Hey everyone,
I wanted to share an update on my sandwich-selling adventure and get your thoughts on some decisions I’ve made.
Starting Small, Scaling Up
It began in my university dorm, where I sold homemade sandwiches (my last post). After positive feedback, I ramped up production to 30 sandwiches and sold them easily on a Sunday (the next day). However, I hit a snag during weekdays due to fewer people in the dorms. This hiccup didn’t deter me; instead, I experimented with a new Korean-style chicken sandwich and came up with a more or less good recipe. The next Saturday I decided to sell them on dorm again, but this time I bought ingredients for 40 sandwiches. First hour in, I sold 10 of them. But that’s when someone complained on me and I got kicked out of dorm kitchen.
A Minor Setback
Turns out, cooking in the dorm was fine, but selling wasn’t. After a complaint, I was kicked out but luckily only received a warning. Not wanting to waste ingredients, I cooked the remaining sandwiches at home and successfully sold them at the university the next day. This experience made me realize I needed to scale up, just as many of you suggested in my last post.
The Hunt for a Location
The following two weeks, I actively searched for a rental space. It was challenging - places were either too expensive, poorly located, or required significant renovation. Then, I stumbled upon an old sushi place, vacated after 3.5 years. It was reasonably priced and had the necessary facilities, albeit needing some cosmetic touch-ups.
Looking Ahead: Branding and Opening
For the next 30 days, I plan to renovate the place, develop a branding strategy, and start selling my sandwiches. I’m considering the name “Frito” for my brand, but I’m not sure. This brings me to a couple of questions for you all:
- Did I rush into this, or is this a natural progression for a growing business?
- How do you go about naming a brand and designing a logo? Any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated, especially regarding the name “Frito”
I would say that renting a space, especially in college, might be a little risky. Especially considering how new your business is. Maybe try social media marketing first! Might get more on-campus sales and expand your market off-campus. Once you’re consistently making sales and can afford to rent a space with just your income from the business, then you can expand that way.
In terms of naming, I would stay away from “Frito”, just for marketing reasons. You could try playing with the spelling. “Freto”, “FreeTo”, etc etc. Maybe something related to your name or a nickname? Common sandwich ingredients?