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It all starts with a desire to change...
Reflecting
on their various careers at the age of 50, Danny & Marie
literally cooked up a new recipe for personal success. Fortunately
they have years of entrepreneurial experience under their belts,
including 23 years of touring nationally as motivational speakers.
They took their own advice that anything is possible and started
churning out thousands of batches of chips in 2005. Steadfast
and determined, the couple went from working out of their home
kitchen for their first event to selling at farmers' market
and renting space at Kitchen
Chicago to accommodate the rapidly increasing number of
chips orders from around the city. In 2006 they opened their
own storefront at 1438 W. Chicago Avenue.
Although today, Danny uses modern
technologies and state of the art food equipment to
perfect his healthy veggie chips, his recipe is steeped in the
Old World traditions of Calabria, and Sicily Italy. Every fall
after Danny turned 10, he helped his Italian grandfather work
the vegetables in a shedini (little shed) on their farm in DesPlaines,
Illinois; come December they seasoned and served the chips to
their family. Over the past 40 years, Danny continued the tradition,
concocting thousands of chip-based recipes for his friends and
family to enjoy.
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Not just chips for
snacking.
All about our healthy
vegetable chips and
the variety of tasty
products and recipes
derived from their use.
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Danny & Grandpa
The story of how
10-year-old Danny
learned to make
the peppers into
chips from his
Grandpa on the farm. |
The Lenas background
and how they decided
to change an idea into
reality and go into the
food business. |
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Product
Information |
Are you looking for a healthy, crunchy, 100% natural, vegetable snack with no starch fillers, chemical additives and NO Trans Fats? Well, Papa Lena's line of 100% vegetable chips fit the bill.
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100% Authentic Healthy Gourmet Vegetable Snack Chips
With a patented cooking process originating from an old Lena family recipe, these handmade specialty chips are unlike anything you've ever tasted! Made only by roasting fresh vegetables high in natural flavor, then kissed with Italian olive oil, Mediterranean sea salt and the finest spices, you are assured of a burst of flavor in every bite with NO Trans Fats! More about Papa's Red Bell Pepper Chips |
| COMPARE Great article "Good Fats, Bad Fats, Transfats" |
Original
Papa Lena's Original all natural gourmet vegetable snack chips currently come in four unique varieties:
The flagship product is Papa Lena's Roasted Red Pepper Chips® renowned for their big crunch, versatility, and high "gourmet factor". Originally introduced to only family and friends, the market demand has grown and Papa Lena's has responded with increased production, new packaging and a focus on distribution. This versatile vegetable snack chip can be eaten alone, or used to complement your favorite recipes, as many restaurant chefs do. |
PURCHASE
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Secondly, who would
have thought that Papa Lena's Bodacious
Beet Chips® could turn "beet avoider's" into "beet
lovers". This totally unique product
is as exciting and full of flavor as the pepper chips and
the market demand is swelling even faster for these salty
sweet, crunchy vegetable snacks. And kids love 'em!
The third product is the Spicy
Hot Roasted Poblano Chips® that
are the hit of Latin food lovers--this medium hot
pepper is the same pepper used to make chili rellenos.
In Mexico the Chili Poblano, a dark green triangular
shaped chile 3” to 4” in length that
varies in hotness from mild to quite picante, is
the chili of choice for recipes.Now, in this crunchy
form, it's perfect to scoop guacamole or toss into
stews, burritos, or quesedillas.
Worth the wait! After laborious testing and re-testing, the
fourth product to hit the market is Papa Lena's
So-Good Sweet
Potato Chips®. These gorgeous, crunchy,
pumpkin-colored natural shaped chips are simply delicious
and good for you. Loaded with beta-carotene and vitamins,
they make a healthy, great tasting vegetable snack.
High-end,
cutting-edge restaurants around the city, including Avec and Blackbird, are
now using our Papa
Lena's veggie chips as a flavorful garnish and recipe
ingredients. Other customers order platters of chips,
along with Papa Lena's garlicky Roasted Red Pepper dip,
for parties, corporate events or fund raisers.
Dare to Compare
Papa
Lena's invites you to compare their chips to any on the
market today. Other chips are either a fried sliced
root infused
with beet juice , or a tasteless version of the once real vegetable. We stand behind any taste test and know Papa Lena's will be your favorite vegetable snack.
Health benefits
It is well known that eating vegetables regularly can have many health benefits. They are one of the most natural foods and contain different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber known to provide health benefits.
Versatile
At
Papa Lena's Healthy Foods Inc. we have found so many
versatile uses for the 100% all natural crispy vegetable
chips that we have added a variety of tasty products
derived from using the chips, including hot pepper
giardinera, giardinera cheese spread, salad dressings,
pasta sauce, tapenades, caponetta, and dips.
After a year and a half of appearing
at events across the city and Chicago-area suburbs–from
demonstrations at Foodstuffs and the recent Fancy Food
Show to selling at Sam's Wine and Spirits and East
Bank Club–Chicago husband-and-wife team Danny
and Marie Lena are expanding their sales across
the Chicago land area (as well as across the nation
through Internet sales). Their made-in-Chicago products
have received rave reviews from everyone who tastes
them, including the title of one
of the Chicago Tribune's "Favorite
Foods" in 2005.
We invite you to experience our outstanding products in our tasting room at our store in Chicago.
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| Our
kitchen and gourmet shop is located at: |
1438 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone (312-455-8100) |
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Marie Lena
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Marie Lena Owner & CEO
Marie's vivacious personality and friendly assertiveness are only a couple of her great qualities.
She is also an AKA certified Karate black belt, a former NPC national champion bodybuilder, author, motivational speaker, and served as the President of PEP Programs, an organization dedicated to personal achievement and empowerment through the mind/body connection.
Marie met Danny when she signed up to take karate lessons at his studio. They fell in love and vowed they would always work together to achieve their dreams. To Marie, Papa Lena's is their most exciting venture...one that holds the promise of the future, steeped in a family tradition and bearing the family name.
With her enthusiasm and people skills, Marie focuses on quality control, production and sales.
She currently is Papa Lena's top sales person.
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Danny Lena
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Danny aka Papa Lena Owner & CEO
"Danny the Dynamo"is the driving force behind Papa
Lena's. He has achieved countless successes on his way to becoming
CEO of Papa Lena's. Dan is a former national champion kick
boxer and competitive bodybuilder. He has written and published
several books on the subjects of personal empowerment, personal
safety and motivation. For twenty years, Danny spearheaded
a national campaign for child safety and empowerment titled" "Hands
Off: I'm Special". His skills as a leader and entrepreneur
are evident in all aspects of his life.
Danny is an example example of a person practicing what they
preach. As a teacher, author and lecturer, he dedicated his
life to helping others positively re-create themselves.
Danny currently is involved in every part of the business. His keen eye focuses
on production; ensuring the quality of these unique products bearing his family's
name. |
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William G. Phillips
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William G. Phillips Legal Counsel
Bill is an attorney having practiced for more than 30 years.
He has engaged in many areas of the law, including business and corporate matters.
He served his country in the armed forces from 1962 thru 1965.
He and his family have known Danny and Marie for over 25 years. Danny trained Bill's children in martial arts when they were 5 & 6 years old, and for many years thereafter.
What started out as a casual meeting, flourished into an extended loving family relationship.
Bill's children now 28,31 and 32 years of age still respectfully call Danny Sensei
Bill serves Papa Lena's Healthy Foods Inc. as legal counsel for all aspects of
the business. |
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| Papa's gift to me and my Family |
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Danny Lena recalls:
As
a child, I can remember helping GrandPa (Papa) work in his huge garden, there was so much work picking all the vegetables and all those little green Melrose peppers in late September. TEXT VERSION OF THE FULL STORY
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We would string the
peppers together in a garland and hang them to dry for several
months in Papa's -shedini- (little shed). Much like the shed pictured to the left. Months later in December, our whole family would remove the peppers from
the strings and prepare them for the Christmas holiday.
My Grandpa came to America from Ulta Mundo Calabria, Italy with only some change in his pocket and his fathers secret recipe for making crispy peppers or . For this reason, only Grandpa was allowed
to cook the peppers, as this was a once-a-year treat and the supply
was limited. |
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air we would rush down the stairs to devour all the crispy
delights! As Grandpa grew older he taught me the secrets of
cooking the peppers. |
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Now, the tradition
continues, only my garden consists of the finest vegetable
growers around the country. And with the help of modern technology,
my wife Marie and I have reduced Grandpa's lengthy three month process
down to days, so now we can all enjoy these tasty treats
year round!
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I am proud to now be called Papa Lena and thrilled that his recipe lives on in ways he could never imagine. Milli grazie, Grandpa.
Papa Lena’s Roasted Red Pepper Chips® are all natural, intensely crunchy, and bursting with the rich flavors of sweet red bell peppers, extra virgin olive oil, Mediterranean Sea salt, and a special combination of the finest spices. |
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You can
enjoy our Papa Lena’s Roasted Red Pepper Chips®, right out of the bag or with dip, layer
them on a sausage or beef “sang-wich”,
crush them on a salad (VideoClip)
or pizza, or toss them in your favorite spaghetti sauce or saute.
We found so many versatile uses for the chip,
that we have added a line of products including giardinera, salad
dressings, pasta
sauce, tapenades, caponetta, and dips. Our latest addition
is our Bodacious
Beet Chips®.
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About Danny & Marie Lena Owner and CEO |
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Danny and Marie Lena are living examples of the entrepreneurial spirit. For twenty years, they served as the President and Director of Personal Empowerment Programs, an organization dedicated to helping others make their goals real. |
| The Lenas were the host of their own Internet radio show (long before the term "Pod Cast" became a reality), |
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They would interview authors, educators, luminaries and business leaders worldwide to discover new ways to be our best and raise the bar to create a happier, safer, more productive world. |
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Married for 22 years and working together for 26 years, this dynamic duo continued to spread their message through their books, six in all and printed in four languages. Their latest, “Being Better Than My Best” (at Amazon.com) personifies all they believe in about setting and achieving goals, living with integrity, and persisting until you succeed.
Their story and work has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times, the USA Today, US News & World Report, Detroit Free Press, New York Daily News & Tribune, Brill’s Content, US Magazine, Washington Post, and many more. Television appearances include every news station in Chicago, the NBC Today Show, Oprah, and almost every major news market in the U.S.
Taking Their Own Advice
With backgrounds in karate, bodybuilding
and fitness training, Danny & Marie Lena have always been health conscious
and have looked for foods that gave nutrients and energy in addition to satisfying
hunger. With both being of Italian descent, it's only natural that
their lives centered around food. But it was only recently that they decided
to take their own advice and make their passion for cooking into a business.
Danny & Marie have always cooked for family and friends, but for the past ten years, they have been perfecting what they thought was quite possibly the most unique, flavorful, healthy food item they ever tasted. From Grandpa's secret Calabrese recipe, Danny created this new version, expanding it to different types of chips and streamlining the process.
Papa Lena’s Healthy Gourmet Vegetable Chips are a culmination of years experimentation, trial and error, hard work, and passion for keeping Lena and Demarco family traditions alive.
The Lena’s are what their company
logo personifies…energy, vitality, youthfulness,
tradition, and fun! Their energy and enthusiasm is
contagious. Now the Lena’s have combined
with a powerful sales and leadership team. Their goal
is to eventually take this regional effort, expand
it nationwide, then worldwide with dozens of product
offerings for the world to share and experience. Papa
Lena would be proud…
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