We were lucky to catch up with Andy Mangiduyos recently and have shared our conversation below.

Andy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Covid has brought about so many changes – has your business model changed?

Our business is still focused on catering, and although covid was tough for everyone, we tried hard to find the good in this situation. When gatherings were prohibited, there were no catering businesses that can, it was hard for us. But then when things started to open up, one of our first few catering businesses were Celebration of Life and Drive-By birthday celebrations. Both would like to have a safe experience, so we came up with our Bento Box offerings.

Our bento box consists of protein, vegetables, and rice, packed in a reusable plastic container. It was very convenient and filling! We saw this as an opportunity so we want to make sure we do not compromise quality. We packed these bento boxes in insulated cardboard boxes that can help maintain the food temperature.

Due to the popularity of this new offering, we decided to keep the Bento Box menu.

Andy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Chef Andy Mangiduyos. Prior to starting my business, I worked in the hotel industry for over 14 years and became an Executive Chef. My hotel experience includes working in resorts in Maui and Kauai and convention hotels in Santa Clara and downtown San Diego. Growing up in Maui, I envisioned putting Lahaina on the map.

I started Kalei’s Kitchenette in 2018 and started participating in multiple farmer’s markets and events all over San Diego. However, we now only participate in a couple of San Diego events throughout the year because we focus our resources on catering as well as providing lunch service in corporate offices like Qualcomm in Sorrento Valley.

We provide Pacific Rim Cuisine Catering services for corporate or social events and offer either drop-off or buffet services. Parties and events can be as intimate as 30 guests or as elaborate as 300 guests.

We are confident that we deliver an amazing customer experience from the initial inquiry until after the service has been rendered. We have done multiple parties of our own, so we always see it through the lens of the customer when we make recommendations. From the smallest detail of providing food labels to figuring out the logistics on the day of the event, we have thought it through. Customers rave about our Crab Salmon Dynamite and Guava BBQ Kalua Pork Sliders.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The most significant shift I have made in my career was from working in corporate to running my own business. Both areas have their own set of challenges; however, the biggest opportunity in starting my own business is dealing with the unknown. I sometimes wonder, how long will my business exist? How profitable my business be? Will I be able to give myself a steady paycheck? Unfortunately, even though I have a plan with all the resources I theoretically need, there is no reliable answer. I must admit that it can get scary and lonely at times, but I will never regret this life-changing shift I made in my life.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The first six months in our business was tough because people barely know us. We do not know how long we can last with the initial capital and if we are making the best decisions for our business to kick off. Although I know there is still a lot more we can do to get our name out there, I kept second-guessing my decision because of the fear of “spending another dime”. This pushed me to be more creative in tapping into free resources to create awareness of our business. We marketed ourselves online and spread the word locally through farmer’s market. But, unfortunately, people were accustomed to the food business having a brick-and-mortar, so we thought we’d lost customers who’d like to try our food without doing an entire catering order. We kept our head in the game and focused on our main offerings – catering services.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kaleiskitchenette.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaleiskitchenette/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaleiskitchenette
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kaleis-kitchenette-san-diego

Image Credits
Picture of Chef Andy: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaSdLY_JNeC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Additional Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca-ME3CJRpn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CbPcbX1LeB_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CeCJTUkPNgh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CV51dF1PVIu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link