OUR JOURNEY

The business quickly grew, when we did our first fundraising event while coaching pop Warner football for the Long Beach Jordan Black Panthers. Because we were having such a wonderful season, we wanted to make it extra memorable for our players. I created my favorite childhood dessert for a fundraiser to earn money for our banquet. My Gourmet Banana PUDN was so popular with the kids and parents, that one parent asked me to take a sample to one of his friend's restaurants. When I inquired as to why, the parent replied, "This is so good, you could start a business with it." I initially declined, but when I saw all the PUDN smiles on the parents' and children's faces, I couldn't say no, so I took a gamble and said yes. The neighborhood fell in love with my favorite treat as a kid, and the orders just kept flowing in. "Pudding is America's favorite dessert, and bananas are the world's most consumed fruit," I realized after doing some research and thinking about it. They're like peanut butter and jelly when it comes to pairings.

When I was a kid growing up in Gardena, California, I never believed I'd be able to make a living off banana pudding, "my childhood favorite dessert." This recipe has been passed down from my momma, yo mama, and their mommas' mommas and it is still a favorite until this day. I utilized my kitchen to produce, as do many startups, but it always seemed to get in the way of the daily family food prep. Then my wife politely requested that I leave the kitchen... After a few months, I found myself on Pine Ave in downtown Long Beach, California renovating a small deli called " Famous PUDN."

Every week, the restaurant went from ordering a dozen to over 300 bowls of PUDN. There was no going back once the Long Beach Press Telegram published an article on me in the newspaper.

Everything was fine until my wife Val became seriously ill, at which point we closed the business and relocated to Arizona so she could have brain surgery performed by a doctor who was knowledgeable with her situation. I returned to the corporate sector to work for Red Ventures in Charlotte, North Carolina, which is the best firm I've ever worked for. Time and faith was on our side.

One day a small spark of inspiration by the name of EJ, my son, asked me if I would bring the business back and show him how to be an entrepreneur. Covid-19 struck the world and it didn’t seem like such a bad idea. The chance to bring back “PUDN Smiles on People’s Faces”, was the right concept. Whether it was football, basketball, excersies, or just being a full-time parent, I've always coached my son. I'm excited that we'll be able to start this business together, and that I'll get another chance to bond with him before I depart this planet. God and I both adore you. Thank you everyone for your support of our tiny local business run by our father and son.