Comments on: business plan- chico peeps!

By: Dilby

Dilby — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:28:06 +0000

Blue Oak Charter School parents would be all over this!

By: Barker

Barker — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 04:47:56 +0000

My 2 cents….
Just make sure that there is a big enough market for this before you go for it. You make some sweet hippie food, but are enough people willing to pay the extra dough to make your hobby a profitable business? Your mac & cheese looks delicioius.

Barker

By: Branden

Branden — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 02:39:45 +0000

If you can deliver the meals weekly to Seattle, count me in! Seriously though that sounds like a cool idea.

By: momma

momma — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 01:47:36 +0000

Jackie Jo, your momma would use your service weekly:)

By: Julie

Julie — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:41:17 +0000

Ummm, yeah, include the baked goods please! You can sign me up for baked goods, mac and cheese for sure, and a few of those other items sound delicious, too. We’d probably hit up Chef Jack a few times a month….

By: Teresa

Teresa — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:06:00 +0000

Jack!
If I was in Chico I would totally buy your food! I love the pictures and recipes you post. Just my two cents.. there have been MANY places (Dinners Ready, Red Ribbon Gourmet, Pasta & Co to name a few) that have had a similar idea such as this in our area that have ultimately closed their doors and again, in my opinion, cost is a major factor.

From the research that I did on these places to see if it was a feasible plan for my family, you had to purchase food in bulk, have a LOT of freezer space and had to pay astronomically in order to utilize the service. It only made it worthwhile if you purchased many casseroles/items instead of a quickie couple of dinners. The fun part of it was that you could go with a group of friends and put together a bunch of yummy dishes using fresh ingredients. The downside was the cost so we never did it.

Would you have a set menu, a seasonal menu, what if someone asks for something that isn’t on your menu at the time – would you turn them away? Get back to them with a price, etc. Do you have enough fridge space for all of these items to stay fresh and ready for someone to order them? Will you make them as you go? Have you thought of any of these issues?

Personally, I would take advantage of your service at least once a week and would defninitely want dessert items included. I think the idea on a whole is a fabulous idea and as a parent (new or otherwise) time is of the essence and there’s not a lot of it! Having a fresh, healthy meal that someone else made ready to plop down for dinner would be a godsend some evenings!! Have you thought about mail-orders?? =D Good luck!! Teresa

By: Kasey

Kasey — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:04:05 +0000

Of course you should also offer dessert!! Depending on the price (less than or comparable to take-out), if there is a minimum order and freezability, I bet people would be interested. You could also do a monthly special- since I know you love to experiment!! Oooh, and maybe a delivery fee? I think there aresome people who would want it weekly or more often- some who would just want it monthly, or less often… Not much help, am I?!

By: Jen

Jen — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:02:31 +0000

Hey Jackie!

I love that you have a blog that allows me to take a little peek into your life right now…very cool!

I love this idea and had presented a similar one in an Entrepreneurship class I took. I called the business, “Back to Dinner Table”. I feel like it’s such a relevant concept, as so many people are focusing on not only healthy eating, but also eating as a family. I have also noticed that many people just either don’t know how, don’t have time, or just don’t enjoy cooking…or if they do, they just don’t know what to make.

The issue that I ran into was cost vs. benefit, for you the business owner. How much is it going to cost to make these meals and how much are people willing to pay? And, when you take delivery into consideration, how much is the consumer willing to pay for convenience vs. how much is it costing you.

Have you ever used Survey Monkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/)? It may be helpful to create a survey for your friends (and encourage them to send it to their friends in the Chico area), asking them questions like:
1. Is eating organic important to you and your family?
2. How often do you eat/buy organic?
3. What is a typical dinner for you and your family?
4. How much do currently spend, per person, on dinners?
5. Would you use a service that…
6. How much would you be willing to pay for (insert meal option here)?

You can also ask for demographic info and format the questions as you see fit. I think that your meals sound not only tasty, but family-friendly!

I hope that life is good and can’t wait to see how this all plays out!
Jen (Cole) Cereghino