Isa Iturriria, a third year majoring in agricultural business and minoring in sales, recently discovered a new passion and talent, which she has turned into a thriving business: making charcuterie boards.
For Isa, this endeavor started with some free cheese she received from her sales job at the Cal Poly Creamery and a friend’s birthday.
“I have always had a more creative side that is best expressed in aesthetically pleasing creations,” she explained, and “[making charcuterie boards] felt so fun for me; it was so easy and it came so naturally.”
While Isa had made boards for her family before, the inspiration for her business, Boards by Isa, didn’t manifest until she spent three to four hours making a large board for her friend’s birthday, which she recalls as being a “huge hit”.Â
With the encouragement of her friends and family, Isa created an Instagram account for her business in July of 2021, and began to advertise in November, immediately after which she received a flood of community interest and support. She received numerous texts, calls, and requests from the parent Facebook page asking about her services, her plans for upcoming holidays like Thanksgiving, and where she will be located. By the end of last year, Isa had made and sold 15 charcuterie boards. Her biggest boards, such as the one pictured below, sold for $120 each.
Recently, however, Isa has begun to shift her business model away from these large boards, electing instead to make small, holiday specific boards that sell for $25 each. This change arose with her desire to make the boards more “college friendly.” She realized that in order to serve all members of the Cal Poly community, including students, she’d need to make her boards more affordable. Another addition Isa made to her business was to offer a delivery option. For an extra $10, Isa will deliver the boards directly to students living in the dorms on campus. This new model has appealed to both parents and students.Â
The first small holiday boards she and her team produced were for Valentine’s Day, and just like her other creations, these heart shaped boards were a massive hit. After just five hours, she had sold all 24 boards.Â
Isa’s next project is 48 St. Patrick’s Day boards, of which she has already sold 26. She began selling to her waitlisted customers on February 17th, and then opened sale to the general public on February 18th. Isa will also be selling boards for Easter and Mother’s Day.
She credits much of her success to the overwhelming support of the Cal Poly community, saying, “I really just can’t thank them enough.”Â
But this is only the beginning for Boards by Isa. In the future, Isa hopes to partner with other local and student-run businesses, contract out her business, and even sell prepackaged boards wholesale to wineries in the San Luis Obispo area. Â
If you’re inspired by Isa’s story or want to order one of her special creations, check out the information below.Â
Phone: (805) 926 – 5365
Email: isa.iturriria@gmail.com
Instagram: @boardsbyisaÂ