How Long Gone 920. - Jessica Koslow
13 snips
Mar 20, 2026 Jessica Koslow, chef and owner of Sqirl in Los Angeles known for her jams and inventive bakery cooking. She talks about expanding into dinner service, bread and sourdough starter stories, staffing AM vs PM shifts, menu choices like skipping a burger, fries and onion rings, seasonal dishes, delivery/menu operations, and brainstorming a jam collaboration.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Why Creative Control Beats Cheap Expansion
- Management hotel deals can pay well but strip creative control, making brand expansion hollow.
- Jessica avoids deals where she loses tone and decision-making because her best work needs full creative input.
Pandemic Killed The Starter, Walton Goggins Bailed Them Out
- Sqirl lost its sourdough starter during COVID from lack of feedings while making meals for hospitality workers.
- They revived the program by sourcing a starter from actor Walton Goggins, who bakes and shares starters.
Feed The Starter Not The Origin Story
- A starter's origin matters less than how you feed and maintain it daily; local water, flour, and climate reshape its character.
- Jessica says feeding routine and environment determine the starter's final flavor more than its pedigree.