Saveur Extase: From Kremas, Epis, Papita, and Pikliz, Your One-Stop Shop For All Your Haitian Goodies

Taking the leap to start a business, a side hustle, or a start-up, is not easy. It could get confusing and overwhelming when you are finally committed to act and develop a product line that you are passionate about. Suzette Petion and Francoise J. Clena, the co-founders of Saveur Extase, did not let the obstacles stop them from launching their business, and they are eager to bring more to the table. This week, we sat down with them as they share their strategies and where they are hoping to take their business.

Tell us how you started Saveur Extase.

Saveur Extase started in our kitchen as we initially set out to create Krémas because families and friends always had difficulty finding or purchasing the right bottle. Once we started making small batches for our friends and family, it began to catch on, and Saveur Extase was born.

What motivated you to start your business?

We are consistently motivated by the gap in many Haitian-American communities and beyond to find the staples that we’re so used to access at home.  We often must settle for commodified versions that don’t taste and feel the same. We don’t think access to our favorite commodities should be isolated experiences in different pockets of the Haitian community. We are motivated to create a common name that all Haitians can find.

There are several other Haitian businesses out there selling similar products, what makes yours stand out?

The Saveur Extase brand is pushing to be more of a one-stop shop rather than focusing on being a provider of one thing as opposed to some brands that may only specialize in Krémas. We stand by our recipes and our commitment to crafting them as if you’d just made them in your own kitchen or picked it up from a machine back home in Haiti. Also, it doesn’t hurt that you don’t have to bounce around to get some related products in one place.

What are your special ingredients?

We can not give away our secret sauce! However, I could tell you that the base of all our products is similar to the same ingredients that Haitian know and trust to deliver on the flavor that we want. In our Krémas, you get the sweetness of coconut creamed and condensed milk, but you’re also indulging in a proprietary blend of spices that we specially make for a signature flavor. In our Epis, our mix begins with the usual suspects of parsley, garlic, green and red peppers, while also hosting a unique blend of peppers that dominates our flavoring. All ingredients for all products are sourced fresh at our neighborhood farmers market and are immediately create and packaged to give our customers the highest quality.

How do you overcome the hurdles that come with starting a business?

Starting any business takes a tremendous amount of knowledge and research. While we’re only in our second year of business, we have been consistently learning from our mistakes as we go on. We’ve particularly had to reevaluate our team and reestablish a constant effort from our entire staff to ensure the longevity of our business.

Describe your clientele or niche.

Our clientele started off with the Haitian community of Atlanta, but we have been pleased to be able to begin nationwide shipping our products across the United States. While we wish to provide Haitians with items they know and love, we are also all about educating neighboring cultures on the wonders of these different products and introducing them to their kitchens as well.

How does your career/professional or personal experience shape your business?

One way that we’re continually mirroring improvement into our business is by channeling our roles as consumers and as employees. When you can identify with the things you love and hate about customer service, the customer experience, and the workplace, it makes it much easier to be better business owners. All those factors allow you to be more mindful of customer satisfaction and to create a productive and supportive work environment, ensuring that your teams provide your customers with the best product every time.

What have you learned thus far that would help someone else with starting a business/side gig?

There will be easily 100 hurdles to overcome with your first month, the key is to keep going. We like to sell ourselves short during tough times, but there’s so much value awaiting those who keep going. Remember why you started, and if your “why” isn’t strong enough, it’s time to reevaluate.

What do you hope to achieve in 2020?

As we open our product offerings to Papita, Epis, and Pikliz in addition to the Krémas, we are hoping to establish ourselves as a trusted source for premium and authentic Haitian staples. We hope to do this by expanding our promotional ventures in other states and really ingrain ourselves in the popular culture that surrounds Haitian brands here in the United States.

What’s your favorite self-care routine, and what do you do to unwind?

The team and I practice meditation, prayer, and reading. It helps us to remain centered and grounded. Anti-stress guilty pleasures may also include a telenovela here and there.

3 words that describe your business.

Authentic, flavorful, and HAITIAN.