Today we’d like to introduce you to Gerald Luna.
Hi Gerald, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The inspiration behind b. street waffles started when I moved to Europe to pursue a career in hospitality following high school. While working in Amsterdam and traveling in Belgium in my free time, I was fascinated by people walking around eating waffles in their hands and the delicious aroma wafting through the streets of Brussels. I thought to myself, “One day, I am going to bring this idea back to the US.”
In 2010, I leaped to pursue my dream of starting my own waffle business based on this inspiration and launched b. street Waffles in San Francisco. I went around the city, looking at selling my waffles, beginning with pop-ups at various coffee shops, tourist hot spots, and street fairs. The key difference from the waffles sold in Belgium was that we baked favorite toppings into the waffles, ranging from traditional ingredients like blueberries to food trends like Salted Caramel and Maple Bacon.
The real game-changer occurred when we were picked up by Salesforce, a major tech company in San Francisco. This led to collaborations with other major tech companies in the Bay Area, including Apple, Google, Twitter, and Facebook. Our reach extended to private parties and celebrations.
We are pleased to have expanded the business into the entire SoCal market, offering our customers something unique and tasty to make their events stand out, creating more memorable and enjoyable experiences.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Finding a consistent business, such as a cafe, that would be willing to sell my waffles on an ongoing basis was a challenge. I approached several businesses in the city to sell my waffles before landing an opportunity with Capital One Cafe in San Francisco. They eventually agreed to sell them, and they instantly became a huge hit.
I also pitched the idea of doing a Waffle Wednesday event at the cafe, where we would bake waffles and pass them out for free to their customers. They eventually agreed, and that is how we built a 10-year partnership where they hired me monthly to bake and serve waffles to the public on every first Wednesday of the month. The number of waffles continued to increase over time. This was important for my growth because I could count on a solid amount of cashflow each month.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
After moving to Europe, I was offered the opportunity to start a professional career in hospitality, beginning with my career at two major five-star hotel properties in Amsterdam. Starting with the Sonesta hotel as a commis de rang allowed me time to learn all about five-star customer service expectations in proper dining. From there, I was able to transfer to the Amsterdam Marriott Hotels as a chef de rang, moving quickly up the ladder with both food and beverage supervisor and then to the front office as a front desk associate. This was unusual for an American to accomplish without proper hospitality courses or college, which were the expectations for working in these types of properties. Not to mention, I did not speak Dutch at the time or other multiple languages that were expected for the properties of these statuses.
When I returned to the States, I was able to work with the James Beard award-winning restaurants in Boston because of my work experience in Europe. I also joined a corporate concierge start-up as a relationship manager before landing a position at H&M, first in management and eventually as an expansion recruiter. Throughout my career, I have always been able to accomplish what I pursued, and I believe it’s because of a work ethic that both of my parents inspired in me.
When I launched b. street Waffles, it was the perfect time to bring together all my life experience and passion to do what I love.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Creating a business from the start-up stage to a functioning business can inspire others to do the same. My small business is a way to give back to our community by providing jobs, training, and education to many who might be inspired to do the same. Since the beginning, I have made myself available to other start-ups as an advisor by sharing our best practices, network professionals I’ve been able to work with, feedback, and resources. The biggest reward I have received by starting my own business is to give back what was so freely given to me and be witness to those who succeed in the marketplace based on their passions and dreams and live their life in ways that perhaps they thought would be unimaginable.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bstreetwaffles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bstreetwaffles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bstreetwaffles/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldluna/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bstreetwaffles
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/b-street-waffles-palm-springs
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@geraldluna677?lang=en
