Pardon Our Dust!

Hey there – thanks for visiting the Peanut Butter & Co. website.  I just wanted to let everyone know that we’ve been making some changes to the website, and still have a little work to go.  During this time, you might notice that some areas of the site look a little different than you’re used to.  Also, while we’re upgrading the site, you may find that an image here or there won’t load, or some text may be formatted a little strangely, or a button might be in a different place than before the upgrade.

I want to assure you that apart from these cosmetic issues (which we’re fixing on a continuous basis), the online store is fully operational and 100% secure.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be announcing some major new features to the site, which we think you’ll enjoy.  So watch your email, and keep eating peanut butter!

-Lee Zalben, The Peanut Butter Guy

Want to learn to cook like a peanut pro?

If you’ll be in New York City on March 29th, our fearless Peanut President, Lee Zalben, is hosting a cooking class at the Whole Foods on the Bowery.  Here’s the official buzz:

Peanuts and Peanut Butter are delicious and healthful foods on their own, but add a lot of flavor and protein when used as ingredients in your favorite recipes.  March is National Peanut Month, so come celebrate with Lee Zalben, Founder & President of Greenwich Village’s Peanut Butter & Co. and discover exciting new ways to enjoy America’s favorite snack food.

On the Menu:

• Chopped salad with Spicy Peanut Butter Vinaigrette
• Peanutty Veggie Burgers
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Bread Pudding
• Frozen Peanut Butter Banana Bites

If you’re interested in signing up, check out their Culinary Center information page for details on pricing, times and registration

Peanut Butter Photos!

As you may have noticed, we’ve been incredibly busy the last month or so. We made some pretty big changes to the way we handle a lot of our business and it required everyone here to pitch in together to get it done. Unfortunately, that meant that the blog got sidelined for a little while. But the good news is that soon we’ll back in the saddle. In the meantime, I’ve lined up some guestblogs from Krista at CPBGallery.com and Nick from Peanutbutterboy.com. They’ll be sharing some awesome recipes and stories about peanut butter.

In the meantime, two big announcements: One is that we’re running a contest over at our Page on Facebook:

“We want you to participate in National Peanut Month. How? By sending us a picture demonstrating just how much you love peanut butter. Got an idea for a dress made from empty Peanut Butter & Co. jars? Show it to us! Finally ready to make that Dark Chocolate Dreams snowman? Now’s your chance.

To enter, head on over to our Page on Facebook and upload your photo to the “Fan Photos” contest album, located below and make sure to note that it’s an entry for the “National Peanut Month contest” in the photo’s description. At the end of the month we’ll pick a winner based on creativity, level of difficulty and use of peanuts and peanut butter. Please note that for this contest you will have to be a Facebook member.

If you’re stuck and can’t think of anything, we’ll be uploading photos throughout the weeks ahead to try and jog your creative engines! So, get to it- The deadline for entries is March 30th, 2009.”

The other is that I took a little bit of time and uploaded some photos we had laying around. You can find them on Facebook or over at our Flickr group. If you’re a Flickr member and have pictures of our shop or our products, feel free to upload them to the Peanut Butter & Co. Flickr Pool.

Congratulations Lisa & Roey

Two great friends of Peanut Butter & Co., singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb and TV executive Roey Hershkovitz got married this past Saturday here in New York City.

We’ve known Lisa for a number of years, having first met her when she taped an episode of her E! reality dating series #1 Single at the Peanut Butter & Co. sandwich shop in 2006. The date didn’t go so hot and Lisa was still single a bit later when she met Roey, and they too had lunch at Peanut Butter & Co., which is mentioned in The New York Times announcement of their wedding:

…That December they dined with friends on the Upper West Side, followed the next day by “a nondate” lunch date for two in Greenwich Village, where Ms. Loeb said they shared “a Fluffernutter” and also a concoction of peanut butter, banana, honey and bacon called “an Elvis.”

I saw the happy couple just a few months ago at the New York Chocolate Show, where they were just buzzing about their upcoming nuptials. And we were thrilled (of course!) when Lisa and Roey chose to present their guests with a Gift Bag that included coupons for free jars of Peanut Butter & Co. peanut butter!

Tales from Customer Service

Last year (wow, that sounds so long ago!), we heard from a college student, Emily Miethner, who wrote us to say she loved her experience visiting our sandwich shop in NY City. A Hofstra University student and self-proclaimed peanut butter nut, Emily included a recipe of her creation “Midnight Crunch” in her email.

The recipe consists of crunchy peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, and a cereal called
Co-Co Krunch. She says it’s “fabulous,” “totally hits the spot,” and now her “new favorite midnight snack.” Emily included pictures of herself and a friend with her featured recipe (which she graciously allowed us to publish).

We realize that there are many people like Emily – college students who have to burn the midnight oil so to speak – who snack on peanut butter to get going. And it makes it all the more fun that some get out of the box and find creative ways to eat it. Emily said she was inspired by our “crazy, delicious, unique sandwich combos” at our sandwich shop. I am equally inspired by the positive emails and letters we get from customers – it is really one of the more delightful aspects of my job (we do take turns reading them aloud here in the office)!