Bento Perspectives is our monthly look at the ideas and shifts shaping fresh, convenient food in North America and beyond. Each edition brings forward perspectives from the team at Bento, grounded in hands-on experience and a shared commitment to quality, innovation, and continuous improvement. Through this series, we aim to share what we are learning, highlight emerging trends, and offer a thoughtful view on how the broader food, retail, and consumer landscape continues to evolve.
For this edition, CEO Dave Jones shares his reflections on leadership, innovation, growth, and what it takes to build a business that stays relevant over time.
What do you think has been the single biggest reason Bento has remained relevant over 30 years?
I think it’s our willingness to adapt while staying true to our core values. For 30 years, we’ve remained committed to quality, food safety, strong partnerships, and innovation. Those principles haven’t changed, but the market around us certainly has. Staying relevant requires continuously evolving how you serve customers without losing sight of what made you successful in the first place.
How do you know when it’s time to evolve a brand versus protect what made it successful in the first place?
A brand’s values should remain consistent, but its products, customer experience, and identity need to evolve alongside the people it serves. If you stand still, you risk becoming irrelevant. If you change everything, you risk losing who you are. The key is understanding what should never change and being flexible about everything else.
How do you distinguish between trends worth pursuing and those that should be ignored?
There is rarely complete certainty. Sometimes you take calculated risks because you believe consumer preferences are shifting in a particular direction. Not every innovation becomes a bestseller, but every innovation teaches you something. Other opportunities are easier to identify because the momentum is clear. The recent growth of onigiri is a good example. When consumer demand, cultural trends, and market opportunity align, you need to be ready to move.
How has your thinking about growth changed over the course of your career?
Early on, growth was often measured by new locations, new customers, or expanding product lines. Today, I think about growth much more broadly. New channels continue to create opportunities, but sustainable growth is ultimately built on trust. When customers consistently choose your brand because they trust your quality and experience, you’ve created something far more valuable than a transaction.
What does it take to build a company that can thrive and scale for decades, not just years?
People. Businesses scale through systems and processes, but they endure because of the people behind them. The strongest ideas, relationships, and innovations come from individuals who care deeply about what they’re building together. Long-term success requires investing in talent, creating opportunities for growth, and developing future leaders throughout the organization.
If you could go back 10 years, what would you tell the leadership team to focus on sooner?
I would emphasize leadership development and succession planning even earlier. Strong organizations don’t just build products and processes, they build future leaders. The companies that remain relevant over time are constantly preparing the next generation to take on greater responsibility and bring fresh perspectives to the business.
What should leaders be doing today to ensure their organizations remain relevant ten years from now?
Stay close to your customers, invest in your people, and embrace change as a constant. Relevance isn’t something you achieve once and then keep forever. It requires humility, curiosity, and a willingness to challenge assumptions that may have worked for years. The organizations that thrive over the long run aren’t the ones that resist change, they’re the ones that learn how to evolve without losing sight of who they are.