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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.2

                                  DEAN & DELUCA
                                  560 Broadway
                            New York, New York 10012

June 8, 1998

Mr. Duminda De Silva
c/o Old Boston Restoration
477 Shawmut Avenue
Boston, MA  02118

Dear Duminda:

The following are the terms of your at will employment at Dean & Deluca as Vice
President and General Manager of the Catalogue Division. Your position, based in
the new corporate offices in New York City, will report directly to me.

You will have full profit and loss responsibility for the catalogue division,
and be accountable for supervising all aspects of catalogue operations,
including marketing/circulation management, order fulfillment and warehousing,
call center operations, catalogue production and creative direction, product
buying/merchandising and catalogue staffing. Your objective will be to grow
sales and create a long-term, profitable enterprise which reflects the superior
quality, excellence, ambiance and brand recognition associated with the Dean &
Deluca name. Your desire to assume a broader brand development role for the
company is one that you could evolve into after you get your hands around the
catalogue business - although I would expect there will be overlap in
positioning the catalogue.

You will be expected to encourage full and open communication with your staff,
and to foster a working environment which embraces the principles of continuous
improvement and excellence in execution. I will expect you to communicate with
me on a regular basis, so there are no surprises. You should feel free to
express yourself candidly about matters affecting your division; just expect a
lot of questions from me, and healthy debate. Finally, you should employ market
based management principles in all of your commercial decision making, and act
with a sense of urgency in executing your plans.

Your annual base salary will be $120,000 with an opportunity to receive a bonus
of up to 25% of your base salary on your first anniversary based on your job
performance. Because the members of our team shared my high opinion of you, we
are willing to meet your compensation objectives. We are

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committed to rewarding people who make significant and valuable contributions to
our organization. Although you do not bring specific catalogue experience to the
table, we have great confidence that you will "learn the ropes" in short order.
All of us were taken by your enthusiasm and passion for this business, and
believe you will accomplish your "vision" for the company.

You will receive standard health benefits after 90 days of employment and will
be eligible to participate in our 401K plan on your first anniversary date.
These and other benefits and responsibilities are more fully defined in Employee
Handbook which has already been issued to you. We will also reimburse you for
reasonable moving costs between Boston and New York, including one trip to New
York to secure permanent housing. Please call Lori Fernandez at extension 236 if
you need assistance in locating an apartment.

Additionally, you will have the opportunity to participate in our non-qualified
employee stock option plan after one year of employment. The granting of these
options will be based on your job performance, and is strictly discretionary at
the will of the committee responsible for administering the plan. The granting
of options is subject to a vesting schedule and other terms and conditions which
are set forth in the stock option plan and stock option agreement, which you
will receive upon eligibility in the plan.

We would like you to start as soon as possible, but recognize you have
obligations at Koch Industries that may require you to give more than the
standard two week's notice. You also have expressed interest in attending the
Harvard Strategic Marketing Management Course which commences on June 14 and
ends on June 26, 1998. Dean & Deluca will reimburse you for tuition costs not to
exceed $9,000. In light of the above, please give me an indication of when you
will be able to start.

Duminda, I know I speak for all the people you have met at Dean & Deluca in
expressing our enthusiasm about the prospects of you joining our team. Your
professionalism and passion for food and brand development, combined with our
commitment to quality and excellence, shall prove to be a winning combination.

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This offer of employment is subject to having satisfactory interviews in
Wichita, which we have every confidence will go as well as they did here in New
York. I would like to arrange your visit to Wichita as soon as possible. Please
call me or Lori to set a mutually convenient time, or if you have any questions
or comments concerning this letter. If the terms and conditions of this letter
are acceptable, please sign and fax back to me at my confidential fax - (212)
965-1765.

Yours sincerely,

/s/ DANE J. NELLER
------------------------------
Dane J. Neller
President and Chief Executive Officer

Agreed and Accepted:

/s/ Duminda De Silva
------------------------------
Duminda De Silva

6/16/98
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Date

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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.3

                                  DEAN & DELUCA
                                  560 Broadway
                            New York, New York 10012

30 December 1998

Mr. Emil Grosso
561 Eder Avenue
Wyckoff, NJ  07481

Dear Emil:

It is my pleasure to confirm our offer of at will employment at Dean & DeLuca
Brands, Inc. ("D&D") as Vice President - Finance.

As Vice President - Finance you will report directly to me and be responsible
for all finance and MIS functions. This will include, among other things,
financial and inventory reporting, financial planning and budgeting, information
technology, loss prevention, payroll and risk management. You will be primarily
responsible for ensuring the integrity and accuracy of our financial statements
and accounting procedures. We will expect you to develop a system of procedures
and controls which produce timely and accurate financial statements and year-end
closes with a small but effect staff. I will also expect you to develop weekly
management reports which summarize in a concise and accurate fashion the key
financial drivers of the business, i.e., weekly gross margins and payroll,
monthly inventory and inventory turns, relevant catalogue information, and other
data useful in managing the business.

This position requires the skills of a highly effective change agent and
financial manager. The major focus during the first six months will be to
examine the existing accounting and information technology infrastructure, to
re-engineer systems, processes and procedures so that they may sustain the
company through a period of significant growth, and to be well on the way toward
implementing these changes. The current structures, while adequate in the past,
are insufficient for the anticipated growth of D&D. Thus, the need to take the
functions to the next level.

We have also discussed the need to centralize and consolidate accounting and MIS
functions for all business units (including the licensed entities) into one
location. By doing this, we can eliminate duplicating functions and costs, and
standardize best practices across the company. During your first six months you
will assess the capabilities of the company and begin to undertake this
initiative. Our objective is to complete this mission in one year.

Your annual base salary will be $135,000. Additionally, you will be eligible to
earn a discretionary bonus of up to 20% of this salary, payable on your
anniversary date based on your job performance.

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The full 20% bonus will be awarded based on exemplary services. A sign-on bonus
of $7,500 will be paid to you within the first thirty (30) days of employment.
We have agreed that this sum will be repaid by you to D&D if you voluntarily
resign or are terminated for cause within the first year of employment. You will
also be eligible to participate in our 401K plan after one year of employment
and participate in our standard health care plan upon completion of 90 days of
employment. Prior to enrollment in the health care plan, you will be personally
responsible for your COBRA payments. You will be entitled to two weeks vacation
during your first year.

Finally, you will be eligible to participate in our non-qualified employee stock
option plan after one year of employment, subject to the terms and conditions of
the plan. The granting of these options will be based on your job performance,
and is strictly discretionary at the will of the committee responsible for
administering the plan. The formula for determining the amount of the grant is
tied to your base salary and the fair market value of the D&D common stock at
the time of your grant.

Emil, I know I speak for all the people you have met at Dean & DeLuca in
expressing our enthusiasm about you leading the financial team at Dean & DeLuca.
Your professionalism and experience, combined with our commitment to quality and
excellence, should prove to be a winning combination. We look forward to you
joining us around February 1, 1999; please let us know your firm start date.

If the terms of this letter are consistent with your understanding, please sign
below and fax back to me at (212) 965-1765 upon receipt. Otherwise call me if
you have any questions or comments.

Yours sincerely,

/s/ DANE J. NELLER
------------------------------

                                          Agreed and Accepted

                                          /s/ EMIL GROSSO
                                          ------------------------

                                          Emil Grosso

                                          Date: 1/11/99
                                                ------------------

cc:  Mike Randels

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