# Live Episode! Milk Bar: Christina Tosi (2019)

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2021-10-25
- Length: 1h 05m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-25-live-episode-milk-bar-christina-tosi-2019

## Summary

Christina Tosi, founder of Milk Bar, explains how she transitioned from a pastry cook at high-end NYC restaurants like WD50 and Momofuku to opening her own bakery in 2008 with mentor David Chang. She details the creation of iconic products like crack pie and compost cookies, which were born from improvisation and a desire to make nostalgic, unfussy desserts accessible. Tosi describes scaling the business from a single East Village location to 16 shops and a national retail presence, emphasizing her decision to keep prices low and bootstrap the company for eight years before raising outside capital. The episode highlights her operational challenges, including managing supply chains for mail-order goods and expanding production capacity to support growth.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-25-live-episode-milk-bar-christina-tosi-2019#t=0) Introduction: Christina Tosi and Milk Bar
- [4:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-25-live-episode-milk-bar-christina-tosi-2019#t=297) Early Life and Culinary Education
- [15:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-25-live-episode-milk-bar-christina-tosi-2019#t=929) Working at Boule and WD50
- [25:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-25-live-episode-milk-bar-christina-tosi-2019#t=1553) Inventing Crack Pie and Cereal Milk
- [39:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-25-live-episode-milk-bar-christina-tosi-2019#t=2348) Opening the First Milk Bar Location
- [48:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-25-live-episode-milk-bar-christina-tosi-2019#t=2901) Pricing Strategy and Unit Economics
- [53:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-25-live-episode-milk-bar-christina-tosi-2019#t=3192) Scaling Operations and Supply Chain
- [1:00:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-10-25-live-episode-milk-bar-christina-tosi-2019#t=3622) Raising Capital and Future Vision

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Milk Bar (product)
- David Chang (other)
- WD50 (company)
- Momofuku (company)
- Boule (company)
- Anderson Cooper (other)
- Compost Cookie (product)
- Crack Pie (product)
- Cereal Milk (product)

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