Meet Brian Goldberg | businessman

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

Hi Brian, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
There was an inner drive to create something, a brand, a product, etc that I felt would leave my unique mark on the world, bring joy to people, introduce them to something they never experienced before or weren’t familiar with, and that was the result and reflection of my own unique journey in life. Given all the years spent in Asia learning the language, eating amazing foods in different environments, and tying that together with my own expressive style for a brand & vision, as well as the growing foodie in me that started to understand the business opportunity as well… combined with having reached a point in my mid-30s where I was making good money in finance / corporate life and enjoying the intellectual stimulation and professional relationships… but really started to feel a growing emptiness that I wasn’t creating something unique and memorable. I also had a supportive group of friends who encouraged me and believed in my ability to succeed with my own venture. There were also some books that inspired me to take the leap in starting Mr Bing, notably Howard Schultz’s ‘Pour Your Heart in to It’ — his burning desire to introduce America to the Italian coffee shop experience that he had, resonated with my desire to bring the Asian street food experience here as well, with our own twist. Being an only child who always forged my own path, pursuing luge and the Olympics, learning Mandarin and living abroad for >10 years etc, gave me the courage to start my own business as well. There was also the realization that 10 years ago, when we started Mr Bing, nobody was doing what we set out to do. Nobody had created a branded & scalable ‘jianbing’ experience — or a better for you chili crisp… and people wanted this food in HK and NY, and they couldn’t find it. I knew there was demand for it. When my best friend Ben started talking about joining me on the CPG journey, I knew we shared similar experiences, but with different and complimentary skill sets to take the brand to the next level — that transition from the restaurants to a CPG/Foodservice/Ecomm brand was a rebirth of Mr Bing made possible by Ben’s committment to be part of the journey.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
There is a ton of passion combined with decades of experience living in Greater China that are a deep part of the fabric of Mr Bing. Ben and I both speak fluent Mandarin and spent almost 2 decades in Greater China, but have strong global influences and family backgrounds crossing various borders & cultures, including Hispanic and Jewish. We also have family members with deep roots in food, ie Ben has multiple chefs in his family, and I have uncles and cousins with long careers in foodservice management. We are also a certified minority owned / diverse business / MBE (NMSDC certified).

Our core product (7oz retail jars of Chili Crisp (Mild or Spicy) in supermarkets + online) SRP for $11.99, but are often on promo for under $10/jar, ie $7.99-$9.99. Mr Bing is also one of the only providers of foodservice Chili Crisp for restaurants, hotels, colleges, stadiums, etc. These come in 64oz jugs and 32oz pouches, available at wholesale price through most distributors. Costco Business Centers have our 64oz Spicy jugs in select locations for $32.99. *We also recently launched a 4oz jar for cheese/deli departments/ convenience stores, which SRPs for $6.99-$7.99. *See attached product info sheets / POS.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As Iive in NYC, my go to spots are certain lesser-known parts of Central Park that really make you feel worlds away from the bustle of Manhattan. I also take friends to my favorite burger spots & neighborhood pubs (ie JG Melon, Jones Wood Foundry on the Upper East Side), of course my favorite NY Chinese food spots (Cafe Evergeen, Cafe China), Japanese Izakayas (Sakagura), favorite neighborhoods (Gramercy Park, West Village). Hanging at my grad school campus (Columbia Univ) is also wonderful — that is where I wrote the original business plan for Mr Bing in 2001, for a class final project in Entrepreneurship.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jeff Glidden, our COO, who brings tremendous structure & confidence to our process, supply chain, manufacturing, financial projections, project management, and so many other behind the scenes vital functions that allow us to operate and grow in a sustainable manner. Jeff has a ton of discipline, experience and focused work ethic. We would not be where we are without Jeff.

Ben Duvall, my co founder, who is a calming & steady force who makes us think twice before shooting forward with ideas. Ben has a diplomatic & level headed approach that really helps when the seas get stormy.

Bryan Hamell, our Operations and Customer Fulfillment specialist. Bryan is a jack of all trades, handy at so many different things, and brings a degree of “get it done” that is essential to our business.

Jet Tila, our celebrity chef partner of Food Network notoriety. Jet is magical to work with, gives us great insight in to both media and foodservice and culinary worlds. We are very thankful to have Jet as part of our team and ownership.

All of our investors, many of whom are friends, who believe in our brand and vision, and who have brought in others for the journey, and who have introduced us to key opportunites we wouldn’t have had.

My parents, Steve & Ronna, who have always supported me forging my own path, and have always been there for me when times have been tough.

My partner Chanterelle for also supporting me all through all the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey.

Website: www.mr-bing.com

Instagram: @mrbingnyc

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mr-bing-foods/

Facebook: @mrbingnyc (IG & FB)

Other: brian@mr-bing.com , hello@mr-bing.com