Meet the Makers

In Hollis, Queens, a unique gem in the city’s manufacturing scene stands out: Mama O’s Premium Kimchi. Founded by Kheedim Oh, this business has grown from a simple need for homemade kimchi into a thriving company producing not only kimchi but also kimchi paste, kimchili sauce, and DIY kimchi kits. With a new facility and big dreams, Kheedim shares his journey, the challenges of being a small manufacturer in New York City, and his hopes for the future.

Kheedim’s journey started not with a business plan but with a craving. “I never intended to start a business,” he admits. “I just needed some kimchi for myself, so I asked my mom to teach me how to make it.” That simple request turned into something much bigger when Kheedim found himself with a 50-pound batch of kimchi—far more than he could consume alone. After sharing some with his butcher, Kheedim discovered a surprising demand for his homemade product. “I brought some by, and he loved it,” Kheedim recalls. “So I said, ‘I sell this,’ and he wanted to start carrying it.”

From there, Mama O’s grew organically. “I started doing demos at the meat market in the Lower East Side, made a few cold calls, and got my second account with Marlow & Daughters in Brooklyn. It just kept growing from there.”

As the business expanded, so did the challenges. After a decade in Brooklyn’s Pfizer Building, Kheedim found himself facing the harsh realities of New York City’s real estate market. “My 10-year lease ran out, and I didn’t have Brooklyn money anymore,” he says. The search for a new space led him to Hollis, where he recently moved into a new factory—just a 30-minute commute from his home, a non-negotiable for Kheedim. “I live here; it’s my home,” he explains. “I didn’t want a crazy commute, and I needed a space that was subway accessible for my staff.”

“Doing business in New York City is tough,” he acknowledges, citing the high cost of rent compared to other cities. But for Kheedim, the benefits of being in New York far outweigh the drawbacks. “It’s about lifestyle integration. I’m a New Yorker; I want to live in New York and do New York stuff. And no one else does kimchi the way we do.”

With a staff of seven people, including Kheedim and his wife, the kimchi-making process is still quite the undertaking. Napa cabbage arrives, gets chopped, and is brined in salt water overnight. The cabbage is then washed and mixed with Mama O’s kimchi paste, a recipe created by Kheedim’s mother. Once mixed, the cabbage is placed in buckets and allowed to ferment in the fridge for at least a week.

Now settled in their new space, Mama O’s is poised for further growth. “We’re in a good place, heading in the right direction,” Kheedim says. The new facility has given them the capacity to scale, and Kheedim has his sights set on expanding nationally. “We’d love to go national with our kimchi. We’re already national with our food service products, but kimchi is difficult.”

Kheedim is also interested in expanding Mama O’s presence in the food service industry, particularly in universities. “Food service is great because you’re feeding a larger number of people, and there’s less bullshit you have to deal with,” he says with a laugh. “We’re looking forward to growing the company and helping feed people good food that’s really good for you.”