First Community Pop-Up

Dear Gourmies,

I have an exciting story about my first ever pop-up! Just a week after officially launching subscriptions for The Gourmie Guide, I had the coolest opportunity of doing a pop-up hosted by Deli Seoul in Southern California. The support and love received from friends in California and other parts of the world was palpable. I had some friends show up and Brian was there to support me through and through! To friends who purchased my art products and subscribed to the mail club, I have to tell you that I had no expectations of the purchases - I was genuinely already grateful for your presence alone.

Spam & Egg on Onion Bagel

Delicious start to my day, it was steaming hot and really cheesy!

Deli Seoul is one of the restaurants I recently collaborated with, their relationship with the community is what stood out to me when I first visited. I thought it only existed in movies or TV shows where the restaurant or cafe owners know their customers’ names. Given the hustle and bustle of life, I get it, sometimes my brain feels like it will pop from the amount of information I need to remember in my day-to-day life. But here at Deli Seoul, it was a breath of fresh air to hear the owner Jun, who works with his mom, addressing each regular as they come in or saying goodbye by name.

I was super impressed and this left such a huge impact on me because these are the types of - not even business, but - community that I value. As someone who lived in Hawaii with such a close-knit relationship with friends, family-friends, and coworkers who turn into family, the experience at Deli Seoul gave me a taste of how that feels again. When I first moved here, I had the most fortunate experience of stumbling upon a similar “community-hub” which is Arvida Book Co, in Old Town Tustin. Places like Deli Seoul and Arvida are what makes neighborhoods feel integrated. The sense of belonging they cultivate for their community is truly a treasure that should not be taken for granted.

My first pop-up being held at a store whose way of doing business has genuinely impressed me is an amazingly positive sign and I hope to continue having these blessings and opportunities to create relationships with similar businesses whose values align with my own.

It is easy to start a business and get caught up with money-matters, but at the end of it all, it really is the relationships you build with your circle, customers, community, and most especially yourself, that truly outshines everything else.

I can’t express enough of how grateful I am and how validating this week has been as a new small business owner!

Thank you for being in this journey with me and remember to stay curious!

Sincerely,

Jess