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 Trajectory 04:26 – Discovering Hospitality as His Lane 08:58 – Getting Accepted as a Shaved Ice Vendor in Brooklyn 09:49 – Launching Bonsai Café and Learning the Business 11:24 – COVID Hits: Closing the Café and Moving Back to Miami 14:00 – Starting Over with a Farmers Market in Aventura 18:48 – Seeing the Vision for Smorgasburg Miami 20:05 – Convincing the Landlords and Licensing the Brand 22:25 – The Grueling Process of Getting Permits Approved 24:56 – Opening Day in Wynwood: 15,000 Attendees and Flying Tents 27:38 – Sustaining Demand Week After Week 28:20 – Acquiring the Entire Smorgasburg Brand 30:51 – Reframing Entrepreneurship as a “Grand Adventure” 32:01 – Building Motorcycle Matcha in the Japanese Countryside 34:00 – Sourcing, Storytelling, and Building a Passion-Driven Brand 36:17 – Growing Up in a Tight-Knit, Entrepreneurial Community 38:40 – “Entrepreneurship Is Like Riding a Motorcycle” 41:15 – Gaston’s Vision for Smorgasburg as a National Incubator 43:58 – The Emotional Cost of Growth and Staying Positive 45:57 – Detaching From the Rollercoaster of Business 48:30 – Running Lean: 16 Full-Time Staff, Millions of Visitors 49:51 – Leadership Through Empowerment and Humility 51:50 – Advice to Younger Gaston: Enjoy the Ride 58:45 – The Magic of Type 2 Fun in Entrepreneurship 1:00:09 – Final Words: Start Young, Start Naive, Start NowGuest Links: Website: <a href="http://smorgasburg.com">Smorgasburg.com</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gastonbecherano/">@gastonbecherano </a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/smorgasburgmiami/?hl=en">@​​smorgasburgmiami</a> <a href="https://www.getsaral.com/demo">SARAL: Get your free trial here: https://www.getsaral.com/demo</a> <a href="https://fullyaccountable.com">Fully Accountable: Mention this ad and have your onboarding fees waived at https://fullyaccountable.com</a>Stay Connected! Aaron Spivak: Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/spivak/">@‌Spivak</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-spivak1/">Linkedin</a> The Founders Club Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thefoundersclub/">@‌TheFoundersClub</a> Website <a href="https://www.foundersclubofficial.com/">www.foundersclubofficial.com </a> Founder2Founder: TikTok <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@founder2founderpodcast">@‌Founder2FounderPodcast</a> Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKqcsrehnT78pKq9srJiLuw">@‌Founder2Founder.Podcast</a>

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 sca...

From Selling Shaved Ice to Scaling a National Food Empire