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Kobbler King: Sweet Success in Crenshaw

Feb 16, 2021 at 01:53 PM

Each week during February, the Los Angeles Chargers will highlight the Black history and culture of four unique Los Angeles neighborhoods through the lens of the restaurants, highlighting how food can bring people and communities together.

This week, it's the Kobbler King in Crenshaw.

The Kobbler King

Before he was the "Kobbler King," Brian McMillan started selling his cobbler outside West Angeles Church in Crenshaw.

McMillan would purchase his supplies from Smart and Final, who offered him the opportunity to set up outside on the weekends for their parking lot sales.

Fast forward to 2021, Kobbler King – a Southern California favorite for 27 years – is featured in grocery retail outlets and over 30 restaurants. They've become a staple in the dessert industry, known for their different flavors of cobbler and now gourmet waffles inspired by McMillan's 6- and 8-year-old children.

It must run in the family. McMillan has been cooking since he was 6 years old. He said he loves to eat and share that passion with others through his unique menu, which includes lemon icebox pie, blue velvet waffles and cherry cobbler.

"We try to diversify our menu (and) come up with things that are hard to find or that you won't find," McMillan said.

Crenshaw is a community with lots of activity, according to McMillan. There are always functions at West Angeles Church. It's also home to the Taste of Soul – the largest festival in California – which brings 250,000 people to the city each year.

McMillan has been right in the middle of it all for over a quarter century.

He credits the success of Kobbler King to his local customers in Crenshaw. And with accomplishment comes responsibility to pay it forward.

Whether it's feeding the homeless, donating product or sponsoring athletic teams, McMillan has used his platform to improve the lives of others.

"You have to give back to progress," he said.