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

Hi Bryanna, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
The story of Furlough & Dough was sour before it became sweet. We’ve always had a passion for the culinary arts; collecting French pasty books, scouring blogs, discovering restaurants, taking classes from renowned chefs/bakers, and of course binging every food documentary. But this hobby was nothing more than a weekend indulgence. Having a full time job at a luxury fashion brand doesnt allow for much side-hustle. But March 2020 that all changed. NYC locked down, and the zoom calls began. “Hi everyone. You have been furloughed until further notice.” A quick dictionary look up led to the realization that “furlough” means “no dough,” and a few stress bake-offs later… Furlough & Dough was born. With mentorship from French-trained bakers, we’ve made what we believe are the best cookies we’ve ever had.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always had a passion for baking but it’s one thing to have a hobby and its different to start a business. We had to learn about Ecommerce, shipping, building operational systems, social media, creating content, and how to build a team to help scale the business. We never ever want to sacrifice the quality of our products and even if it means growing slower than we can. I obsesses over every detail and I can’t stand behind a product that not only tastes perfect, but looks incredible too.

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’ve only recently moved to NYC from LA but I’ve checked out these two bakeries and they are incredible: Chaumont bakery, and La tropezienne

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shoutout my boyfriend Alex Samusevich who is my business partner and the one who pushed me to do this. He came up with the brand & concept of Furlough & Dough, and has always encouraged me to pursue my own business. Maria Eugenia Salazar is one of my childhood friends a classically trained pastry chef, or pâtissière, who has helped me perfect the recipes and continues to give me inspiration in improving the flavor and quality of Furlough & Dough. The city of Paris, where food is a way of life. The only place I’ve waited 3 hours for a pastry. Shoutout Cédric Grolet for bomb pastries!

Website: https://furloughanddough.com

Instagram: @furloughanddough

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FurloughAndDough/

Other: Pinterest @FurloughAndDough coming soon!

Image Credits:
Alex Samusevich

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.