Venture Concept No. 2

Opportunity:

• The consumption of meat and dairy is not only one of the key contributors to a rising number of health problems, but it's also the single largest contributor to green house gasses, and it's enormously wasteful of our water sources. Headache, acne, heart disease, stroke, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, depression are all side effects of over-eating fast food. Eating fast food doesn't just wreak havoc on your body though, it also has devastating effects on the environment. Fast food packaging counts for 40% of all litter. Every bite of a burger boosts harmful greenhouse gases. Distributing trucks add to the pollution, emissions, congestion, and climate change. This is why more and more people are switching to a plant-based lifestyle. Eating a variety of unprocessed fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and legumes is key when it comes to maintaining a healthy, balanced diet and fighting climate change. 
• A quarter of 25-34 year old Americans are vegans or vegetarians. That's 43 million Americans. Last year U.S. retail sales of plant-based foods increased by 11 percent, making it a $4.5 billion industry. The plant-based meat category alone is worth more than $800 million. 
• Every incoming freshman gets the dreaded talk about avoiding the fifteen pounds that incoming freshman are known to gain during their first year of college, also known as the "freshman 15". The tendency to gain weight at the beginning of college is significant enough to earn this lasting title. College is a big step. Students start to form new eating habits once they are living on their own without mom and dad telling them what to do. More time is spent studying, so it can be easy to mindlessly snack on junk and spend less time being active. For many, food is a comfort used to combat the homesickness and emotional stress of being away from home. As a result, after freshman year many students start to take their health more seriously. The university gym gets packed and as students move into apartments, they learn how to cook for themselves and eat healthier. The problem is that most of the food options on campus are still fast food restaurants that serve only fried food. It may be easier to eat healthy at home, but it's nearly impossible to eat healthy on campus. 
• The need is for a fast food restaurant on campus that is dedicated to serving students healthy, plant-based options. UF is already making strides towards becoming a more green campus, but the food options on campus are all doing exactly the opposite. UF needs a fast food restaurant on campus that serves healthy food made entirely without the use of animal products or artificial ingredients and served in 100% biodegradable and compostable materials, benefiting students, faculty, and the environment. 
• The demand for quick and healthy food options on campus is actually very high. Many interviewers reported that that there aren't enough healthy options on campus. Everyone I have talked to so far has said that it's important to them that they take care of their bodies, and they are actively seeking out healthier options. They prefer to fuel their bodies with healthy, nourishing foods, but because there aren't many options on campus, most health-conscious students prefer to just make their own food at home. 
• Potential customers: UF students and faculty who are concerned about their health/wellness and protecting the environment through sustainable practices. 

Innovation:

• For UF students and faculty I will open a a fast food restaurant on campus that serves healthy and delicious fast food made entirely without the use of animal products or artificial ingredients and served in 100% biodegradable and compostable materials.
• This restaurant would utilize fresh, locally sourced ingredients from local farmers in the area and have a rotational menu that is updated with the seasons. This cuts back on the use of green house gasses to ship ingredients from all over the country because we work with local farmers to use what is in season. Also, as people leave the restaurant after finishing their meal, there will be stations set up for people to compost their leftovers that would typically end up getting thrown out in the trash. 
• So often people associate eating healthy with eating boring salads. This restaurant celebrates the diversity of options there are when it comes to eating healthy and plant-based foods. The menu will feature fun foods, like mac and cheese, loaded nachos, and soft serve ice cream, things that are not expected to be plant-based. This restaurant focuses on fueling the body healthfully by celebrating the use of simple, real, and local ingredients. 

Venture Concept:

• People will buy food from my restaurant if they are concerned with are concerned with their health/wellness or protecting the environment through sustainable practices. 
• People will buy food from my restaurant if they are a plant-based eater, as there are no other options on campus for students to find quick and healthy plant-based food. 

Price points:

• This is very important. If I am too expensive, the incentive for health is outweighed for the incentive for convenience. I cannot charge too much more than other fast food restaurants, or it will deter customers from giving it a try. My prices have to be in line with typical fast food prices, with $10 being the maximum for an entire meal. 

Distribution:

• I am going to need a lot of fresh produce to create fresh, wholesome vegan meals. And I am very passionate about supporting local farmers in the community. In order to serve delicious, healthy, and sustainably sourced food, I will work with local farmers and create a menu that is centered around fresh, seasonal ingredients. Rainbow Produce is the closest supplier of fresh produce at affordable prices. They source their fruit and vegetables from local farmers and pass them on to our customers at low prices. I want to make sure I am using the most sustainable practices for sourcing food. And I really want to support the local farmers near Gainesville. 

Customer Service:

• Since the company is built upon caring for oneself and the environment, it's vital that we be friendly, polite, super clean, and have over-the-top customer service. My employees will be required to have an in-depth understanding of our sustainability practices, and be knowledgeable about the foods we are serving, what makes them plant-based, and why that makes them healthier to eat. We will have delivery on and off campus in order to help this be accessible to those who can’t make it to the restaurant. 

Location:

• At the heart of UF's campus, preferably in the Reitz Union, so that it's convenient for any student on campus to walk and grab food in between class or work. 

Packaging:

• Fast food packaging takes up a hefty chunk of our landfill space while effectively clear-cutting our forests. What’s worse is that most of this paper makes its way into a trashcan after only about 5 minutes of use. At my restaurant, all food, whether it is eaten in-house or taken to-go, will be served in 100% biodegradable and compostable materials. To-go bags will be made out of grass paper, which has naturally grease-resistant properties. To replace single-use plastic beverage cups, lids, straws, and bottles, we will opt for fully compostable or reusable alternatives. Rather than printing our logo/manifesto on the packaging itself, we will feature those through artwork on the walls of the restaurant, that way it doesn't interfere with it's compostability. 

Employees:

• I am estimating about 15-20 employees to begin with. 
• Front Counter Cashiers - take food orders and process customer payments
• Cooks - prepare the food, operating a variety of kitchen tools and equipment
• Assistant or Shift Managers - overseeing the duties of the food preparation and front counter staff
• Dishwashers - responsible for making sure dishware is spotless and keeping the kitchen clean and clear of garbage and hazardous clutter
• Restaurant Manager - supervise all the daily operations of the restaurant. Hire, train, and schedule staff, deal with personnel issues, and order food and supplies.
• Food Delivery Drivers - transport food items from production areas to customers. Duties include loading food, transporting it to the destination, making sure food safety standards are respected, collecting payments, and reporting any vehicle mechanical problems.

Unfair advantage:

• While anyone could easily start a vegan fast food restaurant similar to this one and find success with it, I believe that because of my experiences and the love for cooking that has been passed down in my family for generations, I will be able to bring something new to the table. Whether that be an innovative menu, a beautifully designed restaurant space, sustainable packaging, or just delicious food, I know that my vision will not be matched by anyone else because of my experience and expertise. 

What's next:

• I want to wake people up to the harmful effects we're all unconsciously causing to ourselves and the world around us. I want to encourage people to give vegan food, so that they can see how easy and enjoyable this lifestyle is. I also want to help people realize that their actions have profound effects. 

For Me:

• I'd love to make a difference in people's lives by continuing to promote health, self-care, and wellness, specifically for individuals who have suffered from eating disorders or other illnesses. I believe that food is medicine, and I have seen people make miraculous recoveries from illness by changing how they eat. In five years I hope to have started some kind of business where I am interacting with people in this community and helping them discover their own personal health and wellness. 

Feedback: 

• There weren’t any parts of the post where I was left questioning or wanting further explanation.
• Great job of highlighting the fact that price is the main factor, because your main market would-be college students. A turn off of healthier food for me is that it is normally more expensive. 
• People are often deterred from leading a healthy lifestyle because they believe if they switch their diet nothing will taste good and be very expensive. Good job creating a way to potentially dismiss this misnomer by offering a healthy, relatively inexpensive and delicious food. 
• Good job listing the long term effects of unhealthy eating especially since fast food is usually not planned and can add up over time. Good job listing farm fresh and how that could help keep the cost low.
• An idea would be delivery on and off campus in order to help this be accessible to those who can’t make it to the restaurant. 
• As plant based options become more popular, I believe it will be easier for your restaurant to take hold outside of the college atmosphere.

How I'll adapt: 

• Overall I got good feedback so there wasn't much to change, but I loved the idea of offering delivery on and off campus to make the food more accessible to people who might not be able to make it on campus or may be running late in between classes or meetings. I added this concept to the customer Service Section and added a description of the delivery driver job to the Employees section. I think as I continue to talk about the idea with different people, I will start to come up with more ideas like this one that provide that added level of convenience.