Published June 16, 2025
Exciting Leadership Changes
New leadership guides Elephants Delicatessen into its next era
Elephants Delicatessen, Portland’s beloved deli and specialty food company since 1979, has appointed seasoned food and retail executive Martin McClanan as Chief Executive Officer and Kyo Koo as the Director of Production managing Elephants commercial kitchens in Portland and Milwaukie, Oregon.
McClanan brings a wealth of leadership experience in specialty food, e-commerce, and retail, having previously served as CEO of Norm Thompson, RedEnvelope, and GiftTree. A longtime advisor to food and wine businesses in Oregon and California, McClanan has also served as the chair on the non-profit board of the James Beard Public Market. He has been working as a consultant for Elephants since the summer of 2024.
His deep ties to the region’s food community and his passion for specialty food and wine make him uniquely positioned
to lead Elephants into its next era.
Founded in 1979, Elephants Delicatessen has grown under the leadership of Anne and Scott Weaver from a single flagship location to one of the region’s most loved institutions known for fresh meals, iconic soups, beloved cookies and delicious sandwiches, and top-notch hospitality.
Anne Weaver began her tenure with the company in 1980, and has served as CEO for over 40 years. She has been with Elephants Delicatessen throughout its evolution, embracing both tradition and innovation to lead the company. Anne’s greatest source of pride is in growing the company and achieving their certification as a B Corp.
Her husband, Scott Weaver, has served as Elephants’ executive chef since 1983, feeding Portland and the Elephants Herd with his gift for crafting delicious food.
Anne and Scott Weaver will remain with the company. Scott will remain the Executive Chef of the company. Anne will become a Strategic Advisor.
Kyo Koo joins the company with a wealth of culinary and operational experience with Cook Unity chef-crafted meal delivery service and as the previous chef at Portland iconic restaurants Clark Lewis, Blue Hour and the former Chef de Partie at Mugaritz in San Sebastian Spain.
The company is also pleased to announce that Henry Hillman has added onto his previous investment with additional capital to build Elephants business in its seven delis, Catering business and to expand its partnerships with food leaders such as New Seasons Market and Williams Sonoma. The company will remain locally owned and managed. With this investment, Hillman will become the majority owner of the company while Anne and Scott Weaver will retain a minority ownership stake.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Martin to Elephants,” said Anne Weaver. “His combination of food and beverage knowledge, digital savvy, passion for sustainable food systems, and love for this region makes him a perfect fit for our
next chapter. ”
“Kyo Koo’s skills as a culinary leader for both fine dining and producing superior quality meals at scale is the perfect background and opportune time for Elephants. I am looking forward to working closely with him to carry on Elephants reputation for better foods made daily locally in Portland,” said Scott Weaver, Executive Chef.
Outgoing leadership, in collaboration with the company’s experienced team, has helped build a strong foundation for continued innovation and community engagement.
“As a longtime admirer of Elephants and the values it represents, I’m honored to lead the company that Anne and the Elephants team have built into the future,” said McClanan. “Elephants Deli stands for something bigger than any given food item—it’s about the ability to connect people through the food we enjoy each day. It is about the amazing people who make it, serve it, enjoy it and the distinctive places that the community comes together. I look forward to working alongside this incredible team and the Oregon food community to make Elephants a place that generations of Portlanders connect for many years to come.”
