The Tins
Pop-Up
Dinner Series
Side Hustle /
Entrepreneurship
Lisbon, Jan 2020:
I was invited to dinner with friends at a restaurant that only served tinned fish. Then a sardine skeptic, I had no idea what I was about to experience.
It blew me away: Fresh, delicious, cheap, and most importantly, it brought a crowd together to have the best time.
Back home in New York, you can eat the world but you can’t eat this.
I called a friend with experience in food magazines and kitchens in NYC, Barcelona, and Florence, and asked him to be my chef/partner.
We put together a memorable 10-course tasting menu dinner party, all centered around tinned fish.
The Tins was born.
Then, it hit me.
We were serving the best of times.
What we didn’t know going in was that by presenting the best tinned fish in the world, we were doing more than plating delicious food beautifully.
The Tins became a catalyst, attracting talent and brands hungry to play.
We never predicted how our simple idea would spark collaborations with those around us: strategists, retailers, wine bars, photographers, ceramicists, tablewear designers, tastemakers, boutique hotels, UX designers—even Stella Artois approached us for a collab.
@popthetins
We built community and fueled momentum for our dinners, inviting fans behind the scenes during preparations. We consistently shared tin discoveries, recipes, and archival content, keeping the vibe elevated yet fun.
the-tins.com
Aside from buying tickets, visitors could nerd out on our curation of tins, learn more about canneries, wine pairings, recipes and serving suggestions, and of course order tins and sets. Take a closer look here.
People loved what we were doing.
At our events, repeat guests and a raucous dinner party vibe turned strangers into friends–we even learned about a couple who met at one of our dinners. Online, we outperformed industry benchmarks and attracted influential supporters who helped promote our work.
Every event:
Sold out
Insta engagement:
+165%
Industry Standard 0.98%
Avg. profit/event:
2x
Industry Standard 10%
Inc. followers from:
Eater
Edible
Epicurious
Infatuation
Zagat
+every major cannery & tinned fish creator.
Three takeaways:
1
Tinned fish is poised
to become the next ramen.
Back in 2019, even the best tinned fish was perceived as a cheap staple, not unlike ramen, which was once considered cheap dorm food. We elevated it into a delectable, fun, highly shareable dining experience bursting with creative potential at a low production cost.
2
Side project
as an MBA.
Running a business is a real-life MBA—covering research, strategy, product/market fit, P&L, marketing, PR, supply chain, logistics, e-comm, UX/UI, production, project management, legal, accounting, trademark protection, trade shows, and more. My head hurts just thinking about it, and I'm humbled by the expertise required at each step.
3
Every brand can learn
from hospitality.
We invested in understanding our guests and curating every detail—from seating arrangements and our menu’s story to its shareability both IRL and on social—ensuring a complete journey that surprised and delighted. The energy was tangible as we aimed at creating fans before customers.
