Meet the Excited Owners of Branch Patty, Bringing Handmade Caribbean Patties to SoCal

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Lloyd Branch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
This is a very relevant question for us! Branch Patty officially began our entrepreneurial journey in 2016 in Brooklyn. Throughout the years we were able to build an organic following and customer base. Fast forward to 2020, we moved to California because of a job opportunity and continued running our business in NY with dwindling success.

We incorporated in California last year and are excited to grow in this new market find it overwhelming due to size and vastly different demographics. My husband/business partner and I have thought about and discussed our “Why” many times. For us, continuing on is based on our faith in God, our vision for this business and our Why.

We remain passionate about good, honest Caribbean food and establishing wealth for our family. We remain passionate about the amazing contributions small businesses make in communities. And so we are determined to continue!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Samuel: My career in food spans over 17 years. After graduating culinary school, I started working in various New York City restaurants for a few years before moving on to work as a private chef. As a Private Chef, I was able to use many of the skills obtained working in the restaurant industry. I also wanted to tap into my cultural roots and cook more of the food that I grew up eating in Barbados. This desire led me to start my first Caribbean food business in 2013. Even though my first businesses didn’t work out as desired, I gained a lot of insight about relationships. I think what has set me apart in my career  is that I’ve been able to build solid relationships throughout my journey. Working as a Private Chef taught me how to deal with people and different types of personalities. I think I am most proud of this because I have built up a good network of individuals that have helped us to get to where we are today.

Lisa: My initial goal was to be an attorney. Once I graduated from Holy Cross I sought work in law firms to expand my knowledge. Although I love the order and logic that law gives us, I quickly learned that I didn’t want to be a lawyer. Still, I continued working in law firms for several years in Boston and then in New York once Sam and I got engaged. My experience in the corporate world  helped me gain skills in management, organizing, writing, professionalism, collaboration and administration, to name a few. I continue to use these valuable skills as a business partner and owner.

The journey to this point has not been an easy one. We have experienced business failures, several family moves, and grapple with the constant struggle to balance our dreams with being good parents and spouses. We survived with our thriving pop up space closing down during the pandemic and having to quickly pivot to deliveries all over the NY boroughs. And finally after making the difficult decision to take a relocation offer in Southern California, our vision to expand began to develop.

Starting Branch Patty on the West Coast has been our biggest obstacle so far.  We are in a new market trying to reach people that may not know about our product like on the East Coast. Even though we have faced many challenges due to the vastness of this great state, our faith remains the backbone of our business. Samuel and I have a vibrant vision of how we want to see Caribbean food represented in America and a continued drive to fulfill that vision. We want people to know that we take pride in and care deeply about everything we put out. We’re gonna give you flavor and we’re gonna serve with integrity. We’re gonna be honest and we’re gonna feed you the way we would feed our own family!”

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.
Yes it’s cliche but, we’d take them on a hike, probably one that overlooks the ocean like Pt. Mugu. Zuma beach. Either of the Gettys, both are amazing! We also love Bridgetown Roti, Taqueria Las Virgenes for the requisite breakfast burritos, and E Mon for sushi.

If the friend likes to spend, Erewhon hot bar, Bestia or Bavel.

Drinks/fun hang out – Selvin’s Restaurant & Lounge: drinks are good, throwback music is great, vibe is nice.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We are thankful for so much! For our talents, we thank God.

The initial passion for Caribbean food is from Sam’s upbringing in Barbados, much love to them. Our love for patties is mainly inspired by the vibrant West Indian Community in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Lowell Hawthorne (the late founder of Golden Krust) who literally wrote the book on building a patty empire, really pivotal for my husband Chef Sam who makes everything. Jeovani Byas, Sr. our extraordinary Regional Manager/”Day One” who still believes in our vision. Eddie – the veteran patty maker who helped Sam perfect his skills before moving back to Jamaica. And shoutouts to all who helped build with us even if only a few days. Every person who worked with us in NY, THANK YOU!

So far in California, big shout out to the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce for being a great resource.

Website: https://branchpatty.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchpattyny/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/branch-patty-257515217/

Twitter: @branchpattyny

Image Credits
@blackownedbklyn

Two Bites Photography