ENCINITAS — Angelia Daugirda said it’s hard to take her, her boyfriend Brian Togubat and their business partner Martin Roesch seriously.
“We think we are the funniest freaking people we know,” said Daugirda, who lives in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. “We want to be serious and grown up, but we really love to have fun, live life and surf like we’re 12 years old.”
But there is one thing that the trio is serious about: waffles.
And they want you to eat theirs. Literally.
The three entrepreneurs are the minds behind Eat My Waffles, a grain-free, gluten-free, no-sugar-added waffle and pancake mix that is poised to be the next big thing in the waffle industry.
It’s not perfectly square or round, but rather a rustic version of a waffle, which they want you to be wild about, to eat both sweet and savory, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Much like their motto — which is emblazoned inside their logo — they want you to “expect the unexpected” when it comes to their waffles.
“Our original EMW mix is a wonderful foundation to creating endless possibilities in your own kitchen,” Daugirda said.
Eat My Waffles makes its official market debut next month at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, the largest natural food expo in the world. After that, the goal is to get distribution in national and regional markets, including Sprouts, Whole Foods, Amazon and their local favorite, Seaside Market.
Their healthy yet tasty take on the classic breakfast staple is tailor made for Encinitas, they said.
“That question is a simple one for us: our target audience is Encinitas,” Daugirda said. “Whether it’s the 40-something mom, the health conscious family, the health-minded … and they have money to spend on good food.”
For Togubat and Daugirda, waffles tell the story of their romance. It literally is what brought them together, they said.
“I’d go surfing with my kids and I used to make them peanut butter and jelly waffles and we would take them to the beach and eat waffles at the beach, and that is really how we met, down at the beach,” Togubat said.
“Yeah, I asked him to eat my waffles, and then he wouldn’t go away and I got stuck with him,” Daugirda said. “I fed him, and he’s like a feral cat, he never left.”
They each brought two children into the relationship. “We’re like the Brady Bunch,” she said.
Togubat, who comes from the hospitality and gaming industry with a background in business and finance, and Daugirda, linked up with Roesch — the mind behind Eat My Waffles’ unique branding (the mix’s tear strip even reads, “tear at either edge to unlock inner awesomeness”) — when the trio was cast for The Food Network’s The Great Truck Challenge” in 2018.
They didn’t make the final cut, but in the three weeks they were on the show, they came up with a brand, marketing material and formed a limited liability company — BAM Foods, LLC.
“We all said to ourselves, if we can do that in three weeks, what could we do in a year or two years,” Daugirda said. “We didn’t want to waste it.”
Togubat said their passion for the recipe they created kept them going.
“We were so stoked about how good it tasted,” he said. “And as much as we know it’s going to be a hit in Cardiff, we think everyone east of Encinitas would enjoy our waffles as well, regardless of what their health and activity levels are. Our kids are stoked to eat them, and we want your kids to eat them as well, so bringing that to the rest of the world was something was really exciting for us.”
March’s expo will give them that opportunity, as it brings 400,000 people — including buyers from across the grocery and hospitality industries — under one roof.
“It’s the most amount of people in any opportunity available in the world at one time,” Togubat said.
“From there the possibilities open up for different distribution outlets, such as hotels and resorts, and all sorts of people who show up to find new things because the health food industry is so huge right now,” Daugirda said.
Following the expo, the company is planning a crowdfunding party in Cardiff, possibly at Lost Abbey in Cardiff Town Center.
And, of course, they will continue to look for new and revolutionary ways to present their favorite food to the world.
“There are plans for new flavors, we are definitely going to be taking the pancake and waffle mix to the next level,” Daugirda said.
As for other food ventures, who knows, Daugirda said.
“We are definitely looking for opportunities to expand,” she said. “With the love we have for food and cooking, it’s what we do, so we are always going to keep our eyes open to new opportunities.”
For more information, visit eatmywaffles.com.
