Pudu Pudu has popped up on Abbot Kinney with a mission to pull pudding out of grandma’s pantry, reinvigorate it with exciting flavor combinations and launch a new dessert trend.
The instantly instagrammable locale features huge windows, bright hues of millennial pink, and dangling plants, which coupled with its affordable pudu mascot is designed to entice young passersby to try its sweet treats.
While the concept may be new, the product dates back to 1891 when the parent company, Dr. Oetker, first invented the pudding powder. Pudu Pudu elevates Dr. Oetker’s classic recipe into the 21st century by incorporating superfood ingredients and funky toppings such as turmeric, spirulina, and edible flowers.
“I believe this is probably the very first pudding store worldwide. We haven’t found anyone else who is doing this” said Florian Schneider, managing director of Dr. Oetker Hospitality. “Pudu Pudu has the aim to be bold and unexpected and welcoming and surprising.”
The creators of Pudu Pudu believe that froyo and cronuts have long had their time in the spotlight and that the latest generation of foodies are ready for a different dessert craze. The recipe is designed to be lighter and use less sugar than traditional puddings and is served at precisely 32 degrees to optimize its fluffy consistency.
The Abbot Kinney location was specifically chosen to meet the brand’s mission of launching a new dessert trend. While the storefront was ready to launch last March, the team decided to hold off on opening until there would be a steady stream of foot traffic and the ability to dine indoors to ensure the concept had the capacity to catch on.
The owners say the wait has paid off and they have been delighted by how many people have stumbled into the store since its grand opening on Monday.
“The feedback so far is very positive. People are surprised by what is possible with a product like pudding,” said Schneider. “Everybody knows it from his or her childhood, but playing with all of these flavors makes it a very exciting experience for them.”
So far the most popular dish has been the “Butterfly in the Sky”, which is a bourbon vanilla pudding with green spirulina, banana cacao powder, chocolate curls and edible jasmine blossom. For vegans or lactose intolerant visitors there is also a dairy free pudding called the “Cool Ocean Dip”. This bright blue dessert features a coconut-pineapple pudding with dried pineapple and coconut crunch.
There are also more savory flavors such as the “Sun Catcher’’ spiced turmeric pudding topped with pomegranate seeds and edible hibiscus flower. The recipes will be changed often to keep the offerings exciting and seasonal. Schneider said the team has already brainstormed over 80 different flavor combinations.
Dr. Oetker Hospitality came up with the concept to expose their brand to more Gen Zers and Millennials. The business was founded in Bielefeld Germany in 1891 and now the Oetker Group owns more than 400 companies across the globe. In Europe, the Dr. Oetker brand is well known for its baking products, desserts, snacks, and pizzas.
Pudu Pudu is the brand’s first unique dessert storefront and is a concept they hope will take off worldwide.
“The reason why we started in Los Angeles is that we believe this is a city where food trends are born,” said Schneider. “We thought we would start here, expand in the US, and then bring the concept back to Germany, the rest of Europe and Asia.”
Clara@smdp.com
