Meet Ori Zohar | Co-founder & Co-CEO, Burlap & Barrel

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ori Zohar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ori, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Burlap & Barrel is a social enterprise, a Public Benefit Corporation to be specific, and that means that we operate the business around a core social benefit: to connect smallholder farmers to high-value markets.

We work with exceptional spice farmers to not only grow spices but also clean, dry, grind, and export the spices. Rather than the spices going into the big commodity spice trade, our partner farmers are managing their own crop, meaning that we get really flavorful, fresh spices directly from our partner farmers. We’re cutting out intermediaries and giving a larger share to our partner farmers.

Our social benefit is built into how we operate – and we get way better spices because of it. You can read about our impact at impact.burlapandbarrel.com – and you might as well upgrade your spices while you’re there, too.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’ve been an entrepreneur for over 20 years. It doesn’t matter if you’re running a lemonade stand, mowing lawns, or using the 3 CD changer you got for your 16th birthday to DJ parties… which is how my entrepreneurial journey got started. Running a business is not about lightning striking with the perfect idea, it’s about working every day to turn a spark of an idea into a healthy business. I’ve started businesses in food and in finance, and spoken to entrepreneurs in many other categories – we’re all trying to answer the same questions: how to invest our time and money, what should we do ourselves and what should we outsource, what products or services can we add, how can we get our first-time customers to become regulars.

I’ve come to think of entrepreneurship as a muscle. Start working and expect the work to be hard, but the more you can work your entrepreneurship muscle, the stronger it’ll get.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a very food-motivated human, so I love exploring the city in search of memorable bites. Recently, I had incredibly fresh seafood at Holbox, which is situated within a larger food hall – come ready for raw shrimp, scallops and sea urchin in beautifully plated ceviches and agua chiles. Le Great Outdoor is also a favorite lunch spot on a sunny day – you should pick up a plate of freshly grilled shrimp over a bed of sumac rice and a side salad. And if you need a caffeine kick, visit Nicely at Hooked Venice and ask him to make you whatever he feels like. Maybe you’ll get a goat milk cappuccino or an espresso from a small batch of freshly roasted beans. Either way, you’ll be happy.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As a small food company, I regularly connect with and advise entrepreneurs who are building thoughtful food companies. One of those entrepreneurs is Rodrigo Vargas, the founder and CEO of American Vinegar Works. His company makes delicious vinegar by reviving small-batch fermentation processes dating back to the 1800s. Rodrigo and I get on monthly calls with a handful of other entrepreneurs where we compare notes, ask questions, give advice, and help each other out. Thanks to Rodrigo for the support, and if you haven’t tried American Vinegar Works, please do! Your salad and marinades will thank you for it.

Website: https://burlapandbarrel.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/burlapandbarrel

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orizohar/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1575414682532699/