Check Out Max Simon’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Max Simon.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started? 
Back in April of 2022, as I was sitting around a bonfire in Alex Canter’s (of Canter’s Deli) backyard, we got talking about how there needs to be a challah subscription service in LA. I had already been baking challah as a creative outlet – filling loaves with chocolate chips, wrapping them in tin foil, and throwing them into campfires so everything melted together. So, I could do this…why the chal not? 

The same night, I came up with a company name, launched an Instagram page, designed a logo, created a flyer saying, “Fresh challah delivered to your daughter,” and taped it to a light post on my street. I texted Alex back, saying, “We’re live.” And so, my dad joke makin, challah bakin bread brand journey began. 

That week, I started with baking for friends and neighbors – about 12 loaves on a Thursday night, all in my tiny apartment oven. Then I baked for my friends’ friends. Then my friends’ friends’ friends. In a matter of weeks, I was baking around 20-30 challahs per week on a Thursday night before my day job. Every week, I dropped a different flavor like the cheesydad (you can’t bring him anywhere without getting eaten), the shriveldad (he just got out of the pool, and he’s raisin chal), the funcle (the everything bagel’s fun uncle) and many more. 

Then I had the idea… what if I just message “challo” to every foodie I love on Instagram and offer them a challah? Who doesn’t like free bread? It worked. I baked for Alison Roman, who spread the word to BJ Novak, who introduced me to Jeff Strauss (Oybar, Jeff’s Table), who introduced me to Doug from Diamond Bakery, who started helping me produce the challahs at volume. 

Now that I had momentum and some help, the challahborations began. I did a series of pop-ups with some of my favorite food brands around LA. Some highlights were a PB&Jamn fest with Hot Jamn Preserves and One Trick Pony, the hot honey cream cheese on a toasted Funcle with Zabs, a challah hoagie with Delco Rose Hoagies, a Jubano with Camila Creates, and a Tarka grilled cheese with Paro. 

And as a final bang, we did an 18-foot challah Bánh Mì with Sesame LA. With each event, things seemed to get breader and breader. 

Fast forward to 2024 – Diamond Bakery unfortunately closed after 77 years. However, it was in that moment that I stayed flexible, looked at my options, and things started coming full circle. Now, I’m working with the talented bakers at Canter’s Deli, and I am offering delivery within a 45-mile radius of downtown LA. The bread tastes better than ever, we’re doing challah bagels (!!!), and I’m excited for the next chapter of this breadventure. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not always. It may be my side job, but at times, it can be more like a side schlep. 

There have been a lot of late nights burning the midnight oil, literally. Sometimes, you forget to add the eggs, and you have 60 pounds of useless dough in your apartment, and your day job is starting in 4 hours. Sometimes, your power goes out when you’re baking, and you have to drive a car full of braided challahs to your friend’s house to finish the job before a huge bake sale. Sometimes, your delivery driver loses their cell phone, and you have no way to confirm an order for a celebrity. I’m learning that things like this just happen, and you gotta ride the wave rather than fight it. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
When I’m not challahdad, I’m Max, a producer at a marketing/production company called ACE. I’m known for being a detail-oriented goofball who brings people together to do good, fun work. 

One of my greatest professional accomplishments is being the voice of Paul Blart, Mall Cop 2, on social media. That really set me apart from others, except for Kevin James, of course. I rocked a bushy mustache in my everyday life, and it was a really special time. My wife cites that as the reason she was attracted to me, which is awesome. 

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket unless your basket is your mixing bowl and you have other ingredients like flour, water, honey, sugar, olive oil, salt, and yeast. 

Pricing:

• $5 – mini mensch
• $18 – plain ‘ol dad, sesamensch, the FUNCLE
• $19.25 – sugardad, shriveldad
• $18 – challah bagel 6 pack
• $118 – the GRANDDAD

Contact Info:

• Website: challahdad.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/challahdad

Image Credits
Augusto Piccio IV