Small Biz Success Story - Superfood Eateries

By Stefanie Neyland, Small Business Content Developer at BizLaunch.com

 

In honour of national Small Business Week (October 20-26, 2013), each and every day throughout the week we’ll be sharing a small biz success story in celebration of Canadian small business. Today, we kick off the first instalment of the series with Superfood Eateries.

If there’s one resolution that’s common to everyone, it’s the customary pledge to eat more healthily. And if there’s one stumbling block that’s also common to everyone, it’s that finding reasonably-priced, quality, healthy food offerings while on-the-go is no easy feat.

Enter Superfood Eateries.

Co-founders Amy De Wolfe and Luciano Losiggio are on a mission to bring their organic, plant-strong food and beverages to the city of Toronto with their über-healthy grab-and-go eatery. But with a menu featuring the likes of tacos, pizza, manicotti, nachos and chocolate cake, healthy eating may not be the first thing that springs to mind.

“We make fast food with a difference,” Amy explains, “everything in the store leaves our customers feeling energetic, happy and healthy, while still being just as delicious as any of the unhealthy treats out there.”

And she isn’t wrong. The pumpkin pie on their menu contains a tantalizing mix of carrots, cashews, medjool dates and all the usual spices—with not a toxic ingredient or unhealthy additive in sight. So where did Amy and Luciano’s business idea come from? And how did they turn their vision into a reality? Today, in the first instalment of our Small Biz Success series, we sit down with Amy to find out.

 How did you come up with your business idea? What inspired you?

Amy: Superfood Eateries is the culmination of both mine and Luciano’s passion for the living foods lifestyle. We were so inspired by the amazing health benefits this way of eating provides, and we both wanted to make truly healthy food accessible and delicious. We take the healthiest foods on the planet, in their purest states, and make them so delicious that anyone can enjoy the ultimate in nutrition—without giving up their enjoyment of food.

What makes your business unique?

Amy: Our business is unique because we provide gourmet-quality, unbelievably healthy food that uses only the purest and best ingredients kept as close as possible to their natural and most nutritious state. We make these ingredients taste as good as any cooked meal, and we make all of this very convenient by offering it up grab-and-go style.

How long has superfood eateries been in business?

Amy: We’ve been in business since April 22nd, Earth Day, 2013.

How did you raise money to start your business?

Amy: The money that started up our business was saved over several years by Luciano. Combining his budget with the skills I brought to the table, Superfood was able to come together without the assistance of an outside investor.

Describe your ideal customer...

Amy: Our ideal customer is health-conscious and open-minded. They’re always on the go, but they appreciate finding efficient and healthy ways to maximize the enjoyment factor of their daily routine.

What do you love about being a small business owner?

Amy: Being a small business owner is very rewarding. It stretches you beyond your comfort zone at every turn, and forces you to learn new skills, to learn from your mistakes, and to take chances.

How does Staples make running your business easy?

Amy: Staples makes it easy to run our business with their convenient ways of shopping both  online or instore at one of their many locations. Their business hours and close proximity to Superfood makes it quick and simple to grab anything we need on the fly, and their delivery service make it easy to buy larger items.

Name your Staples ‘staple’...

Amy: Our Staples ‘staple’ would have to be the cute green day-timer planner we bought that is the heart of the organization of our store!

What lessons have you learned from running your own business?

Amy: We’ve learned that even though a lot of people will tell you your idea is risky, you have to take a leap of faith for the things you’re passionate about. Customers can sense it when you believe in what you’re doing and are more open to giving you a shot. If you can create a product that will exceed your customers’ expectations, you’re in a good place.

Given the chance to start over, would you do anything differently?

Amy: I’m not sure I would change anything about what we’ve done so far, but having been through the process of a launch, I think any future expansion will benefit from what we’ve learned from going through it the first time around. There are definitely small details I would change, but I think we did really well with the budget and resources we had at the outset. All our mistakes were fairly minor but still proved to be amazing learning opportunities.

What are your plans and goals for the future?

Amy: Our plans for the future are to keep perfecting our offerings and to grow our business into a multi-location enterprise. We would like to see amazingly healthy grab-and-go food available as conveniently as its greasy fast food counterparts.

What words of wisdom do you have to share with other small business owners and budding entrepreneurs?

Amy: Start as small and as simply as you can. Save your money for the essentials, and leave the nice-to-haves until you’ve had a chance to test your concept for as long as possible. Also do as much product testing and market research as you can, and use the information you get to ensure you focus on the key elements that your target market requires to see your product as a valuable investment in their day-to-day lives. And most importantly, if things aren’t working—be ready to pivot.

Any final thoughts?

Amy: If you want to start your own business, the key is to start. Whatever your idea is, you’ll never know if it can be a viable business unless you take a shot at it.

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for the second installment of our Small Biz Success series.