and a squeeze of lemon or lime

March 2016: In The Moment

The following “month in review” is penned by our Marketing Wiseapple, Chris Buchanan. It is a blend of professional and personal observations and is presented for general interest and entertainment only.

It has been said that the difference between living and mere “existence” can be summarized in the notion of eating a peach rather than consuming it. It’s savoring each bite as opposed to absently noshing. There are some who pray before they eat, and others who pray as they eat: with each bite they are mindful of the source of the sustenance, its impact on their body, and how, re-energized, they can commit meritorious acts. I have attempted to carry the latter into my regular conduct and thus far have met with strikingly little success, for I am not practiced at this level of concentration. At present, the best I can do is say, “live in the moment”…and once in a great while, I’ll catch myself doing just that.

March 2016 stood out as a reminder of the value of the ephemeral: living in the present, in the moment. Not seeking to recapture or relive feelings with overt sentimentality, but making the most of the here and now. While I’m a proponent of a certain degree of structure, routine, and even ritual, without spontaneity these concepts can make for dull days and forgotten yesterdays. Special events create lasting impressions, as fireworks burn brightly in our memories long after their trails have blazed away and the smoke has cleared.

Kevin Long, our Chief Banana, sets up the display for our Collin College offerings (very different from our Dallas Business Journal presentation!).
Kevin Long, our Chief Banana, sets up the display for our Collin College offerings (very different from our Dallas Business Journal presentation!).

Such special events took place early in the month, beginning with our participation on Friday, March 4 in the Collin College 2016 Health and Safety Fair. As can be imagined, our focus here was educational: letting the general public know the benefits of healthy snacking rather than espousing the merits of office fruit delivery. No, that was our assignment on Thursday, March 10 when we were able to carry our message of Wellness Delivered to the Dallas Business Journal 2016 Healthiest Employers in North Texas awards luncheon. As I’ve already devoted a fair amount of column inches to impressions and observations, I shan’t repeat them here. (That’s the beauty of hyperlinking.) Suffice it to say each event was special in its own right.

One component of my private life which I will detail throughout these blogs is my foray into the world of drumming. I’ve been a guitarist for about thirty years now, with just enough skill to be an effective teacher but certainly (and perhaps fortunately) neither the acumen nor the temperament to be an entertainer. I didn’t start drumming properly until just before the age of 41, and that was only because my secondary employer at the time, the 4/4 School of Music in Plano, needed me to teach a multitude of instruments as they were short-staffed (no pun intended). This necessity sparked an infatuation which has bordered on obsession, a daily ritual which not only provides a certain catharsis from the basic stress of living but also gives me a goal – a skill to get good at.

There is nothing I can do at home that our cat, Fifi, won't find a way to interrupt if possible.
There is nothing I can do at home that our cat, Fifi, won’t find a way to interrupt if possible.

The reason I’m going on this narrative tangent is to illustrate a point using different approaches to music. I’d grown up a fan of the genre of music labelled”progressive rock” (often shortened to “prog” pejoratively). My high school anthems were the long-form compositions of bands like Yes, Genesis, and Rush. Myself, I always preferred the term “orchestral rock”: what I admired and adored about their approach was that they created compositions (as opposed to simple “songs”) structured in a similar fashion to orchestral pieces: harmonies, melodic variations, different movements, expansive instrumentation. But as they used rock instruments, there was that energy unique to modern music. The players were all musicians of the highest caliber, and the tunes were often vehicles for bringing their talents to the fore – challenging exercises that were incredibly difficult and so, in live performance, the fun was to hear them “pull off” these challenges on a nightly basis. I knew that Neil Peart was the best drummer I’d ever heard, because he wrote amazing parts and replicated them with superhuman precision. The intrigue was in the repetition.

Now, this notion – infatuation with repetition – speaks to the heart of how Americans (and the UK to a large extent) consume their entertainment. By and large, the emphasis is on the recording – because that is what is marketable. Most songwriters subconsciously write with an ear for how it will sound in the studio, and with a producer’s assistance, all the effort and expense goes into making it a recorded artifact. It’s all about how to capture the moment. Wedding outfits are often chosen according to what will make for the best photographs, for after all the pictures are what remain long after the corsages wilt and the cake is eaten. In any event, we film, we video, we record, we store, so that it can, in theory, be re-lived. This is our primary emphasis, particularly in American culture, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this.

But there is another world, another approach to art, which exists purely in performance. It is not meant to be recorded, it is meant to exist purely for the audience at that particular moment. It is in fireworks, it is in jazz. It is in theatre.

Calin as Lucius in the Plano Children's Theatre production of Julius Caesar.
Calin as Lucius in the Plano Children’s Theatre production of Julius Caesar.

On March 15 – the Ides of March – the Plano Children’s Theatre began a run of six performances of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, directed by the incomparable Becca Johnson-Spinos. The cast consisted of young actors from grades 6-12, and my experience has been that the only difference between a determined and talented teen actor and a professional is their pay grade. A prodigiously-skilled amateur, given the proper direction, can spellbind an audience as effectively as an above-the-line with an agent and a film franchise to their credit.

Because my youngest stepson, Calin, was in this performance (pictured above as Lucius – and while the dialogue was all Shakespeare, the setting was reimagined as a zombie-apocalypse Rome), I am of course biased and would give top praise for the production. But I feel completely justified in doing so, because everyone involved, onstage and off, seemed to sense they were part of something really special and consequently put their all into it. Theatre exists only one performance at a time, for the audience in attendance, and that is what imbues it with its unique charm and magic. That’s why pretty much every actor worth their salt makes Broadway a goal. To quote professor Bill Bruford (who shall be referenced again shortly), “if you want to learn tennis, your goal isn’t to play at the club down the street. Your goal is Wimbledon.” As great as the recorded mediums of television and film (or their internet-specific counterparts) can be, the best acting happens on a live stage, where there are no re-takes, interaction with the audience is immediate and dynamic, the moment exists and then it moves on.

At the end of the run of Julius Caesar, there was nary a dry eye amongst the cast and crew. It was the impermanence that made them all aware that they’d shared a special bond, that time marches on…but in that time, they’d done something amazing.

Brutus (Rachel Svatos) and Lucius (Calin) mourn plans gone awry and moments drawing to a close at the end of Julius Caesar.
Brutus (Rachel Svatos) and Lucius (Calin) mourn plans gone awry and moments drawing to a close at the end of Julius Caesar.

One challenge I’ve learned to accept with ORCHARD At The OFFICE is the notion that agrarian-driven processes have a similarly ephemeral nature. Fruit is eaten and enjoyed, and the next week while the process is repeated, as the fruit (and in some cases the consumer) is not the same, the experience can’t be replicated. Quality must be assured but not through some assembly-line process of “if we do x, with fruit from y, we will always get outcome z.” Like all things, fruit is perishable, but more immediately so than, say, an automobile or a computing platform. We want to make sure all our deliveries are great, but some weeks will be greater than others…and when those happen, we can’t rest on our laurels. Each day presents new challenges and opportunities to provide the best. At times, this calls for improvisation.

At the heart of jazz music is improvisation. A true American invention, this style has for over a century existed to celebrate the immediacy of the moment. Generally speaking, jazz compositions exist to facilitate the solos. As a result, two-minute melody may create a ten-minute piece by this quartet on this night, and the same melody may lead to a half-hour exploration by a trio in a different club just up the road. Jazz musicians respond to one another, and their inner voice, and to do so requires the greatest musicianship. All my life, as a “drummer-wanna-be”, I aspired to play like Neil Pear. But when I actually started drumming, I found that completely without intention or design, I was drawn to (and learning from) the drumming of Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson, Earthworks), who was well-renowned for applying his jazz background in progressive rock contexts before eventually giving himself entirely over to the jazz world. When everyone else was doing exactly the same thing every night in jaw-dropping fashion, he was bending the rules, seeking to look beneath unturned rocks. This groundbreaking style earned him a host of accolades before he retired in 2009, going on to become a professor at the University of Surrey – Guildford.

A quick clip of yours truly going over some percussion basics.
A quick clip of yours truly going over some percussion basics.

In the world of jazz, records are nearly always seen as a mere snapshot. Thelonious Monk would record “Straight, No Chaser” for a 1952 album and it would bear little resemblance to a recording five years later, let alone fifteen. Live performance is where it’s at. While soloists may have a general direction in mind, just as fireworks may be constructed so they can light up the sky in a particular way, only those who observe them will have that experience. There will be nuanced differences based on causes and conditions, impressions and inflections, mistakes or whims. Pyrotechnicians tend to be well-versed in science as the danger element is so high. Jazz musicians must have the finest chops in order to act and react in the moment.

The above shot has me working on a basic six-stroke rudiment because I’ve learned that to master a musical instrument, I need to master the fundamentals. I am eternally grateful to my musical instructors who have guided me and given me accountability, just as I am grateful to Ms. Becca for directing Calin’s theatrical work, and Sensei McCurrach at the Texas Association of Shotokan Karate for elevating my oldest stepson Mike’s martial arts over the years. For without a whetstone, even the sharpest blade will dull.

When thousands of THESE fall from the sky, property damage will occur.
When thousands of THESE fall from the sky, property damage will occur.

So that’s what March has meant for me: living each moment to the fullest, for who knows what may come tomorrow? The Dallas / Fort Worth area was given a stark reminder of this on March 23, when in the early evening a good portion of the Metroplex experienced golfball-sized hail. I’d encountered numerous hailstorms in my time, enough to make me rather blasé about their capacity to inflict damage. Two severely dented automobiles, a cracked windshield and a totaled roof were enough to force me to revise my estimate.

Certainly we fared better than most, and given the destruction that had happened to our eastern neighbors in Rowlett when a tornado decimated the town on December 26, 2015, we’ve viewed our own losses as a simple inconvenience, nothing more. A few dents is nothing compared to eradication of entire neighborhoods, and indeed efforts are still ongoing to restore Rowlett to its former status. The important lesson for us was that mother Earth contains forces violent in their power…making the fruits of her land, and the moments we have to enjoy them, all the sweeter.

Wellness delivered!
Wellness delivered!

DBJ Healthiest Employers Event

Happy office workers
A misty Thursday morning provided a healthy contrast to the burst of color we brought to the Hyatt Regency Dallas.

Despite low-hanging clouds, our spirits were high on Thursday, March 10, 2016, as we pulled into the loading dock of the Hyatt Regency Dallas.  The Jeep was laden with a delectable display of fresh fruit. It was the morning of the Dallas Business Journal’s “Healthiest Employers in North Texas 2016”, an annual event for those invested in corporate wellness. Companies can mingle and display their wares before a luncheon awarding the businesses that have gone to the greatest lengths to champion the cause of office fitness.

As we got to our display table,  Chief Banana, Kevin Long, worked with Michelle to arrange our assortment of edible delights as I surveyed the scene.

Michelle, Kevin, and Chris give the thumbs up to happy, healthy office fruit delivery in Dallas!
Michelle, Kevin, and Chris give the thumbs up to happy, healthy office fruit delivery in Dallas!

SETTING THE TABLE

Prior to founding ORCHARD At The OFFICE, Kevin was a creative director with a background in graphic design. While Michelle works for us in the day, her career is that of hair and makeup artist of the highest caliber. As they arranged wooden bowls piled high with our finest offerings, their eyes were sharply attuned to the slightest artistic detail. I reviewed our marketing materials and started the process of networking with future friends and partners in healthy living. Knowing that we would be debuting our organic options at this event, I wanted to make sure that I had my own talking points in order.

FRUIT SELLS ITSELF

As the Marketing Wiseapple, I sometimes feel I have the easiest job in the organization. One needn’t work overly hard to sell fresh fruit at people. Indeed, it sells itself. “Would you like a banana?” “Yes, please!” Office fruit delivery is a great idea that works. However, not just anyone can do it. It takes expertise to seek out top quality produce, deliver it in a timely manner in attractive and eco-friendly packaging, and provide top-notch customer service.

Winners are announced over lunch for the Dallas Business Journal’s 2016 Healthiest Employers in North Texas.

AND THE WINNERS ARE…

The actual lunch was a lovely, if somewhat muted affair.  As one by one the top 40 employers were counted down, recipients came forward to receive a trophy of engraved crystal. ORCHARD At The OFFICE found itself applauding quite a bit as nearly half the award recipients currently subscribe to our office fruit delivery service! Winners represented a healthy cross-section of Dallas industries, from hospitals and healthcare to commercial real estate. (I won’t spoil the surprise by listing the winners here, but you can read the Dallas Business Journal article here.)

Michelle and Linda, one of our most enthusiastic customers, take a moment to chat.

What gives us the opportunity to provide our service to so many of these organizations? To me, the keyword is personalization. As a service provider, we want to be as unobtrusive as possible, like an efficient waiter at your favorite restaurant. However, we pride ourselves in making sure that there’s a personal connection with our friends. People like knowing that if you send an e-mail to getfruit@orchardattheoffice.com, it will be read promptly. For us, “customer care” is neither a slogan nor a platitude; it is a commitment and a promise.

UNTIL NEXT YEAR

As the event drew to a close, we took the opportunity to express our gratitude to those in attendance and those who made such a nice event possible. We’d like to do so here again by congratulating the awardees and thanking the Dallas Business Journal for hosting. We look forward to seeing you all at next year’s event, and in the meantime, we encourage all of you to LIVE WELL!

LIVE WELL!