Elevate Your Brand

Elevate Your Brand with Anthony Rosemond of Pastreez

May 24, 2022 Laurel Mintz / Anthony Rosemond Season 3 Episode 33
Elevate Your Brand
Elevate Your Brand with Anthony Rosemond of Pastreez
Show Notes Transcript

Anthony is the French chef and founder of Pastreez, an online macaron bakery. Graduated from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, his wife and him handcraft authentic macarons daily. It ships it fresh to your door, wherever you are in the United States!

Laurel Mintz, founder and CEO of award-winning marketing agency Elevate My Brand, explores some of the most exciting new and growing brands in Los Angeles and the US at large. Each week, the Elevate Your Brand podcast features an entrepreneurial special guest to discuss the past, present and future of their brand.

You're listening to the Elevate Your Brand podcast, where we talk to some of the smartest entrepreneurs and fastest growing brands in the market. Today, I'm your host, Laurel Mintz, a reformed corporate MMA attorney who founded award winning La based marketing agency Elevate My Brand. We've elevated some of the world's biggest brands from Facebook, Paw Patrol, and Verizon to innovative startups you haven't even heard of yet. Are you ready to elevate your brand? Keep listening. Hi, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Elevate Your Brand. I of course. I'm your host, Laurel Mintz. And I'm joined today by Anthony Rosemont, who is the CEO of Pastreez. Anthony, thank you for joining us today. 


Hi, Laurel. Thanks for having me. 


Well, I rarely have such a fun, delicious brand on the podcast. Tell our audience what is Pastreez. So Pastreez is a macaron delivery business. So my wife and I are both friends, chefs from La Cordon, La Paris. And we do handmake all the macarons here in California, which is fresh nationwide. 


And they are so beautiful and so tasty. Thank you again for sending them, although my diet doesn't thank you, but they're not that bad. Why do you think people have such a hard time remembering if it's macaron a macaroon? I'm sure you get that all the time. 


Yes. So actually, it's macaroon in a French way. So with one o, the macaroons with two O's is the coconut based one. I don't know if you've tasted those. They are completely different. It's more like cookie stuff, but we are used to it, so people call it macaroons it's okay. 


Well, I had French au pairs growing up, so I know the difference. And for me, macaroons are what you eat during the Passover holidays because you can't have bread. So I much prefer yours. Yes, you got it. Tell us about how you started the company and how you went into business with your wife and that whole exciting journey. 


Yes. So I'm a French engineer originally. My wife is a human resource director. So we were in France and we were thinking of an idea that we could work together. And we just decided at some point we had to leave our job and say, okay, let's give it a try to the American dream and move over here. So we wanted to make sure that both of us really work within their passions. I love, for example, online marketing. And she's the Baker and chef in the kitchen. She'll see lots of baking. And we tried to find a way that combine those Hills together. And Pastreez was born back in 2017. 


It's such a cute name, and I can't believe nobody ever thought of that. Was this, like, a big ideation session? I know you're the marketing guy, so take us through the naming process.  


Yeah. So I wanted something short, something easy to remember online. You really keep in mind only the cute and short stuff. And in the meantime, Pastreez is coming for more. Today we are only doing Macaron, but we are growing and we do more stuff later on. So the idea is the name is really like a vision. The idea is to have to be the reference for the French bakeries in the United States. So later on, we have lots of lots of different French bakers.


Got it. So it's more like the parent brand name within the family of brands underneath it, Macarons being only one of them. That's fascinating. And it makes so much sense from a smart marketing mind. 


Yeah, that's the idea to have, like, since the beginning, the vision. And the name is clearly the vision for us to remind us, hey, my current is the first thing, and there's going to be more Pastreez later on. And I guess within a few years we have read more stuff because we have lots of more recipes for you guys. 


And the flavor profiles are so fun, not to mention the colors are so incredibly vibrant. It's one of the things I always love about just this particular type of dessert. Is there a favorite flavor profile or is there an angle that you specifically lean into giving your French background? 


Yeah, you're talking about the profile for the customers or more for the brand, for the flavors, for the flavors. So we try to be authentic because we are from local Paris. We have this certificate from them. We try to be the most representative from Parisian stuff. We want to bring a taste of Paris to the door here in the United States. And I know how hard it is to find authentic stuff sometimes here for Parisian bakeries. So we really try to stick to the authenticity of Paris and recipes. But in the meantime, we want to be innovative. So from time to time, you will see flavors like galaxies, cheesecake. We have mangoes coming for summertime, passion fruit, coconuts, things like that. So it's kind of a mix between authentic and at the same time innovative. 


And it's such a fun building process. So if you haven't been on the website, it is Pastreez.com pastreez.com, and you can literally build out your boxes and it populates the Macaron into these little boxes. It's such a cute experience. Tell us about how you build that out. 


Yeah. Fun story about this one, because when we first arrived back in 2017, I really wanted to test the idea. I don't want to jump in 1000%. And we don't know if we have customers yet. So the testing process for us, we arrived back in 2017 in Los Angeles, and we did a few farmers markets. So we did the Malibu Farmers Market, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. And the idea was to confront our vision of this Macarons to the customers and see, sometimes you come from another country, you think these flavors would be best seller or you think people will like this one and sometimes it's totally different. Yeah, we bring few flavors, sometimes crazy flavors, like pickled pear and stuff like that, you know, something crazy. And it's actually a customer that tells us, oh, you know what? I don't like this driver. I prefer this one. You should be able to choose select on your website as well. And I thought, oh, yeah, that's true. Why should we? Because sometimes you see only variety boxes, variety sets online and say, hey, yeah, it's true. Let's build this box as customizable as possible. And that's how we came up with this idea. 


It's so clever. And it's not just a clever idea in terms of what a consumer actually wants, because I'll tell you, I fell in love with your coconut. That is my absolute favorite flavor. I've never tasted a macaron that was coconut flavored in my life. And I wouldn't even let my husband eat his because I wanted it so badly. But the actual experience of building out your own box is so custom and so unique and personal. Plus, not to mention that you have these really fun, heart shaped macarons. So tell us a little bit about when you come up with that shape, because that's not a typical macaron shape. Or is it in France? 


No, you're right. It's not a typical shape. And when we first started, so we are still we kind of cultivate this small business close to the customer handmade brand idea because that's what we are at Pastreez. And we try to listen to the customers and we want to be different in any kind we can. So the customization is one thing you mention, the little popping up when you actually select those. This is very helpful as well. If you have an event, for example, a baby shower, a wedding, you can see which color does match with another one. So it's very helpful visually to have that as well. And for the out shape, it came up as well in listening to our customers the same way it was on Valentine's Day 2018. I guess someone back in the farmers market as well just mentioned that, oh, it could be cute. And we tried it and we see. Okay, we can do it here in the kitchen. And it's kind of one of our really big difference as well, because signature now for sure. Yeah. You cannot really mass produce this hardship you have to do. It has to be handmade. So that's how it came up. 


Well, I love your entrepreneurial journey. It's so fun coming here with the American dream, but staying very honest and true to your French roots. I love that you went out to farmers markets because so many people, they're just too close to their own product and they don't get enough customer feedback and market validation to decide whether something is going to be a good fit. Was there a moment in time or did you just sell out every week and then you were like, okay, this is actually going to be a real business. Tell us about that. Like your Oprah AHA moment, as they say. 


Yes. When we first arrived, to be completely honest, we didn't know it was going to be macarons at first because Pastreez we arrived, we said, okay, let's bring some typical Apple pie from Paris, other kind of cakes and other kinds of Pastreez. And we didn't know in the US what was popular and what was not. So even before the farmers market, we did some meetups. There is an app called Meetup and you can meet a group of people and we just pop up in these meetups randomly and say, hey, we are going to bring free Pastreez. What we need in return is just honest feedback. And that was it. So before the farmers markets, we did some meetups like that and we bring a few Pastreez. And it was always the macarons that came up like most famous and everything. So we said, okay, we cannot be 1000% committed to each Patriot because there is only the two of us. So we said, okay, let's focus on macarons first. And that's how it came up. 


So smart. I mean, it's literally marketing 101, right? Find your product market fit and you use technology to do that, which is brilliant. I love that. Anthony, we're going to take a really quick break. Will be right back. Today's episode is brought to you by Mexicraft Tequila Seltzer. It is a top shelf tequila seltzer made with craft tequila from Jalisco, Mexico, real juice and sparkling water. Each can contains a shot and a half of premium Blanco tequila, which you all know is my favorite and no more than 3 grams of sugar. For those of you watching that, you can get it in Whole Foods in Southern California or order it online at www.mexiseltzer.com, follow them on IG @mexiseltzer and use podcast20 for 20% off your first order. Thanks for sticking with us. And if you're just tuning in, I'm chatting with Anthony Rosemont who is the CEO of Pastreez, one of the best macaroon companies I've ever tried. I love all the flavor profiles. We're talking a little bit about the fun shapes. Do you have a best seller? I'm just so curious as to whether my flavor profiles match up with like what typically people are into. 


Yeah. So there is a few profiles because on my current menu, there are really two types of people. There are fruity people and chocolatey people. You just named me and my husband. Exactly. Okay, so there is like strawberry, there is like passion fruits, all these kind of fruits and are really the best seller for the fruit and for the more creamy ones, I'd say the salted caramel is really one of the best sellers as well. Of course. 


Yeah. That makes a whole lot of sense. And the other thing that's so great is your packaging. So they are packaged so well, the delivery of them, the box itself is so beautiful. They really make a great gift. In fact, my sister was just having a tea party for her birthday when having to cancel because of cobbt, of course. But the little boxes, you do like a little three box or you do towers like you have all these different ways to present these. So you can do them for a tea party or you can gift them for holiday. I just love everything about them. They're fun little bites of joy. 


Yeah. You know, the idea behind the packaging is the first thing is again, I want to keep the authenticity. So it has to look like a jewelry box, kind of, because it's an expensive pastry. Of course, it has to be packaged correctly and it has to have the same like the packaging is an extension of the product. So it really has to be all together, the same journey type. So that's the idea behind this. I would say fancy packaging, but it goes well with the pastry itself. And the other stuff that I want to mention with the packaging is along the way we had different types of customers and we developed the three account box. This is like a favorite box. It's more like a wedding gifts or things like that in gift baskets and things like that. Or when you have a baby shower, you need a tower seat as well. So there were a lot of customers that were asking, oh, you have the towers. So we came up with the towers, plus the Macarons, everything you need in one set. Same thing with the gift box. So, you know, along the way we develop this packaging ideas with the needs of our customers. 


So other than obviously listening to your customers, which it sounds like is your number one die hard rule, what other tips would you have for entrepreneurs that are just looking to get into the world of food? 


Of food, you said. 


Yes. Trying to get into the world of food or packaged goods. You're now an expert in this and you've gone through the entire range. So I love to hear. Any tips for new entrepreneurs. 


Yes. So there is two types, I would say of foods marketing stuff. I would say the ones that does ship and the ones that you cannot ship. Obviously you cannot ship, like roasted chicken, but it's really important. Or maybe not, I don't know. But I'm sure someone somehow could figure it out right with the right direction, I'm sure, because it was really hard in the beginning for my parents to find a way to ship those. But yeah, shipping for food is really the key. It's the challenge. So it has to be entertained since the beginning. You really need to check that in the beginning because if your product cannot ship, you can set up an online store, but you need to focus your SEO and all your marketing efforts around the local area only. So I'd say shipping is really the challenge and you need to figure this out pretty soon in the business process. It's so true.


We have a bakery that we work with locally as well, and that's always been the biggest issue. But the truth is and I'm sure you saw this as well. There's a lot of other companies out there like you like Suzie Cakes, like a bunch of other companies who have done this before. So there's no need to reinvent the wheels, see what the leaders in the space like you, Anthony, are doing, and don't make it harder than it has to be. 


Yeah, you're totally right. And that's actually the system we did in the beginning. We ordered from different types of companies when we first started, and we get inspiration of what was done at the time.


So that's true. Check the competitors, check similar type of food type of business, order from them and see what it looks like. And maybe you can adapt their idea to your product. Exactly. I love that. How is it working with your wife? So my husband and I both own agencies. We get to work together from time to time, but we haven't officially merged anything. I love that you both decided to do this together. Was that part of always the vision or was it like we're moving to the state? If you want to do something together, let's figure this out. Walk us through that process. 


No, the idea was actually to work together since the beginning.


 Wow. You like each other that much? That's great. 


Yeah, that was the idea since the beginning. Of course, it's not always the paradise. You have the balance. But I mean, communication is key. And the good thing is that we know what we do. We are expert in our own field. And before we even start all that, we really question ourselves. What do I like to do? You like this? I like this. Okay. So she will be the head of the kitchen because she loves baking. And I'm going to be the head of the business because I love about marketing and taking care of our customers. And yeah, communication, it's like with employees or with a team. It's the same thing. You need to communicate well and everything goes smooth, I guess. 


Yeah. Well, not always, but as you said, it's all about communication. We actually have an exercise that we do with some of our clients. We call it red light, green light. So if you write down everything that you're doing for like two weeks, you highlight everything in red. That just drains the life out of you. Like for me, that would be finances and everything that lights you up and gives you energy highlight in green and everything else is negotiable. So that helps you figure out kind of where your path should be in business and sometimes in life, yeah, you're definitely right. When you have a clear task and everyone's task is clear, it's more easy to work together. I guess. That's exactly right. So what is next for Pastreez? Would love to know anything secretive that you're working on that you can spill. I know you said you're looking at building out new product lines. Obviously, the Macarons are doing beautifully and they are just stunning. And again, thank you for sending them our way. But what's next? 


Yeah. So we live in Southern California, in the north of Los Angeles, and we recently opened a physical location, which is more like a commercial kitchen to increase our volume. And we also have a pickup location there so local customers can come over and pick up their orders. And in the future for this year, we're going to release probably Bonbons. It's a French chocolate, these little round, fancy chocolate that you can find with pretty colors and stuff. So we're going to test this out pretty soon. And yeah, keep growing, I guess, on the product level. So we recently launched Crepes as well. And we're working on Bonbon and other amazing Pastreez, all things French and pastry. Look to Pastreez. 


You're definitely right. If you need a new tester, you let me know. I'll take a bullet on that one. Of course. We're going to take another quick break. We'll be right back. Hey, it's me again, Laurel Mince, host of Elevate Your Brand podcast and the CEO of Elevate My Brand. In these wild times, social media is really having its moment. According to the Harris Poll, upwards of 51% of us adults are using social media now more than ever. In other words, your brand better step up at social media game ASAP. Good thing we're pros at social media marketing here at EMV. If you're ready to elevate your brand, slide into our DMs or give us a call after this episode. Thanks for sticking with us. I am chatting with Anthony Roseman, who is the CEO of Pastreez. Anthony was just sharing with us how they've expanded into their first brick and mortar. Do you think that there will be multiple stores? You're just looking to do the one because it's more commercial kitchen and you're shipping out of there as well, I would assume? 


Yes, you're exactly right. So it's going to be one location probably. We're going to switch to a bigger one within a few years. But the idea is we are 99% online and 1% local. So the idea is we need to have bigger space to produce more, to be able to ship more. But since we are in a remote area here in California, I always like to give back to the community to allow a local pickup as well. But yeah, we're going to stick to one location to ship nationwide. 


Still love it. Well, in last minutes that we have, I always like to ask some more personal questions. So these are just kind of some quick fire questions. Give us your top of mind answers. The first one is, what is the one thing you could not live without during the pandemic? And you can't say your own product. 


Oh, Internet. 


However, people say their phones. I've definitely heard Netflix. I've never heard anyone say Internet before, but that's a very honest Internet picture. Always good, I guess. 


Yeah, for sure. Because if you get to everything else you need from the Internet, that's the efficient answer, Anthony. I love it. I'll take it. What is your go to vice of choice? Exercise? Sports? Gym. I don't know if we call that a vice. That's something that's positive for you, something that's a little secret love, like bad TV or someone else's. Pastry? I don't know.


I have sweet tooth, so I like candies in general. So whenever I have a long day or anything, it's a little bit of Aribo. Little bears. Gummy bears like that. Oh, yeah, I say that. 


Okay. Cocktail or wine or beer, what is your go to drink of choice after a long day? If you drink, yes, I do drink. So a long day? Depends if it's winter. Winter time. Definitely a good red wine. And if it's summertime. I've discovered since I'm in California, I'm in love with margaritas in general. So this cotton is great for summer time. So does that mean that your palate has changed since you've moved to the States? 


I grew up in the Caribbean, so I'm used to Rome in general. So cocktails like caliperino and all that. But yeah, I discovered new stuff here. And Margarita is definitely like tequila. Margarita is definitely a good one. 


Oh, I get it. I'm a tequila girl all the way. Last question is, what is your favorite word and why? And this could be something that just pops into your head today in this conversation or something that's had real meaning to you over time. 


Adaptation, because I think it's the number one skill to succeed in life and in business.


I love that. Well, this has been an absolute pleasure. I always love speaking with anyone with an accent. I think it instantly makes you like 10% cooler. And having grown up with French repairs, I just have such an affinity for this culture. And when you sent those macarons to me, I had such a moment of childhood joy. That's really the experience that I had when I tasted your beautiful Pastreez. So thank you so very much for the time today. I want to hand the floor over to you for any last words of wisdom about being an entrepreneur. And then, of course, share once again where people can find your amazing product. 


Yes. So just keep trying. Be 100% in what you think is going to work, because if you committed, it's going to work no matter what. Listen to your customers, listen to early feedbacks, and keep the adaptation like I said, because I don't need to narrow early feedback is always great Pastreez. So our website is Pastreez.com pastreez.com and we have summer flavors coming soon. So it's going to be exquisite. 


Anthony, thank you so much for the time today and thank you for creating your amazing products. If you're listening in, go make a box. It's so fun. It's such a lovely little treat to show up on your doorstep. Like I said, the packaging is beautiful, the flavor profiles are amazing and that coconut is fire. That is absolutely my favorite flavor, hands down. So Anthony, thank you for sharing some time with us today. Thank you, Laura and thank you everyone who tuned in. Stay tuned for more from elevate your brand coming up next.