I recently had the opportunity to enjoy a conversation with Evan, Wise Sons' co-founder. As always, I was impressed and inspired by their story of how Wise Sons started and have expanded since.
Cecy : Tell me more about how Wise Sons started and what motivated you to do it.
Evan: Wise Sons began as a popup in 2011. We were nostalgic for the food we grew up eating and couldn’t find in San Francisco. What started out as a fun backyard project became an operation set on bringing the Bay Area Jewish comfort food made with the best ingredients.
Cecy: Where does the name Wise Sons come from?
Evan: The story of Passover talks about 4 children: The wicked, simple, one who doesn’t know how to ask, and the Wise Son. But we also like to think it’s a bit tongue-and-cheek as the restaurant business is not always seen as an easy business.
Cecy: What has been your favorite day at Wise Sons? And the most challenging?
Evan: The day we opened our location in Tokyo was a “pinch me” moment. Bringing Jewish Food to Japan was not something I could have ever dreamed of. It was surreal.
We were just about to open our first bagel shop and were operating a production facility in a building that caught fire and burned down in 2014. You realize how fragile a small business is, and I wasn’t sure we’d ever come back from it. Thanks in part to an amazing team, we came back stronger than ever.
Cecy: What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Evan: The thought that we’re in people’s lives– their weekday breakfast at home, their catered birthday party, the office lunch. It’s really cool to think about what we’ve built and that we’ve become a consistent staple brand in The Bay, not just for our customers, but for our team as well.
Cecy: What’s your favorite part of running your own business?
Evan: Wearing so many hats and doing so many different things on any given day keeps it interesting!
Cecy: If you could eat one thing from Wise Sons every day, what would it be and why?
Evan: Our bialys are so good. Easier to eat than a bagel, and a bit less chewy, we’ve been making these since day 1 of the pop-up. Great from the freezer at home for breakfast. Toast up with a golden crust and soft pillowy inside. They have real depth of flavor and the most amazing texture. It’s a sleeper hit and we sell a lot more of these than people realize.
Cecy: Any exciting plans/new products coming to Wise Sons?
Evan: We are continuing to grow the reach of our retail items and we’re excited about a packaging re-fresh coming in a few months.
