by Jennifer Pyron
Little Rock Family Staff
6/1/2009
Todd Gold with Noah Todd, age 4, and Gracey, age 6.
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Most kids dread going to work with their parents. Not so for Gracey and Noah Todd Gold. Their dad, Chef Todd Gold, is president of Purple Cow Restaurants. With an all-access pass to those famous purple milkshakes, Todd ranks right up there as one of the coolest dads in town. What started out as a first job turned into a calling for this Little Rock native. At age 16, he began his career at Bruno's Little Italy washing dishes. He worked his way up to kitchen manager by the time he was 18. After graduating from the Memphis Culinary Academy in 1992, he worked as sous chef and executive chef for well-known hotels, country clubs and restaurants in the Little Rock area. He also was the corporate executive chef for Acxiom Corporation for eight years. While Todd was completing his training, local businessman Ed Moore and Chef Paul Bash were founding and growing The Purple Cow brand. Modeled after classic diners of the 50s, The Purple Cow quickly became known for its gourmet burgers, specialty sandwiches and the iconic, hand-dipped purple vanilla shake. In 2007, Moore and Bash retired, selling their company to Todd and businessman Philip Tappan. Winner of countless Little Rock Family Favorite awards, the beloved diner turns 20 years old in July. "Philip and I had been looking for some type of restaurant concept and learned from Paul that he was looking to sell," explained Todd. "The Purple Cow is a great concept that can be duplicated in other markets. It just came together like a good puzzle. I have great respect for Chef Paul Bash, and I knew I didn't want to change a thing. We just added a few new items and created new daily specials." In addition to his responsibilities at the restaurants, Todd is director of programs at Pulaski Technical College Arkansas Culinary School. Todd started the school many years ago, recognizing the abundance of culinary talent in Arkansas and the need for a local training program. In 2006, the program merged with Pulaski Tech. Currently, 200 students are enrolled in the program. "Our goal is to grow to 500 students," remarked Todd. "We want to train a whole new generation of culinary students to help move this state toward becoming a culinary destination - and we are well on our way!" Todd and wife Cindy met on her 21st birthday, despite the fact that they both attended Hall High School in the early 90s. They've been married for almost 11 years and are the proud parents of Gracey, age 6, who is in kindergarten at Central Arkansas Christian, and four-year-old Noah Todd, who attends preschool at First Christian. Here's a bit more about this delicious family in Todd's own words. What's your favorite thing on the menu at The Purple Cow? The cheeseburger is the best. I also love our Santa Fe Salad. What are your children's favorite menu items? Gracey loves our from-scratch soups and grilled cheese. Noah Todd eats the kid's hotdogs. They both love the purple shakes! Describe a typical day in the Gold household. Well, everyone needs to get somewhere. My wife is the conductor, and I help keep the train on the tracks. If you could only teach your children one thing, what would it be?
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