How Papa Luc’s Provisions is claiming Haiti’s place at the CPG table

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The Highlight product intelligence platform helped Papa Luc's Provisions achieve:

For founder Gaïana Joseph, Papa Luc’s Provisions is more than a food brand—it’s an invitation to get to know the real Haiti. This Haitian-born entrepreneur has set out to build a company rooted in family recipes, the practices that tie her family to the land, and a mission to show the world a side of Haiti too rarely seen. Named after Gaïana’s grandfather, a respected agriculturist, Papa Luc’s Provisions seeks to honor the richness of Haitian land and culture through pantry staples like hot sauce and honey.

Pictured: Papa Luc himself (Gaïana's grandfather). The photography you see throughout this piece are from Gaïana's family photo album.

As Gaïana puts it, “Haiti is incredibly, incredibly rich. The land is incredibly fruitful. In the past, Haiti was called the Pearl of the Antilles. I want to romanticize my culture, the food, the land, the richness that is born out of Haiti.”

“Haiti is incredibly, incredibly rich... I want to romanticize my culture, the food, the land, the richness that is born out of Haiti.”

This mission isn’t just personal—it’s cultural. For Haiti, it’s about reclaiming identity and highlighting abundance in place of crisis. For Haitians abroad, it’s a reconnection to roots. For the rest of the world, it’s an education: Haiti is not defined by scarcity, but by creativity, resourcefulness, and richness.

Bringing the Papa Luc’s brand to shelf

When it comes to turning dreams into business realities, platforms like Syndeo and Highlight can help. Syndeo, whose name comes from the Greek word to connect, is a commercialization accelerator for new ideas and technologies in consumer brands.  

“We work with young founders to connect them with people who innovate in the space–whether that’s a really cool platform like Highlight, a raw material innovator, or a packaging innovator, we explore how to get them to market,” explained Alessia Becker, founding partner at Syndeo. 

“When we learned about the opportunity to run a concept test through Highlight, that seemed like the perfect opportunity because this is the feedback Gaïana needs for this stage of her business.”

Gaïana used the Highlight platform to test product concepts and see which of her treasured family recipes could translate to success on shelf. She uploaded stimuli (i.e., photos) of Haitian peanut butter and Haitian hot sauce, and built an audience of 260 respondents from Highlight’s nationwide community of pre-verified, vetted product testers to weigh in with their opinions.

Highlight platform findings

Consumer insights played a pivotal role in identifying next steps for Papa Luc’s Provisions. Using Highlight, Gaïana tested early concepts to better understand how different audiences would respond:

Hot sauce perceptions: Many consumers assumed Haitian hot sauce would be extremely spicy, when in fact Scotch Bonnet peppers offer flavor more akin to habanero than overwhelming heat. Highlight revealed this misperception, guiding packaging and positioning toward “flavorful heat” rather than “exotic spice.”

Millennial preference for peanut butter: Data showed millennials were particularly interested in Haitian peanut butter, reflecting generational preferences for organic and natural nut butters. While Gaïana ultimately deprioritized peanut butter due to safety risks, the insight validated consumer openness to Haitian pantry staples and helped inform a strategic decision to move forward with hot sauce and honey as Papa Luc’s hero products.

Papa Luc’s honey is sourced from a woman-owned, seventh-generation apiary in Petit-Goâve, Haiti, which ties directly to the mission of honoring the land and uplifting Haitian producers.

Luxury everyday products: Highlight data confirmed that higher-income consumers are willing to pay premium prices for items like honey or hot sauce—small luxuries that elevate everyday life with a touch of romance. This reinforced Gaïana's instinct to position Papa Luc’s as a “little luxury” brand rooted in Haiti, that can live on your kitchen shelf.

Retail strategy: Highlight also helped identify where target consumers shop—Whole Foods, Sprouts, and other natural grocers—informing channel strategy for launch.

As Gaïana explains: “At the core of it, [Highlight] answered a lot of my questions… it was really positive, it felt affirming. When you come up with a concept, you wonder if you’re crazy—but it’s exciting to know that people are interested. It warms my heart to know that people are open to exploring my culture in this way.”

Why it matters

For Haiti, Papa Luc’s Provisions is a way of reclaiming narrative. Rather than being seen only through the lens of politics or disaster, Haiti is seen for the rich, creative, and deeply influential contributions it has always made to Caribbean and global foodways.

For the Haitian diaspora, it’s a way of preserving and sharing family legacies. Recipes passed down through generations find new life in modern kitchens.

For global consumers, it’s an invitation to curiosity—a chance to discover Haiti through its flavors and ingredients. As Gaïana notes, “I’m not necessarily building a Haitian brand—I’m building a brand that just so happens to be Haitian. It’s about ingredients that tell the story of the richness of Haiti and what it produces.”

Soon shoppers will be able to find these special products on shelves. Papa Luc’s tagline–From Léogâne, with Love–reinforces that their products are a love letter to Haiti. Even Papa Luc’s packaging is inspired by Haiti’s landscapes and the women who live there–rather than the usual flag colors you might expect from brands trying to denote their origin on their packaging.

Looking ahead

In the next six to 12 months, Gaïana’s focus is on world-building and consumer education:

• Introducing Papa Luc’s through storytelling-driven launches
• Building curiosity and excitement among adventurous, conscious consumers
• Connecting with chefs, food communities, and specialty retailers who can amplify Haiti’s culinary story
  
  

Long-term, Gaïana envisions Papa Luc’s as a global lifestyle brand, bringing the beauty and abundance of Haiti to the world in ways that transcend food.

Papa Luc’s Provisions is about more than a brand or product launch. It’s a cultural project, a reclamation, and a bridge between Haiti and the global stage. By leveraging Highlight’s consumer insights early in the process, Gaïana was able to refine her product strategy, packaging, and positioning—ensuring that Papa Luc’s tells the right story, to the right audience, at the right time.

“Ultimately, I want curious consumers,” explained Gaïana. “People who want to learn more about Haiti. Conscious consumers. People who are adventurous with their palate. That’s who Papa Luc’s is for.”

Follow Papa Luc’s Provisions on Instagram at @papalucsprovisions to learn more.