"Raw" oriented mission/businesses

elementalspirit · #1 07-24-2007, 05:26 AM

I was not sure where to post this,, I hope this spot is o.k.

I was wondering if those who have experience in raw oriented outreach/business such as catering/personal chef, raw cafe/restaurant/store, or information on raw could post, discussing some of their experiences in setting up, the degree to which they had/have a formal business plan, the technical side, the value of various raw training and certification programs compared to other ways of research, experimentation and self-teaching..

Basically..anything you might think relevant and would like to share..

Thanks,,

Fairygirl · #2 07-24-2007, 07:59 AM

Hey Elizabeth,

Not sure how much help i can be, but my business does fit your question, lol.

I work as a personal chef. i have another full time job for the summer, so i do this on the side and it was extremely easy to start up.

I didnt have to do any advertising, it was all word of mouth because i live in a small town.
For some families i go into their home and make a week's worth of food, for others i cater out of my home and deliver them a week's worth of food. They provide me with a menu - and some people pick and choose based on my page of raw food that ive created. It works quite well.
Not all my clients are raw. Some are vegetarian/vegan.
I am mostly self trained in raw food (although i took a short course in California), but i am a trained chef and have worked in the food industry for years.

Im not sure your situation or goals, but id recommend just passing out the word that you want to do raw food for people. If you can get just one family to do food for, others will hear about it and you could build up your clientele pretty quickly.

I charge an hourly rate for my service, plus the cost of the groceries.

umm...im thinking to think of what else might help, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

hope that helps in some way.

elementalspirit · #3 07-24-2007, 09:20 AM

HI Fairygirl.. Thanks for responding!!!

It is helpful..

I am moving pretty soon, to the Asheville, NC area..and am thinking of various possibilities for meaningful work..

A while back I saw an ad on Craigslist for a mixed-usage zoned property, residential and retail..and since then, have not been able to stop thinking about the possibility of having a small catering/raw cafe/shop/(and maybe more) business and living right upstairs from it. :-) I really have this idea eventually of a "Raw" retreat, maybe specifically for "lower-income" women to focus on diet/health and self-awareness and expression through music/art/journalling and nature...

I am reading books from the library..and also working on other projects, and am interested in hearing anything about other's experiences in these areas. Do you have a website with your food list? Did you apply for a wholesale buyerr's number or did you not need to since the clients pay for their own groceries?

Thanks again for your suggestions...

sprout · #4 07-25-2008, 11:58 AM

Hi Elemental Spirit.

I am currently developing a raw food deli concept (I created a successful coffee house in the 90's, can't help myself). Fairy Girl's advice is great, thanks so much, FG. As are all the amazing recipes shared on RFC forums.

One thing that would be really helpful for me, and you might appreciate it too, would be for people to tell us something about their favorite restaurant. What is it that you love about your favorite raw dining location?

Most graciously, lyn

Eva · #5 07-26-2008, 01:28 AM

Hey lyn -- I love Organic Garden in Beverly, Mass for the following reasons: There are really good takeout options, including really tasty premade pizza crusts. There is indoor and outdoor seating, but it's small and does sort of feel like a deli. The prices are reasonable, there are lots of options for food, including vegan cooked options. (Although it would be nice if everything was more clearly marked on the menu, it's about 2/3 raw and 1/3 healthy vegan cooked). It's got a great vibe to it.

My mom is raw but not very public about it, and she sometimes does not like the vibes of restaurants we've gone to. Her two faves were Organic Garden (which she just LOVED the takeaway crusts, we got a few and were reliving the dinner for a week or two) and The Present Moment Cafe in St. Augustine, FL. The owner is always there it seems, and she is SO nice and helpful. The food there is really amazing, and the vibes there too are spot on.

Both restaurants have web sites. I'm putting what I think they are here in case it's a help to you: www.organicgardencafe.com www.presentmomentcafe.com

sprout · #6 07-26-2008, 04:46 PM

Thanks so much Eva! Your thoughts are so helpful, especially your notes about the take away crusts, and take away in general. I think your mom's vibe concerns are really important to note as well. I am checking out the links now, I am so grateful for your help. two hands together! lyn

misotrue · #7 07-26-2008, 07:07 PM

Hi sprout & elementalspirit,

My fav restaurant is located in Montpelier, Vermont. What I love about Rhapsody is that it is a vegan/vegetarian buffet with tons of variety. Your meal is weighed after your selection, and tea is served for free. It has cooked as well as raw, so there is something for everybody. Also, they support local farmers. See here; http://www.rhapsodynaturalfoods.org/

Eva · #8 08-05-2008, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by misotrue

Hi sprout & elementalspirit,

My fav restaurant is located in Montpelier, Vermont. What I love about Rhapsody is that it is a vegan/vegetarian buffet with tons of variety. Your meal is weighed after your selection, and tea is served for free. It has cooked as well as raw, so there is something for everybody. Also, they support local farmers. See here; http://www.rhapsodynaturalfoods.org/

A buffet sounds really lovely -- with natural/raw food. Mmmmm...

ani · #9 10-07-2008, 06:27 AM

hi! i took a entrepreneurship program that was government funded a few years back, developing a plan for a juice bar/living foods restaurant. the course was free...actually, if you got accepted they paid you about 500$ a month to help with set-up and research costs. you could see if there was something of the sort in your area. it was great to give me a solid understanding of the BUSINESS side of things, which is not my forte.

i did fresh juice delivery and sold it at the farmers market ... unfortunately i was not totally ready to dive into the restaurant LIFE...(plus the debt i would have to go into to to start it up was staggering...)and there just wasn't the support that there seems to be now. this is...8 years ago....vegetable juice was becoming pretty popular - but the health benifits of raw and living foods was still just coming into mainstream. i think NOW would be a much better time for something like that. actually, a place opened in town a year or so back and i think they are doing pretty well...

i LOVE the idea of personal chef! i have sold food and juice a bit from home, but i love the idea of going in and making meals for people...what a great concept. i might just have to restart a little business for myself (my kids are almost old enough that i think i could manage it!) what wonderful support and great ideas! Good luck with whatever you do! (from what i experienced in the restaurant business, it really is a lifestyle, and from people that i know who run successful ones...they practically live there for the first few years...be prepared!)

Tessonja · #10 01-12-2009, 12:37 PM

I don't have an answer but I just wanted to reply because I have been researching options in this same field, so I am happy to see others are asking the same questions I have in my mind. It makes me feel better and less clueless!

Recently I have decided that I want to find and develop a career involving raw foods. I either want to go back to school to become a holistic nutritionist, specializing in raw foods or start my own raw business. A raw restaurant would be ideal and most exciting but it sounds super intimidating. I know I would need a lot of help financially and with partners and education.

The personal raw chef idea, on the other hand, sounds like something I would be interested in starting soon, especially after hearing fairygirl say how easy it was to start. It would be something proactive to do while I'm in school (getting my degree I'm guessing could take years, if I do decide to go that route!)

On the downside, I live in Seattle, WA, a big city. While I know raw foods is growing in popularity here, I think it might take quite a bit of advertising on my part to gain clients. Then again, I do believe in word of mouth. I was a personal housecleaner for 5 years, making $20 an hour and I did the bare minimum of networking. It couldn't be much harder than that, right?

What I'm thinking might be good for me is gaining credibility like a raw chef certification course.