CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 15 Classics | Page 74

“It sounds ridiculous that I'd
spend so much time on things
like Instagram posts, but these
are the things I have to do to get
people into our door.”
Instagram shots. But then the visits quick-
ly faded as people realized that they’d
spend the same amount on a plate of heir-
loom corn grits, made with local dairy and
topped with rubbed kale, a farm-sourced
soft egg, fresh pesto, and roasted local to-
matoes as they would on a hamburger at
the hot local burger spot. Self-proclaimed
restaurant critics quickly moved on to the
next exciting restaurant openings in an ef-
fort to produce relevant material, and the
only folks who stayed were the ones who
truly believed what we were peddling.
We spent all of our money on ingredients
and staff, so we didn’t have the money to
pay PR firms to keep our message in front
of customers. We couldn’t afford designers
to keep our marketing fresh or contractors
to install a hood and make fried chicken,
pizza, donuts, or hamburgers, so we were
stuck. The industry folks who supported
us, in the beginning, disappeared as they
saw us begin to struggle. No-one wants to
be a part of a sinking ship.
Then the sharks started circling. We re-
ceived numerous offers from potential in-
vestors. All we had to do was give them
control and the majority of our business.
Some of them had invested in other local
brands we admired so it was tempting but
it just didn’t feel right. We had fought so
hard to get free from corporate control,
and most of these guys had made their
money through corporations. Giving up so
much so quickly felt like selling ourselves
short, so we turned them down and fought
our way forward without funding. It burnt
a few bridges, but we still feel like we did
the right thing.
It was extremely difficult.
We learned to balance making food for our
regulars, while also staying relevant in the