Meet Uzo Ehi and Sylvia Nichols of Chipper & Cheeky

Today we’d like to introduce you to Uzo Ehi and Sylvia Nichols.

Hi Uzo Ehi, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Our story begins with two sisters, Uzo and Sylvia, on a mission to create an inclusive dessert experience. Back in 2014, Uzo had a fateful conversation with a classmate who complained of tummy aches after most meals and, following a series of trips to her doctor, discovered that she had Celiac Disease. Her friend’s story sounded so similar to Sylvia’s ongoing, painful stomach aches and low energy after nearly every meal that Uzo relayed this information to her sister in the hopes of finding a solution. We discovered that Sylvia did indeed have the autoimmune disorder Celiac Disease, which makes someone dangerously allergic to gluten.

While growing up in her teens, Sylvia realized when she ate food containing gluten, the symptoms she had been complaining about for years – bloating, fatigue, paleness, icepick headaches, joint pain, nausea, weak immune system – flared up. Even the smallest morsel of bread or bite of cake would make Sylvia become too full to eat, feel dizzy, experience severe, long-lasting stomach pains, and even become seriously ill.

This fateful encounter with her classmate propelled Uzo, who was plant-based at the time, to teach herself how to make gluten-free, plant-based desserts that the whole family could enjoy. She first opened Chipper & Cheeky as a sole proprietorship in 2018.

What began as a passionate hobby to give everyone in our family a chance to enjoy the same dessert, tummy-ache-free, blossomed into a dedicated mission to create inclusive dessert experiences for the greater Los Angeles community. We realized how many others silently and passively agreed to the limited gluten-free offerings in restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores, and we really wanted to fill in that gap in the market to help others suffering from food allergies find a safe space where they could order a delicious dessert and skip the tummy ache.

We took Chipper & Cheeky from a sole proprietorship to an LLC partnership in September 2022 to expand operations to both generate and meet greater demand, and to give back to our Los Angeles community.

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?
When C&C first started out, it was a real struggle to learn how to figure out logistics on the job. With Uzo being a self-taught baker and as two new entrepreneurs, we had a lot of growing pains, such as proper pricing for our desserts, how to create a functional menu that didn’t overwhelm us, and how to connect with a wider audience.

There are so many people who have serious food allergies in our community alone, and it was difficult at first for us to find ways to connect to those potential customers!

But, throughout these growing pains, we’ve gained a lot of experience and have refined our skills to create more inclusive, gluten-free dessert experiences for our customers, and we’re so thankful for the lessons this culinary journey has taught us.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Chipper & Cheeky?
Chipper & Cheeky (“C&C”) is different and unique because we provide a much-needed voice for the underrepresented in the dessert space. We create an oasis in a food desert by providing absolutely delicious, beautiful, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly desserts for our L.A. community (and via statewide shipping). We strive to change the outdated narrative that gluten-free is inaccessible, nonexistent, or worse, plain. Our community needs a bakery that listens to their dietary restrictions, health conditions, or allergies.

We are also unique in that we are a made-to-order bakery that loves to create custom cake designs that you haven’t ever seen before. Our dessert menu includes inspiration both from our West African heritage and from dessert flavors found across the globe! Each and every dessert that we create is thoughtfully made and jam-packed with loads of layered, delicious, rich flavors. Our gluten-free Red Velvet Cupcakes, signature Vanilla Cardamom Cake, and Strawberry White-Chocolate Cookies are some of our most popular desserts!

As far as how we connect with our #CheekyFans, we connect to locals via eCommerce, social media, and email marketing channels, as well as in person via pop-ups, food markets, exclusive events, and food festivals. Additionally, we passionately give back directly to underprivileged, vulnerable members of our community through self-directed and collaborative food drives, donating some or all proceeds to local and national non-profits. We also regularly donate cookies and decorated cakes to local food banks and churches.

Our sincere hope is to benefit our community by creating an inclusive dessert experience that lets people, regardless of food preference, enjoy the same dessert with their loved ones at the same time.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
We grew up in downtown, right in the very heart of L.A., and we loved the cultural diversity we were immersed in from a young age. Though we grew up in a Nigerian household, we were lucky to experience flavors and gain friendships from other first-generation Americans and people from all walks of life. This multicultural melting pot saw us speaking with kind Indian nannies in the morning, to practicing our Katakana on Japanese billboards on the way to school, to speaking basic Korean and loads of Spanish with our classmates over homemade soul food for a potluck, with breaks for playing Gonggi and enjoying seconds and thirds of Halo-halo. We have very fond memories of the uniquely rich traditions that we learned from acquaintances and friends alike.

These experiences have definitely helped shape our worldview that people share many similarities across color, creed, or class. Kindness, a genuine smile, and understanding can break through many language barriers. We try to apply this love and respect for our diverse L.A. community through the desserts we offer year-round by incorporating unique flavors that we’ve been fortunate to taste throughout our culinary journey.

As for what we like least about L.A… the traffic. But we love our city regardless!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chipperandcheeky.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chipperncheeky/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chipperncheeky/
• Twitter: https://x.com/chipperncheeky
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chipper-and-cheeky-los-angeles
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/chipperncheeky/

Image Credits
Chipper & Cheeky