The ancient dessert, called Loukoumades, is similar to a doughnut but is a breed all its own.
The treats are round balls made with yeast that are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
Tammy Levent of Palm Harbor, Fla., calls her creations Heavenly Puffs.
Lorena Telez, left, and Guadeloupe Nandho mix ingredients for Loukoumades at Heavenly Puffs headquarters in Palm Harbor, Fla., on Feb. 17, 2021. The company now has nine employees who make about 4,200 treats a day. Chris Zuppa/The Penny Hoarder
The food truck started as a side hustle on the weekends, when she wasnt running her travel agency.
They almost always sold out.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
I was sitting at home in quarantine, Levent recalled.
I said to my husband, Can you turn on the generator for the food truck.
Im going out there and Im going to venture to make these things frozen.
The secret solution turned out to be vacuum-packing the dough in freezer bags.
The rest of her journey with frozen Loukoumades is about how she created a business to distribute her product.
After she perfected the frozen product, she headed out to restaurants for taste tests.
I went to the Acropolis and the owner says: Oh yeah.
And I said Dude, they were frozen, she recalled.
He couldnt believe it.
Levent knew she was going to need more space, and more licensing.
She also thought of selling to caterers.
I remembered a friend of mine owned Delectables (Fine Catering) in Palm Harbor.
I walked in with my samples.
I didnt even have an appointment, Levent said.
She talked with her friend and learned their business was very slow during the pandemic.
Levent asked to rent a corner of the commercial kitchen.
Once she was licensed, Levent continued selling to restaurants and added grocery stores to her target list.
I was told You cant.
I said Dont tell me I cant.
How will I know which one is going to sell more, Levent said.
Turns out restaurants sell better, but Levent has gotten her product in grocery stores, too.
Heavenly Puffs are sold in almost 50 restaurants across the country and 10 retail markets.
Levent was surprised at all the record-keeping required in case an ingredient in the Heavenly Puffs is recalled.
You have to say this batch went to this pallet and it was shipped to which store or restaurant.
Another discovery, but more on a positive note, is the low cost of shipping on airlines.
A Greek school in Chicago heard about her frozen Loukoumades and ordered 10 cases to sell as a fundraiser.
I called Southwest cargo.
I sent 10 cases of this product for just $200, she said.
Heavenly Puffs now has nine employees who make about 4,200 treats a day.
The Puff Truck was picked to have a spot at the Super Bowl Experience festival in Tampa.
Since we started, weve made close to half a million puffs, said Levent.
I would have never invented this if we didnt have COVID.
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