Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Bencomo.
Hi Lauren, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In January of 2020, my aunt, Samantha Bencomo, decided to start her own small charcuterie business in El Paso, Texas. She started advertising and posting on Instagram and began gaining some momentum. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. With everyone in quarantine, she thought she would have to put the business on pause. That was until she came up with the idea to offer contactless Mother’s Day picnic box deliveries. At the time, I was a freshman in high school doing online school, so I was recruited to help assemble and deliver the boxes. We received so many orders and were able to make so many moms’ days during a really difficult time. After Mother’s Day, I started working with my aunt more regularly and quickly realized that I loved being involved in every part of the business. From taking orders and building boards to talking with customers and handling issues, I genuinely enjoyed it all.The business continued to grow, and my dad eventually decided to invest in Fig & Brie. Together, we were able to open our first brick-and-mortar location in October of 2020. I took on the role of COO at Fig & Brie El Paso and continued working there for the next three years while I finished high school. In May of 2023, I graduated and decided to attend the University of Texas at Austin. At that point, I thought my journey with Fig & Brie was over. Then, during my second semester of freshman year, we received an inquiry about opening a franchise location in Austin. My dad and aunt met with Ivanna, who was also from El Paso and wanted to open her own Fig & Brie location in Austin. My family decided it would be a great opportunity for them to own part of the Austin location, while also allowing me to help manage it. We started looking for a brick-and-mortar location and, after about four months, found what we thought was the perfect space. We hoped to be open by October 2024, but the process ended up taking much longer than expected. After countless issues with construction, permits, and just about everything else that could go wrong, we were finally able to open our doors in November of 2025. At the time, I was majoring in Corporate Communications at UT, and so much of what I was learning in school started to directly apply to what I was experiencing with Fig & Brie. My classes taught me the importance of building genuine relationships, communicating effectively, understanding sales, and knowing how to work with all different types of people. More importantly, I learned how much communication impacts the way you show up as a boss, a coworker, a friend, a customer, and a service provider. I was able to take what I was learning in the classroom and immediately apply it to the business. Balancing school and Fig & Brie was definitely not easy. Getting the business up and running and trying to get our name out there was difficult, especially while studying for finals and keeping up with everything else that comes with being a college student. Eventually, I decided to apply to graduate early so I could dedicate more of my time to the business. The months that followed were stressful, but we also made some great connections and had some amazing opportunities. I was able to graduate from the University of Texas in May, and I can finally focus all of my attention on Fig & Brie and helping it grow. Fig & Brie has been a huge part of my life for the past six years, and I’m so excited to see where we can take it next.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Opening Fig & Brie Austin has been anything but a smooth road. Sometimes it honestly feels like if there is a problem that could happen, it has happened to us. One of the biggest struggles has been balancing work and school. There were so many times when I felt like I was giving everything I had to the business and then realized I was neglecting school, or I would focus on school and feel like I wasn’t giving the business enough attention. There have also been a lot of challenges that come with simply running a small business. We have had days with absolutely no orders, and then other days where we were completely overwhelmed. There was one week where I had to work in the shop by myself because I didn’t have any employees. I was doing everything from taking orders, making boards, cleaning, answering emails, and making deliveries. I’ve gotten calls at 7:00 in the morning asking if they could place an order and calls at 9:30 at night asking if we could make an order for the next morning. There have been so many days where I felt like I was constantly working and still had a million other things that needed to be done. We have also had some of our best employees have to leave because of school, internships, or starting their careers. Another huge struggle has been simply getting people to know that Fig & Brie Austin exists. I have spent countless hours doing outreach, sending what feels like a million emails, cold calling real estate agents, walking into nearby businesses, reaching out to event planners, and DMing so many Instagram accounts. A lot of the time, I never hear back. It can definitely be discouraging to spend hours reaching out to people and not see an immediate result. But I think all of these experiences have taught me a lot. I’ve learned that owning a business means you have to be willing to do whatever needs to be done, even when it isn’t fun or when you don’t know if it is going to pay off. There have been a lot of stressful days, but there have also been so many moments that have made all of it worth it. Every new order, connection, employee, or opportunity feels like a little reminder that all of the work is slowly paying off.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Fig & Brie is a charcuterie and catering business that specializes in creating beautiful, elevated food experiences for all types of events. We do everything from individual charcuterie boxes and cups to large grazing tables, corporate events, weddings, bridal showers, private parties, and custom setups. One of my favorite parts of the business is getting to take someone’s vision for an event and turn it into something that is both beautiful and delicious.
A big part of my role has been coming up with new concepts and ideas that make Fig & Brie different. One of my favorites is our bridal suite menu, which was created specifically for brides and their bridal parties to enjoy while they are getting ready for their special day. We also created our roaming charcuterie tray, where a Fig & Brie employee walks around an event allowing guests to put together their own charcuterie cup. I
We have also spent a lot of time perfecting our full table spreads. We’ve learned what works best when it comes to building the tables, transporting them, delivering them, and setting everything up so that they look just as good when we arrive as they did when we planned them. We’ve also developed new menu items along the way and have been able to create boards that pair perfectly with the wines we carry in our shop. Being able to constantly create, test, and improve what we offer has been one of my favorite parts of growing the business.
Our styled full spreads have also become one of my favorite things we do. If a client is having a themed party, we can create a completely custom menu based on their theme and take care of the full table styling, decor, food, and setup. We’ve done themes like “PJs & Prosecco,” “Aged to Perfection,” “She’s Fresh Off the Market,” and an “Enchanted Forest” baby shower. Each one is completely different, and I love getting to figure out how to bring the theme into every detail, from the food to the decor and the overall look of the table.
I think what we are best known for is our attention to detail and our ability to customize what we do for each client. We don’t want every event to look the same. Whether someone wants a simple charcuterie board for a girls’ night or a full grazing table for 100 people, we try to make everything feel personal to them and their event. I also think our presentation sets us apart.
I also think what sets us apart is that we genuinely care about our customers and the relationships we build. We are a small business, and I think that allows us to give a level of personal attention that can sometimes get lost with larger catering companies. I want every customer to feel like we are excited about their event and that we are just as invested in making it special as they are. At the end of the day, I’m proud that Fig & Brie is more than just charcuterie. We get to be a small part of people’s weddings, birthdays, celebrations, work events, and special moments.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My biggest piece of advice is to just start. You are never going to feel completely ready, and there will always be something you think you need to figure out before you can take the next step. I definitely didn’t know everything when I started, and honestly, I’m still learning something new almost every day.
I also think you have to be willing to put yourself out there, even when it feels uncomfortable. Especially when you’re starting a small business, people aren’t going to know who you are unless you tell them. Send the email, make the phone call, walk into the business, send the DM, introduce yourself. A lot of the opportunities we’ve gotten with Fig & Brie have come from simply reaching out and starting a conversation.
Something else I wish I understood earlier is that not every day is going to feel like progress. There will be days with no orders, days where something goes completely wrong, and days where you question whether what you’re doing is actually working. Running a business takes a lot of patience, and sometimes the work you’re doing today doesn’t pay off until months later.
There is no perfect way to start a business. You just have to start somewhere, keep learning, and be willing to do the work.
Pricing:
- Individual Cups: $10
- Picnic Boxes: $12-$55
- Charcuterie Boards: $80-$200
- Table Spreads and full grazing table set ups: custom
Contact Info:
- Website: https://figandbrieboards.com/austin/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/figandbrie_atx/?hl=en
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fig-and-brie-austin
