Our little table is going to NYC

The Atlantic Beach market was a game changer for us. It was not the first market we ever did, but it was one of the places where Backyard Buffalo really started to become what it is today.

Back in 2020, we showed up with yogurts, chutneys, and a folding table. No full meal lineup. No grand strategy. Just a belief that if we made good food and shared it with people, maybe something would grow.

And the community showed up. People tasted. They asked questions. They came back for more.

Can you make us food? Can you make something with less sugar? Can you make something we can keep in the fridge for the week?

Without knowing it — and honestly, without us fully knowing it either — you helped us build the line of food we have today. Food that works for the everyday American fridge. Food for busy families, quick lunches, easy dinners, and people who want Indian food to feel less like a special occasion and more like something they can actually live with.

That is how Backyard Buffalo grew. One sample at a time. One conversation at a time. One "wait, can I buy this?" at a time.

Today, that little table has grown into a full lineup of Indian meals, roti, shrikhand, lassi, chutneys, pickles, and more.

There's been a lot of conversation lately about changes at the Atlantic Beach market. Some vendors are choosing one direction. Some are choosing another. And honestly, I keep coming back to the same answer: keep showing up, keep making great food, keep taking care of people. That's what got us here, and that's what we'll keep doing.

Next week, I'll be in New York City at the Fancy Food Show. And if I'm being honest, that feels a little surreal.

We're taking the same Backyard Buffalo experience that grew at the farmers market and bringing it to one of the biggest specialty food events in the country. No fancy reinvention. Just us — good food, lots of samples, stories, conversations, and the same things that have always worked.

I have big dreams for Backyard Buffalo. I'd love to see more people discover our food. I'd love to see us in more independent grocery stores. And yes, I'd love to see Backyard Buffalo on a Whole Foods shelf one day.

But I've learned that growth usually happens the same way it started: one person at a time, one conversation at a time, one opportunity at a time.

You've tasted. You've asked questions. You've brought family to the market. You've shared our food with friends. You've recommended us to stores. You've told our story when we weren't in the room.

In a lot of ways, we co-created this brand together. And now, we get to grow it together.

As we head to New York, more than anything, I'm grateful. Grateful for where we started. Grateful for where we are. And excited for what comes next.

With love,
Punita