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

Hi Mandeep, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in India and moved to the United States with my family when I was 11 years old. I knew from the start that I would have to work hard to adapt and learn the language. I’m grateful to everyone at Woodlake Elementary School who helped me catch up. Since then, I’ve learned to give back and that hard work and putting in effort always pays reward. I also try to maintain an open mind and I have never stopped learning. Family is also at the root of everything that I do; from working alongside family at our Mid-City bodega Pickford Market and newest venture, Oath Pizza in El Segundo, to passing these values and lessons along to my children.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business partners, Kulwant Jafal & Garish Talwar, who are also my brother-in-laws, are a part of this quest to build up the Oath Pizza brand on the West Coast. The food that comes from Oath Pizza is unlike any other pizza concept that we’ve ever experienced. We unanimously nodded after our first bite, when we traveled up to Washington, DC, for the taste test. Oath Pizza’s mission also really resonated with us and is to improve pizza quality by offering organic meats, hand-cut veggies, dough seared with avocado oil, handcrafted sauces, and a few garnishes. It’s simple but it’s impactful and it really separates Oath Pizza from the rest. Best of all, at our new (and first) El Seguno location, we have an excellent team leading the way in offering the finest possible customer service. Connecting with, and giving back to the community has always been important to me, and I’m grateful to have an invested team who carry out this mission everyday at the shop.

Aside from Oath Pizza, I grew up seeing my parents run multiple businesses, including a gas station in the late 1990s and Pickford Market since 2000. During the height of the pandemic, I devoted all my attention to Pickford Market to ensure that the community had organic foods and necessities that were hard to come by. It was incredibly rewarding to be involved with a business that the community came to rely on; we addressed our customers by their first names and really came together as an extended family during a difficult time. To this day I maintain that we have the world’s best customers!

Through my upbringing and these business ventures, I’ve learned that nothing is simple or supposed to be easy; the passion is what makes it appear so. Simply said, you must be 100% devoted to your goals, while allowing for and accepting your failures. Achieving your goals with the occasional hiccup makes it all more memorable.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My wife and I have three children, Pryanka, Simran, and Arman, who are 12 years old, 8 years old, and 6 years old, respectively. Everything we do is typically with the children in mind. If we had our way, we would start with breakfast at The Original Pancake House, then spend the day at Hermosa beach. After a fun morning enjoying the outdoors, our typical lunch spot is Tocaya Modern Mexican, because they have great vegetarian food for my wife, and my kids love their bean and cheese burritos. For dinner, we must obviously stop at Oath Pizza, and we’d end the night by watching a movie together.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I couldn’t be where I am now without the help of my family. Managing multiple businesses can be stressful and demanding of my time. My family, however, has been unbelievably understanding and supportive, and knows that my work will benefit everyone in the long term.

Other: Connect with the Oath mission at https://www.oathpizza.com/ or through Instagram at @oathpizza.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.