We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Jennifer Le and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Jennifer, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
As an entrepreneur, healthcare provider, professor and, most importantly, mom of two boys, I resonate with a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt – “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” My boys inspire me to serve healthy food every day. Since we love sweets, I decided to believe and live my dream in opening a plant-based bakery and donut shop to enjoy with them — and now to everyone in the United States. Through my award-winning Lêberry Bakery & Donut, I have bridged my healthcare and research background spanning over 20 years (profile https://profiles.ucsd.edu/jennifer.le#narrative) to bring high-quality, sustainable and healthier alternatives to donuts and desserts that anyone can enjoy. Furthermore, I believe in preserving the environment for my kids, making plant-based food the ideal model to realize my dream. At Lêberry, we prioritize our environmental future every day by reducing our carbon footprint through our use of plant-based, organic and sustainable ingredients. We promote sustainability with our products by publishing blogs towards this end (https://leberrybakery.com/blog/), and also provide educational materials via infographics (https://leberrybakery.com/about/) for our customers to appreciate plant-based food and contributing to the sustainability of our environment.

With this vision, the end goal for my business is to franchise Lêberry Bakery & Donut in the United States and then to other countries within one to two decades. In fact, we are recognized as a franchise by the State of California in 2021 and growing in 2022.

What should our readers know about your business?
Innovatively scaling a business that serves two complimentary massive markets of donut and bakery, our strategy is to develop and grow a synergistic business in retail franchise that specializes in plant-based donuts and baked desserts. With the rapid success of Lêberry Bakery & Donut as an award-winning retail bakery in Pasadena, California, we have demonstrated proof-of-concept and equipped for rapid business expansion that capitalizes on the increasing market demand and market disruption within the unique global COVID environment.

Our focus combines two global market shares within the fast food industry that are complementary—market size of bakery at $200B and donut $40B USD. In addition, the compound annual growth rate for plant-based food is escalating, a lucrative sign based on market demand that will further grow as science demonstrates the benefits of plant-based food on human health and our environment—“going green.”

Lêberry is an innovative and one-of-a-kind concept that offers plant-based donuts and baked desserts in one shop. We: (1) strategically shift service of desserts by unifying donuts and baked goods; and (2) disrupt current market to meet increasing market demand for plant-based food to emerge as a world leader within a specialized niche. Currently, there is an absence of a plant-based franchise in USA and world. Even among the current franchises, there is none that combines donut and bakery.

The current donut industry is concentrated by two main brands, both of which are not plant-based. The transition to plant-based concept requires decontamination and specialized training that challenge these brands to convert. The bakery industry, especially plant-based, is currently fragmented, opening segue for a new emerging market. To mitigate execution risk, we have developed an efficient operation that minimizes labor and maximizes the use of facility & equipment around-the-clock. Lêberry is trademark, with a proprietary plant-based flour. Our extensive franchise experience positions us for fast buildout for COVID-resilient stores with online ordering and fast-food pickup and delivery capabilities.

We are recognized by the State of California as a franchise in 2021 and are expanding our stores in the United States! We are very excited about this growth phase of our franchise since we are extremely proud of our innovative concept.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of my best friends is a cancer survivor and I choose to take her on this trip with me to Paris, France to enjoy the Monet paintings and eat desserts! We would scour the streets of Paris and beyond to other cities in France to find good 100% plant-based desserts. If there aren’t any, I might share some of our recipes to convince them to go plant-based, to make us and our environment healthier!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My extraordinary partner is Mr. Raynard Ivan Ledford III. He serves as the Co-Founder, Chief Operation Officer and President of Development of Lêberry Bakery and Donut and possesses premier experience in the hospitality industry for over 33 years. He was trained by the top and prestigious culinary program at the Culinary Institute of America. Notably, Mr. Ledford was the former Chief Executive Officer, Owner and Operator of the renowned Prime Restaurants Group that was responsible for large and successful franchises like Fatburger, Popeyes, Pizza Hut, Subway, Papa Johns, and Indian Spice (to name a few). As such, his leadership in development and operation ensures both rapid buildout and high-quality operation training.

Since the past three years of our business, he has been the cornerstone of our business and I learn so much from him every day, from the kitchen to business development.

Get to know us and learn about our franchise https://leberrybakery.com/franchise/. We were featured on Guy Fieri’s USA National Food Network: https://youtu.be/DUtkvtjjiNE

Website: https://leberrybakery.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leberrybakery/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leberrybakery

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leberrybakery

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lêberry-bakery-and-donut-pasadena-2

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4J0Dhsy50BHJqNlHJAJDVA

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@leberrybakery

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