For most individuals, a pizza date seems one thing like selecting a cute restaurant or possibly panicking over what to put on. However if you’re an expert chef, a pizza date is nearly like a cooking class. Not less than in keeping with Michelle Jimenez it was. And in case you’re doubting her, she and her now-husband Andrea Meggiato turned a kind of so-called pizza dates right into a enterprise—one you would possibly’ve seen on Shark Tank or in shops like Goal.

“He mentioned it will be essentially the most unforgettable date I would ever go on,” Michelle instructed me, “and he could not have been extra proper.” They went on to create The Pizza cupcake, now expanded underneath the brand new title Incredifulls.

They don’t seem to be the one couple that is made it work like that. The subsequent time you’re snowboarding, or cramming for the LSAT, and even simply killing time in a seaside city, you would possibly simply stumble in your subsequent nice concept, the love of your life—or possibly each.

That’s not simply wishful pondering. It’s precisely how issues began for 3 different {couples} who now run among the fastest-growing meals manufacturers within the nation. They didn’t all have formal culinary coaching. They weren’t all on some five-year marketing strategy. However they did have two issues in frequent: a shared love of meals, and a willingness to construct one thing collectively, each personally and professionally.

I’ve all the time been fascinated by the concept of going into enterprise with somebody you like. Possibly that’s as a result of nobody in my household does it. We’re all in several industries, and admittedly, I don’t know if we’d work properly collectively. However speaking to those founders undoubtedly made me rethink issues. It seems, constructing an organization together with your companion doesn’t must imply shedding your relationship. The truth is, it could actually truly strengthen it.

“It’s been rewarding to witness our mutual development as we stretch our capabilities and evolve our interpersonal dynamics, administration types, and different abilities at a fast tempo,” mentioned Jen Liao, co-founder of MìLà.

Maura Duggan, founder and CEO of Fancypants, echoed that sentiment: “It may be a bit difficult to elucidate the ups and downs of working a meals enterprise, however we reside with the dangers and rewards day by day,” she mentioned. “It’s such a terrific feeling to only share that.”

When you’ve ever questioned what it’s actually like to enter enterprise together with your companion—the nice, the arduous, and every little thing in between—you’re not alone. I caught up with 4 {couples} who’ve constructed meals manufacturers collectively to listen to how they’ve made it work (and what they’ve realized alongside the best way).

Founders: Jen Liao & Caleb Wang

What do they make? MìLà presents restaurant-quality Chinese language staples—from juicy soup dumplings to hand-pulled-style noodles and daring, savory sauces. Discover them at Goal, Costco, or order instantly on-line for a simple, genuine meal at residence.

Some {couples} begin a enterprise after years of planning, however Jen Liao and Caleb Wang began one whereas dwelling on reverse coasts. The 2 met on a ski journey in Whistler in 2014, saved in contact through Skype, and dated long-distance for 4 years. Someplace between the slopes and all these late-night calls, they determined to open a restaurant as a facet mission (and acquired married someplace alongside the best way, too).

At present, their frozen meals model MìLà is obtainable nationwide, with actor Simu Liu as each an investor and their Chief Content material Officer. It has hundreds of glowing critiques from followers who swear the soup dumplings alone are value clearing freezer area for.

“We approached it as a studying alternative, understanding the restaurant trade is unlikely to reach,” Jen instructed me, “however feeling optimistic in our problem-solving talents.”

They constructed MìLà from a shared craving to deliver their favourite Chinese language dishes into extra properties. Now married and working the enterprise full-time, they’ve realized to divide duties—Jen focuses on product and advertising, Caleb runs operations—and navigate each excessive and low as a workforce.

“There’s no ‘my facet’ or ‘your facet’ of the corporate,” Jen mentioned. “Simply us, working collectively.”

As their model has advanced, so has their partnership, rooted in mutual respect and a shared imaginative and prescient for what MìLà might signify.

“I am actually proud that we have contributed to redefining the narrative round Chinese language meals within the U.S., and carried out it in a means that feels true to our private story,” Jen mentioned.

Founders: Michelle Jimenez & Andrea Meggiato

What do they make? Frozen pizza snacks and breakfast cups with a real-deal Italian twist—now bought at Goal.
Some dates finish in dessert. Michelle and Andrea’s led to a enterprise. The pair met at a good friend’s celebration, and never lengthy after, Andrea requested her out on a pizza date however with a twist.

“The twist was that we had been going to make it ourselves,” Michelle mentioned. “It ended up being the perfect cooking class of my life.”

That date set the tone for what would turn out to be their frozen snack model, initially referred to as The Pizza Cupcake and not too long ago rebranded to Incredifulls. What began as a enjoyable dish they dropped at events—a greater model of the frozen pizza bites Michelle grew up consuming—has turn out to be a nationally distributed model, first catching fireplace after a deal on Shark Tank in 2021. Their signature? Brioche-based dough with a nod to Andrea’s roots in Venice, Italy.

“We’ve realized the significance of dividing and conquering—leaning into our strengths, speaking brazenly, and prioritizing our psychological well being, marriage, and household,” Michelle mentioned.

Over time, they’ve found out what it takes to work properly as each co-founders and household.

“The true problem was studying to stability my huge ‘sure!’ power with Andrea’s extra considerate, operations-first mindset as we turned this concept right into a enterprise.”

Founders: Maura Duggan and Justin Housman

What do they make? Crispy, flavor-packed cookies impressed by every little thing from mint chip ice cream to salted caramel, now bought in Entire Meals, Costco, and grocery shops nationwide.

When Maura Duggan met Justin Housman on St. Patrick’s Day at an Irish bar in New York, they had been each lecturers. Baking wasn’t the plan—a minimum of not but (they did bond over a Guinness, after all).

“The foodie half got here quickly after!” Maura mentioned. “Justin is a superb cook dinner and I’ve all the time liked baking, so we complemented one another instantly.”

Initially centered on adorned shortbread cookies, Fancypants has since grown right into a full-blown snack model with crispy cookies in nostalgic flavors like birthday cake, chocolate chip, and salted caramel.

They’d been collectively for 4 years after they determined to enter enterprise collectively, and as Maura famous, individuals undoubtedly raised some eyebrows. For them, it was all the time extra thrilling than nerve wracking.

“[We] actually knew our strengths and weaknesses,” she defined. “We’ve all the time been cautious to carve out time away from one another too.”

Maura calls herself the “product visionary,” all the time desirous about “new cookie flavors, packaging updates, and collaborations,” whereas Justin handles lots of the logistic particulars. “It’s a terrific synergy,” she mentioned.

Regardless of the enterprise’s development—not too long ago launched in Harris Teeter and increasing throughout Entire Meals within the Mid-Atlantic—Maura is most happy with how they’ve stayed true to their roots: “We’ve been capable of change the route of Fancypants fully…whereas additionally maintaining our core workforce collectively.”

And the perfect a part of working collectively? “With the ability to assist one another. It’s such a terrific feeling to only share that.”

Founders: Berk and Sena Bahceci

What do they make? Natural, early-harvest olive oils from a 100-year-old household grove in Turkey. Launched in 2023, Heraclea makes each on a regular basis cooking oils and daring, infused blends. Their oils are PDO, natural, and Truthful Commerce Licensed.

In 2016, Berk Bahceci was deep in LSAT prep and virtually skipped a seaside weekend with buddies in Çeşme, Turkey—however that spontaneous choice modified every little thing. “If he hadn’t proven up that day, none of this may’ve occurred,” Sena mentioned.

Meals has been a shared ardour from the beginning. “It’s most likely the factor we by no means get tired of doing collectively—consuming, cooking, exploring new locations,” they mentioned. Berk loves scouring native markets for substances, and their weekends had been typically spent cooking Turkish dishes with their very own twist.

And for them, it simply labored. “It’s made us turn out to be higher companions and communicators,” Sena defined.

In 2022, Berk left his authorized profession to launch Heraclea, turning his household’s century-old olive grove into a contemporary model rooted in sustainability and transparency. Sena’s position within the enterprise grew naturally: “Heraclea all the time felt like one thing larger than simply beginning an organization—it was about getting Turkish olive oil the place it deserves on American tables.”

Their proudest milestone? “Getting Truthful Commerce Licensed. Not only for us, however for what it means for Turkish olive oil,” they mentioned. “We’re elevating the bar…exhibiting that it’s attainable to do that the precise means—with actual transparency, equity, and high quality.”

And whereas the work might be all-consuming, they are saying the perfect half is the liberty: “We are able to plan our life on our personal phrases…we wouldn’t commerce it for something.”

Do you suppose you can begin a model with a companion or liked one? Curious to listen to individuals’s ideas?