Three-Part Documentary Series
Who Is JB Prince?
PART 1: Brooklyn Born
The origin story of a 50-year-old business built on one idea: professional chefs deserve a supplier dedicated to helping make life easier in the kitchen.
PART 2: NYC Icon
How Judy Prince built the beloved company and a community by listening to what chefs needed, then finding them the answer—one letter and one relationship at a time.
PART 3: The New Prince
New clients, new leadership, and a new address, but what has never changed are the values the business was built on.
Fifty Years
Our Journey
1977
Judy Prince founds JB Prince in a Park Slope brownstone.
On March 1, 1977, Judy Prince founded JB Prince Company from a brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Mission: to source and distribute the finest culinary tools for professional chefs. First-year sales: ~$18,000.
1978
Second-year sales top $80,000 — the model is validated.
Sales climb to roughly $80,000 in the company’s second year, showing proof of concept. The growth makes clear this is more than a side project.
1979
Larry Prince joins JB Prince full-time.
In March 1979, Larry Prince leaves corporate America to join Judy full-time. Judy brings product expertise and chef relationships; Larry brings business acumen, marketing strategy, and operational discipline.
1980
JB Prince expands import relationships to include Japanese manufacturers.
Alongside established European suppliers, JB Prince begins importing from Japan, giving chefs access to tools and techniques from around the world.
1981
JB Prince opens its first Manhattan showroom on West 36th Street.
JB Prince moves from Brooklyn to West 36th Street in Manhattan’s garment district. A professional showroom replaces the home-based operation, making it easier for chefs and industry professionals to visit and browse in person.
1984
JB Prince begins computerizing with a Radio Shack Tandy 256K desktop.
JB Prince adopts cutting-edge technology: a Radio Shack Tandy 256K desktop computer with floppy disk storage. The computerization marks a significant operational upgrade for the growing company.
1980’s
Era of rapid growth and industry leadership.
JB Prince establishes presence at the Chicago Restaurant Show, makes first buying trips to Europe, and develops a distributor network throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. Direct mail catalogs become highly effective, growing from 26 pages in black & white to 50+ pages in full color with 16-page specialty supplements three times per year. The company expands its product line to include culinary books, ice carving tools, motor-driven machines, and JB Prince brand products.
1986
A larger showroom opens on West 38th Street.
JB Prince relocates to West 38th Street to accommodate continued growth and inventory expansion.
1996
JB Prince settles on East 31st Street, where it remains today.
JB Prince relocates to East 31st Street. The showroom becomes a destination for chefs, culinary students, and industry professionals — a place where product curation, expert knowledge, and direct relationships form the foundation of every transaction.
1998
JB Prince enters the world of e-commerce, launching www.jbprince.com
Continuing to innovate in the direct-to-consumer space, JB Prince begins publishing and selling their full catalogue online.
1998
JB Prince formally begins selling the Gray Kunz Spoon.
JB Prince launches the Gray Kunz Spoon, one of the company’s most successful branded products. The spoon was developed in the early 1990s when Chef Gray Kunz, a Swiss culinary innovator at his award-winning Lespinasse kitchen, requested Judy source a specific European spoon. Judy spent six months locating the manufacturer. The product has expanded to eight variations and remains an iconic tool for generations of chefs.
2000
Tim Mussig joins as Customer Service Representative.
Tim Mussig joins JB Prince after working as a New York City line cook. He brings firsthand kitchen experience and understanding of professional chefs’ challenges. Within six months, he’s promoted to Customer Service Manager.
2006
Tim promoted to Director of Purchasing.
Tim assumes responsibility for sourcing strategy, inventory planning, and supplier relationships. He begins developing products manufactured to JB Prince specifications, creating a more distinctive and proprietary assortment. Notable initiatives include expanding the Gray Kunz Spoon program, introducing JB Prince-branded plating tweezers, and expanding solid iron cookware offerings.
2008
JB Prince begins selling specialized tweezers, codifying their use for plating in the culinary trade.
JB Prince launches specialized tweezers designed for precise plating. The tweezers become essential tools for high-end culinary presentation and plating at top restaurants.
2012
New York Times features JB Prince: “Any Way You Cut It (or Mix It or Spherify It), They Sell It.”
JB Prince is featured in the New York Times, recognizing the company as one of the world’s top purveyors of professional culinary equipment.
2012
Tim purchases minority ownership and becomes Executive Vice President.
Tim purchases a minority ownership stake in JB Prince and is appointed Executive Vice President. He begins assuming responsibility for day-to-day management and operation alongside Larry and Judy during the company’s succession process.
2018
JB Prince opens a new 21,000-square-foot warehouse in Plainview.
The JB Prince distribution center is relocated to a new, 21,000 square foot warehouse in Plainview, New York. The new facility increases inventory capacity, operational efficiency, and shipping capabilities, serving as the primary warehouse and distribution center for all 50 states.
2019
The final printed JB Prince catalog is produced.
After anchoring JB Prince’s direct-to-customer strategy for decades, the printed catalog is supplanted by the JB Prince website.
2022
Tim Mussig becomes sole owner of JB Prince.
On May 11, 2022, Tim acquires full ownership of JB Prince, completing a 22-year progression from customer service representative to sole owner. He assumes responsibility for the long-term stewardship and strategic direction of the company.
Fall 2026
A flagship showroom opens at Chelsea Market.
For the first time, the company opens directly to the public at street level, making the “Promised Land” of professional culinary tools accessible to chefs, students, and home cooking enthusiasts. Tim oversees design, construction, merchandising, and launch strategy.
2027
JB Prince marks its 50th anniversary.
JB Prince marks its 50th anniversary, entering its next chapter with the same commitment to excellence, quality, and customer service that has defined the company since March 1, 1977.
Since 1977, JB Prince has been the place where serious cooks go to find a collection of tools that exist nowhere else. When Judy Prince founded the company in her Brooklyn brownstone, she was focused on helping people in professional kitchens find solutions. She began searching the world for the specialized equipment that helps chefs do their best work. By listening to professional chefs, she learned what they needed, then sourced it from the finest manufacturers across Europe with an uncompromising eye for quality.
This is how JB Prince came to be. For nearly fifty years, we've held to that same standard: we search the globe for the tools that meet the demands of a serious kitchen. Our ongoing dialogue with professional chefs and deep relationships with master craftspeople guide everything we do. That relentless focus on quality and reliability has made JB Prince indispensable to world-class restaurants, hotels, and culinary institutions. Our community has grown to also include food enthusiasts who refuse to compromise and demand to work with the best tools on earth.
Now under the stewardship of Tim Mussig — protégé of Judy and her husband Larry — JB Prince remains independently owned and rooted in the New York culinary landscape. From our new Chelsea Market showroom, supported by our warehouse and distribution network, we serve all fifty states and customers worldwide.
Since 1977, JB Prince. New York born and globally unique.
