Small food brands often face an uphill battle even after they get into retail stores—brand-building, marketing, communication with buyers, increasing orders, and more—which has only been exacerbated by COVID-19. Hot Bread Kitchen’s panel discussion on August 13, 2020 convened food industry experts for a discussion on how small food brands can strategically pivot, strengthen their […]
Small Business
Voices from the Field: Claude and Craig of Cornbread26
Meet Claude and Craig Malone, founders of Cornbread 26, a full service catering company and member of Hot Bread Kitchen’s Small Business Incubator since 2018. Claude and Craig are also partners—their company is named after their first couple of recipes, cornbread, and their anniversary, the 26th! While their business as caterers has slowed down due […]
Shop Small Businesses Incubated by Hot Bread Kitchen at Whole Foods
Businesses owned by women and people of color face greater challenges in accessing market opportunities, which are crucial for small businesses to scale and thrive. Hot Bread Kitchen is dedicated to providing opportunities for our small businesses to connect with a network of buyers and experts, like our partners at Whole Foods Market. Food products […]
Voices from the Field: Nafi’s
Meet Chef Bintou N’daw of Nafi’s Hot Pepper Condiments. Bintou, a caterer and food consultant, took over Nafi’s from her mother, Nafi. Nafi created the line of West African peanut sauces to fill a market need for African-influenced products in New York City. Nafi’s catering and in-store sales have slowed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
Voices from the Field: Kanpekies
Meet Suzanna of Kanpekies. A systems-focused architect, Suzanna started her shortbread cookie company as a side-business. In Japanese, the word kanpeki translates to “perfect,” which is what Suzanna wants to convey with her cookies (shop online here). Suzanna’s goal in 2020 was to increase her wholesale orders, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, her existing […]
Voices from the Field: Janie’s Life Changing Baked Goods
Meet Janie’s Life Changing Baked Goods. After a dark period of addiction and homelessness, Janie Deegan found solace and healing through baking. Now, she’s a Food Network CHOPPED Sweets champion, and baker of sweet treats including her famous pie crust cookies (available online here). Janie had plans to scale her business through several grocers this […]
