Looking Back and Looking Forward
#Baonanas has come a long way ever since Lloyd's car was struck outside his house and we resorted to Instagram to fundraise for its repair, and while two years have already passed, it still feels so surreal. It's a platitude that many new business owners say, but whenever we look back on all the events that have happened, all the crossroads we've faced, and all the decisions we have made to get to where we are now, it always feels like we're watching ourselves on some sitcom, seeing our sleepless nights, half-conscious bantering, and stressed out fights alternate with the laughter and joy of every victory, both big and small, that make all of it worthwhile.
This has been especially true for the past year. Even though #Baonanas was founded in 2014 and officially became a business in 2015, 2016 will be our first fully operational year. We were still full- time college students, dividing our time between classes and learning the bureaucratic processes of owning a business like how to register a business, getting the necessary permits and licenses, filing taxes, and you know all the fun things! So even though #Baonanas was conceived in 2014, Lloyd and I pretty much spent the next year and a half just gestating 😂
It certainly has been a crazy few months and we want to share with you all of our milestones so far, which we couldn't have achieved without you! We also want to give special shoutouts to all the people who have made all of this possible. As our first full year come to an end, we're feeling really mushy and emotional so bear with us (pun totally intended)!
We redesigned our logo and did a full rebrand (more of which to come in the months to come). The logo itself is now more balanced and our Bao Bear even cuter! The rebranding also makes it possible for us give a more consistent look and feel that makes everyone think of light, fluffy clouds, happiness, and a smiling support system in our #BaonanaNation!
Thank you to our dear friend Matt, who initially designed our Bao Bear, and thank you Super Magic Friend for the amazing work you've done for us!
We went from some random sticker rolls we found laying in Lloyd's house during our fundraising phase to designed labels for a fully operational retail system! We kept a space for handwriting customer name's because we're really baonanas for each and everyone of you! If you've ordered enough times or have been ordering since 2014-2015, you can bet Lloyd and I remember your name! P.S. there should be a fourth picture, but it's still in the works so stay tuned; we're very excited to share them with you!!!
Thank you, Colin for designing our stamps for our bag and these cute but sleek labels!
After we got our rebranding done, we went to work on making our investment worth it by plastering it on things like our tent, which has come in really handy with those rain-or-shine events, and our #Baomobile! Before our cart, our primary scooping station was our DIY box, made by Lloyd and his longtime friend Kevin! We stuffed it with a mixture of ice and dry ice to help maintain the right temperature, which was sometimes tricky because dry ice is temperamental causing our pudding to freeze into an ice cream like texture and sometimes just evaporating too quickly in the summer heat. Now we're worry-free with our refrigerated #Baomobile, which keeps our pudding light and fluffy at the perfect temperature!
In 2015, when we had no permits and licenses, we told ourselves we'd be at all of next year's markets and events. At the time, we participated in a handful of small events, but in 2016, we took our chances and applied to Smorgasburg, one of the East Coast's largest and most renowned food fairs! It's been a crazy learning experience, and we feel so lucky to have been able to vendor alongside many other great food vendors, who have helped and taught us so much.
We'll be at Smorgasburg till the last weekend of October! Come visit us before it's too late!
One of our biggest hurdles in 2015 was finding a commercial kitchen space to work out of. When we first began as a fundraiser, we whipped up our pudding at home. Later on, as we began to research steps for legitimizing our little side hustle, we found out that New Jersey is one of only two states that prohibits the sale of food from home. We had to be innovative within the constraints of our situation, and that's when we started renting Ahri's Kitchen space on their days off. Thank Aena and Andy for being some of the nicest people we know, for believing in us, and for helping us out when we had nothing to say for ourselves. You guys are awesome!
As we continued to grow and expand, we were able to eventually move into our own kitchen space, where we added this beautiful Hobart into the family!
We added some friendly faces to our #Baonanas family, as well, to help meet demand! Thanks for all you do guys (some not pictured). This season would've been impossible without you!
In just a few months, we were able to accomplish a lot and grow exponentially, and we are so grateful to all of the people who have helped us get to where we are now, most especially to our parents whose advice and constant support and encouragement have kept us focused and driven. And, of course, we are especially thankful to you, the very best part of #Baonanas (especially since you're here reading this)!
There's still a lot of things we have planned and we're only looking to grow more. We've launched a Kickstarter project to help us move into a bigger and more efficient kitchen and we're offering a bunch of cool Kickstarter-exclusive rewards! We're hoping for the best and keeping our fingers crossed!