Today we’d like to introduce you to Cidney Frahm.
Hi Cidney, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Well, my story starts on Oahu, the island where I was born and raised. My Hawaiian upbringing is a huge part of who I am & this business we’ve created! Li Hing Mui (lee-he-muy) is one of the most popular treats on the island. Similarly, to how people in California put chamoy or tajin on everything, Hawaii locals put the Li Hing Mui powder on fruits, gummies, and even popcorn.
We started this business for fun just a few months ago. I had just mastered my signature Li Hing Queen sauce and my sister was visiting from Hawaii. She wanted me to package some up for my nieces and parents when I decided “you know what I’m going to post this to Instagram and see what happens”. In a short period of time, this business has boomed from just a fun hobby to a flourishing small business.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The hardest part of starting and running a business is that I’m a stay-at-home mom with 2 kids under 3! So, managing a business while trying to stay engaged with my babies has been tough! There’s the mom guilt, & regular daily tasks fall behind. There are a lot of man-hours that go into having a business succeed, especially when social media and content is your biggest tool. Luckily, I am blessed to have a husband who is super supportive & helpful. He works full time, comes home & rolls up his sleeves to help me crank our orders out, film new reels on Instagram, or just picks up the kids so I can work quickly. I couldn’t do it without him!
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?
My product “Li Hing Queen” sauce can be best described as the Chamoy of the Hawaiian Islands. However, Li Hing Mui has no chili or spice. it is simply sweet, salty, and a tad sour! Again, not spicy.
Specifically, I create a sauce with the Li Hing Mui powder that I mix over different gummies and candy. I then garnish the coated treats with candied, dried, lemon slices!!! The popularity of chamoy-style candies in San Diego is what really made me want to try my hand at bringing Hawaiian flavor to the mainland! It is so similar but just the right amount of different! It took me some time to get my Li Hing Mui sauce just right, but I feel that I’ve mastered it and that’s why I pride myself on being the Li Hing Mui Queen.
I’m most proud when islanders or locals from home try my candy and come back for more! Recently, we were vendors at the Pacific Islander fest. We had so many return customers, who bought our candy, walked around the festival, and then came back for more! Seeing them come back for more, made me feel pride that I’m doing it right, and I’m not lying when I say it gave me goosebumps. I get really excited when the Chamoy lovers like our products too because it just affirms that I had the right idea when I thought if we can just get people to try it, we KNOW they’ll love it.
I believe that what sets us apart from others, in addition to having created a product that really embodies the nostalgia of my childhood in Hawaii is our exceptional customer service! My husband and I actually met at a local restaurant, while we were both working there as servers & we have over 20+ years combined experience working in the service industry. All of that training, has prepared us to operate our business in a way that prioritizes customer satisfaction & food safety. We strive to make personal connections with our customers and always make sure to follow up to ensure satisfaction.
We have two retail locations:
- L&L Hawaiian BBQ in El Cajon
- Ewa ‘88 located inside The Market on 8th St in National City
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am all about risk-taking! I moved to San Diego with just my best friend right after high school. All in, with less than $1000 just 10 years ago. My husband is the level-headed logical one, where as I like to act on my vision and ideas regardless of the risk! That probably goes hand in hand with my laid-back, island upbringing and just going with the flow. Participating as vendors at the Pacific Islander Fest was a huge risk for us, being a brand-new business taking on one of the biggest events in San Diego. It’s an event that brings in around 100,000 people over the weekend & it was only our 3rd event to date. But in the end, it was all worth it, because we sold out, and sold out early! You just have to go all in & have faith! Some of the best advice my husband and I got is, “Not even you can get in the way of what God has planned for you”
Pricing:
- All of our goods sell for $10
- $10 Gush Snacks
- $10 Watermelon slices
- $10 Sour Kids
- $10 Licorice
Contact Info:
- Website: lihingqueen.com
- Instagram: @lihing.queen
- Other: TikTok @lihing.queen
Image Credits
Chelsea Elise Photography
