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Los Angeles, CA

Building a permanent dessert shop and kitchen to scale inventive pies and ice creams while nurturing community dining.

• Media acclaim: Featured in publications including the New York Times T Magazine, LA Times Image, and Eater LA.
• Creative leadership: Woman-owned and immigrant-founded by chef Karla Subero Pittol.
• Underground roots: Evolved from intimate garage pop-ups into a celebrated culinary experience.
• Near-term opening: First Echo Park storefront is weeks from completion after navigating permitting and construction.
• Scalable vision: Permanent shop serves as prototype for future locations across Los Angeles.

Chainsaw LA is raising capital to convert its long-running pop-up and catering operation into a fully equipped brick-and-mortar dessert shop in Echo Park, Los Angeles. Proceeds will fund commercial kitchen tools, refrigeration, and other restaurant equipment that let the team scale production of its signature pies, inventive ice creams, and fire-kissed treats without sacrificing craft or quality. The funding will also provide start-up working capital for staff onboarding, permitting, ingredient sourcing, and packaging, creating a stable launch pad for consistent service and a welcoming community space.

Founded by Venezuelan born chef and artist Karla Subero Pittol, Chainsaw LA sprang from garage gatherings that fused bold, Latin-influenced flavors with the collegial spirit of Los Angeles’s underground food scene. Coverage in outlets such as the New York Times T Magazine, LA Times Image, and Eater LA has amplified its following, yet the venture remains committed to an all-women workplace and a do-it-yourself ethos that values inclusivity and creativity. Establishing a permanent home will anchor future collaborations, support plans for multiple storefronts, and preserve a distinctive dining experience centered on connection and open-flame craft.

Company Info

Chainsaw is an Echo Park culinary venture that pairs open-flame cooking with a dessert-focused menu and plans to scale through multiple storefronts.

Chainsaw is a Los Angeles culinary concept combining open-flame cooking with a pastry program rooted in Latin American flavors. Based in Echo Park under chef-owner Karla Subero Pittol, the business began as pre-pandemic pop-ups and has evolved into a full-service kitchen that treats fire and coals as primary tools for preparing produce, proteins, and desserts. The regularly changing menu centers on charred vegetables, citrus-accented sauces, house-made ice creams, and seasonal cakes, reflecting Pittol’s background in French pastry, Southern California produce, and Venezuelan ingredients. Beyond its storefront, Chainsaw provides catering and event services across the city, maintaining a flexible production schedule that can shift from plated dinners to dessert-only drops.

Operationally, Chainsaw is structured around an all-women team committed to transparent workplace practices and collaborative decision-making. The Echo Park shop, scheduled to open within weeks, functions as both retail counter and R&D space for testing recipes before distributing them through future satellite locations. By refining workflow, staff training, and menu cost controls in this initial site, management intends to build a scalable model that can be replicated in additional neighborhoods. While the long-term vision still includes a bar and full restaurant, near-term growth is focused on expanding the dessert line—particularly cakes, cookies, and fire-kissed specialties—through strategically sited takeaway storefronts.