A Business Plan for Cheryls Kitchen Cheryl Gregory San Francisco State University

A healthy restaurant is the perfect place to inspire people to eat fresher foods and to learn to utilize the abundant variety of fruits, vegetables, and more that is available to bay area residents. There are many technology driven inspirational sources such as Epicurious, Pinterest, All Recipes. A restaurant and store combination could bring this inspiration to life. Instead of just looking at a photograph, people could actually taste the dish they are curious to cook. Then, patrons could watch a demonstration to learn new culinary techniques, and purchase all of the ingredients in one convenient location; no shopping list or hunting down ingredients would be necessary. Cheryls Kitchen will combine the concept of restaurant and grocer in a casual, commercial establishment. The company will be driven by a mission to provide the community with a physical location for culinary inspiration in order to help people eat healthier. Cheryls Kitchen will encourage the cultivation of new ideas through the creative use of high quality, fresh, seasonal ingredients and products, will actively teach the community culinary skills, and will make fresh ingredients available to the surrounding neighborhoods. The menu will be one of the most important tools to accomplish this mission. Menus will be selective and approximately two thirds of the dishes will be static and one third will be du jour. Cheryls Kitchen will strive to provide healthful meals by limiting fat and eliminating trans fats, increasing fiber, providing variety, and ensuring meals are well balanced. Du jour items will highlight fresh seasonal ingredients, specific cooking techniques, and/or unconventional food combinations in order to provide new ideas and inspiration for the customers home cooking excursions and to keep patrons coming back. This is an important aspect of the menu and correlates directly with the mission of Cheryls Kitchen. The majority of the dishes will be static and fall more closely into the category of comfort foods to provide stability for the customer. This will help draw people back to Cheryls Kitchen because they can depend on their

favorite dish being served. Also, the success of comfort food trends is demonstrated by local establishments such as Homeroom, which specializes in macaroni and cheese (Zagat, 2013). According to Diane Cardwell (2010), The appetite for affordable comfort food shows no sign of abating. Below, a sample menu demonstrates the combination of seasonal, unique, and comfort foods used in Cheryls Kitchen. Late Summer at Cheryls Kitchen SALADS: Not your ordinary chef salad. Kale & Edamame Salad: a crunchy, lively salad with tomatoes, avocado and quinoa in lemon vinagrette Farmers Salad: greens, baby potatoes, green beans, & basil taken up a notch with spiced goat cheese Spinach & Pear Salad: a refreshing and crisp salad with cranberries, red onion, and hazelnuts MAIN PLATES: Pair with two sides. Go on, be adventurous. Spaghetti Squash with Cheryls Signature Meatballs: check out this seasonal twist on sgetti Chicken Marsala: sage adds an earthy feel to this classic dish of tender chicken Citrus & Rosemary Chicken: fresh and zesty chicken cools the senses during summer heat Eggplant Pizza: broiled, not fried, eggplant rounds are topped with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes Tuna Melt Cheryls Way: tuna salad, walnuts, celery, raisins, and swiss cheese on a zucchini bun SIDES: to inspire your senses. Choose two. Roasted Sweet Potatoes: with garlic and rosemary; a healthier alternative to fries Cheryls Corn on the Cob: drizzled with mint butter and topped with feta crumbles Caribbean Style Rice & Beans: this traditional combo is enlivened with coconut milk and
caribbean spices to give a sweet and spicy taste
Recommended with the Citrus Chicken or Tuna Melt

3 Bean Basil Salad: creamy fava beans team with crisp romano & green beans for a lesson in
texture

Braised Beets: red onion and mint help bring out the beets tangy and sweet flavors Pickled Baby Squash: maple & mustard pair in this sweet & sour drizzle over baby squash DESSERT: Cheryls Signature Fro-Yo Push Pop OR Apricot Rice-Pudding Pop BEVERAGES: Coffee, Tea, Iced Coffee or Tea, Lemonade Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas IPA, House Red Wine, House White Wine

Cheryls Kitchen will be a conventional foodservice operation with some ready-prepared items. Conventional service will help ensure food quality is not compromised (Josef, 2013, slide 16). Skilled cooks may contribute their knowledge to cooking demonstrations, to menu planning, and to creating new dishes. Also, because conventional service requires the regular order and purchase of goods, the freshest seasonal ingredients for the best price may determine the menu. Menu flexibility is particularly important to keep ideas fresh and constantly provide new dishes. To help lower labor costs and to improve time efficiency, some items will be readyprepared (Josef, 2013, slide 18). Only foods that are able to withstand extended refrigeration or freezing without diminishing quality will be ready-prepared, such as, frozen yogurt push pops, frozen meatballs, or quinoa salad. Large quantities will be made in advance and what is not sold in the restaurant will be for sale in the store for customers to prepare in the comfort of their own home. This conventional and ready-prepared combination will give the menu flexibility. Cheryls Kitchen will be a casual establishment with a local and community feel. To best serve the community, the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday 11am to 10pm and for brunch on weekends beginning at 9am. The store will be open seven days a week from 9am to 9:30pm. The restaurant will provide casual, counter service where patrons will order food at the counter, take a number to their selected table or bar, and a food runner will deliver the order to their table. Tables will primarily seat four people and be easily rearranged to accommodate larger parties. The dining area will serve 20-30 patrons at a time with a maximum capacity of around 50. This style of service will promote a laid back atmosphere that encourages customers to meander around the store, engage with staff, and to watch cooking demonstrations while they wait. The more time customers spend in the store the more likely they will be to purchase goods.

The establishment will include a small demonstration kitchen where customers may watch and learn new cooking skills and techniques. For people who are not inclined to cook and do not know where to begin or for people looking to try something new, this aspect of Cheryls Kitchen will provide a unique opportunity for community engagement and learning. Demonstrations will be provided by pre-screened interns or volunteers as well as interested staff members. Nearby culinary schools and dietetic programs will provide a pool of demo chef candidates. Demonstrations will take place only during peak business hours and last 10-20 minutes. The foods cooked will be the same as the du jour menu items available in the restaurant. Thereby, customers will be able to taste the dish, learn to make the dish, purchase the ingredients, and be able to prepare the dish in their own home. Once the customers interest is piqued, the demo chef will provide a complimentary recipe and encourage the patron to purchase the necessary ingredients, conveniently located nearby. Cheryls Kitchen is meant to be a one-stop-shop for culinary ideas and for the knowledge and goods necessary to carry out those ideas. As such, a small grocery is a necessary component of Cheryls Kitchen. The grocery will offer such items as seasonal produce; featured wine or beer; staples: flour, milk, eggs, bread, etc.; housewares: toilet paper, sponges, etc.; and novelty items: toys, terrariums, art etc. Most importantly, the grocery will offer pre-made to-go items from the restaurant menu such as fro-yo push pops, frozen meatballs, or quinoa salad and will offer ingredients for du jour specials. The success and feasibility of restaurant-store combinations is demonstrated by places such as Winslows Home (Winslows Home, 2013). Cheryls Kitchen will primarily target local Oakland residents: specifically, residents of the Piedmont, Rockridge, Temescal, Mosswood, Uptown, and Adams Point neighborhoods. The restaurant concept is geared toward people interested in fresh foods and in learning to cook.

The regional population is greater than 470,000, has a median age of 37.8 years old, and over 70% of residents hold white collar jobs (Community and Economic Development Agency, 2008). This aligns with Cheryls Kitchens target demographic of working professionals age 25-60. With a median household income of $53,003 (Community and Economic Development Agency, 2008), the local residents will have money to spend on food and groceries. Moreover, Oaklands food stores and eating or drinking establishments have experienced increases in taxable sales over the past few years: $668,000 in 2007, $681,000 in 2008, and $707,000 in 2009 (City of Oakland, 2013). This demonstrates that Oakland has a stable food economy with locals spending money to eat out and to purchase food. Also, the success of similar businesses in the region such as Piedmont Grocery or Csar demonstrates that this restaurant would appeal to the Oakland demographic. Piedmont Avenue and the surrounding neighborhoods make an ideal location for Cheryls Kitchen. Oakland in general is growing, with over 4,000 new businesses in 2010 alone (City of Oakland, 2013). Also, Oaklands food sales have been steady and the percentage of taxable sales in food establishments compared to total taxable sales in Oakland has increased: 14% of every taxable sale was for food in 2007, 17.5% in 2008, and 21.9% in 2009 (City of Oakland, 2013). The Piedmont district specifically, experiences 13,800 vehicles per day ensuring that this area is well frequented and will be visible (Community and Economic Development Agency, 2008). The area is also easily accessible via I-580 and 24 freeways. Numerous restaurants and shops on Piedmont Avenue entice customers to frequent the area and Cheryls Kitchen may benefit from their presence. Some businesses would be in direct competition, such as Piedmont Grocery or Bar Csar. However, Cheryls Kitchen will provide a uniquely local feel and provide an appealing combination of grocery store and restaurant.

Cheryls Kitchen is a unique restaurant and store that will encourage the community to learn more about their food and cooking. The commercial establishment will provide a casual and local dining experience through a selective menu with highlighted du jour dishes, a mixed conventional and ready-prepared foodservice system, simple counter service, kitchen demonstrations, and a small grocery. The Piedmont area is the prime location for Cheryls Kitchen due to local demographics, bustling traffic, and taxable dollars spent on food services. Under these parameters, Cheryls Kitchen will remain flexible, creative, and true to its mission of inspiring people to eat healthier.

References Cardwell, D. (2010, November 28). The Menu: One Entree. Thats It. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/nyregion/29onefood.html?pagewanted= 1&_r=1& City of Oakland. (2013). A Strong and Diverse Local Economy. Retrieved from http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/CityAdministration/d/EconomicDevelopmen t/s/MerchantOrganizations/DOWD008094 Community and Economic Development Agency. (2008). Demographics, Oakland, California. Retrieved from http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/ceda/documents/report/dowd007456.pdf Josef, S. (2013). The Systems Approach to Foodservice [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from https://ilearn.sfsu.edu/ Winslows Home. (2013). Available at http://www.winslowshome.com/Home.aspx Zagat. (2013). Homeroom. Retrieved from http://www.zagat.com/r/homeroom-oakland