Christina Milian is bringing a piece of New Orleans, Louisiana to Cali with the launch of her new beignet restaurant in Studio City, California. The new Beignet Box Café encapsulates the deliciousness of NOLA’s most notable dessert, enabling west coasters to experience the magic of authentic beignets.
Stemming from the partnership of Christina Milian and Louisiana native Elizabeth Morris, the Beignet Box brand is the brainchild of the two longtime friends. According to LA Weekly, the idea for the Beignet Box was sparked after the two went to NOLA to help Louisiana natives rebuild their communities after Hurricane Katrina.
Years later the dynamic duo had their own beignet food truck, debuting at the Tiger Stadium in Louisiana back in 2019. Two months after their premiere in Louisiana, Milian and Morris made their way back to Los Angeles, stationing their food truck right on Ventura Boulevard down in Studio City.
The Beignet Box quickly took off while in LA, attracting celebrity fans like Beyoncé, Harry Styles and Kim Kardashian alongside anyone else that happened to be strolling on Ventura Blvd. During an interview with LA Weekly back in 2020 Milian expressed that finding the correlations between her Cuban heritage and Louisianan culture helped with the formation of the Beignet Box.
“Two of the biggest factors of being a Cuban woman is food and music, which are obviously two things I love the most,” Milian tells L.A. Weekly. “Sweets are another thing I love, but beignets are not something I was accustomed to. Louisiana is so flavorful — salty, sweet — and that’s how Cubans like it. They’ve got their chicory, and coffee is a big deal for Cubans as well. We like a lot of milk and a lot of sugar in our coffee. We have café au lait in our truck. They kind of reflect each other and are a perfect fit.”
Milian’s appreciation for food and willingness to step out of her cultural comfort zone helped propel the Beignet Box into what it is today. While the Beignet Box has a storefront, their food truck is still running and can be booked to cater any event!