Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Schwalb.
Hi Lauren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Ohla! Foods was born at the start of 2020 after my husband and I decided to do Whole30 to reset our eating habits after the holidays. We noticed we began to feel better just by giving up certain ingredients like gluten and dairy. We became super interested in what we were eating and feeding our two young daughters, and everything processed seem to have added ingredients. As an active family of four, we wanted to eat healthy but were often intimidated by the health food products available. Out of that, Ohla! Foods was born. Food has always been a family affair for us, so we wanted to bring healthy alternatives to the market that were tasty, healthy, and kid-approved!
Ohla! Foods is a food brand that brings people together through high-quality, healthy foods that are made with simple ingredients. We offer healthy alternatives that taste great and nourish the body. We believe in limited ingredients that create clean and nutritious food.
The name Ohla! has significant meaning and represents a family-owned, woman-owned business. The O is for our oldest daughter, Olivia; the H is for our second and youngest daughter, Hadley; the la is for Lauren as many of her friends call her La. Lastly, the! is for Stephen as he is the supporter and champion of everything his girls do!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been an interesting time to start a food business. As a startup, we are trying to keep costs as low as possible. With COVID, there has been an increase in demand for food for retailers and therefore food manufacturers are very busy trying to keep up with current demand and less willing to work with a startup like me who is requesting lower minimum order requirements. It’s been a challenge to find a manufacturer to help produce our product, but we have a great partner we are working with now. Additionally, my background is commercial real estate, so this passion project turned startup has been an entire new industry to learn.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Ohla! Foods?
Ohla! Foods is a health food brand focused on healthy, delicious foods for the everyday person. Our first two products are an almond flour tortilla and almond flour chip, which we are calling a “Chiper” because it’s a combination of a chip and a cracker. They are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and made with limited ingredients. We are selling our products at the Dallas Farmers Market and online, but we hope to be in local retail stores soon. We are proud of being women-owned, family owned small business. We commit to offering real, authentic foods that are approachable for the everyday person. We promise to be transparent and create clean and nutritious food. Our products taste like the real deal without added ingredients and are versatile – we aim to be approachable for families. Every product we create is tasted and approved by our two toddlers!!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I am a big fan of How I Built This podcast. I also am very fortunate to have a lot of close friends and family who champion my passion and provide constructive feedback. I am lucky to have a great community around me.
Pricing:
- Almond Flour Tortilla Pack: $6
- Almond Flour Chiper: $5
Contact Info:
- Email: info@ohlafoods.com
- Website: www.ohlafoods.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/Ohlafoods
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/OhlaFoods
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/Ohla_Foods
Image Credits
John Cain Photography: https://johncainphotography.com/
