History

We are frequently asked if there is or was a "Buddy".

Nils "Buddy" Eian moved to Minneapolis from Ashby, Minnesota in 1974 to start Buddy's Kitchen. The first product was a succulent hand-cooked omelet for North Central Airlines. That omelet remains a signature Buddy's product 34 years later.

Two surviving daughters of Buddy remain active shareholders today, carrying on their father's traditions of making high quality products that are fairly priced, and fostering an amazingly positive work environment for the employees.
Although it initially grew serving the catering needs of airlines, the company
has diversified to serve other growing industries.

Production Team

Buddy's Kitchen employs 200 of the most productive workers in the food industry. We are incredibly proud of our team; many have made their careers working in production for Buddy's and proudly retire from Buddy's.

The Hallmarks of the Production Team at Buddy's Kitchen Are:
  • Long tenured employees and minimal turnover
  • Amazing teamwork and productivity
  • Extremely competitive total cost structure
  • Strong work ethic and adaptability
  • Positive, cohesive culture that has been nurtured for over 30 years
  • Loyalty and dedication that extends to the customers of Buddy's
  • Scalable for new projects

Visitors frequently tell us our plant is the only one that they see where the workers are smiling!

Ethical Sourcing Supplier Certification

Buddy's Kitchen has been audited by the Safe Quality Food Institute not only for food safety, but for the treatment of its employees and respect for the environment. The Institute certified Buddy's to its Ethical Sourcing standard.