Tortorice started out managing a sandwich counter at his father’s dry cleaning store; today there are 215 Jason’s Delis in 28 states, including his first store in Beaumont, Texas. He says he never dreamed his business would get so big. “I started out just to make a living, to make ends meet, and somehow by the grace of God, we’ve had some good things happen to us.” Spirituality is an important element to Tortorice’s business, as he says, “Grateful people can’t be unhappy.” He opens meetings with prayer and posts inspirational thoughts, appropriately called “daily bread” in each of his stores. He encourages employees to be thankful—to realize that all of the good things around them aren’t accidents, they’re blessings. “Start your day out giving thanks for something. I do, and it’s made a world of difference for me.” Joe Tortorice is about more than making sandwiches, or making money. As a servant leader, he says he wants to bring joy and enthusiasm to his people. “We’re in the people business,” he says. “Our product just happens to be sandwiches.”

 Food Processing and Technology