Sustaining local food businesses with stronger design

Collage of various Asian foods including noodle bowls, steamed dumplings, rice with fish, and vendor pouring batter into molds.

Founded by daughter of immigrant restaurant owners, we exist to ensure that independent, small-scale, mom-and-pop food businesses thrive—profitably and sustainably—for generations to come.

What We Do

Diverse-owned businesses make up 53% of California’s small businesses but generate only 37% of total revenues.

CalAsian Chamber of Commerce, The Impact of Diverse Small Businesses (2024)

Learn More

Hi! We’re Akitso, a nonprofit design studio dedicated to advancing equity in the food industry through design.

Close-up of two people holding hands across a table with coffee mugs and red chopsticks.

  • Great food is unforgettable—but when there’s a strong story behind it, people connect even more. Akitso helps businesses shape a clearer, stronger concept and visual identity that connects their story with the people they want to serve.

    • Brand narratives

    • Logo & visual Identity

    • Menu, signage, packaging

    • Marketing materials

  • People discover food online before they ever taste it. Akitso helps local small business show up online so new customers can find them, and loyal ones keep coming back.

    • Website

    • Google Business

    • Social Media

    • Email marketing

    • Customer engagement strategies

    • Local PR activations

  • Storefront and interior design plans that enhance curb appeal, flow, and the customer experience—through thoughtful layout, signage, and material choices.

    • Storefront design

    • Interior refresh

    • Furniture & fixture upgrades

Our Work
Ethiopian woman dressed in traditional clothing setting up a coffee ceremony ritual at Addis Ethiopian Restaurant in San Diego

Addis Ethiopian Restaurant

A design-led transformation that increased discoverability, strengthened cultural identity, and drove significant revenue growth for a local family-owned restaurant in San Diego.

Case Study
Read Case Study

Recent journal entries

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A kitchen worker is holding sheets of paper, with a few other sheets seen on the counter. The person is wearing a white chef's coat.
A person wearing gloves sprinkling an ingredient into a metal bowl in a kitchen.
Person using an electric sander on a wooden surface in a workshop.
Two people pouring batter into small black circular molds on a rustic work surface to make traditional Asian pancakes or snacks.
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Losing my family’s restaurant led me to this mission…

Why I started Akitso, a nonprofit dedicated to providing affordable, high-quality branding, marketing, and business support to independent food businesses.

Our Story