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| Submitted by
Linda Vogler, CCSC on 04/10/2002 |
| posted 1/5/2001 11:20:30 AM We
have been catering since we started and bring in about $10,000 a
year, but this is with myself doing most of the catering. We are
getting a big grant to start the full blown catering to help us
become self-sustaining. Can I get any business plans, success
stories, nightmares and policies that other kitchens are doing.
We have a lawyer looking at the for profit, non profit blending
and stuff. I would be so grateful for any help I can get from
the rest of you. |
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| Submitted by
Jane Tally, KCCK on 04/10/2002 |
posted 1/10/2001 10:15:38 AM
Hi Linda! Did you ever talk with Guadalupe Center about your
Spanish program? Regarding for profits, Robert Egger is a great
resource. We are partnering with a battered women's shelter that
wanted to set up a catering business and training program, but
found because of space, staff, etc. they couldn't do both, so we
are training their women that are interested in food service.
They developed a business plan, albeit a very poor one and have
had major problems. They only want to have one chef to do all
the marketing, cooking and delivery! They tried volunteers for
delivery and half the time they didn't show up. I think the
major problem at Newhouse is they are a batter women's shelter
and know nothing about the food business, unlike you who have
been doing it for a living. They even put in their business plan
that they would not break even for four years. There are several
models for such an enterprise. There are restaurants in San
Francisco and Seattle that are training sites. I believe they
have been successful. City One in New York City got lots of
press but eventually went belly up as their target audience was
food stamp recipients and when food stamps were cut several
years ago and the cause lost its glamour they just couldn't make
it. I think it is very difficult to separate your for profit and
not for profit, although funders are really enthusiastic about
the concept. Here in Kansas City almost all our major
foundations are requesting plans of how you are planning to
become self sustaining. |
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| Submitted by
Casey Lewis on 04/10/2002 |
| posted 3/20/2001 6:42:09 PM
Linda, My boss has just been accepted as a Denali Fellow. The
Denali Institute works with non-profit leaders interested in
developing social enterprises, like the catering business you
are thinking about. Like you, we are thinking of creating a
catering business. I would be happy to pass on to you anything
we create as a result of Andy's involvement in the Denali
Initiative (i.e. a business plan). They are having their first
gathering in the next couple of months so everything is really
in the beginning stages. Once we get things going I will be
happy to send you anything you might find useful. |
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| Submitted by
Jane Tally, KCCK on 04/10/2002 |
posted 3/22/2001 4:16:58 PM
Hi, Casey. That is great that your boss is in the program. I am
on the Board of Directors of MidAmerica Assistance Coalition and
their ED, Jan Marcassen, has also been selected as a Denali
Fellow. Another person from Kansas City, Jan Justice, from
Project LINK was also selected. I have been told this fellowship
was started as a result of a man in Pittsburgh who came from the
streets and strted a not for profit to help others. In an effort
to fund his not for profit he started a business of making
ceramics, I think. It was so successful, he has started several
other social enterprises, including a food service training
program and restaurant or catering business. Small world!! It is
funded by the Kauffman, Kellogg and Ford Foundations. I am very
interested in applying next year. |
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| Submitted by
Robert Egger on 04/10/2002 |
posted 9/4/2001 11:03:07 AM
I thought I'd weigh in on this also...as we are really branching
out. The Bakery and catering divisions are really going strong
and we;ll be developing an ad campaign that we'll be running in
the Washington Business Journal this fall, in anticipation of
the holiday business season. the campaign will really highlight
where we should be going...not so much making $$$ (although that
is very important) but letting the public know WHY we're making
it. Our whole campaign will be based on the tag-line "With Fresh
Start, It's Personal." Each ad will focus on an employee and
their specialty item, linking a menu item with a person and
their new life. That way, we challenge the stereotype, make
people really excited about helping the program and the person,
while also realizing the cash flow dynamic of Fr4esh Start...so,
we'll have a win-win-win-win deal. Look for examples of these
ads very soon. |
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| Submitted by
Jane Tally on
11/08/2000 |
| We have developed and sold a
first class cookbook, making over $20,000 with lots more to
sell!! It was done with a community volunteer committee and was
published by 7 film houses and 10 printers... a miracle! A group
of volunteers from the Cathedral have made, bottled and sold a
line of products called "Visionary Sauces". The first year we
made hot sauces and made over $3000, the second year we made a
Barbeque box with a sauce, a mop, a rub, a marinade and the
favorite of the previous year's hot sauces. A local brewery gave
us beer bottles and boxes to package them. To date we have made
about $5000. We have had functions, but they are just too much
work. We also do some catering and all proceeds go back to the
program. |
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| Submitted by
Laura MacLaurin on
11/08/2000 |
| Each year we send out formal
invitations to our annual "Gala Non Banquet" giving our
supporters the opportunity to send a check and avoid dressing
up,eating "unidendifiable" foods,and being uncomfortable. We
include a reply card and a stamped envelope.It has been
succesful! |
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