ROSELAND, N.J., May 26, 2026 – In its continued series spotlighting this year’s Grit & Wisdom Award winners, ADP highlights Gourmet Food Solutions and the practical advice owner Alycia Oh has for fellow entrepreneurs on managing change.
Small Business Spotlight: Gourmet Food Solutions
After a fire nearly closed her business of 17 years, owner Alycia Oh learned the importance of building a strong support network and finding new ways to adapt despite disruption.
With the help of its employees, vendors, and customers, food distribution company Gourmet Food Solutions was able to keep orders shipping and start rebuilding from the ground up after losing its warehouse to a fire. “Every one of our employees was working,” Alycia explains. “Trucks were running and our neighbors, friends and vendors helped find us temporary spaces to work out of to keep the business moving.”
Following the December 2023 fire, Gourmet Food Solutions revitalized its operations. “Adopting a new business model improved our quality of life and that of our employees,” shares Alycia. They now work closer to home, spend less time on the road, and set clear, sustainable priorities. She credits the company’s resurgence to the strong relationships it had built with its vendors and customers. “Customers stayed committed to buying what we had available. Vendors shipped us what they could to get us through the holiday season. And most importantly, people cared about our business.”
The most important lessons Alycia took from the fire were to take nothing for granted and be as prepared for the unpredictable as possible with a strong support network, updated insurance policies, and continuity plans. “Circumstances can change in an instant,” she says. “Respect the fluidity of changes you can’t control. A fire may have taken our business, but it didn’t defeat us.”
For more small business stories and support, visit adp.com/gritandwisdom.
FAQs:
The awards highlight real examples of entrepreneurs navigating challenges such as cash flow pressure, operational disruption, leadership transitions, growth decisions and unexpected external events. Their stories offer practical lessons other business owners can apply as they strengthen their own operations.
Small businesses can build resilience by formalizing and documenting key processes, improving financial visibility, preparing for workforce and supplier disruptions, and creating systems that add structure and continuity to business processes. ADP’s Grit & Wisdom Award winners show how structure, adaptability and leadership can help businesses navigate challenges and drive growth.
ADP supports more than 900,000 small businesses with the workforce infrastructure that makes business possible. ADP’s HR and payroll solutions are designed to help businesses manage their most critical workforce functions with precision, compliance, and confidence.
