We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Todi Garay. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Todi below.

Todi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Coming up with our name was actually easy. When my passion for baking flourished during the pandemic, I was able to get creative and could not stop thinking about the delicious crisp Belgian waffles I had experienced in Belgium during a business trip many years ago. I was introduce to the most delicious crisp waffles I have ever had and wanted to recreate them for my family and friends. I was able to import flour (and other dry ingredients) and the secret sauce to Belgian Liege Waffles – pearl sugar directly from Belgium to ensure the most authentic taste of true Belgian Liege waffles. Liege Waffles are different than our traditional waffles of batter. They are made out of a yeast-based dough similar to bread but much sweeter with the pearl sugar. This allows the waffle to become crisp on the outside and soft/chewy on the inside. Using a liege style waffle iron allows us to get much deeper pockets in the waffles so they can hold all the good stuff – Belgian chocolate, Speculoos, Nutella or syrup.

Given the crisp nature of our waffles – I named it Crisp Waffle Company. I wanted people to know what we do, just by the name.

Todi, 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?

When my passion for baking flourished during the pandemic, I was able to get creative and could not stop thinking about the delicious crisp Belgian Liege waffles I had experienced in Belgium during a business trip many years ago. I was introduce to the most delicious crisp waffles I have ever had and wanted to recreate them for everyone to enjoy. We are fortunate to be able to import our dry ingredients from Belgium including the pearl sugar and we make the dough fresh daily. This ensures the most authentic taste of true Belgian Liege waffles. We believe our fresh dough and making our waffles to order really sets us apart and our customers appreciate the experience.

Liege Waffles are different than our traditional waffles of batter. They are made out of a yeast-based dough similar to bread but much sweeter with the pearl sugar. This allows the waffle to become crisp on the outside and soft/chewy on the inside. Using a liege style waffle iron allows us to get much deeper pockets in the waffles so they can hold all the good stuff – Belgian chocolate, Speculoos, (cookie butter we import from Belgium), Nutella or syrup.

In addition to sweet waffles of fresh fruit, ice cream and whipped cream. We offer a savory menu of chicken, Eggs Benedict, egg sandwich, avocado, and a Monte Cristo sandwich. Additionally, we have specialty coffees such as cappuccinos and lattes (including our Belgian Latte) along with specialty teas and handmade mimosas..

We started in St Armand’s Circle two years ago, added a food truck, well it’s a waffle bus, and will open our second location in Downtown St Pete in the next few months. Downtown St. Pete will have an expanded menu that will include smoothies, more ice cream, specialty milkshakes, and acai bowls.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My long successful career in the insurance industry came to an end. It was time I followed my passion and chose something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I chose baking. It wasn’t an easy choice and many family members thought I was going down the wrong path. Although, taking this leap wasn’t popular or easy it was worth it. I can honestly say, now looking back, I should have done this years ago. I am so much happier and enjoy what I do every single day.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

This was really hard for me. Prior to starting my business I didn’t use FB or IG even for personal reasons. I had to learn how these and other platforms worked. The best resource for me was not only IG itself (following others in my industry) but YouTube. I was pleasantly surprised to see all the videos and tutorials available. The step by step information I was able to apply. I am still learning every day how to take better pictures of my waffles., how to make reels, and come up with interesting content.

My advise for social media would be a willingness to learn, apply, make mistakes, and the big one – be inconsistent with posts and your message.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.crispwafflecompany.com
• Instagram: @crispwaffleco
• Facebook: @crispwafflecompany
• Yelp: Crisp Waffle Company
• TikTok: Crisp Waffle Company