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Building from scratch
Braid & Berry
Fast-casual challah sandwiches and smoothies. San Diego.
Hot braid, cold berry.
Founded2026
CitySan Diego, CA
FormatGrab-and-go, Joe & the Juice style
StageProduct and brand test
VIDEO
How The Whole Braid is made · Coming soon
GALLERY
THE PLAN
- 01
30-day testNow
Recipes, packaging and catering at small events to see the real reaction.
- 02
Pilot: cart and delivery
A premium cart in malls or parks, plus DoorDash and Uber Eats.
- 03
First store
No full kitchen: just ovens. The challah arrives braided and gets baked there.
LOG
- mediumFiled the trademark application for Braid & Berry.
- mediumSat down with the potential kitchen partner. It went well: she's thinking it over and should decide this week.
- mediumBraid & Berry: I'm drafting an NDA so I can sit down with a possible kitchen partner.
- mediumBraid & Berry: looking for our challah baker. We want to bake in house.
- mediumThe logo comes first: nothing else moves until it's closed. Final version tomorrow, Tuesday at the latest.
- mediumFirst recipe tests at home. The Paola's Braid and the caprese came out well; the rest need work.
- mediumSite under construction. The hero will be the sandwich exploding and putting itself back together.
- I hired the designer for the logo, packaging and brand system.
- Name locked: Braid & Berry. It beat Braid & Blend.
RESOURCES
Brief · Coming soonBrand brief for the designerWhat I asked for, what I didn’t, and why I gave her full freedom.
FROM THE BLOG
Sep 28, 2026
Why the logo comes first (and why in software I wouldn't have cared)
At Braid & Berry I'm not moving forward with design or packaging until the logo is locked. It goes against "ship fast," and I still think it's the right call in food.
Sep 28, 2026Why 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.
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