Interview with Samantha Ward, Chef/Owner Exquisite Desserts

Interview with Samantha Ward

Knowing How to Bake is Not Enough

Chef/Owner Exquisite Desserts

www.exquisitedesserts.net

By Kathryn Gordon

Kathryn:  Sam, I’ve known you from various pastry industry events since probably 1999! I know in that timeframe, you've opened your own business in Palm Desert California.  I haven’t been able to come out and visit, so can you tell us about it?

Sam:  I’ve been open for about 13 years.  I have 3200 square feet, with about 1000 square feet for retail and the remainder for production. 

I have 6 full time employees, 3 part time and we’re open 7 days a week.  Many of my employees have been with me from the beginning.  We’re a full service, from scratch bakery, including wholesale work, specialty desserts and wedding cakes.

Kathryn:  How many days a week do you work yourself?

Sam:  7!  Actually, I go in 6 days for production, and use the 7^th day to get myself organized for the next week.   The bakery is 12 minutes from my house, so that helps.

Kathryn:  Did you always want to have your own business?

Sam:  Yes, I did.  My dream started when I was working in San Francisco after finishing culinary school.  My mother passed away and I saved the inheritance I received.  This business is my mom’s blessing to me.

Kathryn:  Did you write a business plan? 

Sam:  No, I never did.  I’m more of the flighty, artistic, social type!  I am still learning how to be a better business person.  My key to success has been my perseverance and determination.

Kathryn:  You have a very extensive menu, compared to other bakeries!

Sam:  Actually, the published menu is only a fraction of what we really do.  Primarily, I am the personal pastry chef to many of the top country clubs in this area.  I work off of my repertoire, but produce whatever they want and need for their clients, so it is continuously evolving.

When I first came to Palm Desert, the clubs were getting their product wholesale from large frozen-dessert manufacturing companies.  Only about 3% had in-house pastry chefs.  There was a clear need to offer an alternative to mass-produced frozen desserts.

It really helps to research your competition.  There was originally one competitor, but they couldn’t keep up with the demand.  The choice to open my business among so many country clubs was an obvious one.

Kathryn:  How were you able to become acquainted with all of the country club chefs?

Sam:  Actually, I joined the American Culinary Federation.  Most of the country club chefs were members, and they were my target market.  There isn’t too much turnover within the country club staffs – the executive chef jobs are lucrative.  However, the club members can be demanding, so I’m in an intermediary position to produce exactly what the executive chefs need to successfully satisfy their clients.

Essentially, I am in service to the chefs and not directly to the country club members.  The success of my business has been the result of word-of-mouth.

Kathryn:  What percentage of your business would you say is wholesale?

Sam:  It has fluctuated over the years.   Probably in the first 7 years we were open, 75% was wholesale.  Now with my upcoming retail location, Exquisite Desserts’ name is better known, and it’s balanced.  This is helpful because the country club market is very seasonal with peak business taking place from November to May.

Kathryn:  What sector have you seen the highest growth in?

Sam:  Definitely the retail cake and wedding cake market.  Last year, between October and November, we did 45 weddings!   Weddings can account for 40% of our profit.

Kathryn:  Have you seen any trends in the wedding market?

Sam:  Petite pastries and dessert bars in place of cakes have been a big seller this year. 

Kathryn:  You recently took on a specialty cake decorator, so you wouldn’t have to do the large cakes all yourself? 

Sam:  Yes, she’s a real go-getter and does beautiful work.

Kathryn:  When you take a cake order, do you charge a deposit?

Sam:  I request $150 down and payment in full 2 weeks prior to the event.  It only didn’t work out one time – it was a project for a minor celebrity, and I had to take them to small claims court before I received payment.

Kathryn:  What counts more, appearances or taste?

Sam:  It took me a long time to develop my desserts so that they taste delicious and are also well-decorated, and I have to protect that.  People shop with their eyes and as such it’s important to invest in quality photographs of the product – but people don’t just care about the outside of the cake.  A great pastry chef knows how to bake, and the result is great-tasting product.  That brings customers back, and that’s how I’ve stayed busy.

Kathryn:  What do you mean, exactly, by protecting?

Sam:  No one person in your employment should know every aspect of your entire business.  Otherwise you could be creating your own competition.

Kathryn:  Is there anything you wish you were doing differently?

Sam: I would like to be more tech-savy.  I could be 3 times as busy if I utilized internet exposure. The market is increasingly digital, and the first place people go to find things is the internet.

Kathryn:  What other advice would you give to someone trying to open a brick and mortar bakery?

Sam:  Have money to invest.  It isn’t enough to be skilled and know your market.  I had $60K to open but it would take a lot more these days.  Things were easier when we began, but it’s not as simple to just open a business any more.  Everything has become more expensive.  I was lucky that my husband could help with the physical construction, which saved $100,000 in costs.  So marry a handyman!

  

Kathryn: Thank you Sam, speak to you soon! 

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Interview with Zeke Mandel, The Savory Pie Guy

Creating Barriers to Prevent Competitors

Interview with Zeke Mandel

www.savorypieguy.com

The Savory Pie Guy

Yonkers, NY

Interview by Jeff Yoskowitz, Jessie Riley and Kathryn Gordon

 Jessie:  Can you give us some information on your background and how you started producing “artisanal hand held savory pies?”

Zeke:  I had completed 2 MBAs, at Columbia and the London Business School and I knew I wanted to have a food related business.  I originally started in raw chocolate, but kept hitting a wall with investors because I didn’t have a “food background.”  So I enrolled at ICE (Institute of Culinary Education) in the pastry program to get that credential.

In the process, I realized there was an opening in the market for savory pies.  I believe that if you can identify a vacuum in the market you should run in to fill up that gap. Essentially, for me pies are “a widget.”  I hope to make this business profitable and sell it within 5 years.  

Kathryn:  Zeke, we’re surrounded by flip chart papers in your office area, with your competitors, brainstorming business names, etc.  Can you tell us about that process, before we go tour the plant?

Zeke:  I worked with 2 branding people.  The charts are from the second person – she made me put down on paper what was in my head.  It was a 2 day process.  But I decided not to work with her anymore because she was rather downcast.  I’m more upbeat and we weren’t compatible.

Jeff:  How was her approach different from the first marketing people you worked with? 

Zeke:  The first were very methodical, and slow.  We used color boards and swatches.

Kathryn:  I know that Jeff helped you formulate your dough, so it would still be flaky after being produced, frozen, shipped, pressed, crimped, fully baked, packaged and frozen!   And it is, remarkably flaky and an all butter, natural ingredient dough.  What have been your other biggest challenges?

Zeke:  Figuring out the production.  For example, with the business growth I needed to outsource the dough production.  The first co-packer never called me back after making 1,200 pounds of dough.  I had warned him it was significantly heavier than the cookie dough he was used to running on his machines, but they didn’t listen and one of their carts went sideways and they lost about 500 pounds of the dough on the floor.  I’ve since found another co-packer who is able to make my pre-portioned dough to my specifications and ship it to me.   They had to have the right die to portion exactly how many grams I need for each pie.

 Kathryn:  Why is it so particularly heavy, as doughs go?

Jeff:  It has to perform a lot of functions, and it has a lot of eggs, water and butter.

Zeke:  It’s an amazing dough and gets rave reviews, and has lots of flavors from the herbs and spices in it. 

Preportioned frozen dough from the copacker

Jessie:  Who were your first customers?

Zeke:  I started working with soccer bars.  Their customers “know savory pies” and this fit the demand. At the same time I also had to be able to make an all-natural product that would appeal to the American market, with the dough “less doughy,” easy to eat, flaky, and good tasting.

 I currently package up units of 4 and deliver in 2 refrigerated trucks to about 15 bars.

Jeff:  And your current production level?

Zeke:  It’s been about 1,500 pies in a week.  It only takes me about 3 hours to produce and package 600 pies. 

But that’s about to change, since I am opening in D’Agostinos this Monday.  So that’s why I’m working with a co-packer in Pennsylvania, who can produce 1,000 pounds of my dough at a time and portion it correctly for the size of the tops versus the bottoms of the pies

Kathryn:  How many flavors of gourmet pot pies to you sell now?

Zeke:  6 flavors.

Jessie:  And how did you get into D’Agostinos? 

Zeke:  It was a long process.  Last February, I met with my brother’s future father-in-law’s contact who’s a principle in a food brokerage company.  They’re the ones who brought Stonyfield yogurt to the market, and have a regional New England focus.  They liked the pies and said we can do something together.  They wanted to work with a big enough store to generate volume and get some cash flow. 

Jeff:   Are you working with other stores, now that you’re production logistics have been worked out?

Zeke:  Yes, last summer I got 2 leads at Whole Foods.  They were also looking for a savory pie program with “prescribed meat” meaning humanely treated animals and produced meat. 

Kathryn:  That must have a higher price point!

Zeke:  Yes.  The mark up on the beef is ok but the chicken is 2 times the price.  But I want to work with Whole Foods because it’s a great marketing strategy, generates steady volume and is frankly, an entree for getting into other outlets.   I’m also talking to Fresh Direct now on another project.

Jeff:  What are the numbers you think you can produce here given this kitchen facility?

Zeke:  I’m expecting to do 15,000 pies a week with 2 people per shift, and we could go to 2 production shifts a day if necessary.

If it goes over that, I’m also looking to outsource my meat production.  A co-packer can cook 500 pounds of filling at a time, vacuum seal it in useable production units and deliver it frozen to me.

Kathryn:  Overall, this is a very big facility. Why did you choose one so large?

Zeke:  You have to look at your production location and ask:   can you scale it to survive your own growth?   Because if you get the demand once you get going, and you can't produce, it will kill the business.   

At first, my business partner was a savory pie guy in Brooklyn who also wasn’t a baker, and was really holding together his business with paperclips and bubblegum with very little space.  Now, I am working with someone who had extra space in his Irish meat production USDA regulated facility.   He has helped me tremendously, even with sourcing my equipment.

Jeff:  What’s been your biggest learning curve?

Zeke:  How to work within the federal regulations.  All USDA rules are “interpreted.”  All the inspectors know how to do production, but they are not lawyers.  I’ve learned to “call Nebraska,” their  headquarters.  They want to know if I’m an attorney, because of the questions I’ve been asking!  There are two phases of getting started with USDA oversight.  The first step is experimental, and if you’re only giving out samples, you have to follow the USDA procedures but you can’t sell them.  Once you start selling, then you’re in full production and have daily USDA Inspector visits.

Jessie:  Can you talk more about the USDA oversight process?

Zeke:  My inspector comes whenever he wants to come.  I provide him an office, and that is required.  So is the strict cleaning regimen and food safety assessment.  My inspector was really helpful, and although it wasn’t his job – he really helped me with the paperwork and led me in the right direction, tweaking stuff I hadn’t yet thought of and making production suggestions.  It was a huge learning curve.  And legally – anyone selling anything with meat has to be USDA certified, even if it’s food for pets and not humans. There are very severe penalties if you do not adhere to the guidelines.

Jeff:  What do you think is good advice for other entrepreneurs?

Zeke:  Once you identify a vacuum in the market, the key to success is creating a barrier to prevent competitors.  Here, my barriers are:  USDA certification/oversight, the cost of the speciality and custom equipment, and funding.  Otherwise, once you’re successful, everyone else will notice and want to also compete within that vacuum, and you do not want them to be able to do what you’re doing.

Jessie:  Thank you Zeke, and thanks for showing us around the facility!

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Something New: Pushcart Cafe

Look back periodically and realize where you are now.  

Interview with Jamie Rodgers (owner) and Maggie Rodgers (sister)

Pushcart Café, 221 East Broadway, NYC

www.pushcartcoffee.com

by Jeff Yoskowitz and Kathryn Gordon

Kathryn:  Hi Maggie, I know Jeff has seen your very appealing, very neighborhood-oriented space here before.  Pushcart is all new to me – can you tell us how you started baking here?

Maggie:  I graduated ICE (Institute of Culinary Education) in May 2012, and finished my externship at Dominique Ansel Bakery.  After college and before I started at ICE, I lived across the street from this coffee shop that wasn’t particularly well run.   I got a job there, but I also “kind of knew” the owner would want to sell. 

Jeff :  Jamie, you then decided to get into the coffee/café business?

Jamie:  I was living in this neighborhood and working downtown in corporate law.  I wasn’t happy and wanted something more entrepreneurial. I just wasn’t fulfilled by my profession.   I approached the owner of the coffee shop and then Maggie decided to join forces with me.

Kathryn:  So Maggie, where do you bake?  The coffee shop seems to be mostly retail counters with tables for customers?

Maggie:  We built a production kitchen in the basement of the building. It was a long process, because we did the build out from scratch.

Jamie:  It was actually a little frightening because working in a basement, there are many health code issues to be aware of.  I had the entire facility sealed. It’s very “buttoned up.”  We have instituted very strict policies to keep it sealed against any possible pests.

Jeff:  Are there venting issues?  How hot did it get in the summer, doing production in a closed facility in a basement?

Jamie:  We installed very good air conditioning.  The ovens are electric, so there is no need for a hood and there is simple in and out venting. 

Jeff:  How did you find contractors to get the work done?

Jamie:  I talk to other business owners in the neighborhood, and through word of mouth used their contractors.  I mostly just showed the contractors what I had and what I needed. 

Kathryn:  How many people do you work with, Maggie?

Maggie:  It’s often just been me baking, but wholesale has been picking up.  Before Christmas I started to bring in some of the guys from Cowboy Pizza after their shift to help shape cookies!  (Cowboy Pizza is also owned by Jamie and just around the corner from Pushcart).   

Jeff:  How many locations are there of Pushcart?

Jamie:  I have 2 Pushcart locations, and we are also in the New Amsterdam market and covering events on weekends.  I opened the second location in mid October, near 21^st street and 2^nd Avenue. 

I make impromptu visits there throughout the day; I can get there by bike in 11 minutes.

Kathryn: How do you get the baked goods to the other locations? 

Jamie:  We use our mom’s old station wagon for our delivery truck.  The system works pretty well.  Maggie plans the production and preps.  Some Cowboy pizza guys do the bake off, and some bring the product uptown, boxed up in health-code safe boxes.  They unpack and the process begins again.

Kathryn:  And Maggie, do you have enough kitchen and storage space here to sustain production growth like that?

Maggie:  We’re still getting to know how much to bake:  the uptown location does 2 ½ times the volume of baked good sales.  Production space is tight; I am often rearranging the equipment to fit in more tables, storage, etc.

Jeff:  Can you talk about the New Amsterdam market?

Jamie:  It’s near the old Fulton Street fish market, and focuses on locally sourced and artisanal food purveyors.  I find it to be good exposure for us to bring new people to us directly, as well as a good sales outlet.

A lot of our employees will ride the pushcarts there, since it’s only 1 ½ miles away!

Kathryn:  What’s next for you guys?

Jamie:  We’re focusing on wholesale accounts and delivery.  Schools, hospitals etc. 

Maggie:  I would like to grow the bulk order pastry business.  Holiday cookie boxes sold well; I am working on a Valentine’s selection now.   About 25% of sales are currently wholesale.

Kathryn: Jamie, how helpful is it that you were a lawyer before this career turn?

Jamie:  I find the law degree a good asset.  I’m basically in practice now for this business.  Running a business is to a large extent figuring out the regulatory (for the health code, permits, etc.) and negotiating leases.   It takes hours to navigate, even with the skills.

I find it really exciting to put everything you have into something to make it successful. 

Kathryn: Maggie, how much of the menu does your brother let you decide? 

Maggie:  It’s up to me.   I developed the menu to maximize on the roots of this neighborhood; the pushcart itself evokes nostalgia.  The baked goods are along the same lines.  Everything is the best it can be, but they are products the customers know and love.  Chocolate chip cookies is sometimes all one wants.  I think chili powder and cumin are fun ingredients to bake with, but I sell classic brownies.

Kathryn:  Does everything sell equally, and do you know what your ingredients cost for each product?

Maggie:  I have a background in statistics so I do my own excel analysis of sales and cost of goods sold, and I tweak the margin on each product given my recipe formulas.  But some products have surprised me – peanut butter doesn’t sell.  Gingersnaps won’t sell, but molasses cookies will!

Presentation details count:  if I sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on the almond croissants, more sell.

Jeff:  Do you have a standard profit margin you try to meet?

Jamie:  It’s a moving target.  The growth in our outlets and our wholesale accounts has meant that we’ve had to shift our labor schemes.  Probably it’s 200 percent of the labor cost, not including labor and other overhead.

Jeff:  How did you name the business?

Maggie:  We threw out names for months amongst the family, but Jamie came up with Pushcart – and knew it the moment he’d said it.

Jeff:  What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned since you opened Pushcart?

Jamie:  I have 3 outlets now.  It’s really hard in NYC to “make it small” here.  You’re encouraged to go big because rents are too high.  So are wages and cost of goods.   Each week, whatever was challenging last week is now behind you.  I like facing the new challenges, but being “in food” in this city – it’s easy to get discouraged.  Something will always go wrong.  You need strength.  Look behind you periodically and realize where you are now.  

Kathryn:  And what’s the biggest secret for success you’d share?

Jamie:  If you’re the guy in charge, always let your employees know they can always get a hold of you.  It’s key for morale and good business culture.  For example, last night I got a call at 3 am from the guy making up the cream cheese packets for the bagels.  I’m always available via phone to answer questions.

Kathryn:  Can you talk about the phone apps you’ve implemented at Pushcart?  They’re technical – but they actual seem to foster community.

Jamie:  We utilize a lot of apps.   Our POS is “Lavu” which is a very versatile Ipad system that facilitates modifying menu items.  We allow customers to use “LevelUp” to pay for their purchases with a tap of the phone.  I was the first shop in NY to implement “Perka,” which works as a multi-coffee shop punchcard app.  The latest app is a tip system; customers dip their card in a “DipJar” cylinder; $1 is put via direct deposit on a debit card for the employee on duty for that shift, or pro-rates the dollar for every employee on the shift.   With these user-friendly trends, I think we might be getting rid of the cash register in a few years! 

Jeff:  Thank you. Great seeing you again. Make sure to let us know about your next location!

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Interview with Kate McAleer Owner and Founder of Bixby Chocolate

Interview with Kate McAleer

Owner and Founder of Bixby Chocolate

By Kathryn Gordon and Jeff Yoskowitz

Kathryn:  Hi Kate!  You've been busy since you finished your program at ICE (Institute of Culinary Education). Jeff and I both had you as a student.  At what point did you decide to work with chocolate?

Kate:  I came to ICE already very interested in candy and chocolate.

I am a golfer, and as such, I had experienced a complete lack of healthy candy options available and I came to ICE eager to learn how candy is made and how to improve upon it.

That’s why I wanted to create a healthier candy bar line with pure chocolate, with no GMO ingredients, preservatives or added sugars.  The Bixby bars are all natural or organic, and incorporate exotic spices, healthy nuts and fruits. 

Kathryn:   After school, you completed a chocolate externship at Chocolat Moderne with Chef Joan Coukos.  What would you think Joan makes of you now?

Kate: I think Joan is proud of me.  She was a great mentor and she makes the most amazing chocolate.

Editor’s Note:  Food Start Up Help has previously interviewed Chef Joan at Chocolat Moderne: FoodStartUpHelp Chocolat Moderne

Jeff:   What have been your biggest challenges, hurdles and unexpected pleasures founding the business, to date?

Kate:  The biggest challenge has been just learning the trade and coming up to steam quickly on areas in the field that were foreign to me and not something you learn in school.

The largest hurdle is being a small company, yet having to compete among the more seasoned players.

All of the professionals in the field have been the unexpected pleasures.  Many have taken the time to help and lead me in the correct direction.  It has been amazing as a young entrepreneur to have mentors to look up to. 

Kathryn:  You have said that you left an early career path in academia to found your company and you returned to live at home while you built your business.  Is it ok, living again at home?  Do you ever miss the more academic life, or are you just keeping too busy?

Kate:   It's always a big adjustment, moving out of academia and out into the real world.  In order to start my business, I needed to move home--thank goodness my parents welcomed me and have been supportive.

I am always learning in this industry and make it a point to take seminars or classes to further my knowledge.  Busy has a new definition when it comes to running a start-up business--I have worked more hours than ever before and will continue to do so.

Many had warned me that a start-up is an all consuming endeavor....

Kathryn:   What's it like, to work (and live) with your mother?  Who names the bars -- both of you?  I think the names are great!!

Kate:   I feel privileged to being living and working with my mother.  I see more of her now than all of my years growing up as she fulfilled her own professional career.  I have two built in mentors--my parents are two seasoned professionals and I am so fortunate to have them available to me.

Naming is a process and lots of research goes underway when we are creating a new flavor.

Jeff:  Do you do all of your own press kits, website and other marketing?

Kate:   As a start-up we do a lot on our own.  We outsource areas where we feel we need professional guidance.  We write our own press kits.  I handle all of the social media.  We did engage assistance for our website.

Jeff: Was it difficult to source your organic ingredient sources?  Have you found minimum orders to be an issue?

Kate:   Sourcing is an integral part of this business and requires a great deal of research at all times.

We have found that the larger you are the better the pricing.  Therefore, as a small business you pay a higher price until you can grow your business.   This is one of the biggest challenges we face as a small business competing against larger companies with more purchasing power.

Kathryn:  You've only been in business for a short while, but I know you are in several regions of Whole Foods already, and recently got into more.  

Would you recommend the Whole Foods route to another entrepreneur, even if there's such a mark-up by the time it goes through a distributor to them?  

Kate:   I am privileged to be a YouthTrade certified entrepreneur--this means my company is owned and operated by a young entrepreneur under the age of 35 with a sustainable and conscious business.  

Whole Foods was the first retailer of YouthTrade products and it has been an amazing relationship.  Growing your business with distribution is a model any entrepreneur should research and understand before they delve into it--it may not be ideal for every business.

Kathryn:  You have developed one of the most clear visions I've seen for a website and packaging.  I know you talked about labeling, and a proof reading issue you had for one of the new chocolate barsﾅ

Kate:  Lesson learned:  always ask multiple people to proof your packaging before you say it’s ok to print.  It’s a costly and avoidable error.

Jeff: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Kate:   I suggest lots of research, planning and a good business plan is essential. Conviction is also another element that is key.

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Wholesale vs. Retail: Interview with Diane Stevens

Cupcakes are no fad.

Interview with Diane Stevens

Sara’s Cookies, Long Island City, New York

By Jeff Yoskowitz and Kathryn Gordon

Kathryn:  Hi Diane, it’s nice to meet you and be able to see your production facility, since I know that Jeff has known you for a long time! 

Diane:  I met Jeff after I completed the professional baking program at FCI (French Culinary Institute). Before that I was in graphic design. I used to rent production space from Jeff for my cookie business and I worked with him at Maurice Pastries for 3 years.

Jeff:  How many years have you been in this production kitchen in Long Island City?

Diane:  7 years now! 

Jeff:  I see tons of cupcakes. Are you still selling cookies?

Diane:  No actually, I’m really not.  There is more profit in cupcakes than cookies, even using 100% butter and quality ingredients because there is more labor for miniature items like cookies.  I also produce bars, brownies and loaves.  My current business is 70% wholesale production of jumbo cupcakes for numerous distributors. I now have thousands of cookie cutters in storage!!

Kathryn:  How did you find this space?  Did you build it?

Diane:  No, it was the original production location for Tom Cat Bakery.  This area is pretty food oriented.  My landlord lives here, and owns the building next door which is a loft where Bobby Flay cooks.  In fact, Bobby used to say that cupcakes were just a fad – but they definitely lead the production mix 3 years later.

Jeff:  Over the years, how would you say business has changed?

Diane:  This is definitely a business “based on pennies.”  I have to keep food costs very low.  Packaging alone is $2 for a giant cupcake, because it has to be sturdy enough to stack in a freezer for distribution.

I've seen orders for large cakes cut back in the economic recession.  I used to work with several large caterers, such as Great Performances.  They used to order gifts such as gingerbread houses for clients such as Google, but that business is now gone.  

Jeff:  What do you think is the biggest surprise the entrepreneurial bakers need to know about an established, profitable business structure?

Diane:  Everyone has the idea that everything is baked fresh every day, and that what you are buying in a store was baked somewhere just that morning.  It’s not.  There may not be long term freezing involved, but to organize production runs efficiently, some items are frozen for a period of time.  So you have to allow for freezer space in your kitchen plan.

Jeff:  What’s your least favorite part of running a large kitchen like this?

Diane:  Maintaining the grease trap!!  We constantly have to rotor-outer the grease trap.It’s also hard if a piece of equipment isn't working since suddenly, nobody knows anything.  I don’t care what happened or who managed to break something.  I just need it reported immediately, so I can address the issue and get the piece of equipment up and running again before we need it.

Kathryn:  What are your hours, as the owner and primary production manager?

Diane:  We start by 8 in the morning and usually finish by 5 depending on the season.  I find there are less distractions early in the day – no phones ringing!

Jeff:  How is the product distributed? 

Diane:  My distributors each have a key and pick up at night between 11 and 12 pm. The drivers just want to get in and get out and go home.  The drivers have been coming here for years.  Their employers are reliable businesses and by supplying to distributors it is less volatile and has less turnover than selling to restaurants or other parts of our business.  I have to trust them. 

Jeff:  What’s your highest operating expense with such a large facility?

Diane:  The electricity, because of the air conditioning required to counteract the heat generated by the equipment.  Utilities are about $3000 per month.

Kathryn:  Do you experience a lot of staff turnover?

Diane:  No, I have 7-14 staff members depending on the time of year.  I have both loyal employees who have been with me from the beginning and people who come and go.

Kathryn:  What advice would you give a new entrepreneur?

Diane:  You should consider the wholesale route, because there is definitely money to be made that route versus having the overhead of a brick and mortar retail store.  You always will mentally worry about your business!

You should also be proud of yourself and what you produce.   Don’t give up even when people come at you from all different angles!  You just have to be driven and motivated, and focused. 

Jeff:  Thank you Diane, it’s been really great seeing you again!

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