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Founder
Ilay Karateke
In their words
BEZI is our take on the labneh we grew up with, with a little third-culture personality.
Neighborhood
I live very close to the Union Square Farmers Market, which is honestly one of my favorite things about living in New York. Our office is down in FiDi, right by the water, and I bike to work. I love having the farmers market on one end of my day and the water on the other. It's the perfect little escape in the middle of the city.
Coffee or breakfast
Newsbar in Greenwich Village! Such a little gem. I actually spent almost every Sunday there when I was first dreaming up how to build BEZI, so it has a very special place in my heart.
Lunch or dinner
The Odeon on a Friday night. Bar seats, steak frites and one very dirty vodka martini with three olives. One is an important number when it comes to the martini count.
Shopping
Casa Magazines for the Sunday paper, Union Square Farmers Market and Union Market for groceries, and Nickey Kehoe for all the things you want in your home but never quite have the budget for :)
Local brand
The White Moustache yogurt! I have such a big crush on the business they've built.
Out-of-town visitors
The Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Everyone imagines New York as skyscrapers and chaos, but to me it's the beautiful little neighborhoods.
Hidden gem
Maybe not an actual spot, but gallery openings are such a hidden gem of New York! If you love art (and honestly, people-watching and finding inspiration), there's nothing better than an art Thursday when Zwirner or Pace has a big opening. Followed by a little dinner at Cucina Alba. My kind of perfect New York evening.
Instagram / TikTok
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Founders
Kiki Couchman & Elan Halpern
In their words
Sourmilk is a high-protein, probiotic Greek yogurt specifically designed for your gut, with 15g of protein and the equivalent probiotics of a supplement.
KIKI
Neighborhood
Chelsea
Coffee or breakfast
Yanni's Coffee for cold brew, black.
Lunch or dinner
Rosella (if I'm feeling fancy), and you have to try the miso soup and kimchi tuna roll. Raku for a great bowl of udon. I always get the yasai.
Shopping
Happier Grocery
Local brand
[Still needed from Kiki]
Out-of-town visitors
A stroll on the West Side Highway and a walk through Washington Square Park (never a dull moment there).
Hidden gem
Foot massage spots! You can get a $30, 60-minute foot massage at so many places in the city.
ELAN
Neighborhood
Fort Greene, but born and raised in Lower Manhattan :)
Coffee or breakfast
I don't often deviate from black coffee and Sourmilk yogurt, but when I do, the breakfast burrito from Border Town in Greenpoint is 10/10.
Lunch or dinner
Fonty's Deli is doing something very special with all their Indian-inspired deli sandwich classics. And they sell Sourmilk in the grab-and-go fridge :)
Shopping
Recently went furniture shopping at Lanoba Design, which has amazing vintage Danish mid-century modern furniture.
Local brand
Gotta give a shout-out to my dad's run club, Bridge Runners. He started the first run club in NYC over 30 years ago (now there are literally thousands of them), and they still meet every Wednesday evening.
Out-of-town visitors
The Fort Greene Farmers Market on Saturday mornings will change any prior misconceptions you had about NYC.
Hidden gem
Might not be so hidden for CPG folks, but Jubilee in Greenpoint is really one of the best community-oriented grocery stores in NYC. They sell $5 roast chickens and $6 smoothies, which is just unheard of in this city.
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Founders
Olivia Peniston & Anna Goldman
In their words
Holiday Vodka is a premium Italian vodka, distilled in Piedmont, Italy, with just two ingredients and no additives. It's smooth, clean, and made to be enjoyed with friends.
Neighborhood
Holiday HQ is right across from Bloomingdale's on 59th & Lex.
Coffee or breakfast
Oxford Cafe on 60th between Park and Lex has the best breakfast wrap in NYC, and we will die on this hill.
Lunch or dinner
Perhaps we have recency bias because we just went to Nobu 57 to celebrate being in the cocktail of the month (in both NYC locations!!!), but it is really impossible to have a bad meal at Nobu. We shared the yellowtail jalapeño, the black cod butter lettuce, the field greens (do not sleep on this — we could drink the dressing) and the new style sashimi with salmon.
Shopping
Anna: As an Upper East Sider, I go to Butterfield Market an average of three times a day, never missing their hazelnut iced coffee.
Olivia: I could not be a bigger fan of Happier Grocery. I used to live next to Erewhon in Venice, and dare I say, on average the prepared food is better at HG...
Local brand
Anna: Anything from New York or Nowhere. I love nothing more than repping this great city (except maybe repping Holiday!)
Olivia: SOURMILK!!! As a former upset-tummy girlie, this yogurt has changed my life.
Out-of-town visitors
Anna: A Broadway show or a visit to the Comedy Cellar is a must.
Olivia: The Union Square Farmers Market. It brings me so much joy.
Hidden gem
Anna: My hot take is that I don't think New Yorkers spend enough time in Central Park! Central Park is magical, and the north parts above 95th Street are especially spectacular.
Olivia: I am deeply obsessed with pho, and I think all New Yorkers need to know about the pho at La Dong.
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Founder
Zoya Virani (Head of Growth & Editorial)
In their words
CPGD is a discovery company for emerging consumer brands. Through our newsletter, website, and curated events, we connect the founders, operators, investors, and partners shaping the future of consumer goods.
Neighborhood
West Village! It has a charm that is unreplicable.
Coffee or breakfast
Partners Coffee is probably my most frequented, but Birch Coffee has amazing house-made milks, and I like doing an iced latte whenever I'm nearby.
Lunch or dinner
An elite lunch to me is a Cappone's sandwich with jalapeño chips and a crispy Diet Coke. For dinner, I Sodi is an all-time favorite, or my latest fixation is Bistrot Ha on the LES. It can be a bit pricey, but the unlimited bread and rice is the reason I go back.
Shopping
I have an NYC shopping guide I send all my friends who visit, but I particularly love Kartik Research on the LES, Kalimera in Brooklyn for great vintage, and I famously want every item in the MoMA Design Store.
Local brand
Too many to count, I can't pick one! I do love to visit Happier Grocery or Pop Up Grocer outside of the events to try out local NYC-based CPG brands!
Out-of-town visitors
A perfect day to me when I have visitors is the UES, with a trip to the Frick Collection, a snack at Butterfield Market, and then taking the snacks to Central Park for a good walk and sit in the park. Also, Cafe Commerce on the UES makes an insane cake slice if you are feeling indulgent.
Hidden gem
BOMI in SoHo is the cutest selection of ceramics and small brands, and it's up the stairs next to Bibliotheque. It is probably my favorite hidden store.
Website
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Founder
Erin Barrett
Neighborhood
I live in SoHo, but often run all over the city for work.
Coffee
Ansā on Thompson. They roast their beans right in the shop. They have a special technology allowing them to do this, making it the freshest cup you can get in NY!
Lunch or dinner
Chloe on Bleecker. I'm there at least four times a week (okay, maybe more). You can't go wrong with any of the meals, unless you don't order the mac and cheese for a side.
Shopping
The Shelf or Happier Grocery. I love seeing what's new and supporting other local founders' brands. If I see a stranger eyeing any of my friends' brands, I will absolutely talk them into buying it.
Local brand
Good Greed candy!!! I have such a sensitive stomach but a sweet tooth (not a great combo), and these are the only candies I can eat! They're the cleanest ingredients and gut-friendly.
Out-of-town visitors
Really just eating and drinking through NY (oops!). Some shopping too. I love taking people to Global Table on Sullivan. Beautiful artisanal ceramics (the Japanese pieces are my favorite).
Hidden gem
The rooftop at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library, across from Bryant Park. It's free, it's gorgeous, and I almost didn't share it. My favorite place to read or just sit outside and catch up on work.
About Goldilocks
Better-for-you canned cocktails with 100 calories or less and smarter ingredients like electrolytes. Made for people who still want to drink, just more intentionally.
@drinkgoldilocks and @erinbarrett1