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Founded in 2015, the Belgian Boys are led by Belgian-born wife and husband couple Enoch Gottlieb and Greg Galel. The couple transformed the business from a small idea into a cult-friendly brand that is now sold to more than 5,000 retailers (such as Target and Walmart) across the country. For the first time recently, the Belgian Boys have raised funds from strategic partners, including Daniel Lubetsky, founder of Kind Snacks, Equilibra Ventures, and other collaborating CPG founders, industry leaders and angel investors to make the Belgian Boys mission “happy” every day. Moment
Belgian boys
The Belgian boys were still working in Gottlieb fashion when they were children. Utilizing her skills from the fashion world, Gottlieb began helping the Belgian boys as a side project, whose core branding and packaging design. He quickly fell in love with not only the product, but the smile that it brought to people’s faces, and came on the full-time board as head of marketing before taking on the role of CEO in 2018. Gotlib and Galel are now working side-by-side, while raising two children together in Brooklyn, where the Belgian boys are.
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For Belgian boys, success was not an overnight event. Gottlieb notes that he and Galel took a systematic approach to building the foundation of their brand. Since they were bootstrapping the business themselves, they were looking for cost-effective ways to generate new ideas in the market. At Costco, they tested the idea of offering favorite European breakfasts (such as mini pancakes and crepes) in the cold refrigerated section, as opposed to the typical, frozen portion in Europe, as was common in the United States.
Gottlieb reflects, “For us, it made perfect sense. Breakfast is a meal we eat every day. Trading our foods as frozen sends the message that this is something you keep in your freezer and take out on occasion. And why our customers Need to walk from fresh to frozen in grocery stores when they are already grabbing their breakfast items like eggs, bacon and yogurt, when they can add their pancakes there? ”
The innovative concept has caught on and more and more consumers are beginning to add a happy serving to their morning routine. The joy that Gottlieb is so eager to spread can be seen in every part of the brand, from its nostalgic flavors to the brightly colored packaging that Gottlieb says “makes people feel good.” The lineup is made in Europe with premium, non-GMO ingredients. Although Stropwafel was the first product of the Belgian boys, and it is a fast-growing breakfast line of heat-and-serve crepes, pancakes, Belgian waffles and French toast. The Brioche French Toast, which was launched exclusively with Target in early 2022, is already showing the potential to be the “enjoyment” of the Millennium family. Since this generation takes on paternity, the Belgian boys manage breakfast in a convenient, tasty and without sacrificing ingredients.
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“Our goal is to bring maximum love and happiness to each of our treats and bring a smile to the face of our customers. We never take ourselves too seriously and we work for laughter. We are passionate about creating joy for our customers and spreading sweetness in people’s lives, and we know we make the best products that do just that, ”Gotlib explains. Decisions, and that includes helping the brand identify meaningful partnerships. By partnering with the driver, for example, the Belgian boys are enjoying some of the moment when customers are already treating themselves to a fun and lumping experience. Happiness for Gottlieb begins with his family and his team, which he sees as an extension of his family. He shares, “My family gives me a lot of joy, but I’m a workaholic and I’m not ashamed of it! Every day I wake up happy and blessed that being able to do what I like, the talented team working hard to turn Belgian boys into a global brand I know it can be. The team and our happy customers have become an extension of Greg and my family. “
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Especially as people continue to cope with the weight of covid, Gottlieb hopes that Belgian boys can give some more pleasure in everyday moments and even in difficult times. The brand first joined investor Daniel Lubetsky when participating in a KIND Snacks program to provide donated food to frontline workers like doctors and nurses. Gottlieb recalls that hospitals would call his team to tell them how grateful they were for their delivery. She’ll think, “You’re saving lives, I’m sending a waffle.”
He added, “I feel this is the strength of our brand. If you have a bad day, that little cookie will make you laugh. We are all in this: the spark of joy.”
