Now as a self proclaimed Dad chef, I’ve been a fan of the Loisa brand ever since our friend Anna from New York City gifted us a sofrito set for the holidays. Finally, a Latino centric brand that has no added preservative and did not lack that homemade goodness and smell often associated with it.
In a culinary landscape that’s constantly evolving, Loisa stands out as a breath of fresh Caribbean air. Founded by Ken and Scott, two friends with multicultural roots, this brand is bridging the gap between traditional island flavors and modern appetites. “There was a sense of identity when it came to food,” Ken explains, reflecting on what sparked their journey. “if I have a child, how am I going to pass down the foods that I grew up eating to my kids?”
The duo identified a significant gap in the market. Ken, a first-generation Dominican-Peruvian, and Scott, whose wife is Dominican, realized non-Mexican Latino cuisines were vastly underrepresented. “We just [saw] something missing for this very diaspora of Latinos who live between what we like to call the I-95 corridor between Miami and New York and again, we felt there was a white space that we could explore.”
Like most startups, Loisa began as a side hustle in 2016, with products shipping straight from Ken’s Brooklyn apartment. They strategically launched with a seasoning line to quickly test the waters. “It was a faster way to bring product out and really identify the opportunity and if there was a group of people that felt the same way I did,” Ken shares about their initial approach, which prioritized community building over immediate scale as a proof of concept.
What they discovered surprised even them – pockets of Caribbean communities existed in unexpected places across America. “I didn’t know there were that many Dominicans in Charlotte. I didn’t know there were that many Dominicans in Providence, Rhode Island, it was those gems that came to the service as shoppers began buying our product online.” These insights validated their belief that a market existed beyond traditional known Hispanic DMIs.
By early 2023, the Loisa team recognized the need to transition into retail to truly scale the business. “That’s when we started making the pivot toward retail. And it was around the beginning of 2023 where we launched in retail,” Ken notes about their expansion strategy, which came with its own learning curve and challenges. Their first major retail partnership with Wegman’s proved strategic for the emerging brand. “They don’t index too conventional. They’re not too natural. They have a bit of everything in there. So it allowed us to be on shelf with the brands that are our primary competitors .” This placement gave Loisa the perfect testing ground to validate their retail potential.
The retail transition revealed new hurdles in distribution logistics. “It’s just the learning curve is so steep, understanding how they work, the business of distribution, understanding the code, like deduction codes, all those things, claw backs, and it is, it is something else,” Ken admits about navigating the complex world of food distribution. Despite these challenges, their lean business model has proven resilient.
Their approach to growth remains methodical and deliberate. “We’ve pretty much been going through those growing pains of working with those partners and just learning,” Ken says of their relationships with distributors like Unfi and KeHE, which have been crucial to expanding their retail footprint beyond regional players.
Loisa’s product expansion focuses on bringing excitement to traditionally overlooked categories. Their upcoming line aims to “spice it up and really add a lot of flavor and color palettes and excitement around the rice category” a staple in Caribbean cuisine that has remained largely unchanged in American grocery stores. The founders maintain a disciplined approach to their growing product portfolio. “You can only be really good at a couple things at once. Do we continue to expand our product line, of course but for us it is important that we really dial in and make this a very efficient, profitable business now and control our upward trajectory” This philosophy reflects their commitment to sustainable growth over reckless expansion.
Their business principles stem from Ken’s family values around entrepreneurship. “Don’t be in a position where you need. Be in a position where you control and want, that’s been at the core of our company identity,” a mindset that has served them well as they’ve navigated fundraising and partnership opportunities while reflecting a preference for self-sufficiency over dependency.
Their vision extends beyond building a successful brand to creating infrastructure for the broader Caribbean food category. “I want everyone to recognize that. When I think about the Caribbean consumer category I see room for other like minded companies and brands to join this movement, for us it’s not a zero-sum game. There could be multiple winners,” Ken emphasizes, highlighting their desire to blaze a trail for future entrepreneurs.
Ken and Scott see Loisa as part of a larger cultural moment for Caribbean communities across America. “We’re having a moment right now that consumers are starting to compartmentalize. There’s a whole lot of other Latinos I hear that are ambitious and motivated, we’ve proved that there’s a market for this, and it can be big.” Ken observes about the growing recognition of diverse Latino identities.
For Ken and Scott, their journey represents both business success and cultural celebration. Through persistence and passion, Loisa isn’t just selling food products – it’s preserving heritage, one flavorful dish at a time.
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