Went to Restaurant Depot, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in one trip

[GreatGazoo]

I am getting ready to launch a subscription meal service in my town. We have no grocery stores and there are limited options for take out. Only 2 places that deliver and they are both pretty poor -- a dirty Chinese place with greasy food and a bland, corner-cutting pizza place.

I have a basic menu in mind so went to Restaurant Depot for the first time to look at packaging options, gear and food prices there. RD was like a whole other universe where hamburger is $2.30 a pound, BLSL chicken is 75-cents a pound, and you can get metal forks for 4 cents each. Restaurant owners shop by loading cases of stuff onto those metal carts the use in lumber yards. Really helped me look at options and revise my cost estimates for food. I am going to need something to make beef chili in ten poound batches and they had a 20 qt rondeau with high sides, aluminum for about $24. Peeled garlic for $2 pound, big russet potatoes for 35-cents a pound, fresh mozz $3, proscuitto $7, whole salmon, beef cheeks in 50 lb cases, etc.

Couldn't buy anything on the first trip because I don't have their card yet but I got super hungry and went around the corner to the salad bar at Whole Foods. It was like going from Bangladesh to Tokyo price-wise of course. Potatoes were 10x the price they were 1/4 mile away, fish was $20 and up. Beautiful displays and a well stocked bakery counter but nothing to tempt you on price. I ate my $6 worth of salad bar and then went to Trader Joe's across the parking lot.

Daffodils at $1.50 per bunch, free coffee and samples of three things. Relaxed people with no attitude and a great selection of cookies. I was like Goldilocks only the bears were stores and I'm not blond or female but the last one WAS "just right."

[alcina]

1. That's really exciting

I used to have a food business, and made the occasional trek to RD. I could get lost for hours in there.

Have fun and best of luck with your new venture.

[GreatGazoo]

3. Thanks. I found a commercial kitchen that will rent to me for

$50 per session (upto 8 hours) so I can try some versions of the business without all the up front costs.

Any ideas for foods that reheat well? My list so far is: lasagna, beef chili, chicken burritos, coq au vin, shepherds pie (beef), chicken tikka masala, and a burger.

Also looking at hosting cooking classes including ones that start with a trip to my friends' farms (this summer) to pick fresh stuff and then come to the kitchen to cook and eat.

[alcina]

5. $50 for 8 hours?

That's not bad at all. I like your idea of doing classes. There are couple of places near me that do that. I have no idea how much business they do, though, as I've never really checked them out. But their websites might give you some ideas:

http://www.dishcookingstudio.com/
https://supperworks.com/intropage.php?

I worked for a small company in the early 90s that did ready-to-eat meals. It did well for awhile, but then the grocery stores started offering cheaper versions.... Of course, the owner's fondness for the cooking wine didn't help matters.

Anyway, I'm trying to remember some of his best-sellers: enchiladas, cabbage rolls, rouladen, eggplant parmesan, various soups and stews, seasonal fruit crisp.

We don't have Trader Joe's here, but I remember that they had a pretty good selection of frozen meals. Maybe you can get some ideas there.

[farleftlib]

2. I'm green with envy. Three of my faves.

Good luck with the new food biz. It's something I've thought about doing myself being as I'm partially disabled. I really need to look into it more.

I love the part where you said it was like going from Bangladesh to Tokyo price-wise. I don't venture into WF that often because I can't get out of there without spending $50 for relatively few items. Good items, tho.

[GreatGazoo]

4. Thanks and I agree on WF -- lots of tempting items.

I used to live fairly close to one and I still miss the salad bar as a quick and easy meal. I love to try lots of different things so their pay by the pound bar with Indian, veg and other items is just fun. And hard to get hurt too badly at $7 a pound.