From Selling Shaved Ice to Scaling a National Food Empire with Gaston Becherano

In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Gaston Becherano Cohen, CEO of Smorgasburg—the largest weekly open-air food market in the U.S. Gaston shares how a solo trip to Japan reignited his entrepreneurial drive and ultimately led him from shaved ice vendor to acquiring the entire Smorgasburg brand. His journey includes launching, and losing, a café during COVID, starting over in Miami, and building markets that now draw millions of visitors.He speaks candidly about scaling with lean teams, trusting his instincts, and launching his Japanese tea brand, Motorcycle Matcha. This conversation dives deep into the mindset, resilience, and strategic pivots behind building a cultural institution rooted in food, community, and creativity. Subscribe, share with a fellow founder, and leave a review if this episode resonated with you!Chapters:02:56 – Leaving IBM: Realizing He Wasn’t Built for Corporate Life|03:54 – A Solo Trip to Japan That Changed His Trajectory04:26 – Discovering Hospitality as His Lane08:58 – Getting Accepted as a Shaved Ice Vendor in Brooklyn09:49 – Launching Bonsai Café and Learning the Business11:24 – COVID Hits: Closing the Café and Moving Back to Miami14:00 – Starting Over with a Farmers Market in Aventura18:48 – Seeing the Vision for Smorgasburg Miami20:05 – Convincing the Landlords and Licensing the Brand22:25 – The Grueling Process of Getting Permits Approved24:56 – Opening Day in Wynwood: 15,000 Attendees and Flying Tents27:38 – Sustaining Demand Week After Week28:20 – Acquiring the Entire Smorgasburg Brand30:51 – Reframing Entrepreneurship as a “Grand Adventure”32:01 – Building Motorcycle Matcha in the Japanese Countryside34:00 – Sourcing, Storytelling, and Building a Passion-Driven Brand36:17 – Growing Up in a Tight-Knit, Entrepreneurial Community38:40 – “Entrepreneurship Is Like Riding a Motorcycle”41:15 – Gaston’s Vision for Smorgasburg as a National Incubator43:58 – The Emotional Cost of Growth and Staying Positive45:57 – Detaching From the Rollercoaster of Business48:30 – Running Lean: 16 Full-Time Staff, Millions of Visitors49:51 – Leadership Through Empowerment and Humility51:50 – Advice to Younger Gaston: Enjoy the Ride58:45 – The Magic of Type 2 Fun in Entrepreneurship1:00:09 – Final Words: Start Young, Start Naive, Start NowGuest Links:Website: Smorgasburg.comInstagram: @gastonbecherano@​​smorgasburgmiamiSARAL: Get your free trial here: https://www.getsaral.com/demoFully Accountable: Mention this ad and have your onboarding fees waived at https://fullyaccountable.comIf you're a founder doing $1MM+ in annual revenue, apply for the Founders Club today: https://go.foundersclubofficial.com/intro-fc-aaronStay Connected!Aaron Spivak:IG: @‌SpivakLinkedinThe Founders ClubIG: @‌TheFoundersClubWebsite www.foundersclubofficial.com Founder2Founder:TikTok @‌Founder2FounderPodcastYoutube @‌Founder2Founder.Podcast