Owning It: Lokal Artisan Foods
Charisse McGill, owner of Lokal Artisan Foods, is best known for her warm, french toast bites that have become a staple at open-air markets across the Philadelphia area.
Why do you do this? French Toast Bites.
Leap of faith. I believe I'm living my purpose. I do it for freedom because a lot of people chase the money but I don't chase the money, I chase the freedom. I had Corporate America jobs, education jobs and I just always felt that there was something more that I could be doing. I believe strongly that you either inspire or retire. So no matter what I do it's never the what, it's always the why. I started teaching, to be impactful. I went to back to school why? To be impactful. I started this business, why? To be impactful. So through French toast bites I'm able to employ young adults from underserved communities, pay them 35% more to 50% more than minimum wage and provide opportunities and to show people that if you're dedicated to something, it'll work.
Photo by: HADIYA GAITERS
When did you want to start doing that? While you were in Corporate America?
My whole life. I coached high school basketball, I coached middle school softball.. why? Not because I love softball but because I wanted to make an impact on youth and development. Some people just teach because they had horrible ones. Not me, I had great ones so I think I actually owe that back to society. I had great teachers, great coaches, great mentors, advocate partners so I feel like it's my job to give that back. There a certain way you want to be remembered, for empowering folks... especially young folks.
Why did you go corporate first what pulled you into corporate rather than going the food and beverage route?
My undergrad is in tourism and hospitality so I always worked in the industry. (MBA - ST. JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY)
Were you pushed that way? Do you have parents that went to corporate route in life?
No, my dad was an entrepreneur. We were fake rich in the 90s, haha. I had seen entrepreneurship at a very early age. My mom work for US Airways (now, AMERICAN AIRLINES) since 1979 doing International reservations. I was born in 1981 so I grew up flying. There's not a place I haven't been by the time I was ten years old .
You could have done anything I know you could have done anything. Why French toast?
I was hired to manage a Farmers Market in Lansdale. I was like why would this small town hire this crazy black women to manage their Farmers Market? It became the award-winning LANDSDALE FARMERS MARKET. When I first got there there were 22 vendors. When I left we had 44 which is the second largest to HEAD HOUSE, down on South Street. During that time, 7 years ago, I saw all these independent food and beverage producers live their dream under the 10 x 10 white tent. The ones that were doing it correctly were making six figures, easy. I was like, I'm on the wrong side of this tent.
What was your first job?
On the books or off the books? Off the books.
I used to deliver circulars for SEARS. When I was 12 it was a hot summer in stay in height in PITTSBURGH. So I would deliver and my parents did not help me they said that I signed up for this so I had the morning route. First thing in the morning and my parents didn't help me. They paid $50 bucks a route on a Saturday. I ended up take on 2 routes. $100 a week at 12 years old. Took me all day! And I would walk around my neighborhood throwing these Sears circulars it was great.
You've learned a lot through school and business and raising your daughter. Do you have any advice you’d give yourself 20 years ago?
I'm legit the same person since I was 12 years old. I thought it was the sh*t then. I did what I wanted. I'm the same person. Just do right, and kill everything. Just keep doing it. I never listen to people's opinions. I've had an impact on everything that I've done. I don't wait for yes.
How do you take advice? I don't. You don't take advice?
I watch people. I have a mentor, he's 77 he lives in Upstate New York and heavy in the Cannabis. He’s a multi-millionaire and probably the only person I listen to.
How have you adapted to the COVID world? And post COVID world?
COVID adapted to me. I panicked for probably 2 weeks last March because my whole business was made for the outdoor open-air food market. So when they said no events no festivals, no large gatherings… I was like I don't have a business because I'm not really in the food business, I'm in the people business and COVID proved that. So the day that the mayor made the announcement that there's no events until February of 2021 is when the DELAWARE RIVER WATERFRONT called and said “hey we have a space for you” at SPRUCE STREET HARBOR PARK do you want it? I was down there before I hung up the phone. And now I'm back with the people and back where I want to be. They never had a black woman food operator in their six years of existence so it made headlines. Through those headlines, people were finding me. After that, GOPUFF executives approached me. I’m also a national paid spokesperson for DOORDASH. It's great. I had to change my whole model and that's how my relationship blossomed with DoorDash. Now you can get this festival food delivered.
What's your favorite way to make money in all of this?
Building relationships. I'm in it for the bites, for sure. The coffee is fun, the beer is fun but it's the bites is why I got into it. Because you get to see people's reaction. “Oh this is good! Oh my God how did you think of this! Who owns this?” You get all these reactions.
How did you think of it though?
I went to every festival and every concert I could go to. Just to see what food trucks had the lines. Tacos & sweets. I'm not interested in tacos because I didn’t want to buy all that meat. No one had French toast.
How can we make it fun? How can we make a portable? How can you make a customizable?
Customizing food is huge that's why WAWA has a whole thing where you can pick. So, redo that, less the technology because I'm a people person.
Photo by: David Burkart
You sound like someone that everyone would love to work for and work with.
I don't have high turnover or anything. I try to create an environment where I would want to work. When you put trust into people, they want to be there. You got to empower people. It's really rare to find someone who actually really wants to do that and not just “girl boss” memo. Leadership and empowerment, I think that's where people learn and grow and it's a rewarding.
How do you teach someone teamwork?
I don't think I teach it, I think it's developed. It's the environment that lends itself. That lends itself to teamwork. And if everybody stays in their lane, it works. A point guard is a point guard, center is a center. I'm here and I can catch it when you miss. We all play a role.
Do you think you're a role model?
I'm a real model. For real. When you’re a “role” you're playing something. You're acting like you're playing something so I'm a REAL model. My staff has seen me snap, they’ve seen me courteous, they’ve seen me everything. But I'm still something to learn from for sure. But role model, you're being fake. You're playing a role. I'm a real model.
Minus this waistline, then I would really be a model. Plus size model haha.
Charrise McGill is a go-getter that does not plan on stopping anytime soon. Her success has proven that she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to. She has the skills to take any idea to fruition. Keep up with her to see what she does next!