Savor Seattle

So often, it's a transplant to Seattle who sees what long-timers take for granted. When Angela Shen (left) and her husband moved here in late 2006 for his job, they had temporary housing two blocks from Pike Place Market. She was stunned that even in October, there was a fresh market where she could find reasonably-priced produce, seafood, cheese. "I kept thinking it couldn't all be local, but it was," she remembers.

Angela's background in brand management of iconic food brands started to kick in. "Seattle is a humble town and people don't talk about what a unique place it is. I started thinking about what defines the Pacific Northwest and how much great food there is here. We wanted to try all the restaurants, but on one income you can only do so much. So why not find a way to eat at 6 or 7 places instead of just one? The food tour idea was born. I didn't even know food tours existed. I approached Market vendors because the Market is the heart and soul of the food culture and such an iconic place. I think the majority of people I talked with didn't have the heart to say no even though they thought I was crazy." Crazy like a fox, because Savor Seattle is now in its fifth year, vendors see return business, and guests refer their friends and family. They've been growing since they started in March 2007. All tours are walking tours so you get the true feel of the area you're touring.

"Our tours connect people to where food comes from," Angela explains. "We explain ‘FLOSS'—fresh, local, organic, seasonal, sustainable; pillars that define this region. We look for partners who are the best at what they do and are willing to share their personal stories and what they're passionate about." From the original two hour Pike Place Food and Cultural tour, which offers an insider's look at market vendors, 16+ bites and sips and stories of the history and culture, Savor Seattle has added four more tours:

"With the San Juan tour, we again wanted to focus on what makes Washington special—the amazing outdoors and incredible food," she explains. "I feel honored to turn people on to what's here. I know I sound like a commercial!"

Over the years, Angela has learned some lessons. "I learned early on that sometimes what I think is a great idea isn't what appeals to the broader audience. For instance, we created a coffee/chocolate tour that ended at the Space Needle where we ate mocha braised short ribs. We found that while chocolate has a very broad appeal, about one in four people wanted to opt out of the coffee-related tastings. So we took it down $20, do chocolate tastings only and left out the meal, and we had wild-fire sales. And many people won't eat raw fish or oysters, so we make sure everything is cooked. We really encourage people to try things and on every single tour there is an ‘aha' moment. At Pike Place Fish where the fish are thrown, they get to try three kinds of smoked salmon. One in every group says they won't try it. But if we can get them to just take a little taste, it's inspiring. We get to see their eyes open wide when they discover how good it really is. It's fun to have kids on the tours, too. They love eating every 10 minutes!"

Scott, the fish throwing guy

Next to food, the most important part of the tour is the guide. Angela wanted to offer an experience that is as un-tour-like as possible. "I wanted it to be like spending an afternoon with a good friend. Our guides are real characters and many have acting backgrounds and have done stand up and improve. They're naturally gifted at connecting with people. It warms our hearts to see the feedback—the guides are often requested by name." Angela wanted to break the mold on how guides are paid. "It's a seasonal business, but we offer health insurance and 401k benefits and pay a living wage so they will stay."

Her biggest challenge recently is budget cuts that decimated the tourism budget. "It puts huge pressure on tour providers, hotels, attractions to fund the gap. To give you an idea, last year's California tourism budget was $54 million. Washington's was zero, yet tourism is the third largest money generator for the state. It's a travesty to think that our natural resources will stay embedded in the minds of travelers. We already feel the decline. So how do we sustain our businesses if tourism continues to go down? We've created team building events, customized foodie scavenger hunts and just have to keep challenging our business model."

She's also gone in a non-food direction by inking a deal with the Market Foundation to run their one hour historical tour through Savor Seattle's new sister company, Public Market Tours. "This is a historical Market tour that is family friendly, with a lower price point and no tastings. Doing this is a way for us to expand; we have to have diversity."

With her love of food, Angela will find future opportunities that are food related, if not tour related. "It's what makes me tick. I can't stop thinking about what to do next!"

Connie Adams/August-September 2012