Meet Jane and Ed, CEO's of Brazilian Food Brand, Brazuca Bro Eats
Brazuca Bro Eats is San Diego’s up and coming Brazilian food brand. Jane and Ed are owners, operators, and chefs – they’ve also been married for 31 years. Born and raised in Brazil, Jane and Ed moved to Massachusetts 21 years ago, where they owned and operated a convenience store. For the last two years, they have been grinding everyday to establish their brand, Brazuca Bro Eats, and family here in San Diego.
Brazuca Bro Eats offers some of the most popular Brazilian snacks. Their specialty is croquettes, a potato-based deep-fried food stuffed with cheeses and meats. Chicken, cheese, ham and cheese, garlic cheese, and bacon cheddar croquettes fried to perfection - without an oily residue! Their desserts include mini churros filled with melted nutella or caramel (dulce de leche), fried until crunchy. Lastly, their gluten-free cheese bites are made with a blend of cheeses and tapioca flour baked until crispy and golden.
Ed: “We wanted to do something different than the foods that were already in the market. We have a special breading for the croquettes that we bring from Brazil. For the cheese bread, we decided to make it healthier by removing the oil from the dough. That's what makes our products unique.”
Beyond their food stand lies the bigger dream of realizing a large-scale brand of Brazilian frozen foods displayed and sold across grocery stores.
Ed: “There are only two of us for now. We are doing everything: producing, working the markets, meeting with people at supermarkets.”
Jane and Ed formed part of the San Diego Food Justice program’s first cohort. The program assisted them in connecting with people and mentors,inviting them into spaces where they could learn and ask questions about their businesses’ industry. There, they found a community of like-minded, caring people who helped push Brazuca Bro Eats from a concept to an actively growing corporation.
Ed: “When we started the business, it was like a big puzzle: Where are you going to sell? What are the regulations? What licenses and permits do you need? After we connected with the people at the San Diego Food Justice project, I realized how much easier it would've been if we knew you all sooner.”
The program assisted Jane and Ed by helping them map out their approach and strategy for realizing their mission of securing contracts selling their frozen foods across grocery stores, beginning in San Diego County.
Jane: “It’s not just selling food, like a frozen bag of croquettes. It's about families gathering at their table having our cheese breads. It's an honor, families getting together and enjoying something we made.”
You can find the Brazuca Bro Eats stand at your local farmers markets in Oceanside, La Mesa, Pacific Beach, and, occasionally, at the Bonita and Imperial Beach markets. Their cheese bread is also sold at the Third Avenue and Eastlake Sprouts locations in Chula Vista, Windmill Farms at Del Cerro Blvd in San Diego, Brazil by the Bay Market at Sports Arena Blvd, and at the Tropical Star market in Clairemont. For more about their products and farmer’s market stand, visit their instagram page @brazuca_bites or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/brazucabroeats/.