Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Choi.
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?
I’m a person who used to run restaurant businesses since my early 20s and was obsessed with creating a new concept business that I could run and encountered the gelato/ice cream industry.
In 2013, to pursue a new journey, I decided to learn the A-Z process, so I went to the city of Bologna in Italy to enroll in Gelato Academy Carpigiani Gelato school and finished two other well-known gelato academies.
And then, I opened my first gelateria at oldtown Pasadena Stick Station in almost 2015 and was rewarded as Best gelato Pasadena 2016 and LA’s top 3 gelato place by VoyageLA as well.
After three years of gelato store business experience, I relocated to the city of Commerce to build a more significant prep facility on moving forward next step but got hold of Covid-19 OMG OMG OMG.
I had to reset whole business plans, investors and staff… was drained and super exhausted.
However, as someone’s father and husband, I had to stand back up myself and create a new product Vegano by stick station during the Pandemic.
Another new concept of Vegan popsicles and Vegan gelato started to sell through local farmer’s markets.
We are now running 7-9 locations of FM and running step by step.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not, just like other minority business owners
Kind of customer’s preoccupations, financials, lack of team.
At the beginning of the first Gelateria, many customers were not satisfied with Gelato by Asian???
Yes, that was the worst part to keep on working however had a lot of good clientele and more to overcome all these struggles.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Vegano is based on three primary standards which Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, and Organic Cane Sugar use.
We specialize in vegan popsicles and pre-packaged vegan gelatos that have a great texture and creaminess. Also, all fruit flavors are made out of 100% natural fruits.
You can taste differences from the other vegan ice cream products.
All products are 100% hand-crafted carefully selected ingredients, plus popsicle’s packagings are another difference from others.
We wish to readers know that we are ” Made in Los Angeles” and “Trusted Vegan ice cream products”.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happy and happiness are my family, my teams, and my prep kitchen.
My daughter and wife are the light of my life, and happy to be a household and my teams are always giving me energy and more works to do.
I love and enjoy working in my kitchen where makes me an alive and responsible person.
Pricing:
- $5 per Bar at FM
- $15 per Pint at FM
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.vegano.io
- Instagram: myvegano
- Facebook: myvegano
- Twitter: myvegano
