After the successful launch of Town Love, a women-owned gifting company celebrating Oakland, California, co-founders Kim Bardakian and Nicole Vasgerdsian have announced their newest offering: Town Love Armenia. As longtime friends and proud Armenian-Americans, this gift box is a celebration of their roots and a tribute to the richness of Armenian heritage in the United States.

The box features a curated mix of handpicked artisan foods from Armenian makers across the U.S., blending tradition with contemporary craftsmanship. It also includes a fact sheet outlining interesting tidbits about Armenia and Armenians.

We sat down with co-founder Kim Bardakian to discuss the inspiration behind the new launch, the mission to spotlight Armenian-owned businesses and the importance of celebrating our culture.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Milena Baghdasaryan (M.B.): What inspired you and Nicole to start Town Love?

Kim Bardakian (K.B.): We launched the concept last year, starting with Oakland. As proud Oaklanders, we wanted to elevate our city, which sometimes receives a bad reputation, by showcasing all the beautiful things it has to offer. We decided to curate a box of local products. My partner, Nicole, is a graphic designer, so she handled all the creative aspects.

It was very successful, which led us to this year. In June, we had a realization: aside from being proud Oaklanders, we are proud Armenians. We decided to apply the same concept to our heritage, and Town Love Armenia was born.

For the Armenia box, we took a different approach. Instead of importing products from Armenia and dealing with tariffs and shipping, we wanted to highlight the Armenian diaspora in the U.S. The box features products from Armenian-owned businesses across the country — from Boston and New York to Fresno, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“Town Love Armenia,” featuring delicacies from Armenian-owned businesses across the U.S. Order now or holiday delivery at www.townlovebox.com

M.B.: How do you decide which Armenian brands to collaborate with and which items to include?

K.B.: Our process began by leveraging our network. We reached out to Armenian friends and contacts from coast to coast, asking for recommendations. From there, we conducted our own due diligence.

We had to ensure each company could fulfill a large number of orders and that products had a stable shelf life. For instance, we couldn’t include perishable items, like cheese, or liquids, like wine, due to shipping constraints.

It was a very deliberate process. We also wanted the box to be geographically diverse — not a “Glendale-only” box — [because] it was important to represent other cities and regions. Finally, all the products had to physically fit inside. It was like putting together a puzzle, but we feel really good about the products we selected. Additionally, we designed and included a “fact sheet,” filled with fun facts about Armenia and Armenians in the diaspora.

M.B.: You mentioned the box is focused on U.S.-based businesses. Do you plan to expand and collaborate with businesses in Armenia?

K.B.: Currently, we are focused on U.S.-based businesses. Nicole and I are both diasporan Armenians, born in America, and our grandparents are genocide survivors. We felt most connected to the diaspora community and wanted to take a different twist on this concept by highlighting the many creative and successful entrepreneurs here in the U.S.

We will see where this project takes us after the holiday season.

But for now, we believe there is so much talent within the Armenian-American community that we wanted to start here.

M.B.: What makes your initiative stand out from similar competitors?

K.B.: A couple of key things. First, our focus is exclusively on U.S.-based, Armenian-owned companies. Second, we are not a subscription-based service. This isn’t a box you receive monthly; it’s designed as a one-time purchase. We may update it or release a completely new box in the future, but for now, it’s not a subscription. We are excited for people to consider it as a unique gift for friends, employees, colleagues or board members.

M.B.: Is there a general message you want to convey with each box?

K.B.: Yes, there is a standard message. Printed on the inside cover is a special note from Nicole and me, expressing our pride as Armenians and our hope that the recipient enjoys this look into our culture.

I should also mention that we fulfill custom orders. We’ve worked with the NBA for their All-Star Weekend and with large companies to create custom boxes, which have been very successful.

Co-founders, Kim and Nicole, proudly display the variety of custom gift boxes they’ve created, celebrating local makers, community and culture through every box

M.B.: How has the feedback been so far?

K.B.: The feedback has been phenomenal. It’s exciting because it’s a new concept. We are all proud Armenians, and people are excited to discover new products. Most recipients aren’t aware of all nine products; they may know three or four. But everyone is learning something new, saying, “Oh, I didn’t know this was Armenian-owned,” or, “I’ve never heard of this brand, I’m going to check them out.” We feel it’s a win-win for everyone involved.

M.B.: What has been the most meaningful moment for you since starting this project?

K.B.: A very memorable moment happened just two weeks ago. I was on vacation in Italy and learned that Henrikh Mkhitaryan was doing a book signing in Milan on the same night. Before my trip, I had deconstructed one of the boxes, packed it flat in my suitcase and brought it with me.

After waiting an hour, I approached him. I was dumbfounded when he looked at the box and said, “Oh yeah, I’ve seen this on Instagram.” He said it twice! It made me feel like we are really onto something. Henrikh is actually featured on the fact sheet we include in the box, so I was able to take it out and show him his name under the “Famous Armenians in Sports” section.

International soccer player, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, receiving his own “Town Love Armenia” box at his recent book signing in Milan, Italy

M.B.: Do you have a personal favorite item in the box?

K.B.: That’s like asking to pick a favorite child! However, since I’m in the San Francisco Bay Area, I am partial to one of our local products: Henry’s House of Coffee. We include a small package of their Armenian blend coffee. Because they are local to me — they have a store right here, in San Francisco — that one holds a special place.

M.B.: Do you primarily reach out to businesses, or do they come to you?

K.B.: Initially, we reached out to all the businesses, as nobody knew about the project yet. Since our launch, however, we’ve had many people come to us with suggestions, saying, “If you do another box, you should include this company.” We now have a running list of other businesses we would consider for a future box. But I am very pleased with the collection we’ve curated.

M.B.: Do you see this project as a bridge between the diaspora and Armenians in Armenia?

K.B.: Of course. Ultimately, we are all Armenian. We designed this box with that in mind, especially with the inclusion of the fact sheet. This box makes a great gift from an Armenian to a non-Armenian, as a way of saying, “Hey, get to know who we are; learn about us.”

We want non-Armenians to learn about our culture. This box gives them a sense of our people, our creativity, and our entrepreneurship.

M.B.: You and Nicole have been friends for a long time. How does that friendship influence your business partnership?

K.B.: Nicole and I have known each other since 1996. You always pause when considering going into business with a friend, but it has been great for us. The reason it works is that we have very clearly defined roles based on our strengths. Nicole is the creative one; anything design-related — the website, the look and feel of the brand — is all her.

I handle the PR, marketing and sales. I have a lot of connections throughout the country and leverage those relationships. We know our respective strengths, and we stick to them. Luckily, this venture has only strengthened our friendship.

M.B.: What has been your biggest challenge so far?

K.B.: Our biggest challenge stems from our strengths. As I said, she’s creative and I’m in marketing. Neither of us is strongest in operational processes, or the “devil is in the details” of logistics. We make it happen, but we recognize this as a pain point. As we continue to grow, it would be great to bring in someone who is truly focused on operations.

M.B.: How is the project funded?

K.B.: The project has been entirely self-funded. We each put in a very small amount of capital initially. Knock on wood, since launching the Oakland box last year, we have been profitable and continue to grow. We anticipate more sales, especially now with the addition of the Armenia box. Currently, we offer both the new Armenia box and a brand new, refreshed Oakland box.

M.B.: Does the Armenia box include items other than food, like books?

K.B.: Right now, we have stuck to food items and “munchies.” There’s Armenian coffee, pita chips with za’atar, a small pomegranate vinegar, a nut mix, etc. We thought snack items would be fun to start with. Who knows what the future holds? People have already approached us, mentioning they have perfume or candle companies. We’ll see where this takes us.

M.B.: How do you plan to expand the business?

K.B.: Right now, we are 100% focused on the holidays and collecting orders. Looking ahead, I feel that custom boxes for corporate gifting are a strong direction for us. I’ve already handled several large custom orders, so that may be a primary route for expansion. The feedback has been very positive, which continues to give us momentum.

M.B.: What is the best Armenian gift you have ever received?

K.B.: As trite as it may sound, my best Armenian gift is the feeling I get the minute I land in Hayastan (Armenia). To me, that is the ultimate gift. We tried to reflect that feeling in our box design, including key, iconic cultural symbols: pomegranates, an image of Mount Ararat, the forget-me-not flower and even the Armenian alphabet on the inside bottom of the box.

M.B.: Do you plan to update the box every holiday season?

K.B.: If we continue, I am sure we will do a refresh, similar to how we just launched a “2.0 version” for the Oakland box. People have already told us that once they eat all the goodies, they can’t wait to keep the box itself. It’s beautiful, thick and keepsake-quality — all thanks to Nicole; she is great with design.

M.B.: What is your message to Armenians around the world?

K.B.: My message is that we are stronger together. Elevating and supporting one another is so important. Our Town Love Armenia box is one small aspect of that — it represents how we can support other businesses and, at the same time, elevate who we are and our collective pride. That is what makes us better and stronger.