Mise en Table: A Mutual Support Gathering for Food Entrepreneurs & Creatives
Building a food brand or business is hard. The stakes are real, the learning curve is steep, and there's no clear roadmap — just a long series of tasks and decisions you mostly have to figure out on your own. What if you didn't have to do it alone?
Mise en Table is a monthly gathering for the people doing the work to bring great food and dining experiences to life. This is about creating the conditions for people working in food and beverage to set themselves up for success — by sharing resources, asking hard questions, putting everything on the table, and building the kind of mutual support that only comes from a real community of peers.
This isn't another networking event. It's a free, working peer group where food entrepreneurs, creatives, and operators come together to share resources, solve real problems, and build the kind of connections that actually move your work forward. No panels. No pitching. Just a room full of people who get it.
Who is this for?
Food and beverage brand founders, chefs, bakers, restaurant/bar/cafe owners, food writers, photographers, stylists, supper club hosts, hospitality executives, food tech operators — and anyone else building something in the food and beverage space.
Seats are limited to create a safe space for sharing and building real connections. Come as you are — ready to put it all out on the table to set yourself and fellow builders up for success.
What to Expect
Every session has a simple rotating format — a resource swap, a show-and-tell, a live problem-solving session, Q&A with a guest who supports the industry — plus ample time to connect and find your next collaborator.
The format for this session will be Help a Peer Roundtable! Volunteers are invited to bring a real, active challenge they're working through to the table. The group will ask questions and offer advice, feedback, and perspective. Think peer advisory meets group therapy. Let us know if you'd like to present your challenge when you sign up!
Agenda
Mise En Table: Help a Peer Roundtable
6:00 – 6:15: Arrivals + Connections
Get comfortable and make some new friends before we get started
6:15 – 6:30: Quick Intros
Your name and what you're working on right now. Not career history — just the primary thing you are growing today.
6:30 – 7:45: Help a Peer Roundtable
Share your business challenge or help a peer work through theirs. Fill out the presenter form to let us know you would like to present.
7:45 – 8:00: Closing + Signup for Holiday Market
One ask, one offer from anyone who wants to share. Interested in participating in our holiday market? Let us know! Make sure you've opted-in to receive email from us — we'll follow up with a recap, resources, and invite to the next gathering.
Meet Your Hosts:
Letters from the Table
Letters from the Table is a project exploring the ways food connects us with people, places, memories, and the present moment. It is a series of love letters and a platform for creating connection through storytelling and intentional gatherings. Our mission is to highlight the stories of people who express themselves through food, and connect creators of emerging food brands with an audience that is deeply interested in their work.
Sign up for the newsletter to receive periodic letters, recipes, invitations to gatherings, and atmospheric content.
Joni Goldbach
Joni, the creator of Letters from the Table, is a fractional Product leader supporting founders, business leaders, and teams in reaching their goals and creating meaningful experiences for their customers.
Little Egg
Little Egg is a community restaurant at the border of Crown Heights and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, NY that aims to contribute meaningfully to the world through food and gathering. We love early mornings, soft scrambles, local grains, good coffee, and bringing people together to share transformative meals that seed a more sustainable food system.
We’re the little sibling of Egg, the iconic Williamsburg breakfast restaurant that fed Brooklyn and beyond from 2005-2020.
Based in Egg’s original core values, we aim to support the holistic well-being of the people we work with; create a transformative experience of eating out for our customers; deepen our community’s relationship to how food is grown, prepared, and shared; broaden access to good food for everyone; and enrich the cultural and agricultural soil in which our work is rooted.
FAQ
The artwork in the event image is amazing! Who is the artist?
That's Still Life with Melon and Pears by Luis Meléndes, painted in 1772.
Where can I find more events like this?
Follow Letters from the Table via our calendar here on Luma, on substack, and on Instagram to be the first to know about our future events. As we get going, we'll be sharing more resources and events hosted by other folks in the community aimed at supporting folks working in the food & beverage industry.
Please note: By signing up for this event you agree to receive email communication from Letters from the Table (and from Fabrik) related to this gathering and future offerings. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Photos may be taken during the event for promotional purposes. By attending, you consent to your image being used in future marketing materials. If you have any concerns, please let us know.