Long Island Mother and Daughter Turn Kitchen Treat Into a Business Venture
Starting a business during a global pandemic may seem daunting, but for Rachael Korman, who lost her New York City hospitality marketing job last March, it made sense. After moving back to her Long Island childhood home, she turned to what had always been a passion: cooking with her mom, Pam.
Their specialty? Puppy Chow, a blend of crispy rice cereal, chocolate, peanut butter and powdered sugar. The sweet and salty mixture is something Pam would send to Rachael at college, always with a note attached: xoxo Love, Mom.
The puppy chow college care package was such a hit that Rachaelâs friends joked that the two should âbottle it up and sell it,” which, after much experimenting and playing in the kitchen, is what they did.
Their company, Love, Mom launched in the early months of the pandemic, with the mother/daughter duo initially selling batches to friends and family. As a millennial with a background in social media, Rachael knew that having a strong online foundation could only help boost their fledgling start-up, so she designed a website, logo and business plan â and took to promoting their new venture on social media.
That meant making sure everything looked just right, which led to expanding their offerings. They currently have three varieties which they ship nationwide: The Campfire Mom (marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate chips), The Celebrate Everything Mom (white chocolate and rainbow sprinkles), and The Cookies âN Crave Mom (white chocolate and Oreo crumbles). For Valentineâs Day, theyâve added red velvet, a new limited edition offering made with white chocolate and red velvet flavoring, topped with pink and red chocolate drops.
According to Rachael, what makes their puppy chow unique, aside from the flavors, is the personalized ânotes from momâ that are included with every order. They include messages with a sense of nostalgia, plus with the quarantine we all need a little more love, not to mention a fun care package, she explained.
AUTHOR
Elizabeth Goldish is a graphic design student at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, set to graduate in May 2021. She started baking at the age two and has been obsessed with cooking shows ever since. She loves to write about and eat most anything except bananas. Follow her food adventures on Instagram at @elizabeth.etc_.
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