'I'm living the dream' as my side hustle turned into a $6.6 million business at 48 years old.

At Jono Pandolfi's Union City, New Jersey, pottery studio, he and his 30-person team unload over a thousand pieces out of their 13 kilns, and ship the plates, bowls and mugs to restaurants and home chefs worldwide.

Jono Pandolfi Designs' multitextured dinnerware is used in hundreds of restaurants and featured in FX's TV series "The Bear." Large-scale collaborations propelled the company into profitability in 2012. However, when restaurants were shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company expanded its direct-to-consumer offerings, says Pandolfi.

Direct-to-consumer sales now account for nearly half of the business's revenue, with projections indicating that the company will bring in over $6.6 million in 2024, according to CNBC Make It.

"According to Pandolfi, 48, building a business that generates over $6 million per year is challenging for a ceramic artist or someone with a background in clay. He feels like he's living the dream of a ceramic artist."

Pandolfi's products, including four-piece settings starting at $172 on its website, are now available for customers to purchase for themselves. The studio charges $51 for an 8-inch pasta bowl, which is made from about $1 worth of clay but has significantly higher labor expenses, says Pandolfi, who declined to disclose the company's overall profit margins.

Although labor is the company's largest expense, the process of firing and glazing bowls also requires a financial investment. After acquiring high-profile clients such as Anthropologie and Crate & Barrel, the studio needed to increase its kiln capacity to meet the demand. Since 2016, the business has taken out three loans, each ranging from $100,000 to $200,000, according to Pandolfi.

Pandolfi remarks, 'The kilns pay for themselves, really,' as the studio's large gas kiln can fire about 500 dinner plates a night, resulting in about $18,000 in potential revenue.

Growing the business production capacity and revenue took decades. Pandolfi launched the company as a side hustle and personal creative outlet in 2004, while he taught ceramics and worked for larger manufacturers to cover bills. When he lost his manufacturing job six years later, he took it as a sign to grow his company full-time, about 60 hours per week.

In 2012, the NoMad Hotel opened in New York, marking a significant milestone for Pandolfi's company. They ordered over 6,000 pieces in a $100,000 deal, which led to the hiring of his first full-time employee and an increase in equipment purchases. Unfortunately, the hotel has since closed.

Pandolfi's ultimate goal is to build the business steadily, increase its production, output, and margins. The company's direct-to-consumer strategy has been successful in supporting this vision, with $5.2 million in revenue in 2023 and a tripling of revenue since 2020.

"From the beginning, building this company in a sustainable way has been crucial to me. Now, my goal is to maintain that growth and capture the organic demand that exists for us, all while preserving the essence of this place."

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