Jen Kern: [00:00:00] Hey everybody. This is Jen Kern. Welcome to Restaurants Reinvented. Today's guests is Lokelani Alabanza. She's an executive pastry chef turn creamery expert, and now the owner of Saturated Ice Cream. Lokelani started Saturated after being laid off from her job at the outset of COVID-19 which spurred her to finally say yes to her calling and start her own business. Using a carefully crafted mixture of nostalgia, plant-based ingredients, a small serving of industrial hemp, and inspiration from black author cookbooks, Saturated was born. Her first popup tent in Nashville sold out in only a few hours and she's been off to the races ever since. So what does ice cream and nostalgia have to do with re-inventing restaurants? it turns out quite a lot.
[00:00:56] Not only is Lokelani redefining what restaurants can look like without any brick and mortar, but she also spoke at length about the influence of nostalgia in her life and in her work which made me think: how do we use nostalgia in restaurant marketing to connect with our guests, to bring them comfort and joy and keep them coming back?
[00:01:19] Not enough in my opinion. So the question is: are you missing out on valuable opportunities to bring the much needed comfort and joy, connection and heritage that your guests need right now in the middle of a pandemic? I hope Lokelani inspires you as much as she did me. Enjoy the show.
[00:02:09] Welcome to restaurants reinvented everyone. I am so excited today to welcome to our show Lokelani Alabanza. Hi Lokelani!. First time I've had a culinary expert on the show, not only culinary expert, but wow. The new concept that you are creating is just so interesting. So I'm so excited to talk to you today and can't wait to hear all your stories. So welcome to the show.
[00:02:42] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:02:42] Thank you for having me.
[00:02:44] Jen Kern: [00:02:44] Yeah. And now you're an experienced podcaster, so we hear you've been on the circuit.
[00:02:50] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:02:50] Yeah.
[00:02:51] Yeah.
[00:02:51] Yeah.
[00:02:52] Jen Kern: [00:02:52] Tell our listeners about the podcasts you did yesterday.
[00:02:56] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:02:56] I was on Milk Street Podcast with Christopher Kimball. So it was very exciting. He used to be at Cook's illustrated. I want to say America's test kitchen. And then he started Milk Street. And so it's like a fan moment. You're like, yay. And then I was done and I felt like I was on top of the world.
[00:03:14] I'm like, this is exciting.
[00:03:15] Jen Kern: [00:03:15] Yeah, that's so much fun. Let's get you on top of the world again. What'd you say?
[00:03:19] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:03:19] Oh yeah, absolutely. I'm excited about this.
[00:03:21] Jen Kern: [00:03:21] Okay. So spoiler alert: CBD vegan ice cream.
[00:03:26] So what? What is not to love about that? Tell me how you got started in the restaurant industry. First of all, how'd you find your way into, I know you were a creamery woman, one point, but tell me a little bit about your journey and how you found your way to the vegan ice cream business.
[00:03:45] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:03:45] Wow. It's a very long arduous journey. I think I have my parents convinced I was going to be an actress. And then I went on the Euro. I graduated from high school. Did the Euro for eight weeks, I think six or eight weeks. And in Europe, I ended up staying in Denmark, which would be my first kitchen job ever, and ever in the land. And so
[00:04:07] Jen Kern: [00:04:07] How old, right?
[00:04:08]Lokelani Alabanza: [00:04:08] I was 18 years old. And, I had liked to cook. I was a voracious reader as a child, so I just read everything. So I thought, Oh, the wanton, the back of the wrappers, I can make peach one times. We have a can of peaches, and we have cinnamon, and sugar. And so I just, at nine, 10, I was frying stuff up in a pan. It just made sense.
[00:04:27] But I had this job at a place called Svend Hos number 13 in Svendborg, Denmark. So Svendborg is the middle Island. If you look at Denmark, it's three islands, and it's the middle one. It's the old Viking village S place. And it was a beautiful experience. Svend was this very, interesting man, but he loved food.
[00:04:46] The joke was, if Svend came around, you have to be pretending that you were cleaning a wall, like you are doing something. But I remember one night they had a bouillabaisse, which is a seafood stew, and he pulled me out of the kitchen. He sat me down on a chair next the door of the kitchen and he handed me a book and he said, tonight, you're going to learn about bouillabaisse.
[00:05:05] And then he had me read it. So I've always respected the fact that he wanted me to have this knowledge. I came home and my dad, I said, I'm going to be a chef, and my dad... Because this is a fish out of a water I just don't believe it. So I did research. This is 99-2000 before the internet is like what it is today.
[00:05:24] And I'm doing this research about what culinary school. My mother had a friend named Catherine Moore and she had a degree in Italian art history and she spoke Italian fluently and she did these classes in Southern Oregon that people love. So she'd go to their house, she'd give you a menu and you'd make this Italian food together.
[00:05:42] So I started working alongside her and her amazing assistant Annette, and that is probably still on the top chefs that I know that is both good and savory and pastry. She's just a phenomenal human. And I learned from them and I thought, I think, I want to go to culinary school. So I meet a guy named Ted and Ted said, you need to go to NECI.
[00:06:01] And I told him, I think I'm going to the CIA, Le cordon Bleu. He said, no, go to NECI. It's a new England. It's tiny. You'll get the education you need. So I don't remember anything, but doing the work, filling out the applications, and then boom. I like, overnight, I was like going to new England. I had never been to the East coast. I fly across the country in January. It's probably the worst winter they had in a long time. I was ill prepared. I had no snow shoes. I had no heavy coat. I had nothing
[00:06:32] Jen Kern: [00:06:32] Oh, no.
[00:06:33] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:06:33] ...California, West coast kid ends up there. And then that would just really create the road I should say, I would travel, in this culinary world.
[00:06:41] So I did a couple of years there did two internships, one in Portland, Oregon, and then one in San Francisco. The last one in San Francisco was really cool because it was at a test kitchen. And so it was really exciting to work with just, like powders. We were testing stuff. It was so strange.
[00:06:57] We had this cabinet that just, it was full of flavor enhancers. And so then my cousin wanted to move to LA and I thought, I don't want to live there. Why? But I had an aunt there who owned a catering company. It was a massive catering company. They did a lot of movie premiers, the Oscar lunches. It was a big deal. And I said, okay. And I remember driving six hours in the Bay area to LA upset the whole time that I had to go to LA. And so we get there, we move in and I had a job. It was a restaurant called Bestie there at the time, and I had an opportunity to go work there and something happened, it didn't work out. So my aunt and I, she said, why don't you go check out Spago, which is where Sherry Yard and Wolfgang Puck are. And Sherry Yard is pastry royalty. Her book is an amazing book uh and it's Wolfgang Puck. So I remember going with my aunt. I was very nervous. And normally it's a weird thing to go walk into the restaurant in the middle of the day looking for chefs because they're busy. They are prepping. They are getting stuff done for the night, and you don't want to disturb the peace.
[00:07:58] And I remember seeing Wolfgang and he came to the door and he said Sherry's off come back tomorrow And I went okay later that week we went to a friends and family restaurant at Neal and Amy Fraser's grace restaurant which was on Beverly And that opening was a big deal at the time And we went and we sat at the bar and my aunt casually knew Neal And she said Hey Neal this is my niece She's looking for a job And he said I don't have any more openings on savory but I do have them in pastry I said okay And he goes come back tomorrow and talk to Elizabeth Belkin Who's my pastry chef And that would seal the deal about becoming a pastry chef versus a chef So I meet Elizabeth and it was just Love at first sight And she took me under her wing And she had been at Campanile a few years before that And Campanile was a big deal cause that's Nancy Silverton and Mark peel and Dolly and Novartis So like they were there and I was working I got a job there So I had this really beautiful foundation of being at Campanile and at Grace at the same time because Belkin is not only very close and dear to my heart but she's also my mentor She's taught me everything that I know And I was there for two years and there was nowhere else to go up I had to leave so I left and I went on my own I was hired by a restaurant I became an executive pastry chef It was weird being out on your own You're so young and then my time in LA I ended up taking a few years off and actually becoming a nanny for Neal and Amy's daughter Roan actually a really great downtime for me I was burnt out I had a job offer to go to Beso restaurant which was owned by Eva Longoria and taught English So I ended up there I'm there for two years
[00:09:41] Jen Kern: [00:09:41] what year was that
[00:09:42] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:09:42] Oh my gosh Maybe 2008
[00:09:44] Jen Kern: [00:09:44] Okay Oh Eva Longoria was a big deal then I remember
[00:09:48] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:09:48] It was insanity So then I left because I thought I think I want to get married and have kids
[00:09:54] Jen Kern: [00:09:54] Okay
[00:09:55] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:09:55] Ended up meaning who had become my future husband and I moved to Japan Okinawa Japan So I leave LA after eight years and moved to Okinawa So for four years become a A private chef And then I did some baking stuff on the side and then we moved from Okinawa to Vegas and then we got to Vegas I was having a hard time actually getting a job in the industry the time which is crazy But I got some part time work at Thomas Keller's Bouchon which was really cool because I didn't have to be responsible for anything except for just being in the bakery So it was like do this task And I was like this is amazing But I also learned An unbelievable level of standard the standards they're outrageous And I got my blue apron which was very exciting So check off my list Like I've done the thing and I met some really amazing people that are still my friends to this day And I started this hand pie company I thought it'd be cool to make hand pies and just sell them So I'm making like 500 hand pies out of a tiny kitchen in Las Vegas and then I would sell out of them So then It was time to move to Nashville And I couldn't believe we're moving to Nashville And I asked her friend about a job and they said the Hutton hotel is hiring which was a really premier boutique hotel in that city at the time And this is five years ago and I got there I was nervous because I hadn't been in the kitchen in awhile but I was riding a bike again So I'm this executive pastry chef I'm in the South I'm meeting new people and it was a great experience and it opened up a lot of doors and opportunities just through meeting people alone it was weird cause I knew no one It's funny When I look back I knew no one five years ago and now it's Oh I know many people in Nashville now it just took time to network and then it was time to leave and a friend was going to a place which was about 30 minutes South of Nashville It was called homestead Manor And he said you've got to come out here It's a 45 acre farm They need a Baker And I thought not a Baker I'm a pastry chef I Do pastry chef types things I compose dishes make menus for people And so the chef wanted to meet me so he needs me And then I meet the COO of the company and she and her father happened to be opening a Creamery and called Hattie James Creamery And they were like we're probably gonna need help So I get hired on I'm not at work for more than a week at the place that I was hired at And then all of a sudden it was Hey can you come over here We have this Creamery it's opening in two and a half weeks I thought
[00:12:29] So that was four years ago And I have to say It was a lot of imposter syndrome in the beginning because I have always made ice cream but not on a commercial scale where I had to use a $32,000 machine and make 20 gallons when I was only making five gallons so it was a lot I learned a lot I've made over 300 flavors Ice cream roll is very interesting because there isn't just a book that you can read That's going to give you the information you need which is what type of scoops you use what type of buckets do you put the ice cream and what type of a machine you use What type of cream what type of milk It's a very ambiguous thing And so you have to do a lot of research and you have to know someone that's going to walk you through this So I actually had to walk myself through this Amazing experience But I came out on the other end with all this knowledge So I tell everyone it was the education of my culinary career
[00:13:23] Jen Kern: [00:13:23] what I mean you couldn't just Google how to make ice cream
[00:13:25] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:13:25] yeah you can Google and then it's okay that's Def no that's no And then there's so much science Oh no I can't There's no more math involved
[00:13:36] Jen Kern: [00:13:36] Oh
[00:13:37] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:13:37] then I left COVID hit I was laid off and it was probably the best thing but I had been sitting on this idea for quite some time and it was something I had wanted to do for a long time which was add cannabis to something And I've been thinking about this for probably a decade but it wasn't until I started making ice cream When I realized Oh my gosh you could totally put it in the ice cream it's not legal in Nashville but the industrial hemp plant is which is CBD And so I Made a batch and I had a focus group and I knew what I wanted to call it And then I thought you know what I don't even do dairy myself personally because I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis which is an autoimmune disease My body's eating my thyroid and I tried to stay away from dairy gluten those things I thought when I was in the Creamery I knew people wanted non-dairy but they wanted it to be good They didn't want just your typical like one flavor That's all you get So it was just an amazing time for four years to try to make different flavors that tasted really well that enhanced the ingredients that were in it Plant-based is the future Whether anyone likes it or not this is where we're headed and CBD is the now and it is going to be the future And so when I did my two tests audiences you realize one is for anxiety and stress The other is for pain So what would bridge the two together naturally is ice cream Humans love ice cream They love it And they consume it all year round So that's how saturated came to life And then here we are today
[00:15:05] Jen Kern: [00:15:05] Wow
[00:15:06] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:15:06] Yes
[00:15:07] Jen Kern: [00:15:07] That's so awesome Okay let me just clip note it here So dad wants you to be an actress then you meet Sven
[00:15:17] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:15:17] Yeah
[00:15:20] Jen Kern: [00:15:20] Okay In the middle of Denmark And then we're on to becoming a renowned executive pastry chef which I noted is different from a Baker I'm a wannabe baker I know I love baking I bake all the time but wow What's the difference between an executive pastry chef and a Baker just for us lay people
[00:15:42] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:15:42] executive is just a title at that point You're running an actual department So you do paperwork Yeah
[00:15:47] Jen Kern: [00:15:47] Yeah Oh no
[00:15:50] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:15:50] bakers are amazing Bakers are people that bake bread They make Pastries that's what they do Like it's one specific thing So bakers can have a bakery or a pastry chef Doesn't technically have a bakery They have a kitchen and they work like in a restaurant type environment So that's usually blatantly difference But the cool thing about pastry is have a little bit of all of it You make cakes you can make bread you can do chocolates you can write a menu That's all under the wheelhouse for a pastry chef But when you become an executive it means you're not in the kitchen it just means schedule it's putting in timecards like clocking in tongues
[00:16:27] Jen Kern: [00:16:27] And so then your executive pastry chef Get married go overseas again come back end up in Nashville which is where you are now Recording live from Nashville And end up working in the Creamery at Hattie James which by the way is that where you met Rachel Layton
[00:16:45] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:16:45] yes
[00:16:45] Jen Kern: [00:16:45] Okay So Rachel is awesome we did a podcast with her a couple of weeks ago and she had referred you and then that comes to an end and you've been percolating And we talked about that in our call earlier about Some signs from the universe started converging and coming together which is where I ended up how I ended up podcasting too
[00:17:06] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:17:06] But that's the beauty of it I don't know I feel like this last four months for many people have opened up a lot of either whatever dreams you had goals desires fears all sorts of things It's just really etched a new path For you to take if you dare to take that path you don't have to you can stay in the path you want now and be fine But I really feel it's nudged the majority to move into the place that they really want to be So I'm definitely fair that majority right
[00:17:35] Jen Kern: [00:17:35] same percolating like just sitting on things being mindful challenging ourselves to like you said fate maybe face some of our fears or just consider new ways of doing things and new possibilities
[00:17:49] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:17:49] the possibilities are endless right now and when we have to recreate something the industry is having a difficult time And what new foundation do you have to build Into the future to make it stronger than it was before.e Because it wasn't very strong and this is blatantly obvious now So it's just how do you come together with people So like how we're meeting together we're both in the same boat and how do we work together
[00:18:14] Jen Kern: [00:18:14] Yeah So let's talk about that a little bit like you said obviously the industry has had a rough year and this podcast actually the name restaurants reinvented Was part of the thought process that obviously we need to think about things differently and help operators reinvent their businesses for a new future and you're a perfect example of doing that What are your thoughts there
[00:18:42] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:18:42] I think before everything happened I knew that I didn't want a brick and mortar which is an important part of what we're getting into I just didn't feel as necessary because I felt that there was a different way to approach this thing And it's so niche anyways it's very specific type of thing It's very boutiquey So I thought then the pandemic hit and then I thought Oh definitely No So for me it was well delivery is huge Now people aren't going out as much their takeaways a big deal And then I thought if we just put people on a subscription base because they're having CBD which is a calming effect it's supposed to make you relax and What if we just deliver this to you or ship it to you and this is creating a new type of sphere or entering a new place where you don't have to come to the popup unless maybe we have a temporary one and you want to come to this place and you have this experience but mostly experience was how do we bring this experience to you To your house in your environment without you having to leave and feeling stressed out or concerned or wearing a mask out it's just trying to alleviate all of these steps just to create a special time for you enjoy this product
[00:19:48] Jen Kern: [00:19:48] so walk us through what was the real big kick in the butt that got you Starting to make the CBD ice cream and how do you do it Like are you doing it in your kitchen in your backyard you're popping up tents all over Nashville I mean what's it looking like
[00:20:02] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:20:02] so the big thing was I was permanently laid off That was the number one thing And that was it that was the catalyst It was time
[00:20:13] Jen Kern: [00:20:13] Dang
[00:20:14] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:20:14] I went Oh this is cool This is great So I had to go through my morning period when you spend your time building something very specific and it's taken you and everything you have to build it but you don't own it It's a specific way that you feel when it's not there anymore But it was a great opportunity for me to really create a platform to jump off of But jumping off the platform was becoming very scary And so the universe like what cool year and pushed and you have a parachute you've always had one and this is what's gonna happen So it wasn't until that happened And then I did land on my feet which is a scary it was like wow I don't even know what's going on Cause if I look back four months ago I'm thinking what just happened in the past four months So I Didn't have a machine And I was talking to my dad about it and he was really great He said what is it That's blocking you And this is how he asks questions It's very clever and very strategic And I said I need this money And he goes we all know that you need money but what is it that you need right now to do what you need to do And I said a machine And he said where can I buy it What is it And he said this is my investment For what you're doing And so he said if this is getting you here and so I thought Oh my gosh So this is the first segue right I have these two beautiful friends Rhonda Camden who owns perfectly cordial and my friend Kesha Hey who owns us a seven by cocktail And they're amazing And we're on a three way call and Rhonda says it's that machine Yeah Cause I was going to launch in like July This is June maybe early June And she said You have a machine I said yeah she goes okay great Because we're doing this pop up was a Tuesday And she said we're doing a pop up on a Sunday And I was like okay So I had ordered a hundred cups and I thought there's no one ever who push a hundred cups It's going to take me months Who'll wanna buy this ice cream Who wants this ice cream So this is that and pot like that's that Uncertainty speaking And in the meantime it's like getting the logo's already been done We have a name it's getting things printed It's getting an LLC filed It's getting trying to do all this administrative work which I had to realize I know how to do production work at back of the house This is a very new path of learning how to operate the front of the house and doing some paper work There's so many little uncontrollable variables going on That night The pandemic has hit Now we're going into this i call it the civil rights 2.0 it's a very big swing in people recognizing a lot of racial injustice and a lot of systemic behaviors and systems in this country And so there was a lot going on and that night I was going to bed and I leave to go to the restroom I come back and my phone is like On fire I'm like what's going on I open it up my friend had this text and said Oh MFG And I went huh And I opened it And all these people started following me and I thought I didn't post anything it turns out Samin Nosirat who does salt fat acid He had put my picture on her page and she had this beautiful page she was doing on her Instagram of all these amazing Black men and women in the culinary world and just go follow them go see what they're doing And I was one of those and that was the other push And so I had to get Saturated's page up immediately and have people like go follow
[00:23:33] Jen Kern: [00:23:33] no turning back
[00:23:35] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:23:35] Oh no this is happening now Like I am this is my thing And so it was a little unnerving by Sunday we did the event and I sold out People had come out and it's still I understand supports but that I didn't understand that type of support for people who hadn't seen in years and come to see me and buy this product And it was so amazing and overwhelming And then two days later we're written up in the Nashville business journal I was like what the and it was at Anzie Blue Cafe Marcy's is amazing It's a CBD cafe here They were amazing They were very supportive Rhonda was there and we just created this thing and it just has been going since and it's been an interesting last couple of months
[00:24:19] Jen Kern: [00:24:19] Yeah I love that people have circled around you and obviously other people of color at this time and lifting you up like that that's so cool but I love that it happened at a time for you where it was like I want to do this and now everyone's telling me I have to do it and they're doing it for me So I got to get it
[00:24:36] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:24:36] oh yeah We laugh Kesha and I laugh I feel like it's everybody needs a Michelle to their Obama And so we love we're like we're likely to do Obama's We're just like and then it's Rhonda comes in like boom business or doing this power And I Respect her so much and appreciate that because it really was She really shoved me out into the abyss And so here I am swimming And so I just try to keep it It's a you know I'm elusive I think with people in there trying to find me and I have to explain we have no brick and mortar we're still so the website has been a long Thing coming And I finally had a photo shoot and I want everything to be very specific and correct And right And phase one is let's just get the website up Let's have people be on a newsletter I've been doing popups around town I sell at two different restaurants without CBD which is fine And then I will tell people the DMA here's the list of flavors that we have and we get them to them We have a kitchen that's coming together now So it's going to be great to move fully into this kitchen and be in this space and have it become Saturated's thing Cause really the end goal for saturated for me not really the end but one of the massive goals that I have is for distribution is just to have it across the country and be in as many dispensary's and whatever types of boutiques or stores that you possibly can go and find Saturated there That's the actual goal is to have distributed
[00:26:01] Jen Kern: [00:26:01] Yeah And like you said plant based is the future or definitely we're trending towards that and CBD particularly the non-addictive you talked about the hemp industrial hemp
[00:26:12] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:26:12] Yes
[00:26:13] Jen Kern: [00:26:13] those things are so marketable
[00:26:16] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:26:16] Yeah Oh
[00:26:17] Jen Kern: [00:26:17] Marketers Vegan Add vegan on top of it
[00:26:20] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:26:20] Oh
[00:26:21] Jen Kern: [00:26:21] dairy free Okay
[00:26:23] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:26:23] It's funny getting people to understand that CBD is not psychoactive there's three forms you have full spectrum you have broad spectrum and then you have isolate powder but I use isolate powder because it absorbs the best It has no taste You don't even know it's in there You're just having the ice cream and you're like Oh that's really great And then whatever you feel whatever effect your body has 20 milligrams is different for everybody It's just Giving people knowledge it's just sharing the knowledge and making people comfortable with it And once they break down that exterior then it's easier to get them to understand and love the products I think there's still that little bit of disconnect but that's why the cannabis world is it's big It's big but also I think that people still don't know enough about it And that's why I think the knowledge is power in that aspect
[00:27:09] Jen Kern: [00:27:09] you can be part of the education
[00:27:11] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:27:11] Oh yeah
[00:27:12] Jen Kern: [00:27:12] I don't know a lot either I know a little bit but not a lot but you got me hooked And as soon as I met you I started searching and I've done a couple Yelp searches around here looking for I did some vegan searches I can't find I mean it's I'm in DC and we don't have any great options for nondairy Cause as you know I'm gluten free and very low dairy I have a hard time finding good options
[00:27:36] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:27:36] it's an interesting thing And everyone asks why not dairy And I said because I don't do dairy for me I didn't realize were
[00:27:44] Jen Kern: [00:27:44] A lot of people don't do dairy
[00:27:45] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:27:45] A lot of people don't do dairy And so I thought also but there's plenty of creameries What's going to set this apart from this one thing So it just for me it was like I'll give it to you There's a wellness aspect that I wasn't privy to until I started talking more about the brand And then I realized Oh wait we are exercising the wellness thing So part of that is just we want to offer high quality ingredients and then great flavors and then flavors that you've never had that you'd try and actually be hooked on So that's Basically the approach and what it is but hopefully it'll be in DC
[00:28:23] Jen Kern: [00:28:23] Yeah It's so smart because in marketing I've talk a lot about this our ability to focus It's very hard Our world is big There's a lot of distractions There's social media it's blah blah blah blah blah all the time Do you have focus We say pick a steep angle for your brand Something that no one else is saying That's how you get the attention And I believe that's one way you've definitely become found so quickly And you're what two months into the business here
[00:28:48] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:28:48] Well okay Yeah
[00:28:49] Jen Kern: [00:28:49] You've already done 20 podcasts
[00:28:53] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:28:53] It's been awhile I don't think I could have you have dreams and you plant seeds And then I looked over when I was like Oh Whoa there's sprouting no I look at it as I want everyone to be able to experience this and to have it because I wanted to help enhance your life And I love nostalgia I use that ingredient the most and everything that I do And so it's potency is a very big deal for me and even if it's something so tiny as a four ounce container which is what we make we're about grabbing go I want you to have that four ounce container It's just the right amount It's dose specifically for you You can have as many as you want the world's your oyster I just want people to know that they have that but it invokes something inside of them that brings them pleasure And that's what this is about We're in very interesting times you can use any type of word adjective now whatever describe what we're in right now but people want nostalgia They want to be brought back to just something that gives them a sort of peace and just happiness and ice cream Really it does a lot of boy Yes A lot of comfort And and there's been actual science behind that ice cream creates joy in people and comfort So knowing that it's there it's good It's not going to mess up your digestive system Because I think a lot of people get nervous when they have ice cream It's like no this is just this product I'm offering you It's a very small thing that I can do in the midst of all of the stuff that's going on if I can make this product And I know that it brings people joy and they want to come back and get more than I've done what my job is
[00:30:27] Jen Kern: [00:30:27] Yeah I got to ask how many calories are in the four ounce and how much sugar
[00:30:32] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:30:32] I actually haven't tested the caloric intake so I don't even have that We haven't tested it yet I haven't officially we'll have to get done so sugar I don't feel like there's a lot I use tapioca syrup which has a pretty good the intake is not as high as regular sugar I do use condensed coconut milk that has some sugar in it but I need the fat Yeah But I'll let you know as soon as we have that nutrition label I've been so focused on getting this label all done for the department of ag which is a different type of label which is very specific in that dosage supplement It's a lot
[00:31:09] Jen Kern: [00:31:09] okay
[00:31:09] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:31:09] I've been learning many new things
[00:31:13] Jen Kern: [00:31:13] Yes that executive pastry chef experience is probably coming in handy
[00:31:17] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:31:17] Yes it is that's on our list is when we get it tested and how many I can't wait to see
[00:31:24] Jen Kern: [00:31:24] that's the next thing I look at once I know if it's dairy or gluten then I'm like
[00:31:28] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:31:28] Yeah
[00:31:28] Jen Kern: [00:31:28] Okay Just curious how much sugar But yeah I'm part of the wellness movement right Low sugar
[00:31:35] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:31:35] Yeah It's low sugar I don't have a sweet tooth naturally so everything I normally make doesn't have
[00:31:42] Jen Kern: [00:31:42] I unfortunately do I've tried to combat it so many ways Okay Nostalgia you were written up in a recent article by food 52 Did I get that right you talk a lot at that whole article is about nostalgia Your grandmother's recipes your family's recipes your heritage there's these beautiful pictures of cookbooks in it And then one of the quotes you had that I wrote down here says I carry pieces nostalgia with my grandmother I'm looking to create things from those places Explain
[00:32:16] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:32:16] so my grandmother Was this really amazing woman She had babies in her forties and then she had five kids in her forties and she has six children total And she's probably me she passed away when I was 12 but she didn't leave any recipes She left a book a Betty Crocker cookbook And my mom's actually An exquisite cook we were very lucky I didn't complain about Oh my mom made like tongue sandwiches no my mom was just this amazing She still is So as I traveled throughout the world and I have met so many people I realized I don't have any recipes people like this is my family dah dah dah dah dah I do have a grandmother My fars mor it means father's mother and Danish So my stepdad's mom but that's my grandmother And she has been for 30 years she has given me recipes So I have used around nine is when my parents got married So around 12 when I figured it out she has always been there for me And she has this beautiful collection of Danish recipes that I have I actually had to write everything down and gives me a couple of years ago when I was home for Christmas because it means so much to me because there's a recipe that she gave me once that I've used continuously throughout my culinary career But as far as my maternal grandmother I didn't have anything And so I've always been trying to fill this hole that I have with vintage cookbooks other people's recipes the nostalgia just to find her in there and create my own legacy And so that's I believe where this is stemmed from It's just how do I create this space that wasn't left behind And that's where I see her And so that's what that article was about Plus I also feel me diving into these beautiful books by black authors It's really helping me find my own identity In this culinary world as is on earth just what I didn't know before And the information that I have now has just helped grow so greatly and helped my creativity it's been so inspiring So that nostalgia has always played that key piece into what I'm trying to create
[00:34:29] Jen Kern: [00:34:29] That's so cool And what is it like let's open the conversation What is it like being a black woman in this industry
[00:34:37] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:34:37] it's been interesting being a woman in the industry has been interesting You know I came up in the industry where it was questionable at times Yeah It was very male dominant and There's been some CD moments that were unfortunately accepted during that time but we're at a different period So I feel like if I was a pastry chef now a young one it's a very different experience that they're having now But as far as being black female it is interesting It's interesting because I never didn't see enough black women in my kitchen or in the kitchen near me I remember in LA I was leaving the Campanile kitchen and move my car cause you move your car a lot or you get a nice ticket it could get towed And I was walking and I hear this Hey and I look over and there's this woman in the car and she becomes a friend of mine and she's a black female and she says Oh my gosh Do you work at Campanile And I said yeah And she goes I'm so happy to see a young black female chef And this is back in 2000 I don't know five I don't even know Wherein she's a chef And so when she saw that it was like Oh I see you So I didn't have a lot of that It was just like TV When I was a kid I wanted to be on TV forever for food I wanted a food show even for years because I thought no one looked like me on the TV talking about food It just didn't happen So every kitchen I've been in mostly no I think then the only black female in most of them if not all it wasn't until I moved to the South where I actually saw people of color other black people in the kitchen And I was like Oh my gosh this wow And even in this ice cream industry I haven't met any other there are people of color out there making ice cream but in Nashville right now I feel I'm probably might be the only Black female ice cream maker which really not because in 1840 Sarah Estell is amazing free black female entrepreneur making ice cream in downtown Nashville in 1840 So it's what a weird parallel So I feel like pardon me has to be here because her legacy is connected to my legacy So yeah
[00:36:46] Jen Kern: [00:36:46] Oh that's so neat So yeah you're blazing a future there And blazing a path for other women
[00:36:52] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:36:52] Oh yeah I feel it's changing that's what's been beautiful as are you seeing me now because I've been making ice cream for awhile I've been in the industry for a long time and now All eyes are now recognizing what's happening and that's going for a lot of people in many industries And no there's some amazing people of color that are out there that have been doing amazing work and blazing a lot of trails So it's for me No for me I love telling the story of the black Cookbook history and what those stories are in there and those flavors and those recipes and knowing that they can be turned into ice cream That's important for me is just to get that historical context across and let people know that you can experience this And this is part of this culture which ultimately is a part of America
[00:37:42] Jen Kern: [00:37:42] yeah And your Instagram page it just jumps off the screen almost It's so beautiful You have these Different colors very rich colors I know you did a special flavor for Juneteenth Like a deep deep dark red and you have all these most amazing flavors It looks like the profile is just it's a marketer's dream honestly but you're already doing it
[00:38:06] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:38:06] it's saturated with this color and that yeah When I was able to have my own voice of how I wanted what I felt the ice cream should be which is really important how you want your product to be And that has to reiterate into everyone all the time are you making this for you Or are you making this for everyone else And when you realize it's has to be about how you want things done it becomes a very different situation And so when I realized Oh this is my thing I can create this thing Then I wanted it to be known I want it to be seen very specifically and very differently I didn't want you just to click on the thing and it's just some flavors I wanted it to be able to tell the story And that's why the black and white photos are really important with these beautiful black faces of kids men women enjoying ice cream because you don't see that a lot And so it's taking that pass and just weaving it into this future and this modern touch and It's ice cream I just want you to know that it's been enjoyed for many centuries
[00:39:06] Jen Kern: [00:39:06] you definitely have marketing in your DNA I can tell you that much because
[00:39:10] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:39:10] I appreciate
[00:39:10] Jen Kern: [00:39:10] it was an amazing job
[00:39:12] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:39:12] Thank you
[00:39:13] Jen Kern: [00:39:13] Yeah I mean the page and it's just gorgeous
[00:39:16] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:39:16] I have new photos coming out so it's yeah they're wild
[00:39:20] Jen Kern: [00:39:20] and what's your favorite flavor
[00:39:21] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:39:21] I don't have a favorite I am a creature of habit So if I do eat anything it was always chocolate and coughing And if I'm feeling crazy I'd put peanut butter in there
[00:39:31] Jen Kern: [00:39:31] how'd you come up with a brands like mission vision statement yet
[00:39:35] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:39:35] I'm working on a brand guide right now which is really funny You said that because it's been interesting A friend showed me her before and after I was like Whoa beautiful Yeah I've had the opportunity with these really amazing women I meet with them every Thursday We have this little group called the curate group and we go over our weekly goals and we're really supportive but there's a friend of theirs She has a marketing business and she's been really amazing And so she sat down with me and said okay here's the list This is what you're going through it was What is your vision What are your goals I've been working on that What are your colors mind blown And then I realized you have to do things right the first time because it makes it a lot harder later on when people are already used to what you have So if you make a slight change in the beginning it's better than doing it later And so that's what I'm learning now is just okay baby stepping into is this the logo from now on what if we now incorporate plant basis the logo or maybe just ice cream Is the logo Are we keeping these colors Are we going to keep this packaging all of this is so cinematic it's all so tied in together just to put something in a cup Just for someone to buy and you've got a great name So saturate you've got a great name to start with and I'll throw one more thing at you If you haven't heard about the purpose driven model of branding yet which is Simon Sinek's purpose driven model of branding You start with why You start with your why statement and then you move out from there to the whats and the hows and all those things as you're doing your brand profile and your brand purpose cause you want to have a really strong purpose and why statement that's timeless The rest of it can change Yeah I think that I was hung up one that for a while was the why And the more I sit with it I go okay because it is I'm no longterm Mer vision I don't do the five year I've never I'm like I'm just trying to get through next month It's more of like Okay I can see now I'm so about mindfulness and being in the moment And then I look at the okay I know that this has this longevity So what is this next year Or what are we looking at for this next term I think saturated has allowed me to push them further to figure out what type of brand we want to be So it's been interesting I'm excited every day is still processing what's happening So
[00:41:57] Jen Kern: [00:41:57] stay in the moment
[00:41:59] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:41:59] still processing
[00:42:00] Jen Kern: [00:42:00] Yeah Let's circle back around And we talked a little bit about this whole industry and the reinvention concept and how I see you being a part of that What are some other Things happening for restaurants just in the way you're doing your business which is a piece of a larger restaurant business How do you see things changing and really starting to maybe level out over the next let's just call it a couple of weeks couple of months for restaurants and finding the way forward
[00:42:33] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:42:33] running business is not it wasn't easy before this it's a lot to keep the lights on to keep people paid and trying to just make product that has quality And has a level of something but I know internally it's A daily thing So you have to sell a specific amount daily it's almost like living paycheck to paycheck That's what the restaurant businesses is It's like living every day It's like we have to do this to do that But I also remember when I was really young in the industry you weren't insured It just you worked so long and so hard but for what reasons and for who and what is the end result for you is to leave one job to go to another To go to another and then still not be insured So what is your worth in that I think that has to change I think the restaurants have to Put more into their staff and what they're willing to do and how long they're willing to keep them and how much you're willing to train And do you want to offer sweat equity to these people that have been giving you your time and effort that have been helping you achieve your goals Because systematically it takes a community it takes a village to run a restaurant It takes many people with different skillsets And so those things have to change How much are you willing how much are they worth for you in the end cause usually that's the first thing you have to lay off or the people that you've had for a long time
[00:43:54] Jen Kern: [00:43:54] Yeah
[00:43:55] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:43:55] that don't have any access to anything else And so I think that mindset has to change a lot because there's people out there that are willing to work and they are loyal and they want to watch something grow and they love being a part of something there's plenty of restaurants out there that are closing It's heartbreaking that they're closing and will never open back up And to know that you've put that much time and effort and you had a specific concept and it's no longer existing because people can't go out to eat right now You don't have max capacity Some people can have 20 people or 10 and take out and there's concepts that just can't have that So do you bring that concept back after or do you have a different concept where it's more Of a community driven thing and restaurants only seek this many people It's going to be interesting to see what fine dining how that suffers or doesn't suffer the casual to go That's always going to be around people travel They need something quick and easy It's the other people that I think might have a little bit more of a struggle I don't think it's the end though I just think it's How do you reinvent the structure And know that you don't have to follow the book because there really isn't a book It's just what you've seen work before So we've created off of that So for me I know what I'm not doing and I've been in it but I also know this is a new concept of keeping it on subscription but I know that subscription based works because blue apron has shown you that Marley Spoon has shown you that Butcherbox has shown you that So why not throw a curve ball something like ice cream and then you don't have to go to the store and buy it Okay I'm trying to make this as pandemic proof as possible right now
[00:45:34] Jen Kern: [00:45:34] And why not Like some of the fast casuals that are out there picking up your types of brands Right I mean I think at the fast casuals I go to around here that are all organic bowls that's pretty much what I do Salad bowls organic this that and when you go to checkout online even They'll have a cookie or a brownie or something like that That's sometimes made from a local baker
[00:45:56] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:45:56] Oh yeah yes
[00:45:57] Jen Kern: [00:45:57] but why not have an option of vegan ice cream at a fast casual
[00:46:00] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:46:00] I think it's a great option to have because if you're willing to partner up and it's the Hey are you willing to buy the freezer or we'll rent the freezer and then let's start with 50 cups or let's see if you sell these 50 I have a great friend that owns a restaurant and it's a fast casual and it's organic foods it's salads it's bowls And she's in Florence Alabama She's like I would love to put your stuff in here So we're just trying to figure out it's not a long drive It's two hours two and a half hours So our joke is do we meet in the middle And I just hand off this ice cream to you And you know just to have that because she says the CBD water than they have their sells like hotcakes it's why not have this ice cream that you can take and you can have and you can keep it moving So no I think that why not That So what goes back to our why question Why Why not
[00:46:51] Jen Kern: [00:46:51] Yeah And the opera is right now just struggling to just get business of any type the upsell piece of it Is huge the average ticket size because if I'm going to go online and do an order and pay that delivery fee if there is one
[00:47:06] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:47:06] Yeah
[00:47:06] Jen Kern: [00:47:06] I am much more prone to add something to my basket when I'm checking out And I do want more We're still on this kind of we want more when we do order Whether we're feeding more people in our family or we just want to have this and I think of it as I'm going out to get food I want to bring as much home as I possibly can
[00:47:24] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:47:24] exactly Exactly
[00:47:26] Jen Kern: [00:47:26] Yeah I might order the CBD ice cream and say Oh I'll eat it tomorrow night But if I'm placing an order for me I like the upsell I think there needs to be more options and a lot of that the fast casual
[00:47:36] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:47:36] Yeah And I think that comes down to just collaborations and Rhonda and Kesha and I talk about a lot is that it's the year of collaborations. Everybody should be collaborating because that is what's going to help out. Is people coming together. Brands that you either didn't think weren't going to work together. I love Cafe Roze here is owned by Julia Jaksic. And it's amazing because it's a great all day, go in for dinner, lunch, breakfast. She has this bodega set up and it was brilliant. It's got you need a line. You need local, like heirloom tomatoes around. You need rice. You need lentils. You didn't even know that you needed one roll of toilet paper at this moment.
[00:48:12] It's all of these things were there and they're available. So it was like, Oh, done. So then she thought, collaborate. I'll bring the people in that make bread. I'll bring in the people that make vegan ice cream. I'll bring in the people that do pasta and it all on the bodega list. And so that makes the community because it gives everybody a chance to be there to sell their goods and then put the name out there.
[00:48:31] So people go look for you if they want more. It creates that. And that's, what's really important. So collaboration 2020 and moving on is
[00:48:42] Jen Kern: [00:48:42] Yeah. What we used to call on the old school co-branding or partnerships? Yes. It's.
[00:48:50] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:48:50] We're collaborating now. Yeah.
[00:48:51] Jen Kern: [00:48:51] How about a quick lightning round? I'd like to do these little lightning rounds now with my guests. You ready?
[00:48:57] Your favorite cooking show.
[00:48:59] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:48:59] Wasn't a show, but I was a huge, No Reservations fan. Massive.
[00:49:03] Jen Kern: [00:49:03] Okay. I had never even heard of it.
[00:49:05]Lokelani Alabanza: [00:49:05] So that was like the show. But Padma Lakshmi, his new show on Hulu is phenomenal. It's not a cooking show. It's a food show and it is so brilliant and so beautiful. And it's just like transformative everyone watching it.
[00:49:21] Jen Kern: [00:49:21] Okay, so Gordon Ramsey. Is he out or is he in?
[00:49:23] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:49:23] I don't even watch Gordon's show anymore. Gordon's just there. He's in the background hanging out.
[00:49:28] Jen Kern: [00:49:28] Okay.
[00:49:29] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:49:29] Yeah. He's very lovely in person though. He's very nice
[00:49:32] Jen Kern: [00:49:32] Okay. predictions about Ghost Kitchens.
[00:49:36] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:49:36] Ghost Kitchens?
[00:49:37] Jen Kern: [00:49:37] Have you heard about Ghost Kitchen?
[00:49:38] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:49:38] No. What are Ghost Kitchen?
[00:49:40] Jen Kern: [00:49:40] Ghost Kitchens are similar to what you're doing actually. Although, do you have more of what I would call a virtual brand, right? Like you don't have to brick and mortar. Ghost Kitchens are creating food without a brick and mortar using it for delivery.
[00:49:54]
[00:49:54] Online only. Digital only.
[00:49:57] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:49:57] Oh yeah. A hundred percent. I'm all for it. Cause I'm basically. But you know what that does? That creates the people that are gonna open up commissary kitchens. So if you want to make a business. Commissary kitchens where it's at. That you can have these ghost kitchens. Cause I need to go prepare some of their food somewhere.
[00:50:13] So yeah. I'm here for it.
[00:50:15] Jen Kern: [00:50:15] Your most memorable failure.
[00:50:17] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:50:17] It's gotta be my last job. It's not a failure though. But it's good. It was like it's a bittersweet. It gave it and it taken away. it just all good things come to an end and then you learn a lot of lessons. So I feel like if I go back and think, but mostly I'm like, no, there hasn't been really massive failures, but it was definitely time.
[00:50:42] Jen Kern: [00:50:42] What's your biggest challenge today?
[00:50:43] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:50:43] My biggest challenge is staying organized. There's a lot going on and it's not just building a business. It's like other things, I have some really interesting things in the works right now. And, it seems a bit overwhelming at times, but really good. Not a negative overwhelming, just okay, here I am.
[00:51:03] We're doing this, but I had to get a white board, the little glass ones. Cause I have to write everything down or it's gone.
[00:51:07] Jen Kern: [00:51:07] Yeah. Oh yeah. I love whiteboards. They're the best? Let's let listeners know how can they find you? How can ty learn more about Saturated.
[00:51:15] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:51:15] Saturated is on Instagram at saturated ice cream. And we do have a website it's saturatedicecream.com. Super easy. Can follow us. You can DM me. You have questions, you can join a newsletter. And that's it. But if you don't live in Nashville right now, I'm very sorry. Things are going to change and soon you'll have the ice cream.
[00:51:36] Jen Kern: [00:51:36] What's your best guess of when you think you'll be shipping ice cream?
[00:51:40] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:51:40] I'd like to say by the end of the year, probably before that. I like to do holiday season. That's really my,
[00:51:46] Jen Kern: [00:51:46] That's a good goal.
[00:51:47] Lokelani Alabanza: [00:51:47] Yeah, that's my goal. Its holiday season. You know how building goes, so I'm not even going to say anything about how building I'm just gonna let it happen. And then. That will determine our next round, which we'll be shipping.
[00:51:59]
[00:51:59] Jen Kern: [00:51:59] Yeah. And as we wrap, what would be your advice? I most wanting to hear two part advice. Your advice for you've given a lot of great insight and advice for restaurants, but what's your advice for restaurant operators and then for marketers today, restaurant marketers today.
[00:52:15]Lokelani Alabanza: [00:52:15] I think we now have to just be open to doing the research on finding out who's out there. I think that works for both sides is that there are so many products. And people doing things that I think people need to do the work to find those hidden gems, because they're covered up right now. And so we need to do a better job of going and looking for those people because you don't know what's out there that's the next thing, or who has another idea that they're working on. They just need a little bit of opportunity to be there. Also, I've had some really great people just offer their time. Just offering their time. They haven't even charged. but they've just been like willing to just help give advice to new people coming into the business which I always think is just so gracious and amazing. And it helps create that space. and then pays it forward to somebody else. So I think right now we just need to be as available to each other. And that's it. And go, there's just so much good stuff out there. And I think a lot of things have been eclipsed with what's happening as well. it's just, how do you do the right thing throughout all of this and still maintain business?
[00:53:22]
[00:53:22] Jen Kern: [00:53:22] Absolutely. That's a great way to, wrap our show. Lokelani it's truly been a pleasure having you. Thank you so much for your time.