A New Chapter for Evelyn's Kitchen
Donation protected
Team EK needs your support!
We are going back to basics, going back to our community and pushing the reset button. And once again we need your help! It takes a village to raise a small business and we need your help!
As many of you know, EK grew quickly, doubling in gross revenues yearly between 2010 and 2014. But we were never able to build the infrastructure or hire expertise to manage the growth. Instead, as a team we just worked harder to keep up. 24 to 36 hour days were not uncommon. By any means necessary was a mantra. No matter what challenge was put in front of Team EK, we not only met but exceeded expecations.
Until March 2nd, 2015. When my entire world changed.
In retrospect, I was simply not prepared for the challenge of having a child and running a business. Learning to be a mom was a mental and physical responsibility that did not fit into my 20-hour day work schedule.
But instead of stepping back and reassessing 12 months ago, we pushed forward with guns blazing.
We launched on QVC in May 2015, just 6 weeks after my daughter was born. And then August 2015 we opened our second retail location at Gotham West Market. Shortly after that, we made the commitment to manage the daily catering needs for a major television production. All these wonderful growth opportunities required a tremendous amount of time, attention, management and focus. And while we did accomplish all of the above, we didn't do any of it particularly well. We closed our 2nd retail location in January, we have placed our invitation for a Fall appearance QVC on hold for now and we quietly stepped back from catering commitements. I realized it was all simply too much for me to manage a growing business with multiple divisions and be a mom.
So we have decided to take things back to the basics. Back to one location. Back to creating dangerously delicious goodies. Back to our community here on social media and in East Harlem. Back to where we started to build this business. Back to a focus on Pudgies Pudgies and More Pudgies (and yes some Blondies also)!
And most importantly, back to where I am in the kitchen creating and hosting guests at our Chef's table and being hands on with the business and my team. Back to creating the vibe that helped us grow before we spread ourselves too thin.
In order to accomplish this we need to raise immediate funds to ensure a seamless reboot. We will use funds to hire a general manager who will oversee the transition phase. We will launch a digital marketing strategy that will refocus the business back to gifts and goodies. And we will also phase out our catering kitchen in a strategic manner and reinvest in our Flagship Location in East Harlem.
This immediate step will provide an opportunity to restructure the business for long term success and streamline operations. We can plan for the future in a more strategic manner. And I can be hands on with the business and hands on as a mom without spreading myself too thin. I can bring my best forward each day with structure and focus and strategy.
We will take the lessons learned the past year (and the 6 before that!) and push forward stronger, smarter and more determined. We will hire expertise, streamline services and strengthen infrastructure. And we will always keep an eye to the future.
I am grateful for any support you can lend to this phase of the business. We started with a commmunity appeal for support and since we are going back to square one, I am hoping you can start again with me.
Any please know ANY amount of support helps! $10, $25 $100. Literally whatever you can do to support Evelyn's Kitchen and help our team move forward I would be so grateful.
On behalf of Team EK, thank you for believing in us!
We are going back to basics, going back to our community and pushing the reset button. And once again we need your help! It takes a village to raise a small business and we need your help!
As many of you know, EK grew quickly, doubling in gross revenues yearly between 2010 and 2014. But we were never able to build the infrastructure or hire expertise to manage the growth. Instead, as a team we just worked harder to keep up. 24 to 36 hour days were not uncommon. By any means necessary was a mantra. No matter what challenge was put in front of Team EK, we not only met but exceeded expecations.
Until March 2nd, 2015. When my entire world changed.
In retrospect, I was simply not prepared for the challenge of having a child and running a business. Learning to be a mom was a mental and physical responsibility that did not fit into my 20-hour day work schedule.
But instead of stepping back and reassessing 12 months ago, we pushed forward with guns blazing.
We launched on QVC in May 2015, just 6 weeks after my daughter was born. And then August 2015 we opened our second retail location at Gotham West Market. Shortly after that, we made the commitment to manage the daily catering needs for a major television production. All these wonderful growth opportunities required a tremendous amount of time, attention, management and focus. And while we did accomplish all of the above, we didn't do any of it particularly well. We closed our 2nd retail location in January, we have placed our invitation for a Fall appearance QVC on hold for now and we quietly stepped back from catering commitements. I realized it was all simply too much for me to manage a growing business with multiple divisions and be a mom.
So we have decided to take things back to the basics. Back to one location. Back to creating dangerously delicious goodies. Back to our community here on social media and in East Harlem. Back to where we started to build this business. Back to a focus on Pudgies Pudgies and More Pudgies (and yes some Blondies also)!
And most importantly, back to where I am in the kitchen creating and hosting guests at our Chef's table and being hands on with the business and my team. Back to creating the vibe that helped us grow before we spread ourselves too thin.
In order to accomplish this we need to raise immediate funds to ensure a seamless reboot. We will use funds to hire a general manager who will oversee the transition phase. We will launch a digital marketing strategy that will refocus the business back to gifts and goodies. And we will also phase out our catering kitchen in a strategic manner and reinvest in our Flagship Location in East Harlem.
This immediate step will provide an opportunity to restructure the business for long term success and streamline operations. We can plan for the future in a more strategic manner. And I can be hands on with the business and hands on as a mom without spreading myself too thin. I can bring my best forward each day with structure and focus and strategy.
We will take the lessons learned the past year (and the 6 before that!) and push forward stronger, smarter and more determined. We will hire expertise, streamline services and strengthen infrastructure. And we will always keep an eye to the future.
I am grateful for any support you can lend to this phase of the business. We started with a commmunity appeal for support and since we are going back to square one, I am hoping you can start again with me.
Any please know ANY amount of support helps! $10, $25 $100. Literally whatever you can do to support Evelyn's Kitchen and help our team move forward I would be so grateful.
On behalf of Team EK, thank you for believing in us!
Organizer
Ayala Donchin
Organizer
New York, NY