Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dr. Jennifer Le, CEO, and co-founder of Lêberry Bakery & Donut, located in Pasadena, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Our vision at Lêberry Bakery and Donut is to become a predominant market leader in the donut and bakery industry for plant-based sustainable sweet delectables to communities who are health-conscious living and have food allergies or health concerns related to food consumption. We encourage a friendly and fair work environment, all in a fiduciary manner that supports our minority- and woman-owned bakery, industry, and community.

Our mission is to serve daily fresh, handcrafted donuts, pastries, cookies, cupcakes, and cakes using high-quality, sustainable ingredients, thereby providing a healthier alternative to the traditional sweet concoction. We are loved by our customers, evident by our accolades (including DonutFest LA in 2020) and excellent consumer reviews. We never take this for granted and strive every day to earn their trust — by serving and adding real value to their lives through our plant-based vegan and gluten-free sweets with excellent customer experiences.

Our plan is to expand Lêberry Bakery’s concept and service to other locations throughout the United States. With our focus to deliver 100% plant-based vegan and gluten-free sweets, we have attracted additional customers from health-conscious communities to expand our business. Furthermore, customers with certain food allergies (i.e., eggs or dairy) and those with certain food-related diseases (i.e., celiac disease and gluten hypersensitivity) will greatly benefit from our offering. We market customers of all ages, from cutely decorated donuts and cupcakes attractive to children to traditional croissants, cakes, and pies that adults love. In addition to the wide age spectrum, we target customers of all races, ethnicities, and gender through our diverse management team. Particularly in our first location in Pasadena, we have attracted Asian Americans (Vietnamese, Chinese, Taiwanese, & Indians), African Americans, Caucasians, and Hispanics. This racial- and ethnic diversity is important to us to maximize business success.

Tell us about yourself

As an entrepreneur, healthcare provider, professor, and, most importantly, mom of two boys, I resonate with a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt - “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” My boys inspire me to serve healthy food every day. Since we love sweets, I decided to believe and live my dream of opening a plant-based bakery and donut shop to enjoy with them -- and now to everyone in the United States.

Through Lêberry, I have bridged my healthcare and research background spanning over 20 years (profile https://profiles.ucsd.edu/jennifer.le#narrative) to bring high-quality, sustainable, and healthier alternatives to donuts and desserts that anyone can enjoy. Furthermore, I believe in preserving the environment for my kids, making plant-based food the ideal model to realize my dream. At Lêberry, we prioritize our environmental future every day by reducing our carbon footprint by using plant-based, organic, and sustainable ingredients.

We promote sustainability with our products by publishing blogs towards this end (https://leberrybakery.com/blog/) and also provide educational materials via infographics (https://leberrybakery.com/about/) for our customers to appreciate plant-based food and contribute to the sustainability of our environment. I love what I do every day and can literally work 16-20 hours straight without even knowing it!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

We are recognized by the State of California as a franchise in 2021. We are expanding our stores in the United States! We are very excited about this growth phase of our franchise since we are extremely proud of our innovative concept. Let me explain ...
Innovatively scaling a business that serves two massive complementary markets of donuts and bakery, our strategy is to develop and grow a synergistic business in a retail franchise that specializes in plant-based donuts and baked desserts. With the rapid success of Lêberry Bakery & Donut as an award-winning retail bakery in Pasadena, California, we have demonstrated proof of concept. We are equipped for rapid business expansion that capitalizes on the increasing market demand and market disruption within the unique global COVID environment.

MASSIVE MARKET DEMAND: Our focus combines two global market shares within the fast-food industry that are complementary—the market size of a bakery at $200B and donut $40B USD. In addition, the compound annual growth rate for plant-based food is escalating, a lucrative sign based on market demand that will further grow as science demonstrates the benefits of plant-based food on human health and our environment—“going green.”

STRATEGIC SHIFT WITH MARKET DISRUPTION: Lêberry is an innovative and one-of-a-kind concept that offers plant-based donuts and baked desserts in one shop. We: (1) strategically shift service of desserts by unifying donuts and baked goods and (2) disrupt the current market to meet increasing market demand for plant-based food to emerge as a world leader within a specialized niche. Currently, there is an absence of a plant-based franchise in the USA and the world. Even among the current franchises, there is none that combines donuts and bakery.

SUSTAINABILITY: The current donut industry is concentrated by two main brands, both of which are not plant-based. The transition to a plant-based concept requires decontamination and specialized training that challenges these brands to convert. The bakery industry, especially plant-based, is currently fragmented, opening a segue for a new emerging market. To mitigate execution risk, we have developed an efficient operation that minimizes labor and maximizes the use of facility & equipment around the clock. Lêberry is a trademark, with a proprietary plant-based flour. Our extensive franchise experience positions us for fast buildout for COVID-resilient stores with online ordering and fast-food pickup and delivery capabilities.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

For sure, the COVID-19 pandemic was a hard hit for our growth! We are an award-winning sustainable plant-based donut and bakery shop with excellent 4.5-Yelp and Google reviews and multiple accolades, including the winner of DonutFest LA in 2020. Since the pandemic initiating March 2020, which was about a year after we opened our doors in Pasadena, we were forced to close. Nonetheless, we, fortunately, survived the closure and back better and stronger than ever! We are proud to continue to serve all communities of diverse racial, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds our mindful sweets. We have not increased our prices, like many places, to ensure that all communities have access to our products and service, which we are utmost proud of. To revamp our business model with the goal to increase our demographic reach within the challenges of COVID, we implemented online ordering, curbside pickup, free delivery, and contactless payment system for our beloved customers increased our social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn provide masks and hand sanitizers to all staff and customers since the beginning of the pandemic and continue to hire underrepresented workers of Black, Hispanic and Asian descent. We also support the Youth-At-Work program by hiring youths (16 years old) to engage young minds in plant-based foods and help them start their work experience.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Don't start a business from scratch and learn the hard way, likely through trial and error if you don't have industry experience. Find a franchise that is most suitable for you! A good franchise has already completed the trial and error phase and has developed operations to maximize its growth. In fact, find one that is not only lucrative but also has a strong future growth prediction within the industry to provide a sustainable increase in capital growth for decades. In addition, a good franchise will have good people within it, so get to know the people behind that brand. Once you have identified that franchise, take a leap of faith and move fast. Business is about the right time and the right place, so don't delay.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

My extraordinary partner is Mr. Raynard Ledford. He serves as the Co-Founder, Chief Operation Officer, and President of Development who possesses premier experience in the hospitality industry for over 33 years. He was trained by the top and prestigious culinary program at the Culinary Institute of America. Notably, Mr. Ledford was the former Chief Executive Officer, Owner, and Operator of the renowned Prime Restaurants Group that was responsible for large and successful franchises like Fatburger, Popeyes, Pizza Hut, Subway, Papa Johns, and Indian Spice (to name a few). As such, his leadership in development and operation ensures both rapid buildout and high-quality operation training. Get to know us and learn about our franchise https://leberrybakery.com/franchise/.

We were featured on Guy Fieri’s USA National Food Network: https://youtu.be/DUtkvtjjiNE.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://leberrybakery.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leberrybakery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leberrybakery/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/leberrybakery
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-le-leberry/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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