Pro Food Maker

Getting your product into grocery stores takes time and requires networking with retailers & buyers in the food industry. Ashley Kirk, Founder of Planted Foods Co, a plant based food company walks us through:

• How to get your products onto store shelves by networking and other strategies
• The consumer research Ashley conducted to decide the products she would sell
• Her winding career path that led to going vegan and building a plant based food business

Full show notes at profoodmaker.com

You won’t be able to bootstrap your food business forever and might need investors, says Kai Nortey, co-founder & CEO of Kube Nice Cream. This Black owned vegan ice cream manufacturer explains:

• Why venture capital (VC) may not be right for you as a food business owner
• The types of conversations you might have with potential investors 
• Potential problems working with co-packers & getting into grocery stores

Full show notes at profoodmaker.com

Are you a food truck owner having trouble with marketing and keeping your social media pages updated? Ariel D. Smith, The Food Truck Scholar, has quick & easy tips for you. Ariel also chats about:

• How she created an audio diary for food truckers using her podcast
• Opportunities for current and future food truck owners
• The importance of insuring your deposit for events

Full show notes at profoodmaker.com

Interested in getting more press for your business? Mercedes outlines common mistakes we make when pitching to media outlets and tips on how to successfully pitch to journalists, podcasters, YouTubers, and bloggers.

Full show notes: https://profoodmaker.com/how-to-write-a-media-pitch

Geo Darwin, a Philadelphia-based food & lifestyle blogger and content creator, is on a mission to highlight underrepresented people in food & beverage. We chat about:

• Being consistent as a content creator
• Why blogging isn’t dead and the evolution of blogging
• The Philly food scene

Full show notes: https://profoodmaker.com/geos-table

Courtney Lindsay is the chef & owner of Houston Sauce Co, a super popular vegan food company in Houston, TX. Courtney shares:

• how a hot sauce turned into a food truck, BBQ trailer, storefront, and more
• what food truck owners need to do to grow their business and who they need to hire
• how much a food truck costs

Mentioned in this episode

• $2 tacos, Drippy Southwest Burger, the lump crab gumbo, and the garlic parmesan wangz
• Texas Southern University
• Food Network’s Chopped
• Max’s Wine Dive restaurant
• New York Film Academy 
• Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern
• DJ Reel Chill (Chasitie Lindsay)
• Pro Food Maker’s Instagram post about the $2 tacos
• Jarrett Milton, co-owner of Houston Sauce Pit 
• Sauce Co Shoppette provides grab & go items (non-fried) (cajun alfredo, gumbo, chik’n & mac, lemonade, etc)
• TRUE Laundry Detergent (Black owned). Order from TRUE’s website or Sauce Co. Shoppette.
• Tennessee Hot Tacos
• Big Hot Chik’n Sammich

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Connect with Courtney Lindsay & Houston Sauce Co.

Instagram: @houstonsauceco

Twitter: @houstonsauceco

Website: houstonsauceco.com

Reach out to the Pro Food Maker Podcast

Website: profoodmaker.com

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

How much does it cost to open a restaurant? A lot. Learn restaurant start up costs and best practices from Felicia Middleton, an architectural designer for food spaces, specializing in food service design. Hear about:

• The costs for equipment, renovations, etc
• How to open a restaurant: steps & tips
• Common mistakes & misconceptions about opening a restaurant

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Connect with Felicia Middleton & the Foodie Builder

Instagram: @foodiebuilder

Twitter: @foodiebuilder 

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/urbanaesthetics

Website: foodiebuilder.weebly.com

Reach out to the Pro Food Maker Podcast

Website: profoodmaker.com

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

Meet Kyle Sexton, owner of Kyle’s Good Finds, a Black owned bakery in Tokyo, Japan. We chat about:

• How and why Kyle moved to Tokyo 30 years ago
• His bakery’s best sellers which includes carrot cake 
• The importance of having true friends who will support you

Mentioned in this episode

• Rhode Island School of Design - Photography
• Minshuku - Guesthouse accommodations that are family-owned and family-run
• Mandarake - popular used goods chain in Japan. Mostly known for their comics and toys.
• Nakano Sun Plaza - Hotel in the Nakano neighborhood of Tokyo, Japan that has a concert hall and several restaurants.
• Shinjuku Station
• Edogawa - neighborhood in Tokyo, Japan
• KitchenAid flour/grain mill attachment (affiliate link)
• Takkyubin - Shipping & delivery service in Japan
• JAFA: Japan African American Friendship Association

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Connect with Kyle Sexton & Kyle’s Good Finds

Instagram: @kylesgoodfinds

Facebook: @kylesgoodfinds 

Website: https://kylesgoodfinds.net/

Reach out to the Pro Food Maker Podcast

Website: profoodmaker.com

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

Welcome to Season 2! Mercedes talks about highlights, media features, and collaborations from Season 1. She finishes the episode with an Ask Me Anything segment and a sneak peek for the new season.

Mentioned in this episode

• How to Support Black Owned Restaurants & Food Businesses Long-Term guide
• Ep 17: Improve your food photography skills with food blogger Anela Malik
• The Food Truck Scholar Podcast
• 20 Food Podcasts by Black Women on soulphoodie.com
• Pro Food Maker was featured in MOFAD, Food + Tech Connect, Washington City and more (Pro Food Maker Press page)
• Pro Food Maker was featured by Apple Podcasts
• Houston Sauce Co
• Favorite Black Owned Restaurants in Houston 2020 Edition on profoodmaker.com

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Website: profoodmaker.com

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

The new season of Pro Food Maker launches this month! Find out how an extra 15 seconds of your time will lead to a bonus episode. Subscribe to this podcast and follow us on Instagram @profoodmaker. Thank you for listening and for your support.

If you are looking to grow your career in hospitality, food & beverage, you need a mentor.  Lorraine Copes founded Be Inclusive Hospitality, an organization that supports and promotes Black, Asian and other ethnic minorities in the hospitality sector through education, coaching, and mentorship. Lorraine walks us through: 

• how and why she created Be Inclusive Hospitality
• how you can join the Be Inclusive Hospitality community

Note: The name of the organization has changed from BAME in Hospitality to Be Inclusive Hospitality

Mentioned in this episode

• BAME: Acronym used in the UK that stands for Black, Asian, and other Ethnic Minorities
• Black in Hospitality founded by Tolu Aladejebi
• Diversity in Wine & Spirits - Lia Jones, Executive Director

Connect with Lorraine & Be Inclusive Hospitality

Instagram: @beinclusivehospitality

Twitter: @beinclusivehosp

Website: bihospitality.co.uk

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Reach out to the Pro Food Maker Podcast

Website: profoodmaker.com

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

Where can Black chefs, Black owned restaurants and professionals in the food, beverage & hospitality industry go for professional development, collaboration, and support? Colleen Vincent and Clay Williams founded Black Food Folks, a fellowship that centers Black people, our accomplishments, and our growth in food & drink. Colleen & Clay walk us through: 

• the food industry's gatekeeping and how that affects opportunities for Black people
• media's obsession with one Black chef at a time
• how and why they created Black Food Folks
• immediate changes they want to see in food & beverage
• how you can support Black chefs, writers, creatives, etc

Mentioned in this episode

• Nicole Taylor
• Marcus Samuelsson
• JJ Johnson  
• Edouardo Jordan
• Black Food Folks daily conversations on Instagram Live
• Garrett Oliver talks with Jackie Summers on Black Food Folks Instagram Live
• Fresh Fest 
• Adam Rapoport, former Editor In Chief of Bon Appetit resigns (Eater article)
• Whetstone Magazine 
• For the Culture 
• While Entertaining by Amber Mayfield
• CashApp: $BlackFoodFolks
• Black Food Folks partners with Discover on the Eat It Forward Program (website & Instagram post)

Connect with Colleen Vincent, Clay Williams & Black Food Folks

Instagram: @BlackFoodFolks, @ms_collycol, @ultraclay 

Twitter: @BlackFoodFolks, @Collycol, @ultraclay 

Facebook: @Blackfoodfolks

Website: blackfoodfolks.com

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Reach out to the Pro Food Maker Podcast

Website: profoodmaker.com 

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

You don’t need to be a celebrity chef to create your own cookbook. LVNGbook, created by Shaun Chavis, a former cookbook editor, offers culturally-inclusive customizable cookbooks for people with a chronic disease. Shaun walks us through: 

• the importance of customer discovery when building your app
• how to find developers to build your app
• potential revenue streams for your app

Mentioned in this episode

• Health Magazine
• Master’s Degree in Gastronomy at Boston University
• ABC 11 WTVD news 
• Digital Undivided
• Kemiko Lawrence of Kemboocha
• MyPlate U.S. dietary guidelines
• Brazil dietary guidelines
• Intentionally Good Project - Goodie Nation 
• Joey Womack
• Google for Startups Atlanta Academy

Connect with Shaun Chavis & LVNGbook

Instagram: @shaunchavis and @lvngbook

Twitter: @shaunchavis

Pinterest: pinterest.com/lvngbook

Website: lvngbook.com

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Reach out to the Pro Food Maker Podcast 

Website: profoodmaker.com 

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

Anela Malik is a food blogger & food writer who focuses on food politics and telling diverse food stories. Anela chats about her work that supports Black owned restaurants and walks us through:

• How to plan your content based on your mission statement.
• The equipment and apps she uses to create food content.
• The importance of networking as a content creator and how to genuinely build relationships.

Mentioned in this episode

• How to Support Black Owned Restaurants & Food Businesses Long Term on ProFoodMaker.com
• Ben’s Chili Bowl
• DMV Black-Owned Restaurants Open During COVID-19 on FeedTheMalik.com
• How You Can Support DC Black-Owned Restaurants Now Washingtonian article
• Black owned restaurant resource bank (upcoming; will update with a link later)
• Software that Anela uses for her social media content:
• • Adobe Premier Rush
  • Adobe Lightroom
  • Parker Arrow Lightroom presets
  • Emulsio video stabilizer iPhone app
  • Instories app for iOS and Android phones
  • Later visual planning and scheduling tool for Instagram. Also has a library of free resources

Food & Politics reading

• Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin
• The Cooking Gene by Michael Twitty
• “As COVID-19 Disrupts the Industrial Meat System, Independent Processors Have a Moment to Shine” on Civil Eats
• People of Color are at Greater Risk of COVID-19. Systemic Racism in the Food System Plays a Role on Civil Eats
• The D.C. Region Doesn’t Have Full-Time Food Critics of Color. Why That Matters on Washington City Paper
• The Sickness in Our Food Supply on The New York Review on Books

Connect with Anela Malik & Feed the Malik

Instagram: @feedthemalik

Website: feedthemalik.com

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Reach out to the Pro Food Maker Podcast

Website: profoodmaker.com 

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

Mike Bradford, Founder & President of Wonderffle, is a software engineer who invented a stuffed waffle maker that lets you create waffles with your favorite foods inside. Mike walks us through:

• Cost estimates for manufacturing your kitchen appliance
• Lessons learned from finding the right manufacturer for your invention
• How to save money on filing for your patent
• How he was able to get feedback from chefs & food media 

Mentioned in this episode

• NSF certified
• Steven Harvey’s Funderdome

Connect with Mike Bradford & Wonderffle

Instagram: @wonderffle

Twitter: @wonderffle 

Website & order directly: wonderffle.com

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Reach out to the Pro Food Maker Podcast

Website: profoodmaker.com 

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

De J Lozada, Founder of Soul Popped Gourmet Popcorn, and Black business advocate, knows that selling online can be difficult and expensive for business owners. She is launching Shop Kemet, an online marketplace that connects Black owned businesses with customers who want to buy Black. De J talks about:

• What it takes to generate $500,000+ in sales for your food business
• The features available on Shop Kemet that other marketplaces don’t offer
• Why Black owned businesses need an online presence

Connect with De J Lozada, SoulPopped, & Shop Kemet

Instagram: @weshopkemet and @soulpoppedpopcorn

Facebook: @shopkemet and @soulpoppedpopcorn

Twitter: @soulfoodpopcorn

Listen to this episode

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Reach out to the Pro Food Maker Podcast

Website: profoodmaker.com 

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

Want to open a restaurant? You don’t need a brick and mortar location or even a food truck. Fred Corder, Co-Owner of Maryland Chickan, walks us through how #DeepFriedWatermelon does pop ups at night markets and food events in Southeast Asia and the U.S. Fred also talks about:

• Why Black entrepreneurs need to do more business internationally
• The importance of decentralization of business and media and why this is the best time to be a food entrepreneur
• Why pop up restaurants are profitable and don’t have to be a stepping stone to a food truck or physical restaurant

Mentioned in this episode

• Pockets Fulla of Pillz
• VeganDale Food & Drink Festival
• Emporiyum Food Market
• 626 Night Market
• Queens Night Market
• Smorgasburg
• Charm City Night Market in Baltimore, Maryland
• Baltimore Seafood Fest

Connect with Fred Corder & Maryland Chickan

Instagram: @marylandchickan

Facebook: @marylandchickan and @pocketsfullapillz

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Listen to the Pro Food Maker Podcast

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Reach out to the Pro Food Maker Podcast

Website: profoodmaker.com 

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

Kombucha brewmaster and yoga teacher Kemiko Lawrence, founder of the kombucha brand, Kemboocha, breaks down:

• How she turned her hobby kombucha home brew into a kombucha brand
• Focusing on prioritizing in life and in business instead of trying to find balance
• The importance of building your own table instead of waiting to be accepted by others

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Mentioned in this episode

• Harmony Wellness Angels
• How I Built This podcast
• Side Hustle Pro
• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't (book)
• University of Georgia food science & technology classes
• Answerthepublic
• Small Business Administration
• Digital Undivided

Connect with Kemiko Lawrence & Kemboocha

Website: kemboocha.com

Instagram: @kemboocha

Twitter: @kemboocha

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kemboocha/

Listen to this episode:

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Reach out to the Pro Food Maker Podcast 

Website: profoodmaker.com 

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

Today, we chat with mompreneur, Christian Sargent, co-founder & CEO of Vicky Cakes Pancake Mix, on how she launched her Black owned breakfast brand in two months. Christian breaks down:
• The 5 main steps to plan & launch your packaged food business
• The story behind the Vicky Cakes Pancake & Waffle brand - her mother’s 40 year old family recipe
• How to find a commercial kitchen that fits your schedule & budget

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Mentioned in this episode

• Winners Eat Breakfast Vicky Cakes Pancake Commercial (YouTube video)

Connect with Christian Sargent & Vicky Cakes

Website & order directly: vickycakesonline.com 

Order on Amazon: Vicky Cakes Pack of 4

Instagram: @vickycakespancakemix

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClh0_ERxt_a-VUShG2b2GBQ

Subscribe to the RSS feed: http://profoodmaker.libsyn.com/rss

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Website: profoodmaker.com 

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Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast

You need more than passion to successfully run your food business. Today, we chat about the common mistakes that restaurant owners and food entrepreneurs make, with Chelsea Rainey. She is the founder & owner of Culinistics, a company that helps food entrepreneurs launch and scale their food brand. Chelsea breaks down:

• Market research and how it’s a vital component of your food business
• How your business needs to be rooted in strategy and not just passion
• Introducing focus into your business and how to stop “doing too much”

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Mentioned in this episode

• National Restaurant Association
• Whole Foods Top 10 Food Trends for 2020
• Mintel Food & Drink
• Baking Business
• Forbes 10 Food Trends to Look for in 2020: October 2019 article & December 2019 article
• Culinistics free downloads

Connect with Chelsea J. Rainey & Culinistics

Website: culinistics.com

Instagram: @culinistics & @chelseajrainey

Subscribe to the RSS feed: http://profoodmaker.libsyn.com/rss

Listen to this episode

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Reach out to the Pro Food Maker Podcast

Website: profoodmaker.com 

Email: hey@profoodmaker.com

Instagram: instagram.com/profoodmaker

Facebook: facebook.com/profoodmaker

Twitter: twitter.com/profoodmakerpod

Hashtags: #profoodmaker #profoodmakerpodcast