For most people, a pizza date looks something like choosing a cute restaurant or maybe panicking over what to wear. But when you’re a professional chef, a pizza date is almost like a cooking class. At least according to Michelle Jimenez it was. And in case you’re doubting her, she and her now-husband Andrea Meggiato turned one of those so-called pizza dates into a business—one you might’ve seen on Shark Tank or in stores like Target.
“He said it would be the most unforgettable date I’d ever go on,” Michelle told me, “and he couldn’t have been more right.” They went on to create The Pizza cupcake, now expanded under the new name Incredifulls.
They aren’t the only couple that’s made it work like that. The next time you’re skiing, or cramming for the LSAT, or even just killing time in a beach town, you might just stumble on your next great idea, the love of your life—or maybe both.
That’s not just wishful thinking. It’s exactly how things started for three other couples who now run some of the fastest-growing food brands in the country. They didn’t all have formal culinary training. They weren’t all on some five-year business plan. But they did have two things in common: a shared love of food, and a willingness to build something together, both personally and professionally.
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of going into business with someone you love. Maybe that’s because no one in my family does it. We’re all in different industries, and frankly, I don’t know if we’d work well together. But talking to these founders definitely made me rethink things. It turns out, building a company with your partner doesn’t have to mean losing your relationship. In fact, it can actually strengthen it.
“It’s been rewarding to witness our mutual growth as we stretch our capabilities and evolve our interpersonal dynamics, management styles, and other skills at a rapid pace,” said Jen Liao, co-founder of MìLà.
Maura Duggan, founder and CEO of Fancypants, echoed that sentiment: “It can be a bit tricky to explain the ups and downs of running a food business, but we live with the risks and rewards every day,” she said. “It’s such a great feeling to just share that.”
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to go into business with your partner—the good, the hard, and everything in between—you’re not alone. I caught up with four couples who’ve built food brands together to hear how they’ve made it work (and what they’ve learned along the way).
Founders: Jen Liao & Caleb Wang
What do they make? MìLà offers restaurant-quality Chinese staples—from juicy soup dumplings to hand-pulled-style noodles and bold, savory sauces. Find them at Target, Costco, or order directly online for an easy, authentic meal at home.
Photo by MìLà
Some couples start a business after years of planning, but Jen Liao and Caleb Wang started one while living on opposite coasts. The two met on a ski trip in Whistler in 2014, kept in touch via Skype, and dated long-distance for four years. Somewhere between the slopes and all those late-night calls, they decided to open a restaurant as a side project (and got married somewhere along the way, too).
Today, their frozen food brand MìLà is available nationwide, with actor Simu Liu as both an investor and their Chief Content Officer. It has thousands of glowing reviews from fans who swear the soup dumplings alone are worth clearing freezer space for.
“We approached it as a learning opportunity, knowing the restaurant industry is unlikely to succeed in,” Jen told me, “but feeling optimistic in our problem-solving abilities.”
They built MìLà from a shared craving to bring their favorite Chinese dishes into more homes. Now married and running the business full-time, they’ve learned to divide responsibilities—Jen focuses on product and marketing, Caleb runs operations—and navigate every high and low as a team.
“There’s no ‘my side’ or ‘your side’ of the company,” Jen said. “Just us, working together.”
As their brand has evolved, so has their partnership, rooted in mutual respect and a shared vision for what MìLà could represent.
“I’m really proud that we’ve contributed to redefining the narrative around Chinese food in the U.S., and done it in a way that feels true to our personal story,” Jen said.
Founders: Michelle Jimenez & Andrea Meggiato
What do they make? Frozen pizza snacks and breakfast cups with a real-deal Italian twist—now sold at Target.
Some dates end in dessert. Michelle and Andrea’s ended in a business. The pair met at a friend’s birthday party, and not long after, Andrea asked her out on a pizza date but with a twist.
Photo by Incredifulls
Photo by Incredifulls
“The twist was that we were going to make it ourselves,” Michelle said. “It ended up being the best cooking class of my life.”
That date set the tone for what would become their frozen snack brand, originally called The Pizza Cupcake and recently rebranded to Incredifulls. What started as a fun dish they brought to parties—a better version of the frozen pizza bites Michelle grew up eating—has become a nationally distributed brand, first catching fire after a deal on Shark Tank in 2021. Their signature? Brioche-based dough with a nod to Andrea’s roots in Venice, Italy.
“We’ve learned the importance of dividing and conquering—leaning into our strengths, communicating openly, and prioritizing our mental health, marriage, and family,” Michelle said.
Over time, they’ve figured out what it takes to work well as both co-founders and family.
“The real challenge was learning to balance my big ‘yes!’ energy with Andrea’s more thoughtful, operations-first mindset as we turned this idea into a business.”
Founders: Maura Duggan and Justin Housman
What do they make? Crispy, flavor-packed cookies inspired by everything from mint chip ice cream to salted caramel, now sold in Whole Foods, Costco, and grocery stores nationwide.
When Maura Duggan met Justin Housman on St. Patrick’s Day at an Irish bar in New York, they were both teachers. Baking wasn’t the plan—at least not yet (they did bond over a Guinness, of course).
“The foodie part came soon after!” Maura said. “Justin is an excellent cook and I’ve always loved baking, so we complemented each other right away.”
Originally focused on decorated shortbread cookies, Fancypants has since grown into a full-blown snack brand with crispy cookies in nostalgic flavors like birthday cake, chocolate chip, and salted caramel.
They’d been together for four years when they decided to go into business together, and as Maura noted, people definitely raised some eyebrows. For them, it was always more exciting than nerve wracking.
“[We] really knew our strengths and weaknesses,” she explained. “We’ve always been careful to carve out time away from each other too.”
Maura calls herself the “product visionary,” always thinking about “new cookie flavors, packaging updates, and collaborations,” while Justin handles a lot of the logistic details. “It’s a great synergy,” she said.
Despite the business’s growth—recently launched in Harris Teeter and expanding across Whole Foods in the Mid-Atlantic—Maura is most proud of how they’ve stayed true to their roots: “We’ve been able to change the direction of Fancypants completely…while also keeping our core team together.”
And the best part of working together? “Being able to support each other. It’s such a great feeling to just share that.”
Founders: Berk and Sena Bahceci
What do they make? Organic, early-harvest olive oils from a 100-year-old family grove in Turkey. Launched in 2023, Heraclea makes both everyday cooking oils and bold, infused blends. Their oils are PDO, organic, and Fair Trade Certified.
In 2016, Berk Bahceci was deep in LSAT prep and almost skipped a beach weekend with friends in Çeşme, Turkey—but that spontaneous decision changed everything. “If he hadn’t shown up that day, none of this would’ve happened,” Sena said.
Food has been a shared passion from the start. “It’s probably the thing we never get bored of doing together—eating, cooking, exploring new places,” they said. Berk loves scouring local markets for ingredients, and their weekends were often spent cooking Turkish dishes with their own twist.
And for them, it just worked. “It’s made us become better partners and communicators,” Sena explained.
In 2022, Berk left his legal career to launch Heraclea, turning his family’s century-old olive grove into a modern brand rooted in sustainability and transparency. Sena’s role in the business grew naturally: “Heraclea always felt like something bigger than just starting a company—it was about getting Turkish olive oil the place it deserves on American tables.”
Their proudest milestone? “Getting Fair Trade Certified. Not just for us, but for what it means for Turkish olive oil,” they said. “We’re raising the bar…showing that it’s possible to do this the right way—with real transparency, fairness, and quality.”
And while the work can be all-consuming, they say the best part is the freedom: “We can plan our life on our own terms…we wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Do you think you could start a brand with a partner or loved one? Curious to hear people’s thoughts?
