Susan Park and Miquel Morel have taken over as new the owners of Fancifull Fine Food and Gift Baskets from founders Terry and Wally August. In a message sent out today, the Augusts announced their retirement and the sale of the business they started 35 years ago.
“For 35 years we have loved working with all of you, searching and finding great products, creating beautiful gifts, and sending messages of gratitude, comfort and love. We’ve met so many wonderful people on our journey. It has given us a wonderful life. We are leaving you in the capable hands of Susan Park and our amazing staff will remain to serve you. Thank You,” wrote the Augusts.
Park, who is trained as a lawyer, and her husband Miquel Morel, who trained as a personal chef and is also a sommelier, also own a restaurant in their native Guam.
“We were thinking of making a change, moving to Los Angeles to raise our young children, and were looking for a business where we could work together,” said Park. She told the Buzz they talked to the Augusts for more than a year before signing the deal. “We are in the hospitality industry and look forward to bringing that expertise to the business.”
“We are serious foodies,” said Park. “We are going to focus on the food and bring our unique background to the selections. But for the most part, we are building on the business that Wally and Terry built. They have created a very unique product with a great deal of attention to detail. Everything is hand selected to reflect the message the sender wants to send to the recipient.”
Park told us she sees her new business as helping her customers nurture relationships with their clients, using Fancifull’s baskets to send just the right message. She said she believes relationship building can be hard to do in the digital world of social media and zoom meetings, but her staff takes the time to work with each client to make the selections that will resonate with the gift’s recipient.
“We want to continue the legacy of Fancifull and bring our own background and ethnicity to the business, possibility adding new products and takig it to another level,” said Park. “We are really excited to have all the staff continue with us as well.”
