Meet the Friends Behind the Sold-Out Black-Owned Brand ‘Bop Tarts’

Three friends from The Bronx are behind the hard-to-find “bop tarts” in Target stores nationwide.

Jon Gray, Pierre Serrao, and Lester Walker created Ghetto Gastro, the brand behind the toaster pastries and pancake and waffle mix found in a black box in Target’s pastry section.

“Bop Tarts” stands for Black-owned pastries, according to Ghetto Gastro’s TikTok. At the heart of their brand is their home. The co-founders describe The Bronx as a muse and driver of global culture.

“It’s where Caribbean, Latin, Asian, and African cultures seamlessly thrive together, often creating new flavors of their own—including us,” a statement from the co-founders reads on the website.

Their home inspired the unique flavors for the toaster pastries, ranging from Chocolate Raspberry (the hardest one to get your hands on) to PB&J and Maple Apple Cinnamon. People are also raving about the pancake and waffle mix, which comes in Strawberry and Sweet Potato, a fan favorite.

“We’re a flavor company. We layer flavor the same way hip-hop layers samples and interpolations: as a way to expand, comment, shake up, share, and revel in our collective memory,” the co-founders added on their social video.

Even with its popularity on social media, some users say using the term ‘ghetto’ in a Black-owned brand is off-putting.

“I love the Bop Tarts, but the Ghetto Gastro is bothering me,” one TikTok user commented under a video posted on the brand’s account.

A creator responded, stating, “It’s provocative. It gets the people going.”

The co-founders doubled down on their decision to name the brand Ghetto Gastro.

“To us, ‘Ghetto’ means innovation. It’s in our name as a reminder of why we do what we do and who we do it to honor: the under-represented, under-estimated, and too often ignored,” the friends stated.

Aside from toaster pastries and mixes for pancakes and waffles, the co-founders also have syrups to purchase. Syrup flavors include Maple Cider and Spicy Maple.

Ghetto Gastro can be purchased at Target and online.

Source: Face2Face Africa