wholesome meals seasoned with love
Meet The Team
Patrick Persons
President & CEO
Patrick is an accomplished executive within the middle market sector, including food services, manufacturing, business services and oil & gas. His experiences include business growth and strategy, merger and acquisitions combined with operations management and performance. His passions include superior customer service supported by exceptional people within a strong company culture and robust business practices. Patrick holds a BBA in Accounting from the University of Texas. In June 2017, Mr. Persons successfully purchased Butter Beans.
Martha Persons
Vice President
Martha is an experienced executive in the technology and business services sectors. This would include managing large software implementations for Fortune 500 companies combined with providing product support for the sale of integrated software products. At Butter Beans, Martha oversees customer support and business operations. She holds her BS in Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University in Chicago and her Master of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis.
Jason Wong
Vice President
Sales and Marketing
Growing up as a chef and manager in his family’s food establishments, Jason mastered the hospitality trade prior to opening several more restaurants throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. He specializes in business development, operation logistics, customer service, supply-chain management and special event planning. Jason’s passions includes spending time with his two daughters, teaching them the holistic importance of preparing balanced and nutritious meals from scratch. His favorite foods include anything that comforts the soul. Jason has a BA in Operations Management from SUNY Geneseo and over twenty years of experience in the school meal programs, restaurant and catering services.
Susie Cover
Vice President of Operations
Schools
A skilled chef with extensive experience in catering and food service, Susie has worked for Butter Beans since 2016 overseeing school operations in NYC and New Jersey. Using her knowledge of family friend recipes, she became a pioneer in healthy food delivery, creating “Susie’s Supper Club” – a service delivering family friendly prepared meals in NYC. In addition, she wrote and styled a cookbook, “The Supper Club” and then launched Susie’s Supper Club Frozen Entrees and Sides for Whole Foods Market. She also developed recipes and products for Babeth’s Feast, a NYC-based frozen food company. Susie lives with her husband and two children in Brooklyn.
Richard Carroll
Corporate Chef
Richard has over 25 years experience within the foodservice and hospitality sectors. This would include managing large commissary kitchens for corporate dining and school meal service programs. He also has considerable experience in catering and special events throughout the New York tri-state area. Prior to his current position of Corporate Chef for Butter Beans, Richard was the executive chef at a large private school customer overseeing the production and service of over 1,000 meals per day at three campuses. Richard is a graduate of the ​Culinary Institute of America.
Flora McKay
Director of
Community and Nutrition
Flora comes to the Butter Beans team with a background in sustainable development, and a great passion for nutrition and wellness education. She grew up spending summers in Italy and the East End of Long Island where she learned first hand where food comes from, how to cook it simply to bring out its natural flavors, and the value of sharing family meals. Flora is a founding employee of Butter Beans, starting her career here in 2008. She holds her BA in Environmental Studies and Community & International Development from the University of Vermont, is a Certified Nutritionist Consultant through the Natural Healing Institute, and has received her Plant Based Nutrition Certification from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell University.
Miguel Espindola
Senior Sous Chef
Miguel has considerable experience within the foodservice and hospitality sectors. This would include leading a large team within a commissary kitchen environment. In addition, Miguel has extensive catering and private events experience throughout the New York City metropolitan area. Miguel has worked for Butter Beans since 2014 and leads our charter school meal production function while also providing leadership support for private school meal development, catering and other special events, kitchen training, etc. Miguel is a passionate mentor of all Butter Beans’ commissary employees.
Elena Fomenko
Office Coordinator
Elena provides administrative support to the Butter Beans team and successfully manages the back office. She ensures that all organizational operations run smoothly at Butter Beans. Elena earned her BA in Management in Hospitality from ASP University and her Accounting Contemporary American Business Practices Certificate from Baruch College. She’s passionate about health and wellness and shares the company’s mission and beliefs.