Why I’m starting with a cart and not a store

When you decide to open a restaurant, the instinct is to look for a location. It’s what people see: a storefront, a sign, people walking in. But a store is a multi-year lease, a build-out and months of rent before you sell your first sandwich. If the product doesn’t work, you find out after you’ve signed.

With Braid & Berry I want to find out earlier, and cheaply.

The order

First, a 30-day test. Finished recipes, branded packaging and catering at small events: parties, office lunches. I’m not selling on the street yet; I want to see what people order the second time.

Then, a cart. A premium one, in a mall or a park, plus delivery through DoorDash and Uber Eats. The cart tells me whether someone who doesn’t know me stops and buys. Delivery tells me whether the product survives the trip.

Last, the store. And not even with a full kitchen: just ovens. The challah arrives braided; at the store it gets its egg wash and goes in the oven. Less equipment, fewer staff, fewer things that can go wrong.

Why this way

At Kimik I learned that a product that works doesn’t survive a market that doesn’t want it. At TurboCar I learned what a business with rent, staff and licenses costs before understanding it. This time I want each step to pay for the next one.

A cart can move if the location doesn’t work. A store can’t.