For most individuals, a pizza date seems to be one thing like selecting a cute restaurant or possibly panicking over what to put on. However whenever you’re knowledgeable chef, a pizza date is sort of like a cooking class. No less than in response to Michelle Jimenez it was. And in case you’re doubting her, she and her now-husband Andrea Meggiato turned a kind of so-called pizza dates right into a enterprise—one you would possibly’ve seen on Shark Tank or in shops like Goal.
“He mentioned it could be essentially the most unforgettable date I would ever go on,” Michelle informed me, “and he could not have been extra proper.” They went on to create The Pizza cupcake, now expanded beneath the brand new identify Incredifulls.
They are not the one couple that is made it work like that. The subsequent time you’re snowboarding, or cramming for the LSAT, and even simply killing time in a seashore city, you would possibly simply stumble in your subsequent nice concept, the love of your life—or possibly each.
That’s not simply wishful considering. It’s precisely how issues began for 3 different {couples} who now run among the fastest-growing meals manufacturers within the nation. They didn’t all have formal culinary coaching. They weren’t all on some five-year marketing strategy. However they did have two issues in frequent: a shared love of meals, and a willingness to construct one thing collectively, each personally and professionally.
I’ve all the time been fascinated by the concept of going into enterprise with somebody you’re keen on. Perhaps that’s as a result of nobody in my household does it. We’re all in several industries, and admittedly, I don’t know if we’d work effectively collectively. However speaking to those founders positively made me rethink issues. It seems, constructing an organization along with your companion doesn’t need to imply shedding your relationship. The truth is, it will probably really strengthen it.
“It’s been rewarding to witness our mutual progress as we stretch our capabilities and evolve our interpersonal dynamics, administration types, and different abilities at a speedy tempo,” mentioned Jen Liao, co-founder of MìLà.
Maura Duggan, founder and CEO of Fancypants, echoed that sentiment: “It may be a bit difficult to clarify the ups and downs of working a meals enterprise, however we dwell with the dangers and rewards day-after-day,” she mentioned. “It’s such an important feeling to simply share that.”
When you’ve ever puzzled what it’s actually like to enter enterprise along with your companion—the great, the exhausting, and all the things in between—you’re not alone. I caught up with 4 {couples} who’ve constructed meals manufacturers collectively to listen to how they’ve made it work (and what they’ve discovered alongside the best way).
Founders: Jen Liao & Caleb Wang
What do they make? Restaurant-quality and genuine Chinese language staples like frozen soup dumplings, noodles, and sauces. You will discover them in shops like Goal and Costco nationwide and even organize them on-line.
Picture by MìLà
Some {couples} begin a enterprise after years of planning, however Jen Liao and Caleb Wang began one whereas residing on reverse coasts. The 2 met on a ski journey in Whistler in 2014, saved in contact by way of Skype, and dated long-distance for 4 years. Someplace between the slopes and all these late-night calls, they determined to open a restaurant as a aspect mission (and bought married someplace alongside the best way, too).
Immediately, their frozen meals model MìLà is on the market nationwide, with actor Simu Liu as each an investor and their Chief Content material Officer. It has hundreds of glowing evaluations
“We approached it as a studying alternative, figuring out the restaurant business is unlikely to achieve,” Jen informed me, “however feeling optimistic in our problem-solving skills.”
They constructed MìLà from a shared craving to deliver their favourite Chinese language dishes into extra properties. Now married and working the enterprise full-time, they’ve discovered to divide obligations—Jen focuses on product and advertising and marketing, Caleb runs operations—and navigate each excessive and low as a crew.
“There’s no ‘my aspect’ or ‘your aspect’ of the corporate,” Jen mentioned. “Simply us, working collectively.”
As their model has advanced, so has their partnership, rooted in mutual respect and a shared imaginative and prescient for what MìLà might characterize.
“I am actually proud that we have contributed to redefining the narrative round Chinese language meals within the U.S., and performed it in a means that feels true to our private story,” Jen mentioned.
Founders: Michelle Jimenez & Andrea Meggiato
What do they make? Frozen pizza snacks and breakfast cups with a real-deal Italian twist—now offered at Goal.
Some dates finish in dessert. Michelle and Andrea’s led to a enterprise. The pair met at a pal’s birthday celebration, and never lengthy after, Andrea requested her out on a pizza date however with a twist.
“The twist was that we had been going to make it ourselves,” Michelle mentioned. “It ended up being the perfect cooking class of my life.”
That date set the tone for what would grow to be their frozen snack model, initially known as The Pizza Cupcake and lately rebranded to Incredifulls. What began as a enjoyable dish they delivered to events—a greater model of the frozen pizza bites Michelle grew up consuming—has grow to be a nationally distributed model, first catching fireplace after a deal on Shark Tank in 2021. Their signature? Brioche-based dough with a nod to Andrea’s roots in Venice, Italy.
“We’ve discovered the significance of dividing and conquering—leaning into our strengths, speaking brazenly, and prioritizing our psychological well being, marriage, and household,” Michelle mentioned.
Over time, they’ve discovered what it takes to work effectively as each co-founders and household.
“The actual problem was studying to stability my large ‘sure!’ power with Andrea’s extra considerate, operations-first mindset as we turned this concept right into a enterprise.”
Founders: Maura Duggan and Justin Housman
What do they make? Crispy, flavor-packed cookies impressed by all the things from mint chip ice cream to salted caramel, now offered in Complete Meals, Costco, and grocery shops nationwide.
When Maura Duggan met Justin Housman on St. Patrick’s Day at an Irish bar in New York, they had been each lecturers. Baking wasn’t the plan—not less than not but (they did bond over a Guinness, after all).
“The foodie half got here quickly after!” Maura mentioned. “Justin is a wonderful cook dinner and I’ve all the time liked baking, so we complemented one another straight away.”
Initially centered on adorned shortbread cookies, Fancypants has since grown right into a full-blown snack model with crispy cookies in nostalgic flavors like birthday cake, chocolate chip, and salted caramel.
They’d been collectively for 4 years once they determined to enter enterprise collectively, and as Maura famous, individuals positively raised some eyebrows. For them, it was all the time extra thrilling than nerve wracking.
“[We] actually knew our strengths and weaknesses,” she defined. “We’ve all the time been cautious to carve out time away from one another too.”
Maura calls herself the “product visionary,” all the time fascinated by “new cookie flavors, packaging updates, and collaborations,” whereas Justin handles loads of the logistic particulars. “It’s an important synergy,” she mentioned.
Regardless of the enterprise’s progress—lately launched in Harris Teeter and increasing throughout Complete Meals within the Mid-Atlantic—Maura is most pleased with how they’ve stayed true to their roots: “We’ve been capable of change the course of Fancypants utterly…whereas additionally preserving our core crew collectively.”
And the perfect a part of working collectively? “Having the ability to assist one another. It’s such an important feeling to simply share that.”
Founders: Berk and Sena Bahceci
What do they make? Natural, early-harvest olive oils from a 100-year-old household grove in Turkey. Launched in 2023, Heraclea makes each on a regular basis cooking oils and daring, infused blends. Their oils are PDO, natural, and Honest Commerce Licensed.
In 2016, Berk Bahceci was deep in LSAT prep and virtually skipped a seashore weekend with mates in Çeşme, Turkey—however that spontaneous resolution modified all the things. “If he hadn’t proven up that day, none of this is able to’ve occurred,” Sena mentioned.
Meals has been a shared ardour from the beginning. “It’s in all probability the factor we by no means get tired of doing collectively—consuming, cooking, exploring new locations,” they mentioned. Berk loves scouring native markets for elements, and their weekends had been usually spent cooking Turkish dishes with their very own twist.
And for them, it simply labored. “It’s made us grow to be higher companions and communicators,” Sena defined.
In 2022, Berk left his authorized profession to launch Heraclea, turning his household’s century-old olive grove into a contemporary model rooted in sustainability and transparency. Sena’s function within the enterprise grew naturally: “Heraclea all the time felt like one thing greater than simply beginning an organization—it was about getting Turkish olive oil the place it deserves on American tables.”
Their proudest milestone? “Getting Honest Commerce Licensed. Not only for us, however for what it means for Turkish olive oil,” they mentioned. “We’re elevating the bar…displaying that it’s potential to do that the appropriate means—with actual transparency, equity, and high quality.”
And whereas the work might be all-consuming, they are saying the perfect half is the liberty: “We will plan our life on our personal phrases…we wouldn’t commerce it for something.”
Do you assume you might begin a model with a companion or liked one? Curious to listen to individuals’s ideas?
