140 Years of Leadership: Foodservice Lessons with Bruce Kern

In Episode 12 of Crave – The IFDA Podcast, we sit down with Bruce Kern, President of Curtze Food Service and fifth-generation foodservice leader. With more than 140 years of family legacy behind him, Bruce shares timeless lessons on leadership, culture, and values that have carried Curtze Foods through challenges, innovation, and growth.

From sweeping warehouse floors as a teenager to guiding a company through COVID disruptions and labor shortages, Bruce’s perspective highlights the power of values-driven leadership, partnerships, and active listening in building a resilient business.

This conversation is a must-listen for DSRs, DSMs, operators, and anyone looking to understand what it takes to sustain long-term success in food distribution.

Topics Covered in This Episode

• 0:00 Leadership as an Art and Science
• 1:18 Meet Bruce Kern, President of Curtze Foods
• 2:07 Growing Up in the Family Business
• 4:20 Advocating for Foodservice in Washington
• 5:22 Attracting the Next Generation to the Industry
• 7:09 Learning Through IFDA’s Darden Program
• 8:17 Why Culture Will Always Outperform Strategy
• 9:27 Core Values That Guide Curtze Foods
• 14:10 Leading Through COVID and Labor Shortages
• 18:07 Building True Partnerships with Suppliers & Customers
• 23:06 Technology and AI in Distribution
• 27:00 Mentors, Books, and Leadership Tools
• 35:34 Why Business is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
• 38:01 Driving Clarity Through Annual Themes
• 40:18 Advice to Young Foodservice Leaders
• 43:17 Listening as the Ultimate Leadership Skill
• 44:51 What Excites Bruce About the Future of Foodservice
• 47:42 Peer Groups, Vulnerability, and Continuous Learning
• 50:28 The One Word on Bruce’s Leadership T-Shirt

More About Our Guest

Bruce Kern
President, Curtze Foods

Bruce currently serves as president of Curtze Food Service, a wholesale distributor of food, disposables, equipment and supplies to restaurants, hotels, country clubs, and the health care industry. He has been with Curtze, his family’s business, for over 40 years working in a variety of roles such as sales, purchasing, and general management.  He received a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan. Bruce has been married to his wife Bonnie for 40 years; they have four adult children and ten grandchildren. He has been involved in the community serving on several boards including the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, the Manufacturer and Business Association, Marquette Savings Bank, the Commonwealth Foundation, the Erie County Historical Society, Visit Erie, Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association (NW), the Business Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and the International Foodservice Distributors Association. He also served as board chair of the Erie Philharmonic, WQLN, and UniPro Foodservice. He is a member of YPO Pittsburgh and the Rotary Club of Erie. In his spare time Bruce enjoys traveling, spending time with his grandchildren, running, and working on his golf game.