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homemade goodies during pandemic
Door Dash had a business with an Indian
twist — it would be me,” she said.
Th e multi-talented Fashion Institute of
Technology-graduate wears many hats. She
used to have a boho jewelry and clothing
business for many years before venturing
into food.
Arora also runs a radio program production
company, creating Bollywood shows
for Indian radio stations in New York, and
a spice manufacturing company that she
started last January.
For budding food-preneurs, Arora suggests
reaching out to QEDC, which she
said is a great resource thanks to their mentoring
and entrepreneurial programs. Th ey
also have an incubator kitchen in Long
Island City.
“Queens is still a great place for food —
even with the pandemic — thanks to entrepreneurs
like Nupur,” Rob MacKay, director
of marketing for Queens Economic
Development Corporation (QEDC), told
QNS.
MacKay said Arora’s “great spirit and
energy” helped her sell her product.
“She cooks. She teaches. She leads culinary
lessons,” MacKay said. “It’s been fun
watching Queens Curry Kitchen as it started
as just an idea and now it’s blossoming.
Nupur is going to have a restaurant soon,
I predict.”
Arora also suggested the Tech Incubator
at Queens College. Under the guidance
of Ying Zhou, Arora met many budding
entrepreneurs locally and discovered many
resources available to small businesses.
“Know your gift s, solve problems with
your product and/or service, and build a
network you can rely on. Be authentic and
know your ‘why’ … you will be able to fi gure
out the ‘how,’” she said.
Arora also suggested to work from a
licensed, inspected facility approved by the
Department of Health to adhere to the state
and city regulations and ensure safety for
your clients.
“Also, taking the test for the food handling
license is super helpful for every individual
in the food business to know the
best food safety practices,” she said.
Arora will be expanding into catering for
intimate events. In the future, she’d love to
open a cooking school and set up a brickand
mortar in Queens.
“Th is community is everything to me. I
had an off er to set up a spot in Hicksville
Long Island, where Indian community
resides, but I declined it because my
heart is in Queens. Heck, even my brand
is called Queens Curry Kitchen, so why
would I want to be anywhere else?” Arora
said. “Queens is life, Queens is love. Th e
variety of deliciousness that we have here
is so unique, we owe it to all the nationalities
that call it home. We can eat a new dish
from a new culture every day in Queens,
and still not run out of options. I always
say, ‘Live like a king, but always eat like you
live in Queens!’”
When the pandemic hit, Costa was
working at a nonprofi t job, which she had
transitioned into aft er years in the food
industry. In April of 2020, she was suddenly
laid off and was having trouble fi nding
another job in the same industry.
“I was also dealing with the mental
health impacts of the pandemic, which
made it diffi cult for me to move forward,”
Costa recalled.
But, Costa found motivation by merging
her two passions: helping people and
baking.
“I didn’t have the time or courage to start
something on my own until the pandemic
hit,” Costa told QNS.
Th at changed when Costa participated
in a nationwide online bake sale, Bakers
Against Racism, in June 2020.
“I was really excited to use my talents to
contribute to a good cause. Th e success of
the bake sale motivated me to start baking
weekly, especially when people who bought
during the bake sale asked for more,” Costa
said. “Also, I really needed an outlet to get
me in a better mental space, and this was
the perfect blend of baking and giving back
to the Queens community.”
Baked off erings include sourdough
loaf, a naturally leavened, long fermented
“country”-style loaf, as well as a sourdough
focaccia with rotating toppings. She
also always off ers cinnamon and sugar brioche
morning buns, which are her most
popular item.
Every week, the Culinary Institute of
America graduate likes to make a rotating
item, which is usually seasonal, or “just
something fun” she’s working on. In the
past, Costa has made olive oil cake, s’mores
cookies, doughnuts and, more recently,
croissants.
Costa’s baking days usually begin
between 3 or 4 a.m. and don’t end until
about 9 p.m.
“Th e days I’m baking are a little crazy,”
Costa said. “My two volunteers (my boyfriend
Andrew, and my delivery man and
father, Gus) help me pack everything up.”
Deliveries or pickups usually happen
around the night. On Saturdays, when
Costa’s done baking, she still has to prep for
the following day and clean up.
“I usually work until dinner time, and
if I’m lucky, I’ll grab a short nap! I try my
best to get to bed by 9:30 p.m. and then
wake up at 3 a.m. and do it all over again,”
Costa said.
Costa, who is registered as a home processor
through New York state, said the
hardest part about the business so far is the
capacity and space, as she’s been “gradually
taking over” her whole apartment.
“I always want to produce more products,
but have had to recognize what my
limits are, which can be diffi cult,” she said.
“I would love to graduate to a bigger oven,
which will hopefully happen some day.”
Costa said most of her customers are
from Rego Park and Forest Hills/Kew
Gardens areas, as well as some folks from
Long Island. Every delivery helps her business
donate to Queens organizations and
other nonprofi ts — mostly to Together We
Can Community Resource Center Inc., a
volunteer-led nonprofi t serving residents
of Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Corona.
Costa’s deliveries, which are kept contactless
and wearing masks, are made between
10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays and
Sundays. Currently, local deliveries within
8 miles or so cost $2, which she donates,
with deliveries outside of that zone typically
a higher rate.
For more information, individuals can
visit her website at peaceloveanddough.
com.
Costa said fellow budding food-preneurs
should work on QuickBooks, in order to
have a good sense of their fi nances. She
also noted it’s important to make time for
self-care.
“Th ere have been so many days where
I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of
work, but it always eventually gets done,”
Costa said. “Just go for it! People have been
telling me for years to sell my baked goods,
but I never believed I could do it until I got
this push.”
Costa said the experience has helped her
believe in her abilities.
“Prior to the pandemic, I didn’t really
know many people in the community, but
this experience has introduced me to a lot
of my neighbors,” Costa said. “My area is
really great because of the people. I feel like
my customers are the nicest people ever
and I feel really grateful to have the opportunity
to get to know them.”
Photo courtesy of Lisa Costa
Lisa Costa, owner of Peace, Love & Dough bakery.
Sourdough focaccia with olives and rosemary Country loaf Mushroom tikka
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