Would like your input/advice/opinions/criticism regarding a business idea, please

[LauraGB]

So, I had considered this before the kids were born. Then I considered it a lot when they were young. Now, I'm thinking about it again, only now I think I have enough time and brain power and experience to actually do it.

 

I'd like to open a place that does cooking classes. A kitchen, with room for people to stand around and make things and match wines/beer to meals and laugh and have fun and learn.

 

I'm not a chef. The few places around here that do a few monthly classes are retail places that sell cooking related items/foods, and the classes are generally conducted by chefs. I just like to eat and have been cooking for over 25 years. So, no credentials.

 

The place I would like to open this "kitchen" is near (within walking distance) of a strip mall that is home to a fantastic wine seller (who does tastings and food pairings from local restaurants), a fromagerie, a natural health store/grocery, and in the parking lot once a week they host an organic farmer's market.

 

The "Dinner to Go" bit would be a menu I put out weekly, and people can order/pay online by a certain time of day, I would prep everything for the entire meal, but they would pick it up and pop it in the oven at home with instructions.

 

My place would be whole foods based, using mainly local ingredients to support the local farmers/food producers. So far, my initial offerings (and I'm working on more) would be:

 

 Cooking classes 3x per week

• Cheese making class

• Men’s Grilling Class

• Men’s Microbrew Class

• Greek Night

• Tour of Italy

• Pizza 101

• Summer Salads

• Artisan Bread Baking

• Cooking with Summer’s Bounty

• Sugar free/fruit based desserts

• Seasonal Soup/Salad dinners

• Appetizers/Healthy snacks

• Extending the Fall Harvest (applesauce, pie filling, pumpkin puree, tomato sauces/salsas)

• Comfort food

• Cook Once, Eat all week

• Chinese Take-Out at Home

 

 Dinner to go/ take and bake

 

 Once a Month Cooking Club

 

 

 Retail

• Cookbooks/Whole Foods readers

• Aprons

• Spices (local)

• Honey, maple syrup (local)

• Flours/grains

• Essentials for each class such as pizza stones/peels,

 

Within 5 years, I would plan to move/build on the land behind my house (which is less than a mile from the original location). This fall, I would get my own organic gardens going on, plant fruit trees, etc, so a lot of the food would come directly from my own business.

 

Tell me what you think about this. Would this be hard because I'm not "accredited"? What would you pay per class (the chef-led ones average between $25-$50, depending on the class). Do you have suggestions? Tell me everything you think; the good, the bad, the ugly.

 

Thanks

[Camarell]

Sounds lovely! I would suggest writing out a business plan with a start up cost analysis. I live in the midwest and would pay $30-$40 a class if I was getting a full meal out of it, less if it was purely instructional with just tastings.

[Carrie12345]

Come do it by my house. :)

 

Most of the make-and-take meal chains that popped up a while back went under real fast, but they were based on fatty, high-calorie meals, and the price tag was a bit high (for what it was. IMO, of course.)

 

I don't know about the cooking classes part, but I'd be thrilled with the dinner to go aspect based on what you've described, including local, wholesome foods.

[Scarlett]

So, I had considered this before the kids were born. Then I considered it a lot when they were young. Now, I'm thinking about it again, only now I think I have enough time and brain power and experience to actually do it.

 

I'd like to open a place that does cooking classes. A kitchen, with room for people to stand around and make things and match wines/beer to meals and laugh and have fun and learn.

 

I'm not a chef. The few places around here that do a few monthly classes are retail places that sell cooking related items/foods, and the classes are generally conducted by chefs. I just like to eat and have been cooking for over 25 years. So, no credentials.

 

The place I would like to open this "kitchen" is near (within walking distance) of a strip mall that is home to a fantastic wine seller (who does tastings and food pairings from local restaurants), a fromagerie, a natural health store/grocery, and in the parking lot once a week they host an organic farmer's market.

 

The "Dinner to Go" bit would be a menu I put out weekly, and people can order/pay online by a certain time of day, I would prep everything for the entire meal, but they would pick it up and pop it in the oven at home with instructions.

 

My place would be whole foods based, using mainly local ingredients to support the local farmers/food producers. So far, my initial offerings (and I'm working on more) would be:

 

 Cooking classes 3x per week

• Cheese making class

• Men’s Grilling Class

• Men’s Microbrew Class

• Greek Night

• Tour of Italy

• Pizza 101

• Summer Salads

• Artisan Bread Baking

• Cooking with Summer’s Bounty

• Sugar free/fruit based desserts

• Seasonal Soup/Salad dinners

• Appetizers/Healthy snacks

• Extending the Fall Harvest (applesauce, pie filling, pumpkin puree, tomato sauces/salsas)

• Comfort food

• Cook Once, Eat all week

• Chinese Take-Out at Home

 

 Dinner to go/ take and bake

 

 Once a Month Cooking Club

 

 

 Retail

• Cookbooks/Whole Foods readers

• Aprons

• Spices (local)

• Honey, maple syrup (local)

• Flours/grains

• Essentials for each class such as pizza stones/peels,

 

Within 5 years, I would plan to move/build on the land behind my house (which is less than a mile from the original location). This fall, I would get my own organic gardens going on, plant fruit trees, etc, so a lot of the food would come directly from my own business.

 

Tell me what you think about this. Would this be hard because I'm not "accredited"? What would you pay per class (the chef-led ones average between $25-$50, depending on the class). Do you have suggestions? Tell me everything you think; the good, the bad, the ugly.

 

Thanks

 

I would definitely be interested in taking cooking classes and I would not care one bit that you are not a chef. My only issue would be price. This is something I would love to do with my dh....I think I would be willing to pay $50-75 per couple for a class that was several hours long. ALL of your ideas for classes interest me.

[LauraGB]

Sounds lovely! I would suggest writing out a business plan with a start up cost analysis. I live in the midwest and would pay $30-$40 a class if I was getting a full meal out of it, less if it was purely instructional with just tastings.

 

There would be two people to a stove top (I'm thinking just a two burner per space, but I'm not sure yet) and they would be making everything to serve about 4 people, and taking the leftovers home. At least, that's what I'm thinking so far.

[elegantlion]

My dh would pay for my classes. :tongue_smilie:

 

I think it sounds lovely. My only concern would be start-up costs and insurance. I'm not familiar at all with retail business, but what kind of inspections and set up would you have to have to operate? Would you be scrutinized like a restaurant? What liability insurance do you need when you deal with food?

 

It sounds like something you have a passion and long term vision for achieving. How long could/would you be able to operate before you turn a profit?

 

This could be one of those ideas that looks great and would appeal to a lot of people, but could be bogged down in enough red tape to make it too frustrating in the long run.

[T'smom]

I think it sounds wonderful! I would LOVE to take several classes of those classes. The only suggestion I would have would be that if wine/beer is part of another class- like Pizza 101- you have two prices- one with the alcohol and one without. Some people don't drink and would take a class on pizza, for example, but wouldn't want to pay for the alcohol.

[snickelfritz]

I know you can't offer ever class at once.

 

What about cooking with kids or for kids? Both kids classes and sneaky chef style.

 

Cooking basics. Some of us didn't learn much more than hamburger helper from our moms. Things like a basic white sauce and basic red sauce. The difference between chopped or diced.

[snickelfritz]

Oh, the lack of a chef title wouldn't bother me. You can write up a bio that touches on your love of cooking for 25 years, etc.... Everyone knows a mom-type that is a fabulous cook, so that's an accessible idea to most.

 

I would love to take classes for me and my kids. They love to cook. There is a place in our city, but it's on the other side of town.

[Scarlett]

I know you can't offer ever class at once.

 

What about cooking with kids or for kids? Both kids classes and sneaky chef style.

 

Cooking basics. Some of us didn't learn much more than hamburger helper from our moms. Things like a basic white sauce and basic red sauce. The difference between chopped or diced.

 

I would also do the kid's cooking class....with all my boys but especially dss10. He wants to be a chef!

[jujsky]

Also voting for both a kids cooking class and a class that teaches parents how to cook for kids and add those sneaky veggies in. I would also suggest a couples class (friends of ours take one and love it) and a knife skills class. What I wouldn't give to learn how they chop stuff on all those chef shows!

 

I love the idea of the meals to go as well. So often I want a healthy meal, and I just don't have the time to prep it with all the running around I do with the kids and their activities. Something like that would have been helpful for Thursday nights this past school year because I was literally home for maybe 2 hours (not consecutive, mind you) before 7:30 PM. Either we had leftovers if I was smart enough to plan ahead, DH would cook, or we'd order pizza.

[i.love.lucy]

I like the idea. I wonder if you could find out why those Dinners to Go type places mostly went under so quickly.

 

I went to one once. I remember the quality being very good and we enjoyed all the meals I made. It was with a group of friends and we laughed and had a glass of wine while we cooked. But it was more like stations where you had instructions for each thing you were assembling, and then you'd take it all home and freeze it. There were no cooking instructions. It was all very good and I was glad to have the freezer meals handy while my MIL was living with us recuperating from surgery and I was working full time. Better than Stouffers!

 

BUT it was expensive. Now as a stay at home mom I couldn't afford that. But I am also a pretty good cook, so maybe I don't have the need. But man, I will tell you a lot of my friends DO have the need! I would guess if the cost was affordable and you had kid classes you could get the yuppies and the mom or dad crowd too.

 

The thing that sets your idea apart is local, whole food. I'm thinking that if something like that were offered here I would be inspired to take a class or two especially in something that I feel I need more instruction or information about...like seafood...or summer vegetables.

[T'smom]

Oooh, another idea would be to feature a certain food and show several ways to cook that food. Whatever was in season. Like a class featuring 4 ways to fix asparagus. I would LOVE that. Not to mention I'm desperately in need of it!

[LauraGB]

Awesome! So, I need an 'Ack! My Kids Won't Eat That' class - Moms Only, and a cooking class with kids. For the kids class, what age range do you think? Ds would be all over that (he loves to cook, and eventually he would be my beef and pork guy as I don't really love dealing with too much with those particular meats; I can, I will, and it's good, but I don't *like* it). We belong to a couple homeschool groups, so I think with those guys age isn't an issue. With everyone else, though, I wonder if I should separate it into 12 and under, then a sort of What Teens Need to Know beyond boiling water and making toast sort of thing.

 

And I will add a sauces class, to cover basic cream of something soup, marinara, pizza sauce, alfredo sauce, etc.

[LauraGB]

I think it sounds lovely. My only concern would be start-up costs and insurance. I'm not familiar at all with retail business, but what kind of inspections and set up would you have to have to operate? Would you be scrutinized like a restaurant? What liability insurance do you need when you deal with food?

 

It sounds like something you have a passion and long term vision for achieving. How long could/would you be able to operate before you turn a profit?

 

This could be one of those ideas that looks great and would appeal to a lot of people, but could be bogged down in enough red tape to make it too frustrating in the long run.

I agree, and mostly, I don't know. Start up would be to outfit it with supplies, the building owners would "build to suit" so that part would be covered in my monthly rent (which I think I could swing for about $1000 per month). Dh's brother is our insurance agent, so I can ask him about specifics once I get my whole idea together. Zoning would work in both the original place and on the land behind my house. Plus, our village's zoning guy is pretty cool and he likes me :D. Licensing and working with the federal food inspection people might be interesting, but I'm up for testing those waters and seeing what loopholes I need to locate.

[LauraGB]

I think it sounds wonderful! I would LOVE to take several classes of those classes. The only suggestion I would have would be that if wine/beer is part of another class- like Pizza 101- you have two prices- one with the alcohol and one without. Some people don't drink and would take a class on pizza' date=' for example, but wouldn't want to pay for the alcohol.[/quote']

 

Good point. Some of the classes already offered in my area don't supply alcohol, but have a BYO standard. I thought possibly it was due to lack of liquor license, but maybe it's more likely your point.

 

Since my classes would be probably about a maximum of 12 -16 people, I could offer both; one with wine/beer, one without, and allow for a the price difference.

 

Thanks!

[justamouse]

Go. Do.

[kalanamak]

 

The "Dinner to Go" bit would be a menu I put out weekly, and people can order/pay online by a certain time of day, I would prep everything for the entire meal, but they would pick it up and pop it in the oven at home with instructions.

 

 

 

Just as a side thought, it had occurred to me to do a store called Gourmet on the Go. A coffee/latte/breakfast muffin place where box lunches and/or easy to cook or reheat dinners could also be purchased, so a morning stop would get a morning commuter coffee and lunch, or lunch and dinner or etc. Drive up windows, call/fax/email in orders and having everything ready at the window.

 

Just dreams.

[Wendi]

Sounds fun! Another suggestion for a class would be learning to cook from scratch with what you have on hand. I.e., what pantry items are good to keep on hand, and suggestions on how to assemble a dish on your own with what you've got.

 

Wendi

[Annie G]

My daughter and her husband take classes similar to what you're describing at their local Viking dealer in Atlanta. The classes are themed, and they eat there, but don't bring food home. They pay a LOT more than what you're considering. And the classes fill quickly. If you google Viking Cooking School in Atlanta, you might be able to add more themed ideas to your list.

I'd LOVE to see classes for teens- my teens would love a night with their friends, cooking and trying new things.

Your ideas sound fabulous.

[mom4him]

The lack of credentials wouldn't be a big thing in this area and definitely would be to me. If you were close several of your classes would interest me. especially the cheese making. Oh, how I would like to learn to make a good cheddar.:D

[Dandelion]

Tell me what you think about this. Would this be hard because I'm not "accredited"? What would you pay per class (the chef-led ones average between $25-$50, depending on the class). Do you have suggestions? Tell me everything you think; the good, the bad, the ugly.

 

Thanks

 

I think this is a fantastic idea! Sounds like you have a lot of passion around it. :)

 

I don't think the "accreditation" will be an issue. As another poster said, just play up your 25 years of experience and love of cooking - that, and your obvious passion for what you do, will get people to check it out (and hopefully come back and bring their friends!).

 

From a marketing perspective, it's important to differentiate yourself from your competition. I like the "local/whole foods" focus - not only is it very appealing, but it would be a perfect differentiator.

 

Another idea for your class offerings might be "GFCF Cooking" (Gluten-Free/Casein-Free). More and more people are on GFCF diets, and it can be quite challenging to keep GFCF cooking tasty and interesting. We're GFCF (due to my DS - have also eliminated several other foods) and it continually amazes me how many people we meet who are too. There's a definite market there.

 

I've attended cooking classes like this in the past - here's what I liked:

 

• they had a "Girl's Night Out" deal where you could come with a group of 4+ girlfriends and get a discount.

• they offered wine/beer and had a raised countertop/bar that went around the cooking area - so you could sit and enjoy your drink while sitting right above the main cooking area and watch what was going on (inbetween actively participating in the preparation/cooking).

• the classes offered a complete approach - meaning, they didn't just teach you how to make one component of a meal, but sides/sauces/etc. that went with it.

• they were reasonably priced - all between $25-$40

Best of luck! :)

[LauraGB]

 

From a marketing perspective, it's important to differentiate yourself from your competition. I like the "local/whole foods" focus - not only is it very appealing, but it would be a perfect differentiator.

 

Another idea for your class offerings might be "GFCF Cooking" (Gluten-Free/Casein-Free). More and more people are on GFCF diets, and it can be quite challenging to keep GFCF cooking tasty and interesting. We're GFCF (due to my DS - have also eliminated several other foods) and it continually amazes me how many people we meet who are too. There's a definite market there.

 

I've attended cooking classes like this in the past - here's what I liked:

 

• they had a "Girl's Night Out" deal where you could come with a group of 4+ girlfriends and get a discount.

• they offered wine/beer and had a raised countertop/bar that went around the cooking area - so you could sit and enjoy your drink while sitting right above the main cooking area and watch what was going on (inbetween actively participating in the preparation/cooking).

• the classes offered a complete approach - meaning, they didn't just teach you how to make one component of a meal, but sides/sauces/etc. that went with it.

• they were reasonably priced - all between $25-$40

Best of luck! :)

 

Great ideas!

 

By the bolded, do you mean that there were a few tables for "spectators"? Because dh suggested to me something along the lines of the "students" making their food, but the food *I* prep as demo would go to a few people who have paid ( different amt), but did not want to prepare the meal. I wasn't sure what I thought of that (I didn't actually love the idea). If that is what you mean, please expand the thought for me.

 

Thanks

[JennyB]

I would love this. All of my children would participate in the classes as would I. Definatley do a younger kids class. My 6 yr old son was just begging me to take a cooking class. I told him that I could teach him to cook and he told me he needed a class. For the cooking competitions.:glare: (He loves watching cooking shows with grandma. He will often come in and say "You have these 3 ingredients what are you going to make." ) He wants real cooking also.

 

I would love any and all cooking classes. My mom was a great cook and I can cook. But..... I am so in a rut. I don't know how to make the sauces and cheeses (there are other kinds than cheddar adn mozzarella?) I hear about some of the food people on here eat and think I would love to eat that. So.... I would love themed food, basics, knives, sauces, cheeses about everything you mentioned except the wine stuff. But again I think it might be good to have that knowledge even if you don't drink.

 

I think not having a degree is almost a plus for me. I want to learn from someone that loves cooking and does it for REAL. Not with crazy ingredients that I have never heard of and is never going to be in my kitchen.

 

All of that to say... I think this is a fabulous idea. When you decided to franchise give me a call. :D

 

ETA: My husband and I would also be very interested in a date night idea.

Edited June 23, 2011 by JennyB
forgot something

[JennyB]

Great ideas!

 

By the bolded, do you mean that there were a few tables for "spectators"? Because dh suggested to me something along the lines of the "students" making their food, but the food *I* prep as demo would go to a few people who have paid ( different amt), but did not want to prepare the meal. I wasn't sure what I thought of that (I didn't actually love the idea). If that is what you mean, please expand the thought for me.

 

Thanks

 

On one of the cooking shows he actually has a counter top table bar that people sat at and then sampled the food that he cooked. I would think that if you were going to bill it as a "show" type of class that this might work. You know some entertainment and then you take the food home. If the "entertainment, show" aspect wasn't quite your style then that might not work. But.... for marketing you could have a just watch section for a lesser price maybe include drinks to help draw in potential customers. You could have a "We are full for this class but... if you pay x amount then you can watch and learn." People like the idea of a waiting list. It must be good if there is a wait to get in mentality.

[OrganicAnn]

I would take a hard look at the set up costs and then what it would take to break even. You said the landlord would "build to suit" but that would probably not include appliances and that would be a major cost if you were needing stove tops for 20+ people and several refrigerators. If you are doing grilling, would you need to buy grills?

 

Also you might consider do you want to work mainly evening and weekends, because that might be when people would want to take the classes.

 

Breakeven analysis is very important for a start up. Also you need to research all the state laws. You might fall under laws that govern restaurants.

[Dandelion]

Great ideas!

 

By the bolded, do you mean that there were a few tables for "spectators"? Because dh suggested to me something along the lines of the "students" making their food, but the food *I* prep as demo would go to a few people who have paid ( different amt), but did not want to prepare the meal. I wasn't sure what I thought of that (I didn't actually love the idea). If that is what you mean, please expand the thought for me.

 

Thanks

 

No, the classes I attended didn't have the "spectator only option". But we were able to sit at the bar during downtimes (when food was just cooking, all the prep work had been done, etc.). I also recall that for some portions of the class, the instructor would only need a certain number of people to help with something vs. everyone attending, so a few people would volunteer while everyone else sat at the bar and watched what was going on. It was nice to have those breaks inbetween to visit (I always attended these classes with friends) and I appreciated having the bar area to sit vs. having to stand for the whole class.

[LauraGB]

Thanks for the input everyone!!

[Cindyg]

I'll tell you what business idea I think is brilliant, that is similar to yours, and could possibly be worked in: Those places where you go and make a month's worth of dinners like Super Suppers.

 

So many families don't cook, think they don't have time to cook, don't know how to cook, don't know how to shop for food, don't know how to organize their kitchen, don't know how to use kitchen appliances, don't eat meals together, can't make the commitment to be home for meals, and find fast food easier to consume than homemade food. Given that, there ought to be a huge opportunity for a business that addresses all of the above.

 

And perhaps you could work in a little nutrition and weight management/healthy eating habits as well. It's all related.

[thessa516]

It's an excellent idea. We have something similar in our area. The classes run about $75 per person (and I do NOT live in a high COL area). And, most classes are "wait listed". It's insanely popular.

 

They work closely with the Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings. They have delicious food cooking and/or demonstrations every Sat. morning. People can pop in for some bread/muffins/coffee and then browse the farmers' selections.

 

They offer speciality cooking like gluten-free or diabetic cooking. You can find out about the classes from the hospital and/or local physicians. Consider advertising with them or making up fliers to go in care packages.

 

They work with local businesses by providing team-building exercises.

 

They also offer to-go kits. Everything is prepared for you. You only have to bake in the oven or grill.

 

Good luck to you. I think the pendulum is swinging away from restaurants and eating out and moving more towards good gourmet-type food at home. It's a good time to help people develop their culinary skills.

[Snickerdoodle]

What you can do is start right now on a smaller scale where you offer to go to people's homes and work with them there.

 

This way you can work out lots of kinks and things that you never even thought about before you commit to a lease, etc.

[justasque]

I would publish a full schedule of classes, with the understanding that some (many) won't fill at first. Think about how many students you'd need per class to make it worth your while, or whether you'd hold the class if even one student showed up, just for the experience/publicity. By having a full-looking schedule, you give the idea that it's a happening place, and you also give folks a lot of options as to topic, even if some of the classes ultimately don't run.

 

ALSO - look into Girl Scout and Boy Scout badges that involve food and cooking. Troops are always looking for a ready-made field trip that meets the requirements.

[LauraGB]

I'll tell you what business idea I think is brilliant, that is similar to yours, and could possibly be worked in: Those places where you go and make a month's worth of dinners like Super Suppers.

 

 

And perhaps you could work in a little nutrition and weight management/healthy eating habits as well. It's all related.

 

That site was great! That is more or less exactly what I was shooting for with the take-and-bake part. I wouldn't have a ton of daily options, though. I'd like to put out the menu for at least the week (but I can see where a month might be better) with daily offerings based on what was locally available and fresh, then make it that day for pick up. I suppose if they liked what was offered on one day but didn't need dinner, they could still buy it and freeze it.

 

The Once a Month Cooking club would be the rest of it; with that I was thinking people could get together in my kitchen and marathon cook for the month. I haven't worked out many details with that idea yet, though.

 

Love the nutrition/healthy living seminar ideas. Maybe even an urban gardening class to cover gardening in pots and square foot gardening?

[YLVD]

So, I had considered this before the kids were born. Then I considered it a lot when they were young. Now, I'm thinking about it again, only now I think I have enough time and brain power and experience to actually do it.

 

I'd like to open a place that does cooking classes. A kitchen, with room for people to stand around and make things and match wines/beer to meals and laugh and have fun and learn.

 

I'm not a chef. The few places around here that do a few monthly classes are retail places that sell cooking related items/foods, and the classes are generally conducted by chefs. I just like to eat and have been cooking for over 25 years. So, no credentials.

 

The place I would like to open this "kitchen" is near (within walking distance) of a strip mall that is home to a fantastic wine seller (who does tastings and food pairings from local restaurants), a fromagerie, a natural health store/grocery, and in the parking lot once a week they host an organic farmer's market.

 

The "Dinner to Go" bit would be a menu I put out weekly, and people can order/pay online by a certain time of day, I would prep everything for the entire meal, but they would pick it up and pop it in the oven at home with instructions.

 

My place would be whole foods based, using mainly local ingredients to support the local farmers/food producers. So far, my initial offerings (and I'm working on more) would be:

 

 Cooking classes 3x per week

• Cheese making class

• Men’s Grilling Class

• Men’s Microbrew Class

• Greek Night

• Tour of Italy

• Pizza 101

• Summer Salads

• Artisan Bread Baking

• Cooking with Summer’s Bounty

• Sugar free/fruit based desserts

• Seasonal Soup/Salad dinners

• Appetizers/Healthy snacks

• Extending the Fall Harvest (applesauce, pie filling, pumpkin puree, tomato sauces/salsas)

• Comfort food

• Cook Once, Eat all week

• Chinese Take-Out at Home

 

 Dinner to go/ take and bake

 

 Once a Month Cooking Club

 

 

 Retail

• Cookbooks/Whole Foods readers

• Aprons

• Spices (local)

• Honey, maple syrup (local)

• Flours/grains

• Essentials for each class such as pizza stones/peels,

 

Within 5 years, I would plan to move/build on the land behind my house (which is less than a mile from the original location). This fall, I would get my own organic gardens going on, plant fruit trees, etc, so a lot of the food would come directly from my own business.

 

Tell me what you think about this. Would this be hard because I'm not "accredited"? What would you pay per class (the chef-led ones average between $25-$50, depending on the class). Do you have suggestions? Tell me everything you think; the good, the bad, the ugly.

 

Thanks

 

I would LOVE THIS!!!! Great idea!:001_smile:

[In The Great White North]

This fall, I would get my own organic gardens going on, plant fruit trees, etc, so a lot of the food would come directly from my own business.

 

This is a full time job on its own. I'd wait with the garden aspect of it til the cooking aspect is off and running.

[LauraGB]

This is a full time job on its own. I'd wait with the garden aspect of it til the cooking aspect is off and running.

 

We were going to do it for ourselves this fall anyway. If I do go ahead with this plan, I'd just plant more trees and be sure to design the garden so there would be enough space to expand, eventually add greenhouses and also to include a potential future building (wouldn't it be cool to walk down a path through gardens to get to the building? Our land falls under several zonings, and we would be able to do both on it).

 

But you're right - I wouldn't go completely crazy right off the bat. That would really be a 5 year goal.

 

Plus, dh works at home and my kids really don't have anything better to do :D. It would be extra awesome if eventually I could extend some jobs to some people.

[Liz CA]

Sounds like fun.

There will be expenses as in state of the art kitchen equipment. You will probably want a very nice oven and stove, perhaps on an island so people can gather around it. Mixers, bowls, serving plates, etc. Restaurant supply places should be able to help you there.

You will likely be dealing with the Health Department. In CA where I am, it can be extremely strict but once you get approved and keep getting approved, you should be on your way. Once it's all done, you have to link us to your website! :001_smile:

[Cindyg]

That site was great! That is more or less exactly what I was shooting for

 

Well, since you liked that one, here's another: Dinner Station

 

I just think this is a great concept for a business.