Braid & Berry
Why I'm starting with a cart and not a storefront
Opening a storefront in San Diego is the most expensive way to find out you were wrong. So I'd rather be wrong on wheels first.
- Braid & Berry starts with 30 days of catering, then a cart with delivery, and only after that a storefront.
- The storefront won't have a full kitchen: just ovens, the challah arrives already braided.
- The goal is for each stage to pay for the next one, and to be wrong cheaply.
When you decide to open a restaurant, the instinct is to look for a space. That's the part you can see: a facade, a sign, people walking in. But a storefront is a multi-year lease, a build-out and months of rent before you sell your first sandwich. If the product doesn't work, you find out after you've already signed.
With Braid & Berry I want to find out sooner, and cheaply.
The order
First, a 30-day test. Finished recipes, branded packaging, and catering at small events: parties, office lunches. I'm not selling on the street yet; I want to see what people order the second time.
Then, a cart. Premium, in a mall or a park, plus delivery through DoorDash and Uber Eats. The cart tells me if someone who doesn't know me stops and buys. Delivery tells me if the product survives the trip.
Last, the storefront. And not even with a full kitchen: just ovens. The challah arrives braided, we brush it with egg wash on site and bake it. Less equipment, fewer people, fewer things that can go wrong.
Why this way
At Kimik I learned that a product that works doesn't survive a market that doesn't want it. At TurboCar I learned what it costs to run a business with rent, staff and licenses before you understand it. This time I want each step to pay for the next one.
A cart can move if the location doesn't work. A storefront can't.
| The decision | The number | The mistake I'm avoiding | The right call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Validate with catering and a cart before signing a lease. | 0 storefronts signed. On purpose. | Falling in love with a location before falling in love with the product. | Testing with real people before spending a single peso on rent. |
Frequently asked questions
Why start Braid & Berry with a cart?
Because a cart tells me whether people who don't know me will buy the product, without signing a multi-year lease. If the location doesn't work, it moves.
When does the first Braid & Berry storefront open?
After the 30-day test and the cart and delivery pilot in San Diego. The storefront will only have ovens, no full kitchen.
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Every week: the decision, the number, the mistake and the win.