Edible Indy Special Edition 2016 by havenhome4

edible INDY

Celebrating the Bounty of Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus, Indianapolis and Beyond

Eat. Drink. Read. Think. Local.

EAT DRINK LOCAL IN LAFAYETTE

Catch the vibe, taste the ﬂavor in Lafayette–West Lafayette!

Visit the downtown area to savor a variety of cuisines at delectable, locally owned restaurants, many of which are embracing the farm-to-table movement. While here, be sure to stroll through downtown, visit some of the many local galleries and shops, partake in a farmers’ market or festival, enjoy outdoor art or catch a show at one of our many theaters and nightlife venues. Whatever you decide, there is something to suit every palate.

Visit HomeOfPurdue.com or ReadySetGoDowntown.com for more on what’s going on in downtown Lafayette–West Lafayette!

301 Frontage Rd., Lafayette HomeOfPurdue.com

800.872.6648

Bistro 501

Bistro 501 has been the premier dining experience in downtown Lafayette for over 15 years, a place where locals and travelers banter over a beautiful Bordeaux or converse over award-winning cocktails. Whether you prefer wine on the patio or a ﬁreside dinner, our fresh menu will bring you in and our hospitality will bring you back. Located at the corner of 5th and Main Street in historic downtown Lafayette.

501 Main St., Lafayette Bistro501.com

765.432.4501

We are happy to oﬀer: whiskey, gin, tequila, craft cocktails, LOTS OF GOOD BOOZE, coasters, brick walls, art, PLEASING ASTHETIC, plates, silverware, unique pub food, seasonal dishes, DELICIOUS FARE, eclectic wines, ipas, sour ales, stouts, pilsners, domestics, ROTATING DRAFT & WINE SELECTION, staﬀ that loves all of these things. Cheers!

223 Main St., Lafayette BlackSparrowPub.com

765.429.0405

Cellar 422

Heirloom

Heirloom Restaurant is a farm-to-table restaurant located in downtown Lafayette with a seasonal menu that supports local, sustainable agriculture. Regionally sourced artisan producers provide the best possible quality and freshness to your table.

102 N. 3rd St., Lafayette HeirloomIndiana.com

765.807.0422

Two sisters bring a love of delicious and aﬀordable wines from around the world to the Lafayette area. We oﬀer wines by the glass or bottle, to enjoy here or carry out, as well as a nice selection of craft beers. Enjoy fresh-made dishes that complement wine in a charming vintage atmosphere.

422 Main St., Lafayette

765.746.6754

Restauration

Restauration, from the same owners as La Scala, is focused on farm-to-table, seasonal eating. We make everything from whole ingredients, often local, even from our own farm. Very allergen and special diet friendly. Restoring authenticity to food from the ground up!

731 Main St., Lafayette RestaurationLafayette.com

765.250.3970

La Scala

Greater Lafayette’s favorite Italian food, serving the community for 16 years. We are known for handcrafted dishes, local ingredients and a large selection. We even have our own farm. Eat fresh. Eat well. Eat local.

312 Main St., Lafayette LaScalaItalianRestaurant.com

765.420.8171

Black Sparrow Pub

Hoosier Thoughts edible INDY

Boot Camp is the only way to describe this special issue. In our world, there are infinite information resources for anyone and everyone to soak up— yet every day we get questions about everything from a recipe to starting a business. The trouble with today’s highway of knowledge is nobody knows what lane to drive in, how fast to go and when to stop and ask questions. Here at Edible Indy, part of our community focus is to offer our readers a place where they can escape, where they can dream, where they can deeply savor what’s local. To cook up this special issue about food start-ups, we have partnered with experts in business: some food, some capital, some common sense. Our articles are resources— resources that can elevate an idea to a reality.

As you flip through the pages of our 2016 Food Start-up Boot Camp, we encourage you to share any and all information that might assist in bringing another great local business to our Hoosier economy. Oh, and if you really are excited about your business and want to dive deeper, buy your tickets to Edible Indy’s Food Start-up Boot Camp event coming to the Golf Club of Indiana on August 16, 2016. For more information or to buy your tickets, visit FoodStartUpBootCamp.EventBrite.com.

Cheers to your success,

Jennifer & Jeff Rubenstein

From the Editor

If you’re a foodie, you probably like to eat. And you might just try your hand at baking and cooking the things you eat. And perhaps you become quite good at making that one particular thing you most love to eat, be it a scone or jerky. And then it happens: A friend tries that love-drenched, handcrafted specialty you slaved over in your kitchen and utters these fateful words: “This is so good you could sell it.”

Most take a compliment and shove on, but some take that compliment to heart and toss and turn at night thinking perhaps that friend is right. And then they drift off … somewhere in between sleep and awake they see kitchens filled with wall-to-wall cookies and early mornings at the local farmers’ market while the Wizard of Oz song “the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true” plays in the not-so-far-off distance.

Yes, for those people—those dare-to-dreamers—we bring this food start-up issue. Because, after all, you’re not in Oz and you’re going to need more than dreams to run a business. You’re going to need capital, mentoring, direction and resources. You’re going to need to hear from real people who came before you with a vision and made it reality, like a woman who made a nut butter so good for her wedding favors it has now become her life’s work. We’ve got her story, and many others, right here in these pages to get you thinking and focused and to make your dream a reality. Or at least a tastier dream.

All best,

Rachel D. Russell

Give a gift to someone—even yourself—with a subscription to Edible Indy delivered right to your door! $32 for one year (four issues) or $52 for a two-year subscription (eight issues). Subscribe online at EdibleIndy.com

PUBLISHER: Rubenstein Hills LLC

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Jennifer Rubenstein

CFO: Jeff Rubenstein

MANAGING EDITOR: Rachel D. Russell

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Lindsay Fisher

COPY EDITOR: Doug Adrianson

DESIGNER: Cheryl Angelina Koehler

WEB DESIGNER: Edible Feast

GRAPHICS: Caryn Scheving

ADVERTISING

Jennifer Rubenstein

jennifer@edibleindy.com

317.489.9194

Please call or email to inquire about becoming a member of our advertising partnership and show your support for the local food culture in Central Indiana.

EDIBLE INDY TEST KITCHEN SPONSOR Market District

EDIBLE INDY KNIFE SPONSOR Ash Blæds

317.489.9194

info@edibleindy.com

Edible Indy is published quarterly (March, May, September and November) with a 5th special edition issue in 2016. Distributed throughout Central Indiana and by subscription elsewhere. Subscriptions are $32 for one year and can be purchased online at EdibleIndy.com or by check to the address above.

Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, then you probably have not had enough wine with your healthy food. Please accept our sincere apologies and, if it’s important, please notify us! Thank you.

Faith Blackwell Photography

Launching Pad for Food Ventures in Bloomington

One World KitchenShare offers 39,000 square feet of commercial kitchen space in Bloomington. Co-founders Jeff Mease and Lennie Busch— the masterminds behind Bloomington favorites Pizza X, Lennie’s and Bloomington Brewing Company—created the space to provide entrepreneurs with the tools they need to launch their businesses. The space is available 24/7 for culinary start-ups and offers three kitchen spaces, each equipped with prep tables, a mixer, a dish sink, a prep sink, access to gas ranges, convection ovens and more. The parking lot even features powered parking spots to plug in a truck or trailer, which makes the space ideal for food trucks.

—By Libby Simmons, Pivot Marketing

Venture Club and ClusterTruck: A Love Affair with Food

This title reads like a start to a great story. That is exactly the intention of the October meeting of the Venture Club of Indiana. Three promising food start-ups will have the opportunity to be selected from the Edible Indy Food Start-up Boot Camp event held August 16. The chosen three will pitch their companies to the Venture Club, which provides networking opportunities, education and support to entrepreneurs and the innovation-minded early-stage investors, and those who work with them, through monthly meetings and special events.

The panel of judges includes Gary Brackett, owner of The Stacked Pickle and Georgia Reese’s Southern Table & Bar; Scott Wise, founder of Scotty’s Brewhouse and Thr3e Wise Men Brewing; Neal Brown, chef and owner of Pizzology Craft Pizzeria + Pub and The Libertine Liquor Bar; and Chris Baggott, food and agriculture entrepreneur and founder of ClusterTruck, which delivers quality, fresh food curbside.

The October Venture Club/ClusterTruck story may end with the announcement of a food start-up winner, but this is just the beginning of a great story for the winner of this special pitch competition, who will receive input, advice and the potential for valuable contacts to help launch their business.

The Venture Club recognizes that restaurateurs, chefs and cooks

represent a culture of original entrepreneurs. As America became a melting pot, many who immigrated from around the world came with a dream. Many lacked immediate funding for their dreams, but they worked hard and began new ventures. The American Dream is based upon entrepreneurship, and it’s the shoulders of these early innovators that we stand upon today.

Historically, restaurants often have been family ventures. Those who were brave enough to make the journey across an ocean to begin a new life longed for the culinary tastes of their homelands. This opportunity to ease the craving of their kindred immigrants was met with overwhelming gratitude, as ethnic restaurants remain popular to this day.

Cultures meshed, creativity sparked, and schools sprang up to educate those on how to cook, non-family members were hired to help, perhaps inspiring others to create their own special recipes and become entrepreneurs in their own right.

As with many new ventures, start-up capital was needed to get a business going. In the early days, the barter system, banks, family savings and loan sharks were utilized. Today, the means of capital still include those same options, along with crowdfunding, micro-loans, angel investors, grants and funding from investment firms.

Food entrepreneurs are not limited to restaurants and food

preparation, the expanse of opportunities in this industry is vast. The food industry is the largest economic driver in the world, with trillions of dollars spent globally. From farming, restaurants, retail grocers, cooking schools, entertainment and media, areas of study for food science, agriculture and technology—the possibilities are only limited by imagination.

An infinite number of business models have sprung up around food. Another term for innovation is “disruption.” ClusterTruck is a prime example of disruption by imitating the Uber platform to create opportunities for people around food delivery. Its offerings are expansive and build upon what Uber has created: a new mindset about transportation. In Uber’s case, it’s people; with ClusterTruck, it’s food.

Food is one of the original entrepreneurial categories. The Venture Club supports entrepreneurs across all industries, it just happens to be highly appreciative of good food and great people.

The October meeting of the Venture Club of Indiana will be held at 16Tech, with the luncheon catered by food trucks. Visit VentureClub.org for additional information and to purchase tickets for the event.

—By Kara Kavensky Reibel

Kara Kavensky Reibel is a professional writer and storyteller. She works with existing companies and start-ups to create compelling, impactful stories and pitches. Kara is a member of the Venture Club of Indiana, on the executive planning committee for the Indiana Conference for Women and writes for the TownePost and other publications nationwide. Her website is KaraKavensky.com.

Calling all producers, food artisans, chefs and entrepreneurs!

Tuesday, August 16, 2016 9:00am — 3:00pm

The Cardinal Room at the Golf Club of Indiana, Lebanon

Tix $50 per person

Includes: Noshes. Drinks. Panel discussions. Breakout sessions. All with food experts. Tix link: http://foodstartupbootcamp. eventbrite.com

Topics Include:

Home to Shelf

Discussion on how to start up a business

Funding Labeling Food Safety Distribution Permits Co-packing

Branding Chaos

Unforeseen challenges and solutions in marketing

Marketing Firms Social Media

Branding Challenges Packaging

Good Press / Bad Press Earned Media

Success

Long term strategies, solutions and challenges - Knowing what I know now Design Growth Challenges

Stafﬁng Food Safety Success Failures

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Development Center offers key ingredients for successful start-ups

BIG SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

BY KEVIN W. JONES

Since 1985, the Indiana Small Business Development Center has worked with and advised thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs, as well as owners of established businesses. ISBDC provides nocost, confidential counseling for all types of business, but food and food-related business concepts have always represented a significant share of the organization’s client base.

In some years, food-related ideas of all types—restaurants, caterers, bakeries, food processors, beverages, etc.—comprise as much as 15%–20% of the start-up clients served by the Central ISBDC office, according to Doug Boehme, regional director. The Central ISBDC serves Marion County, and the seven “donut” counties, from its base in the Indy Chamber offices on the 19th floor of the Chase Tower.

Beyond the services of an organization such as ISBDC, there is a wide range of resources that may be helpful to food startups. Here’s a list and brief descriptions of just some of those resources:

National Restaurant Association

The NRA is an excellent resource for startups and established restaurants, with information on national trends, culinary and ﬁnancial forecasts and expert advice on operational issues. Membership is not required to access most information. Restaurant.org

National and state trade associations in other industries are often (though not always) good resources for start-ups. For a list of food and beverage trade associations, go to CareersinFood.com

Purdue University Food Science Department

Another great resource for foodies located right in our backyard, with a focus on technical aspects on new product development, food processing and FDA and State of Indiana food regulations. Oﬀers a three-part webinar titled “Cooking Up a Food Business in the Home.” Contact: 765.494.8256, Ag.Purdue.edu/FoodSci, foodsci@purdue.edu

Indy’s Kitchen

Located at 2442 N. Central Avenue in Indianapolis, Indy’s Kitchen oﬀers a fully equipped, commercially licensed, shareduse kitchen to aspiring food entrepreneurs. Contact Linda Gilkerson, Owner / Manager at 317.426.2996, manager@indyskitchen.com

A Must Read

By specialty food business guru Stephen F. Hall, From Kitchen to Market (Upstart Publishing, 2005) is a “must-read” for anyone who wants to turn their family recipe, snack item or gourmet food into a business success. Hall takes the reader step-by-step through the process of development and commercialization. Hall is also the author of Sell Your Specialty Food: Market, Distribute and Proﬁt From Your Kitchen Creation. Available at Amazon. com and many other retailers and at the Indianapolis Public Library.

Trade Publications and/or Websites

If you’re a one-person business making and marketing organic soda made with extracts of exotic ﬂower petals, you should be subscribing to Beverage World at BeverageWorld.com, the trade

Food-related start-ups are in some respects more challenging to work with than other types of businesses as they are often in fiercely competitive markets, face more government regulation and have more difficulty finding initial capital than the average start-up, to name a few. But food start-ups are often more exciting and may offer more profit potential than others.

“Despite some notable differences between food-related and other types of ventures,” says Boehme, “the ISBDC works with foodies in pretty much the same ways we would work with any entrepreneur who is serious about starting a business.”

When an entrepreneur applies to become an ISBDC client, she or he is assigned to one of the organization’s four business advisors. Working one-on-one, the advisor will help the entrepreneur understand the market(s) for their food business or product, and determine the preliminary feasibility of the entrepreneur’s concept. From there, the ISBDC advisor will assist and advise the client to develop a business plan, which gets into the array of details such as start-up costs, location options, sources of supply, government rules and requirements and many others.

At the core of the business plan is the financial plan or forecast. This is where all of the details and decisions laid out in the rest of the plan come together and are translated into dollars and cents. This would include direct costs of ingredients and packaging, as well as overhead expenses such as rent, utilities, liability insurance and advertising. For many entrepreneurs, the financial plan is the most challenging component of the business plan. With some hard work, though, and some help from the ISBDC, most entrepreneurs find the financial plan do-able.

Joe Wisner, founder of Broma Chocolate in Indianapolis, spent much of 2015 working on his business plan and getting his chocolate company ready to open its doors in 2016. Early in the start-up process, Joe turned to the Central ISBDC for help with his plan and assembling a realistic financial plan.

“The ISBDC advisors were always very prompt, courteous and understanding in answering any question I had,” says Wisner. “And

magazine of the broader beverage industry. Even if you’re a small player in a huge industry that includes the likes of Coca-Cola and SABMiller Brewing, you need to be in touch with what’s going on in the world around you (market trends, government regulations, technical innovations, etc.).

Many publishers of trade periodicals provide free subscriptions to businesses, large and small. Such is the case for Beverage World. A simple Google search will help you identify the trade publication—and there may be more than one—for your segment of the food and beverage industry. For example, a specialty yogurt maker who subscribes to Dairy Foods magazine, should also get About Yogurt (AboutYogurt.com) and a high-end chocolate maker who reads Chocolate Connoisseur (ChocolateConnoisseurMag.com) may also beneﬁt from information in Candy Industry Magazine (CandyIndustry.com).

they were able to provide me with not just their knowledge, but their experiences in the business world.”

ISBDC business advisors have a variety of tools and resources that may be beneficial to food start-ups. Here is a sampling, almost all of which are available at no cost to the client:

• IBISWorld research reports: quarterly reports on current trends and long-range outlook for more than 700 industries, including many food-related businesses

• Business Reference Guide: benchmark data, information on industry trends and market conditions for over 500 business types

• Esri reports and maps: detailed demographic and consumer spending information, essential for market analysis

• Reference USA: business database useful for generating lists of prospective customers, suppliers and/or competitors

• Navigator Online Business Plan and Marketing Plan software

• Procurement Technical Assistance Center: if you want help selling your food products to the government

• Export consulting: technical assistance in selling your food products in foreign markets

For more about how the ISBDC works with food entrepreneurs, go to isbdc.org and look under “Success Stories” for My Sugar Pie, Gettinger Family Custom Meats and other food businesses.

Kevin W. Jones is a business advisor with the Central Indiana Small Business Development Center. He can be reached at 317.777.2415 or kjones@isbdc.org.

OpenCounter Indy

If you’re going to need space to run your food business, and especially if you’re going to produce and sell food or beverages, it is almost certain you’re going to need at least one permit or license to comply with Indianapolis ordinances. And you may need several such permits or licenses before you have the green light to open your restaurant, catering or other food-related business. The process can be confusing and time-consuming, and if you make a mistake, your open date may be delayed. That’s why the City of Indianapolis created OpenCounter Indy. When you go to the OpenCounter website, you’ll be asked a series of questions about your business plans. Based on your responses, OpenCounter determines what permits and licenses you’ll need for your business, which forms to ﬁle (and when to ﬁle them) and how much the process will cost. Indianapolis.OpenCounter.com

Venture Club of Indiana

Since 1984, Venture Club has brought together entrepreneurs, investors and professional business service providers from throughout Indiana for monthly networking gatherings, educational opportunities and other events. For the past two years, Venture Club has dedicated one of its monthly events to the topic of food entrepreneurship. The 2015 event featured speakers and panel discussions on topics such as ﬁnancing, food distribution, local foods and the Indiana Grown initiative. VentureClub.org

C&T Design and Equipment Co. helps start-ups fulfill their culinary dreams

Kitchen Creators, Dream Makers

BY CHARITY SINGLETON CRAIG PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER L. RUBENSTEIN

Walk into the headquarters of C&T Design and Equipment Co. on the Eastside of Indianapolis and you can immediately see the award cases full of trophies. And then, the framed pictures of client success stories on the walls of the hallway leading to their client test kitchen. Their warehouse is loaded with the best and newest in food service equipment, grouped together by project and ready to be shipped out to clients all over the United States.

But to really get a sense of how C&T does business, you have to talk to the people. People are at the heart of this project-oriented company that’s been helping to design and install commercial kitchens for clients of all sizes since 1971.

“There are a lot of dealerships that sell equipment. Some of them are very focused on processes, like catalog or Internet ordering, and for some of them it’s a showroom, with a focus on the product. They fill their wagon and they want to sell what they have on their shelves. We’re just more invested in people…and empowering our people to go out and help our clients get to where they want to be,” said Mark Green, vice president and one of three principal/owners of C&T.

By “invested,” they really do mean a financial and professional commitment to their team members, too. Any time new sales consultants are hired, C&T provides a two- to three-year training period before setting them free to create and handle business on their own.

“We really consider ourselves more of a professional services company as opposed to just a distributor,” said Mike Kennedy, CFO and another of the principal/owners.

The professional services C&T provides are project-oriented, turn-key processes for helping food service enterprises of all types set up shop in the kitchen. From food trucks to military facilities, from start-up restaurants to hospitals, from caterers to convenience stores, C&T helps clients move from concept to working kitchen.

“First, we identify where the client is in the process,” said Gawain Guy, vice president of sales and the third principal/owner.

“They come to us in different stages,” Green added. “Sometimes they are already pretty far down the road, and they have a format we can build on. Sometimes we have to work backwards with them.”

Above: C & T Design principals enjoy lunch at one of their Indiana clients, Meridian Restaurant and Bar. Seated left to right are Vice President Mark Green, CFO Mike Kennedy and Vice President of Sales Gawain Guy.

“From there, we engage in strategy and how we can help the client,” Guy continued. “Once we understand what their needs are and what they want from us, we formalize our relationship and begin working with the client to vet their plan in terms of menu, capacity and more. Once we have a good idea what this kitchen needs to be, that’s where the skills of our salespeople really come into play.”

Together with clients and architects, C&T sales consultants put together a plan, incorporating any structural or code issues (such as mechanical, health and fire codes). Next, in engineering mode, architects draft a set of blueprints, which are then submitted to the state for permits. Once permits are in hand, clients can then hire general contractors for structural changes, when needed, and work with C&T for project management and installation of the kitchen.

“We will hold that client’s hand and get that kitchen installed per plan, per specs, on time and hopefully on budget,” Guy said.

Who is the ideal C&T client? There’s not just one profile. They’ve helped businesses like breweries, cafés and restaurant open their doors and complete remodels. Taste Café and Marketplace in South Broad Ripple (Indianapolis) is one such business that went through a massive kitchen redesign and appreciated the overall value offered by C&T. Taste was also able to stick to their goal of not having to close a single day during the remodel process, which was important to their business. Another customer of C&T’s, Union 50, located off Mass Ave. in downtown Indianapolis, used the company for its design and was the only Indiana restaurant on OpenTable’s 100 Hottest Restaurants in America list. And if you like beer, visit Indianapolis’ Blind Owl Brewery at Binford and 62nd street and you can appreciate the industrial and open look of a space once occupied by Entenmann’s.

“We’ve never wanted to be married to one segment of our industry and that’s proven over time to be a wise decision. In each of those categories, we would say there are clients that fit the ‘ideal’ client, but it’s really the clients that need the services that we offer beyond the equipment,” Guy said. “Every dealer in America can sell the equipment, but it’s how you help that client place the equipment in their restaurant and be sure it goes in the way it’s supposed to.”

For all clients, though, C&T’s goal is simple: “Our interest, ultimately, is to have a very good design and to have a client establish their dreams. We want them to be successful. That’s our interest. So we will surround them with everything that we can do to help them.”

Success for clients means success for the company, which ultimately comes back around to the people.

“We have a lot of families that depend on us to support themselves. They work for C&T design in several states. And we take that seriously; we need a healthy company,” Green said. “Also, our clients are running businesses, whatever segment they’re in, so they’re trying to support their families. So it’s a serious, very practical business, which maybe makes us boring, but that’s always been our approach. No pretense.”

For more information on products and services: C-TDesign.com.

Charity Singleton Craig is a freelance writer from Frankfort and the author of On Being a Writer: 12 Simple Habits for a Writing Life That Lasts. She enjoys running, reading and cooking dinner for her family. She recently made her ﬁrst risotto.

To Market, To Market Local Wholesalers Give Support to Area Start-ups

BY JULIE YATES

You may have noticed grocery shopping and menu reading have become more interesting in Central Indiana. As an alternative to purchasing national brands or choosing food made from ingredients from far-off places such as California, consumers now have more access to local products. Displays of regionally sourced products with their brightly colored artistic labels are a common site in major food stores. Likewise, some restaurants provide “bios” of the farm where a menu item’s ingredients originated.

Retailers and restaurants want to support local food entrepreneurs and growers, and they realize buyers want these products, as well. Shoppers enjoy knowing that what they are purchasing was made with ingredients grown close to home. They are drawn to these tasty offerings, which not only tend to be free from preservatives but are usually made in smaller quantities.

On the other side of the coin are the “foodpreneurs.” Just as everyone carries their best dish to a pitch-in dinner, these start-ups bring their proudest specialty to market. Their products or produce, whether inspired by the dream of selling sauces from family recipes or the desire to farm the land, are the result of much planning and hard work.

So how do major retailers and restaurants find local food artisans and area organic farms that are conscious of best practices for sustainability? And how can entrepreneurs market their wares to larger stores and eateries? Fortunately there are two Indianapolis-based companies, Piazza Produce and Tiny Footprint Distribution, dedicated to connecting small vendors with Midwest retailers and restaurants who wish to provide locally produced goods to their customers.

This is a win-win situation. Retailers and restaurants are able to find a wholesale source with a variety of locally produced goods, and vendors can cultivate their fledging businesses while reaping the support of the distributors with which they partner.

“We have been involved with locally grown produce since 1970, before it became trendy,” said Marcus Agresta, vice president of sales and marketing for Piazza produce. If needed, he said, Piazza will train

“I’ve always utilized local producers and have been doing so since my family started the company in 1970,” says Pete Piazza, President, Piazza Produce (right) with Marcus Agresta, General Manager (left), and a few local produced items from their warehouse.

growers to meet industry standards. “We bring them in here and let them know how things are done. For instance, we show them how to pack 24 heads of lettuce in a case or the proper size of tomatoes to put in a selling box.”

Piazza can also offer support by sharing storage and handling ideas. However, before the company will consider working with a start-up operation, the proper licensing, permits and insurance must be in order.

“We need to ensure a food safety program is in place as well as quality and an adequate supply of produce,” Agresta said.

Growers who work with Piazza Produce benefit from marketing support. Blurbs highlighting the growers are featured on the company’s website. Restaurants who purchase the produce are supplied with information about the farm of origin.

Tiny Footprint Distribution specializes in linking start-up companies that yield foodstuffs such as artisan cheeses, organic meats and unique salsas with retailers who want to offer niche products to customers. Every candidate company considered is tasted by a panel of seasoned experts who have been in the business for years. Each product is also evaluated on shelf and price appeal and suggestions may be given to the start-up regarding these areas.

“We offer guidance and advice on production and packaging, if needed,” said John Freeland, vice president of Tiny Footprint Distribution’s parent company, BEAN, LLC.

However, by the time a start-up gets to the point of considering distribution beyond farmers’ markets, craft fairs and holiday bazaars, they typically have already jumped through several hoops. The product must be made in a commercial kitchen or by a co-packer employed by the start-up to produce it. The type of container usually has already been developed and testing has been conducted for labeling information such as nutrition facts, ingredient list and calorie amount.

What the vendors really appreciate is the opportunity to grow their business by becoming part of a delivery network. Agresta relayed the story of one small farmer.

“He was spending all his time in his truck, making deliveries. He realized he did not want to do that anymore and was grateful we could take over that part of his business for him.”

Freeland summed up the value of a wholesale distribution company: “These entrepreneurs have a love and passion for their product. But they realize they can’t do everything themselves. They would rather spend their time developing new products than worrying about finding places that will sell them.”

John Freeland

INDIANA INCUBATORS AND CO-WORKING SPACES

BY JENNIFER L. RUBENSTEIN

These days, business can be done anywhere and with anyone. Creativity lends itself well to areas that are meant to give the space and elements necessary for growth, without the investment of an office or building. In Indiana, the Indiana Coworking Passport allows individuals and businesses to become members of co-working spaces and incubators throughout the state. It allows Indiana to START-UP good businesses for a great economy. For more information on becoming a member of ICP, visit IndianaCoworkingPassport.com.

LaunchPad Goshen LaunchPadGoshen.org

Lexington Business Centre Elkhart

MatchBOX Coworking Studio Lafayette MatchBoxStudio.org

Mid-America Science Park Scottsburg MASPark.org

Northeast Indiana Innovation Center Inc. Fort Wayne NIIC.net

Purdue Foundry West Lafayette PRF.org

Purdue Research Park of Indianapolis Indianapolis PRF.org

Purdue Research Park of Northwest Crown Point PRF.org

Purdue Research Park of Northwest Merrillville PRF.org

Purdue Research Park of Southeast Indiana New Albany PRF.org

Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette West Lafayette PRF.org 30. Richmond Certiﬁed Tech Park Richmond RichmondInnovates.com/ Richmond-Certiﬁed-Tech-Park

31. Rose-Hulman Ventures Terre Haute RHVentures.org

32. Sample Street Business Complex South Bend BradleyCo.com

33. The Speak Easy Indianapolis SpeakEasyIndy.com

34. The Accel-lN at lntelliplex Shelbyville Itelliplex.org

35. The Anvil West Lafayette AnvilStartups.com

36. The Branch South Bend TheBranchSB.com

37. The Bureau Indianapolis HingeBureau.com

38. The Downtown Business Connector Muncie VisitMuncie.org/ Downtown-Business-Connector

39. The Innovation Center Richmond MyCenterCity.com

40. The Outpost Columbia City WhitleyEDC.com

41. The Station Evansville GrowthAllianceevv.com/ Local-Business-Services/The-Station

42. Velocity Indiana Jeﬀersonville VelocityIndiana.org

43. Venture Out Business Center Madison VentureOutBusinessCenter.com

44. WestGate at Grane Technology Park Odon WestGateCrane.com

45. zWorks Zionsville zWorks.org

Indoor/Outdoor Systems Lights Started Plants & Seeds Fish (Edible & Ornamental) Pumps Plumbing Do-It-Yourself Kits System Installation Come Walk Around Our 2.5 Acre Facility and New Aquaponic Barn

Chris Baggott shares his Start-up Know-hows

Local, Fresh, Relevant

BY KAREN KENNEDY PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL TAMBASCO

The food business is booming— and it’s changing.

Chris Baggott is dressed to get dirty in his denim work shirt, jeans and boots. As we sit drinking coffee in the cozy farmhouse at Tyner Pond Farm in Greenfield, his phone rings relentlessly and he frequently consults his Apple watch mid-sentence, interrupting himself. But he never loses track of what he was saying. His focus is laser-sharp, his energy is palpable and his ideas about the food business tumble out of him like Cheerios into a cereal bowl.

Just a Few Ideas...

Fresh and local produce and meat dropped off in your neighborhood you and your neighbors can share? He’s doing it.

Perfectly timed and piping hot dinners delivered to your doorstep with the ease of ordering an Uber? Done and done.

Wish you could enjoy freshly frozen corn from a farm 10 miles away in the dead of winter? Go look for a label that says Husk in your local grocery store.

Ever heard of sous vide? Maybe you’ve never tried to do it, but you’ll want to after you realize you can have it delivered right to your house all ready to cook.

Think you might enjoy a truly local hot dog accompanied by freshly cut fries from local potatoes in a fast-food setting? Visit Baggott’s farm-to-curb restaurant, The Mug, in Greenfield.

Solving the Big Problem

If you have a food dream, Chris Baggott probably has an idea about how to make it come true. (More likely, he’s already doing it.) After prospering for years in the ethereal world of software innovation— he was the co-founder of ExactTarget—he could have rested on his laurels and counted his piles of money for the rest of his days. But instead, he’s off to meet a pig farmer on the other side of the county as soon as we’re done chatting. Why?

“I like big problems,” Baggott said with an impish grin. “The quality of our food supply is a big problem.”

Baggott is working steadfastly to solve that problem in so many different ways it’s hard to keep up, but suffice it to say he’s creating an environment in Central Indiana where small food start-ups might

have a better chance than they would just about anywhere else in the country.

Choice and Convenience

“There’s a trickle-down effect when it comes to educating consumers,” Baggott said. “Starbucks taught us how to drink coffee. Sam Adams taught us about craft beer. There was a time when we were all perfectly happy with Maxwell House, Gallo Wine and Bud Light. But these large producers gave rise to the wave of local coffee shops, wineries and microbreweries we’re devoted to today. So we’ve become coffee and beer snobs, but many of us will still choose the cheapest pork chop in the case, even though we have no idea where it came from or how it was handled. We need to create the demand for the same quality in our food. If the price is the same or only slightly more, and the quality is superior, why wouldn’t we all choose it? It’s a no-brainer.”

“Americans want two things: choice and convenience. So if we can create the technology that gives them both, but on a local scale, everyone wins. Indiana consumes $17.8 billion worth of food every year; shouldn’t that food come from Indiana?”

Baggott is using his expertise in the software world to create technology that solves the biggest problem anyone with a food start-up faces: distribution. Through platforms such as FarmersMarket.com and a coalition called Farm League, he’s creating what he calls a “coopetition.” He’s providing a virtual farmers’ market in which anyone—whether it’s your Aunt Susie, who’s been pickling her own beets for years in her basement; a pig farmer who makes the best Italian sausage anyone has ever tasted; or a grower of pea shoots—can hawk their wares in front of a larger audience than just the once-a-week-inthe-summer local farmers’ market.

Bringing Food Start-ups to a Broader Scale

In addition to helping raise demand and awareness on a broader scale, he’s also lending support directly to food start-ups through projects such as ClusterTruck and formerly at Husk (the latter was in

partnership with Nick Carter and the business was sold in January of this year).

ClusterTruck offers in-home food delivery from state-of-the-art kitchens around the city that are designed exclusively for carryout production. He’s enlisted local food truck chefs to provide recipes and he features them on a rotating basis, thus raising the profiles and exposure of these independent operators. And as of last fall in the Husk production facility, they weren’t just flash-freezing and distributing local produce in support of farmers growing non-GMO beans, corn and squash. They were also sharing the space with a few small food producers and through Husk’s distribution system, helped them get products into consumers’ hands.

Two of those businesses included Brooke Schmidt’s Brooke’s Naturals, an expanding line of gluten-free baking mixes, and Urban Ladle, a line of soups created by Marcie Douglass and Lisa Sprunger, who went from producing 100 to 600 quarts a day after moving their production facilities to Husk.

“Millennials don’t want to cook, period,” Baggott stated emphatically. “Anyone entering the food business right now needs to understand that. They want immediate gratification; they don’t want to wait for anything and they want push-button convenience. I believe that they will ultimately marvel that we used to park our cars in a grocery store parking lot and carry groceries home. If a food start-up can design their products for this new paradigm, I believe they can be successful.”

Get Social

What’s his one biggest piece of advice to those who are looking to jump into the pool of selling the food they grow or produce?

Get a Facebook page. (Edible Indy recommends getting Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.)

Lest you think social media doesn’t matter, consider that Husk’s Facebook page has over 80,000 likes and incredibly interactive conversations on it, in which folks are sharing all of the ways they use these local products.

“Social media is the new word-of-mouth,” he said. “If you can get your own little group of customers to become your advocates online, the demand and awareness will grow, and a marketplace will rise up for Aunt Susie’s beets, or whatever it is that you’re selling. Our local grocery stores are playing catch up right now, trying to jump on board the passion for local food before they become obsolete altogether.

We all need to show them that, as consumers, we demand to know where our food came from and we demand quality and freshness over just the cheapest price.”

It’s Business

While Baggott continues his mission of creating opportunities and awareness for food start-ups throughout Central Indiana, make no mistake: He’s not an angel investor writing checks to anyone with a recipe and a dream. He’s a businessman. He’s building a network in which local food growers and producers can flourish, and he’s creating jobs and economic impact while he’s at it. And as he continues to expand—Irvingtonians can look forward to a new butcher shop, an additional The Mug and another Griggsby’s Station (there’s one in Greenfield)—the local food scene will only become more diverse and cutting edge. There’s never been a better time to start up.

Karen Kennedy, the Circle City’s “Maven of Merriment,” is an Indianapolis-based food writer with over 25 years’ experience in the hospitality industry in Indiana, Chicago and Vermont. She loves nothing more than a party, and is the owner of Small Potatoes, a catering and event planning company.

A Start-up’s Secret Sauce INTERNS

BY KIM GOAD, BUTLER UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER L. RUBENSTEIN GRAPHIC BY CARYN SCHEVING

A good chef has to be a manager, a businessman and a great cook. To marry all three together is sometimes difficult.

—Wolfgang Puck

At Butler University’s Lacy School of Business, all sophomores are required to take a course called Real Business Experience (RBE). Students form teams to conceptualize a business, create a business plan and apply to the university for real dollars to launch the business.

Business professionals mentor the teams, but the students are responsible for all marketing, operations and finances to get their ideas off the ground. Among the products and services developed, successful businesses have included the Butler Bed Buddy (a pillow in the form of the Butler Bulldog mascot, Blue) and Freelance Foam (which produced the foam three-finger “thringer,” 3,000 of which were purchased by the NCAA for the 2015 Final Four games).

When Kevin Rhinehart and his teammates were tasked with starting their own business, rather than create a whole new concept they looked to build upon the success of another prior year’s team: Freedom of Peach BBQ Sauce.

Starting with the popular sauce of a team member’s grandmother, the first group tweaked and tested her recipe, obtained FDA approval, worked with a food scientist to create the required labeling with detailed nutritional information and partnered with a local food producer. To create awareness, they participated in an event at Sullivan’s Hardware in Indianapolis and convinced some local butcher shops and specialty markets to distribute the sauce.

By the time the semester was over, while proud of their accomplishment, the group had other priorities like classes, internships, athletics and other commitments. That’s when Rhinehart and his team, as part of the next RBE class, decided to approach the original Freedom of Peach team about buying the business.

After valuing the business, they entered negotiations and finally agreed upon on a price. Rhinehart’s team then borrowed from the university to pay for the business and to cover their first production run. In just a few months, they quickly grew distribution from six stores to 20 in Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel, Mishawaka, South Bend, Muncie, Anderson and Cincinnati, including three Fresh Thyme stores in the Indianapolis area.

Rhinehart says “the quick growth has kept us on our toes,” adding that a couple of customers have expressed interest in buying the business.

He smiles easily and exudes enthusiasm. “My number one appreciation of the experience is that, even in just a college class, you can still make an impact in the community and people will support you, even if you’re 20 years old and still trying to figure out how things work.”

Building Careers a Semester at a Time

At Butler’s College of Business, we say we “build careers a semester at a time.” First-year students participate in the First Year Business Experience by forming teams, creating a business plan and presenting those plans in the Top Dawg competition. In

tips for making the most of the internship relationship

Dream Big! An internship combines the strengths of a business education with the skills and training of on-the-job experience. It enhances a student’s academic training and provides a real-world introduction to careers the student would like to explore. At Butler’s College of Business, students complete internships during the fall, spring or summer semesters and work a minimum of 240 hours (many summer internships are full-time). They are concurrently enrolled in a course where they complete assignments that apply technical, skills, critical thinking, interpersonal skills and other business course content to the job.

When the career mentors conduct mid-semester site visits, the number one improvement students report should be that they would like more challenging work. Students rise to the challenge. Job duties should relate as much as possible to the student’s curriculum and career goals and give the student broad exposure to the various aspects of the business. Responsibilities should be challenging, stimulating and allow the student to make a contribution to the company.

Share Your Passion and Experience. Lindsey Pollack, millennial workplace expert and author of Becoming the Boss: New Rules for the Next Generation of Leaders, says “experience is the new swag.” Students value interaction with company leaders and experiences over cheap giveaways often offered at career fairs. Pay interns what they’re worth, but also give the gift of your time. While a good intern doesn’t need constant hand-holding, a big part of the experience is what they learn from professional interactions and mentoring. Involve them in meetings and other company events (trade shows, client visits, etc.). They want to learn what you know and why you’re passionate.

Set Clear Expectations. At Butler, employer evaluations count toward the professionalism component of the student’s course grade (30% of the total). Help the student by setting clear expectations and then providing feedback on his or her performance. Since the student is in a stage of life where professionalism is being formulated, your attention to his or her performance, work habits, character, ethics and judgment is vital.

Top Dawg Compeition

In the First Year Business Experience course, Butler University Lacy School of Business majors form teams to develop a business idea and write a business plan. At the end of the semester, teams present their work to a panel of business executives and compete for the title of Top Dawg.

RBE, sophomores create and execute business plans, sometimes continuing those businesses after the class is over.

Now, Rhinehart and his teammates are juniors and searching for their first required internship. (As a requirement of graduation, Butler business majors complete two internships for academic credit.) They’ve been professionally groomed through the structured career development program, Blueprint. They’ve met regularly each semester with their own personal career mentor (a seasoned business executive who develops a relationship with them over their four years at Butler and often beyond). They’ve completed upper-level courses in accounting, marketing, finance, operations, risk management, entrepreneurship, management information systems, economics and international business. They’ve often held leadership positions in athletics, business clubs, fraternities and sororities, and volunteer organizations. They know what it is to attract customers, increase sales, improve efficiencies and grow profits. Some already have work experience in global organizations, closely held businesses or start-ups.

Butler’s employer partners report that their interns are a valuable resource, often performing at the level of regular employees, yet they are an often-overlooked resource for start-ups.

Your Future Talent Lives Here

Whether you need help translating your concept to a business plan, market research, design, event planning, social media, packaging, positioning, partnership development, manufacturing improvements, distribution strategy, financials or systems, consider how an intern could help you get further and faster while bringing fresh ideas to the table. Internships are also a proven, cost-effective way to recruit and evaluate potential permanent employees.

Whether or not you are in a position to hire the student full-time when he or she graduates, you are in a position to strongly influence the student’s career trajectory and perception of the business world, and lifelong relationships can be formed.

You know food. Let an intern help you get that piggy to market. And then cover it with Freedom of Peach BBQ sauce.

Interested in learning more about Butler interns? Email LSBCareers@Butler.edu.

Kim Goad is director of career development at Butler University’s Lacy School of Business and oversees its nationally recognized internship program. She can be reached at kgoad@butler.edu.

Insight

Local businesses share the wisdom of experience

BY RACHEL D. RUSSELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER L. RUBENSTEIN GRAPHICS BY CARYN SCHEVING

Even if you aren’t thinking about starting up your own cookie shop or calzone empire, there’s much to be learned from those who have the gumption to earn their living by doing what they love—and then bring it to the masses. We spoke with a variety of Central Indiana business owners—Anne Collins of Agrarian Indy, Kurt Cohen of Arni’s Restaurant, Jennifer Wiese of BeeFree, Mark McSweeney of Broad Ripple Chip Co., Mark Cox and Joshua Henson of Fermenti Artisan, Doug Dayhoff of Upland Brewing Co. and Terry Knudson of Viking Lamb— for some pro tips and advice.

Edible Indy: How did you come up with your product/idea? What kind of market research was involved?

Agrarian: Andrew Brake had started Naptown Chickens several years before the idea for Agrarian evolved. He had a good feel for the growth of the backyard chicken craze and the need for a store to serve the needs of urban chicken farmers. In discussions with Anne Collins and David Stuckert, it was clear that chicken supplies could not support a retail store but a store with a broader offering of products might be successful.

BeeFree: When we discovered that gluten-free was impactful for our son with autism, I started developing recipes for his favorite foods: chocolate chip cookies, pizza and chocolate cake. After we bought and tasted every brand available, my mom and I got busy in the kitchen. We first re-created our family favorites, then we started taking requests.

BR Chip: I had extra room in my existing business (Great Harvest Bread) and I wanted to think of something else to do with it. I had seen artisan potato chips sold in other places around the country and, after experimenting, decided to do it.

Fermenti: We decided to focus our business on fermented foods as a key beginning step toward healing the body through food and as a missing component to the standard American diet. In addition to reading and demographic research, we saw a gap in the local market for the products that we create.

Viking Lamb: My business was born out of necessity—I bought a flock to use that had some issues that needed cleaned up and I had a chance to make some money.

EI: What are the biggest challenges you have faced in starting your business?

Arni’s: The biggest challenge is always managing and maintaining the staff, keeping the employees happy and motivated. Our product has always been in high demand, but it is a people business through and through.

BeeFree: Because I came into the food business world without any experience or bag of tricks, so to say, my biggest challenges in getting started were involved with finding quality, cost-effective sources of ingredients.

Fermenti: Our biggest challenges have been lack of capital (as we are a self-funded company that has never taken on any debt, just building the business piece by piece from scratch), along with the lack of consumer education/knowledge of our products.

Viking Lamb: In 2001, lots of restaurants weren’t even looking for a local product, so I had to create a whole new state of mind. There was the Carmel Famers’ Market and not much else. And lamb—most people would look at me and say “I don’t eat it and I’m not interested in it.”

EI: How did you form your business plan?

BeeFree: The business plan for BeeFree is an evolving document. It has changed from creating a product, to turning that product into a business, to growing that product, to adding other products.

BR Chip: Little by little I worked on numbers and projections. It was a second business to begin with, so I did not have the pressure on me. I just figured whatever we can sell will be great, maybe it will grow bigger.

Upland: Every year we revisit the business plan and establish three priorities for each department to develop the following year. Every year we win some and we lose some.

Viking Lamb: I didn’t have a “real” business plan, it just evolved. I had a lot of things in my head, had a sales background and I have always been a results person.

EI: Did you have rough times where you questioned whether you should stick with it? What kept you going, and what advice can you give?

Agrarian: So far, the most significant challenge we have faced is an extended move from our original location to a much larger location.

Arni’s: There have been some very hard times, none worse than the recent recession. But getting out of the business was never considered. With almost 500 employees, it wasn’t a choice. We had to buckle down and ride it out. Hard decisions were made to cut as much expense as possible. Don’t ever think that you are running your business as efficiently as you possibly can. With a proverbial gun to our

heads we found many ways to run a tighter business.

BeeFree: I would say this question is exactly what defines an entrepreneur: the willingness to take risks, fall down, get back up again and again—being so passionate about your cause or product that you are willing to stay on the course when most others would jump ship.

BR Chip: My advice would be to not have the pressures of a bank loan—or any loan, for that matter—and avoid high rent (I would get the cheapest rent/ overhead I could unless it was a retail business, where location truly matters). Not having the debt pressure made all the difference in the world as far as growing the business.

Fermenti: Yes, as a self-funded company that has never taken on any debt, we constantly experience occasional rough times. The best advice we can give is to find something that you are passionate about and which contributes positively to society, start out fully funded and have outlets for your product from the start.

Upland: Your business has to be about something bigger than your own ego and income. When it is, the answers to why and how you push through the rough times will reveal themselves.

Viking Lamb: There were lots of rough times. You have to LOVE what you do—if you’re doing it for the money, go do something else.

EI: What are your recommendations for capital?

Agrarian: No small business has enough capital to take advantage of every opportunity that arises. As a new business, we would recommend that borrowing be avoided or at least kept to the absolute minimum because the ultimate success of the business is always in question. Not having unlimited capital forces the business to fund only the most essential actions and keeps the focus on only the most profitable opportunities.

Arni’s: Work with a respected bank. Go to outside investors as a last resort.

BeeFree: Once you get past the self-funding stage, the goal is for sales to generate enough cash to cover your growth and operating costs. The next logical stage, in my opinion, is to look at lines of credit. I’ve always tried to avoid selling equity in an effort to protect BeeFree’s uniqueness.

BR Chip: Keep your costs as low as possible: rent, labor, equipment—make do without every fancy machine, vehicle or utensil. And avoid loans if at all possible. If you must borrow, talk to family if you can.

Fermenti: Take/receive capital from people who can contribute to the operations and administration of the business

Upland: Many businesses die from under-capitalization, so don’t do that.

Viking Lamb: Don’t go to a bank. I knew nobody was going to lend me money on a sheep operation, so we used credit cards to originate capital—we racked up $125,000. It took organization and discipline, but we paid it off and it’s what got our business going.

EI: How important is sales and marketing to your business?

BeeFree: Well, since sales and marketing is my main focus, I think it is super important. I’m an old-fashioned girl who likes to get out there and meet people and have a live conversation and write thank-you notes. I try to mesh the modern technologies of today’s world with those of the past to give our customers a unique experience.

BR Chip: Very important, but it is easy to let it slide if you’re preoccupied with other busywork. I see a positive response to sales calls and giving out samples almost immediately.

Fermenti: Without sales there is no money, so they are absolutely one of the top priorities. With brand recognition and image being most of our marketing, and why most people buy our product, it is also very important.

Viking Lamb: It’s the most important thing we do. Standing in line or wherever, you should always be promoting your product and selling. Most businesses that fail don’t because they have too much business.

EI: When did you see success?

Agrarian: We were fortunate to have “success” from the first month in business in that we were cash-flow positive. However, we have not yet met our ultimate goals, so SUCCESS is still several years off

BR Chip: I think once we started selling our chips in all the local grocery stores, such as Kroger, Fresh Thyme and Marsh, I knew we would be OK.

Fermenti: When the first person thanked us for contributing to the recovery of their health.

Viking Lamb: I felt legit when I walked into wellknown establishments and saw my company’s name on the menu.

EI: What advice do you have for someone thinking about starting a business?

Arni’s: Prepare to work your ass off

BeeFree: I would advise anyone wanting to start their own business to be super passionate about their brand and to be willing to work really hard, for years.

BR Chip: Make sure that you have a product people really like that is unlike other things for sale. Something that fills a niche that is currently not filled.

Upland: Be honest about your personal weaknesses, and work hard to understand the weaknesses of your business plan. Ignoring those risk areas is the most common mistake entrepreneurs make, because, by definition, entrepreneurs are optimistic and not wired to think about why they might fail.

Viking Lamb: Find someone to emulate—someone doing what you want to do or who has skills and talents that you think would apply to what you want to do.

EI: What is one resource you would recommend using?

Agrarian: Get as much advice as possible from other small business owners.

Arni’s: A good attorney and a good accountant.

BeeFree: Highrise, my customer relations management system that helps keep me connected to my customers on a timely basis.

BR Chip: I enjoyed meeting with the local free SBA SCORE counselors before I started. Also I would scour the Internet for ideas that are successful in other towns/states to find one that could be duplicated locally, or done even better.

Upland: You need to have someone in your inner circle who can play devil’s advocate and criticize your ideas and work in a safe and effective manner and in a way you can hear them.

Viking Lamb: Every time you find someone successful, particularly in what you’re doing or want to do, ask them how they did it.

Rachel D. Russell is the managing editor of Edible Indy. She has a passion for food, second only to writing, and enjoys hearing about how food has shaped lives. She is always interested in comments and ideas for new stories. She can be reached at editor@edibleindy.com.

FARM FOCUS

White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods

White Violet Center for Eco-Justice is a ministry of the Sisters of Providence, who have been farming the land since 1840 — 175 years. They originally emigrated from France to build a school in America and wound up using the land they bought to sustain their endeavors. They raised sheep for wool, chickens for eggs, cows for dairy and nourished the land organically to produce vegetables and grains.

Over the years, the sisters leased some of the land to farmers (practices at odds with the organic nurturing of the soil and atmosphere). When they realized the damage being done, they reclaimed the farms and in 1996, the White Violet Center for Eco-Justice was born. Twenty years later, with much love and care, the 343 acres of farmland has returned to its healthy, food that Market District is pleased to bring you.

“We take very good care of our land,” says Candace Minster, Garden Manager. “We use crop rotation and add organic matter like compost, to preserve its fertility. Use of cover crops, like clover, help rebuild the soil with nitrogen. We also take food safety very seriously and sell what we’ve been told is the cleanest at the market.”

Specializing in heirloom varieties, the Center brings us heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, beans and organic arugula, which is, according to Ed Cifu, our Director of Fresh Merchandise, “out of this world.”

“What we love about heirloom varieties,” says Candace, “is that they are old (pre-1950s hybrid craze) and open-pollinated. This means pollinated naturally by the wind. Although you might not get consistent germination and cookie-cutter form,

It’s a win to us.”

Beyond farming, the Center’s mission is to foster a way of living that recognizes the interdependence of all creation. Grounded in an understanding of Providence Spirituality as hope and healing, it offers leadership and education in

Candace Minster & Ann Testa

the preservation, restoration and reverent use of all natural resources, and in creating systems that support justice and sustainability. To this end, the Center provides regularly scheduled educational workshops, cooking classes, ecospirituality retreats, as well as internship, sabbatical and volunteer opportunities.

“We’re really proud of what we do here,” says Candace.

beautiful and want you to experience that beauty as well.”

Lettuce Give You a Tip: Candace says hot weather arugula is far spicier than that harvested in the cooler fall months. She recommends wilting it over pasta or using it to make pesto with a little kick.

JUST SOME

LOCAL FOOD FAVORITES!

BeeFree Gluten-Free Bakery, Noblesville ingredients or preservatives. Owner Jennifer Wiese spent long days ™ in Auggie’s Original, plus

Best Boy & Co., Roanoke

Find these and more throughout our store!

Broad Ripple Chip Co., Indianapolis

Brooke’s Naturals Gluten-Free Baking Mixes, Dana Copper Moon ® Coffee, Lafayette

Wayne Shive

Brooke Schmidt & Dana Vicars

Summer Tomato and Olive Salad

Compliments of Chef Ben D’Amico

• 2 pints grape tomatoes

• 3 Tbsp. fresh curly parsley, minced

• 1 cup assorted olives, pitted

• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, fresh

• 2 Tbsp. Market District extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt

• 1/4 Tbsp. fresh-ground black pepper

• 2 cups baby arugula

• 1/4 cup Ricotta Salata cheese, crumbled

• 2 Tbsp. pistachios, chopped

1. Place tomatoes, parsley and olives in a mixing bowl.

2. Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper.

3. Toss gently.

4. Place the baby arugula on a plate or platter.

5. Top the greens with the tomatoolive salad.

6. Garnish with crumbled Ricotta Salata and pistachios.

Nutritional Information (Per serving): Calories 180, Fat 15g, Sat. Fat 3g, Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 10mg, Sodium 1010mg, Total Carbohydrate 11g, Fiber 4g, Sugars 5g, Protein 5g, Vitamin A 40%, Vitamin C 45%, Calcium 10%, Iron 10%

Nutritional values are based on data from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Actual nutritional values may vary due to preparation techniques, variations related to suppliers, regional and seasonal differences, or rounding.

Illustration by Britny Trainer

Start-ups, setbacks and the lowdown on launching your own business Risky Business

BY SUMMER DAILY

Starting a business is a risk, and the food industry is notoriously tough to survive in. Restaurants open and close all the time. Business owners have to contend with health and safety codes, the sometimes-unpredictable habits of customers and the stress of putting everything on the line for this one crazy idea. Even well-established businesses occasionally have to fold, but there is good news: According to studies done by both the University of Tennessee and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, start-ups have around a 5050 chance of surviving. That means if you play your cards right and power through the inevitable setbacks, you can be one of the successes. But it’s important to realize that there will be setbacks.

“Every business has unexpected challenges that come up,” says Tia Agnew, the co-founder and CEO of New Day Craft in Fountain Square, a local business that makes craft mead and cider. She has been in the business for 10 years and has run into her fair share of frustrations and obstacles, and she knows just how difficult it can be to make sure you have all your i’s dotted and t’s crossed.

“The food-related industry has different regulations you have to contend with,” she explains. “Before starting my business 10 years ago, I came from a government-related background, so jumping into a regulated industry was a little bit easier for me, because I wasn’t scared of the mountains of paperwork I’d be filing, deadlines and all that stuff food-based businesses have to contend with. But in general, it can be a really scary part of being in a food-based business, because most of us don’t have that background. It’s a little daunting.”

Rachel Klein, founder and owner of Revival Food Co., knows exactly what Agnew is talking about. Klein sort of stumbled into the food industry. After making her signature almond butter for her wedding favors in May 2014, she received an onslaught of requests from friends and family

by Jennifer L. Rubenstein

Photograph

interested in buying it. At the time, she was working a smattering of retail jobs, and had no prior experience with the food business or heavily regulated industries. She decided to give selling food full-time a shot and started her almond butter business in December 2014. Her lack of experience in the industry made for a bit of a rough start.

“I felt like I was experiencing one setback after another simply because I had no idea what I was doing. Every day was like, ‘Oh! I’m supposed to be working in a certified kitchen? I need a trademark? Nutrition? I don’t know what’s supposed to be on my label and not on my label,” she says.

The beginning was rough, but she pushed through and got help from more seasoned professionals.

“I had a lot of support. I was meeting with a lot of local food business owners to get advice from them. That’s really the greatest thing you can do—to just ask questions,” she says.

Joe Lazzara, who started Joe’s Butcher Shop in Carmel, has been in the industry for 10 years, and he too is familiar with the fear of failure. During his first year of business, they had issues with construction near their shop and different regulations that kept customers from coming in.

“While we had projected a loss that first year, that loss was more than tripled,” he says about his first grueling year of self-employment.

After experiencing a setback like that, most people would be tempted to give up, but Lazzara put his head down and figured out how to make it work, and the butcher shop is still going strong today.

“I think you do panic in some ways. It’s natural for everybody to panic,” says Lazzara. “But it’s a question of how you handle that emotion. Do you put it towards rolling over and dying? Or do you channel that emotion into ‘I won’t fail?’”

But even after getting comfortable with the regulations and settling into a groove, issues still come up that business owners have to deal with. Sometimes setbacks come even after you’ve become a well-established business. Joe’s recently started offering delivery, and he says it hasn’t been utilized nearly as much as they hoped and it’s been frustrating trying to figure out how to get people to take advantage of it. They spent time and money to offer delivery, and he says they are going to keep working out the kinks until it pays off.

“Like a lot of things, it’s not so much your desire to succeed as it is your fear to fail,” says Lazzara.

Klein also hit a major roadblock with her company Revival after finally beginning to get comfortable in the industry. After landing a handful of deals with stores and distributors, Klein discovered her original name, Pure & Good Foods, couldn’t be used due to trademark issues. She had to rename her company, completely rebrand her products and retain her small base of loyal customers with less than a year’s worth of business under her belt.

“I was floored. I felt like the world had been taken out from under me,” says Klein.

There was no easy solution. Klein says she simply spent a lot of time writing things down, thinking about what she wanted her business to be and trying to focus on the positive. Now, she loves the new name and look and thinks they perfectly capture her company and goals. Starting Revival Food Co. was hard work, but she wouldn’t trade her business for the world because she loves sharing her passion for healthy food and eating well with other people.

“It frustrated me when people would tell me to run the other way because it’s hard. My advice would be: Expect that it’s going to be really hard. Expect that there’s going to be so many things that you know nothing about—that you have to learn from people who know more than you. And also just do it. You have to make some really bold decisions and just make it happen,” says Klein.

Agnew adds that along with the “get it done” attitude, you also have to be willing to slog through the boring parts.

“It’s all about the details. A lot of people looking into the food business have a lot of passion—and you’ve got to have that to keep you going, for sure—but you definitely have to dig your heels in, get your reading glasses out and make sure you’re following the regulations and the rules. It’s really boring, but it’s really necessary in the food business,” she says.

The challenges the work poses and the new things you learn are part of what keep these business owners coming back for more even when the going gets tough. Customers with cultures and backgrounds from around the world come into Joe’s Butcher Shop and ask for different cuts and recipes, and as food trends change, customer demands change too.

“Those type of things are never-ending in this business, and after 10 years we learn something new every single day,” says Lazzara. “I love it. I really do.”

And Agnew says, “I joke that all entrepreneurs must be optimists in order to be in business. Being your own boss is not the easy way; it’s not the easy path. You’ve got to really love it; you’ve got to really want it. And that’s kind of where you gain your strengths: when unexpected things happen or you hit a setback. You fall back on the fact that you get to live your passion every day. That’s the key.”

Daily is lives in Indianapolis and loves doughnuts more than she should. She works at Indianapolis Monthly as a special sections editor.

Summer

BY SUSIE WYSHAK

TAuthor Susie Wyshak

he pages of Edible Indy overflow with wonderful stories, photos of happy people and ads featuring foods that make people happy. Behind all that evidence of a vibrant local food scene are the challenges and rewards an entrepreneurial life in food can bring.

Food and food tech start-ups are being funded and acquired in record numbers. Farmers’ markets, adventurous DIY meal kits and convenient meal delivery services have become as popular as grocery shopping. Mainstream supermarkets and warehouse stores are clamoring for more organic foods.

This begs the question: Is a food business in your future?

For me, after decades of having food business ideas, and taking a stab at a snack food company, my answer was: No. But, what about supporting food entrepreneurs? This was a definite Yes. A year has passed since my book Good Food, Great Business came out, teaching people, as the subtitle says, How to Take Your Artisan Food Idea From Concept to Marketplace

With the tips and tales included in my book as their roadmap, many readers have reported starting their ventures. And now is the perfect time to reflect on your life journey to see if food is your next fork in the road.

12 Good Reasons To Get Into Food

Every great business revolves around a big motivation. Some call this the “Why.” The Why is a passion-packed mission. Start by pondering which Whys speak to you.

Photography courtesy of Susie Wyshak, graphic by Caryn Scheving.

Here are a few popular reasons to turn food into a business:

• Innovate Packaging for Good Eating: Small changes in the way a food is packaged can create major markets, solving our desires for healthful, affordable, convenient meals and snacks.

• Spark the Local Economy: Local food enterprises (ala Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor), converting old factories to incubator kitchens, agri-tourism and business-related services lead to a thriving local economy.

• Create a Market for Small Farmers: From domestic produce and meats to fairly traded coffee and cacao beans, each food start-up that sources responsibly from small producers makes a positive difference.

• Cater to Restricted Diets: Kosher, gluten- and nut-free foods are all growing categories thanks to consumer demand for more good food.

• Re-create a Popular Food in a “Better For You” Way: Organic candy bars and grass-fed-beef jerky capitalizes on the desire for familiar tastes without less of a bad-food factor.

• Save the World! We’re on the brink of bad food threatening our collective future. Billions of people need access to good food and clean water. Crickets have become a hot new food ingredient. What’s next?

Your motivation may lean more toward personal fulfillment reasons, like these:

• Connect with Community: Seeing customers love the food that you made is downright fulfilling. Selling food from mobile carts, at farmers’ markets and directly all provide this in-person connection.

• Create a Market for Small Farmers: Each food start-up that sources responsibly from small producers makes a positive difference, supporting everything from local produce and meats to fairly traded coffee and cacao beans.

• Share a Family Recipe: Food deeply reflects culture, which may be why “grandma’s recipe” is behind so many businesses.

• Preserve a Tradition: A quest to create a market for a dying food tradition or re-vitalize an old holiday tradition infuses even more meaning into your work.

• Make a Fulfilling Living: Sometimes a smart money-making idea can lead you to a food-related business, such as gift baskets, tasting boxes or meal delivery to seniors.

• Because You’ve Always Wanted To: You’ve saved up a bunch of cash. You could buy a car, go back to school or travel the world for a year. Or you could tap into that nest egg to school yourself and develop a line of foods, drinks and/or services (which, incidentally, may take you on travels and lead you to buy an oh-so-practical car for deliveries).

And then, here are some final questions to ask yourself as you consider a food business:

• What’s your Why? There are many easier ways to make money and make a difference than food. Your desire needs to burn like a summer grill.

• Where does food and a business fit in with your life? Big success calls for more money, energy and time than you may imagine. Then again, limited, seasonal, small-batch foods may fulfill while keeping your investment in check.

• Are you a crafter or a business maven? Love the art of making or the art of the deal? For many food categories you can contract manufacturers, called co-packers, to make food for you.

• Is it you alone or with a team?

• What’s your personal end goal? If “because everyone says I should” is your answer … the answer is probably no. If any of the points listed above fits with your motivation, well, you may have the recipe to begin planning a successful food business.

Based in Oakland, California, Susie Wyshak describes herself as an optimal life strategist, helping food entrepreneurs craft the perfect business and life. She helps with product strategy and naming. She also writes about food and beverage business on About.com and her blog FoodStarter.com.

Homegrown Harvesting the Hoosier Brand

BY MARY MCCLUNG | GRAPHICS BY CARYN SCHEVING

Close your eyes and say “Indiana.” What image pops into your mind?

Do you see row after row of green plants growing to the horizon, with barns and silos casting their silhouettes on the landscape? Do you see farmers’ markets selling small mountains of apples and kale … along with jars of honey, artisan oils and frozen meats?

Indiana is home to 15 million acres of farmland, making it a major player in the feeding of people across the globe. Although demand for Indiana products is at an all-time high, we Hoosiers only get about 10% of our food from our own Indiana farmers and producers. That number is on the rise, though, as consumers become more aware of how we eat and what we’re feeding our kids. We are quickly moving away from pre-packaged food items and are learning how to once again eat and drink locally and seasonally.

To foster that new understanding, how can Indiana’s food growers find a way to connect to fellow Hoosiers, so more of us can make meals or buy merchandise in a way that’s mutually beneficial for our families and for our Indiana businesses? Thanks to the efforts of some Indiana lawmakers and the Indiana Department of Agriculture, we now have a way: the Indiana Grown program.

Any person or company creating consumer products here in Indiana can apply for free for an Indiana Grown membership. There are four categories of membership that help identify sources, ingredients and manufacturing status of labeled products being sold to consumers:

100% Indiana – Products within this category must be grown in Indiana and/or all ingredients must come from Indiana.

Prepared in Indiana – Product ingredients can be sourced from anywhere, but 100% of the production must be done in Indiana.

Partner – Indiana Grown partners must be companies or institutions that assist in marketing Indiana Grown products and members.

Indiana Grown – This category applies to all other Indiana Grown members.

Launched in July 2015, Indiana Grown is a collaborative membership that brings makers of Indiana foods and products together to help each member grow and succeed, here at home and nationwide. Indiana Grown supports its members through marketing, opportunities to make new products, processing more food and growing the output of product in Indiana. It also works to educate consumers about why buying Indiana Grown products is important and worthwhile.

Members of Indiana Grown include farms, retailers, restaurants, breweries and distilleries, artisans and food processors, along with large grocery and small local food stores. Products sold by Indiana Grown members display labeling that allows shoppers to easily identify local and locally resourced items, making it simpler to support Hoosier businesses and family farms.

Recognition and support of Indiana Grown has been swift. In September, one of the earliest supporters, Indiana’s Marsh Supermarkets, announced a partnership with Indiana Grown and placed kiosks in 50 stores that feature 100 Indiana Grown products. In October, Kroger Co. followed suit, installing kiosks in every Indiana store. Kroger kiosks also feature local, Indiana Grown–labeled products, including

their own Kroger brand milk. Kroger has installed additional Indiana Grown signage in each store, which helps make buying local easier than ever before.

One of the largest members of Indiana Grown is Red Gold, based out of Orestes, with plants in Elwood and Geneva. All 8,000 acres of Red Gold tomatoes are grown on local family farms and delivered directly from the field to the processing plant during harvest season. Family owned and operated, Red Gold makes a variety of canned tomato products sold around the world. The company supports its home state and its local Orestes/Elwood community through major charitable donations, and recently began an employee program to assist with the purchase of homes in the area.

Many Indiana Grown members operate on a smaller scale, including Bloomington’s Earth Drops Natural Handcrafted Soap Company (EarthDrops.com). Earth Drops hand-makes a large variety of soaps for people and pets from all natural ingredients. Their products can be found in several western and southern Indiana stores.

Another Indiana Grown member is Local Folks Foods (LocalFolksFoods.com). All Local Folks products are made right here in Central Indiana using produce and ingredients from regional farmers and gardeners and include pasta and meat sauces, mustard, ketchup and salsas. Local Folks Foods can now be found in many Marsh and Kroger grocery stores, as well as some Whole Foods locations.

If you live on your phone and love buying local, a new phone app is on the horizon for Indiana Grown. The Indiana Grown Locator app will allow buyers to scan UPC codes on product labels to learn more about where the item came from and who produces it. The app will be one of the first of its kind in the United States.

For more information about Indiana Grown, or to complete the free application, visit IndianaGrown.org. They are also on Facebook at Indiana Grown and on Instagram @Indiana_Grown.

Mary McClung is a photographer and visual artist who resides in Indianapolis with her husband and their slightly saucy cat. Her professional work and ﬁne art focus on the local Indy food scene, Central Indiana’s farm-to-table culture and the people who make it all happen.

FIVE THOUGHTS ON RAISING CAPITAL FOR YOUR START-UP

BY GERRY A. HAYES, PHOTOGRAPHY BY FAITH BLACKWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

While the process of launching and growing a company can be both exciting and financially rewarding, raising equity capital may be one of the most frustrating components of the process. Yet every business needs capital and, in the case of food product and technology start-ups, lots of capital. So this article is designed to shed some light on the equity capital formation process to make it less aggravating and increase your odds of success.

Note: There are lots of different types of businesses. For this article I’m focusing on food technology and food products start-ups.

Thought #1: Understanding what equity actually means. Exchanging equity for capital means you are selling “ownership” in your business. The amount of ownership will be negotiated between you and your investor(s). It means you both want the company to grow in value over the ensuing years and you both want to harvest that value at some point.

It also means you now have a business partner who has rights to certain information, and perhaps even control over certain decisions. Which means: Pick your partners wisely! Long after the money has been spent, you will have to deal with the investor. And, just like in a marriage, a business divorce can be a long, expensive and emotionally draining process.

Noam Wasserman, a Harvard professor, wrote a book called The Founder’s Dilemma. The book can be summarized in a question each entrepreneur should ask before raising equity capital: cash or king? In other words, are you raising money for “your baby,” or because the company needs money to become successful (even if you are no longer part of the company). There’s a huge difference between the two mindsets. I would suggest if you view your start-up as “your baby,” don’t raise equity capital.

Thought #2: Are you ready for outside capital?

It’s 2016 and, unless you are a seasoned entrepreneur with a proven track record of returning capital to investors, a PowerPoint presentation or “back of the napkin” pitch is no longer sufficient to raise capital. You shouldn’t be speaking with investors (even family and

friends) until you’re able to demonstrate a market exists for the product you are hoping to build. This is typically achieved by building a version of your product that “does not scale” in order to demonstrate market traction.

Over the past 10 years, I’ve probably taken more than 150 pitch meetings. If someone is pitching me to invest in their idea without any proof of market acceptance, he or she is basically asking me to take 100% of the risk on their behalf. So it’s an automatic pass for me (and typically most investors).

The “abstract” is a scary place to be when you are out raising capital. It means the only tools you have available to convince investors are your enthusiasm backed up by some generic data points (it’s called promotion). Every seasoned investor, including me, has been burnt at least once by a great promoter.

What you should be showing is proprietary data points you’ve amassed over a period of time that demonstrate an interesting investment opportunity. Only getting out of the abstract and into the trenches (meaning in the market selling some semblance of product or service that mimics what you hope to build with the investor’s capital) can achieve this.

Which means you may have to rely upon good old-fashioned bootstrap strategies to get your business ready for outside capital:

• Your own money;

• Selling a product or service (any product or service);

• Keeping your day job to finance your start-up; and

• Bartering (trading services with others who can help you).

The great thing about bootstrapping is it teaches you to be resourceful and frugal, which are tremendous qualities to have as a founder.

Thought #3: Understand how much to raise and when.

One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is trying to raise too much capital. I know, I know: It takes just as much time to raise $100,000 as it does $1,000,000. I also know the best of all worlds is to raise a bunch of capital that provides for a reasonable salary while

you’re building the company. Neither one of these is an acceptable reason to go out and try and raise more money than you need to move the business along its optimal path.

Money is nothing more than a tool to help you get from point A to point B. Think about it in the context of a car trip across the country. You don’t haul all of the gasoline you’ll need for the entire trip in the trunk of your car. You fill up the tank at the next logical destination point. Same principle applies to capitalizing a company.

In the early fund-raising cycles, the vast majority of the capital raised should be going towards getting a product out to market you can start selling. Not building the “perfect” product with all of the trimmings. From there, you’ll take what you’ve learned to investors so you can raise more capital to refine the product and position the business for scale. Beyond that, you’ll raise more capital to increase capacity and blow out the sales.

Thought #4: Investors like to fund teams, not individuals.

No matter how talented you are as an individual, there are lots of risks associated with single founders. I was a single founder in my first start-up, and I can tell you I would never, ever launch an investor-backed company as a single founder ever again. Outside the obvious risks of something happening to the single founder, grinding the company to a halt, the bigger concern is that too much control is in the hands of one person. With a single founder, there is nobody at the company on a day-to-day basis who has the authority to challenge the direction of the company. This can be devastating when the start-up is going through a difficult time.

In contrast, two or more founders on an equal footing create a

healthy amount of conflict that will ultimately result in the right decisions being made (assuming, of course, that the founders want the company to succeed).

Thus, I would strongly urge you to find a co-founder or, at a minimum, a business partner who is committing 100% of his or her time to the project before asking investors to add their capital. This would take away a large point of friction for sophisticated investors.

Thought #5: Don’t own the rejection.

Lastly, investors cannot predict the future and they are wrong as many times as they are right. Just look at the investors who passed on companies such Airbnb and Uber! Go into the capital-raising process knowing many investors are going to pass on your opportunity. However, every rejection is like a breadcrumb that will ultimately lead you down the path of success.

Some may warn you your market isn’t big enough. Some may say you don’t have a defensible position. Some may argue your product isn’t scalable. Instead of feeling rejected, challenge yourself to think about how you can help minimize these concerns going forward. This process will ultimately make your company stronger and you a better businessperson!

Gerry A. Hays is a co-founder of several food companies including DinnerCall, Kingmaker Foods and the Charley Biggs Food Company. In addition, Hays is managing partner of Slane Capital, an early-stage investment ﬁrm. Hays also teaches venture capital and entrepreneurial ﬁnance at the IU Kelley School of Business, Bloomington, and has authored The First Time Founder’s Equity Bible Contact him at gerry@slanecapital.com.

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Creating a marketing plan is creating success MARKETING FOR THE SOUL

BY DAWN MOORE, GRAPHIC BY CARYN SCHEVING

Igrew up in a world with traditional soul food meals that included lots of pork, fried foods, sweet potato pie, peach cobbler, corn bread, neck bones, chitterlings, hot sauce and enough sugar on any food to maintain a lucrative business for the local dentist. In my mid- to late-30s, my health began to flare in terms of food allergies, anemia, diabetes, fibroids, toothaches, high blood pressure and high cholesterol that helped contribute to a slight midsection bulge.

What was a pretty lady to do? Physicians suggested a few simple answers. One in particular was to change my eating habits.

Deciding to change a poor eating lifestyle was the first step in realizing where and how to find healthy natural organic foods at a reasonable cost. Although I once worked as a general store manager for major big-box retailers like Kmart and Walmart, where finding food in general was not difficult at all, my new desire to find specific health food is what led to my Google search for natural and organic foods.

And, that’s how I stumbled across a local Indiana food co-op. Like most businesses, food co-ops feature themselves in the high-traffic medium of the Internet and social media to gain market share for those high-tech health-conscious-seeking individuals. Since 2010, new food co-ops have been at their highest level in over 30 years, and healthy ethnic food also began making a huge debut in the food industry.

Many food co-op start-ups have to do initial budgets that include marketing costs to take their cash flow forecasts to banks and other investors because marketing strategists have found getting money in the beginning will save money in the end with advertising costs. In addition, many states offer credits from a tax perspective and other programs designed to finance food co-op start-ups that designate themselves as go-green initiatives and environmentally conscious.

The World Wide Web’s heavy use is forcing businesses to include a marketing plan budget to create an immersive environment that will infiltrate social networks of location-based business and mobile

marketing to collect data from a targeted market that studies and triggers the subconscious minds of its consumers. Food co-op startups can refer to websites such as the Food Marketing Workgroup (FoodMarketing.org), which is a national collaborative of leaders in nutrition, public health, advertising/marketing, consumer protection, public policy, child development and government working to identify and investigate practices that lead to unhealthy lifestyles.

Social media is the most popular way of providing a free and easy opportunity for marketers to observe and immerse themselves in online social interactions that influence their target market. The use of mobile devices gives marketers the opportunity to deliver enticing offers that are too good to pass up, such as health information, coupons, discounts, free offers with immediacy. Studies have shown that an online marketing ad can educate, encourage and make an immediate emotional connection to influence consumer buying and create call-to-action.

Food co-ops have a marketing advantage of educating consumers on an authentic and meaningful foundation of natural and organic foods that hits home with the adventurous Gen Y-ers who happened to be raised on the Food Network. And, the widespread ethnic food cultures such as Asian, African, Indian and Hispanic located in the heart of their ethnic communities initially serve people from their own niche, but evolve into the mainstream of entire communities and cultures.

Some of the greatest challenges facing food co-ops are compliance issues of ensuring tax returns are filed, product ingredient labeling, health department inspections and securing wholesaler distributors to meet consumer demand that will offer food co-ops a profitable margin. Yet, without a solid marketing plan developed and executed to meet the ideas and goals of the proposed business it can ultimately fail by not consistently connecting with its target audience.

If food co-op start-ups create a marketable logo or brand symbolizing a social dimension featuring their unique aesthetic value

from food to customer service, any business financial woes can be overcome through using every available marketing channel. A solid strategic marketing plan including a public relations team that can cultivate creativity and collaboration within its community locally and afar can build a solid foundation of a trusted reputation.

Marketing strategists have also found many food start-ups are based on the value of self-help, self-initiative, democracy, equity and solidarity. Founders and members of food co-ops and artisan groups often believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

Distinctive marketing plans have to show extreme authenticity and passion for their product along with quality customer service. Food co-op start-ups, like any business, can successfully market themselves through a variety of mediums such as digital, word of mouth, social media and print. A successful marketing strategy equates to one that is well planned and executed. Without marketing, your product has no legs to stand on and no brand vehicle. Set yourself up for success in the beginning.

Dawn Moore is an assistant professor at Trine University. She enjoys acting, cooking, poetry and traveling.

The Past, Present and Future of Indiana Food, Technology and Start-ups

A CONVERSATION ABOUT CHANGE

BY MEREDITH LEE PHOTOGRAPHY BY FAITH BLACKWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

Edible Indy invited John Wechsler of Launch Fishers; Nick Carter of FarmersMarket.com and formerly Husk; and Gerry Hays of Slane Capital to sit down with contributor Meredith Lee and discuss local food start-ups, technology and the future of food. Here’s how the conversation went.

Meredith:

Gerry: We aren’t inventing anything new. Food in America changed during World War I and World War II. A number of food innovations came out of World War II when we needed to feed troops stationed overseas. That movement continued into the ’50s and ’60s, with concepts like the frozen dinner. Now, food is stored, mass-produced and canned and there’s an effort to extend shelf life. Food became all about convenience.

Nick: Also because of the World Wars, women went into the workforce and they remained there. Before, a wife might start making dinner early in the afternoon so that it would be ready when her husband got home. Most families today don’t have a four-hour meal prepared by a stay-at-home mom.

Gerry: Then, there’s fast food: $100 billion a year is spent on fast food. Over the last generations, we forgot what food means. Now, we’re starting to experience our food, taste our food and learn about our food. While everyone thinks this is cool and new, our great-great-grandparents lived the lifestyle that we’re aspiring to lead.

Nick: In some communities, that old style was preserved from pre-war to today. Ethnic communities—like the Italians and Greeks, for example—did not forget how to prepare meals or enjoy food. Indiana doesn’t have much of a deep cultural background, so we were prime ground for becoming addicted to cultureless, postwar convenience food.

Gerry: Everything is on the table for exploration in Indiana because we don’t have legacy or diversity in food. Right now, Hoosiers are open to trying different foods, ways to prepare food and ways to enjoy food. Food start-ups are working to build an ecosystem around a better food offering.

From left to right Gerry Hays of Slane Capital, John Wechsler of Launch Fishers, and Nick Carter of FarmersMarket.com at Launch Fishers where they encourage riding bikes.

Meredith:

Nick: Technology is an equalizer. Small start-ups could not break into the grocery industry without technology. Technology makes it possible for a start-up like DinnerCall to forgo the gatekeepers and get in touch with consumers directly.

Gerry: Technology also allows start-ups to focus on sales and marketing. This allows them to build business in a cost-effective way. Even just 50 years ago, it was too expensive to build a customer base through traditional media or grocery stores.

Nick: With FarmersMarket.com, I couldn’t afford billboards, radio or television advertising, so there was a barrier to en-

Meredith:

John: Because of our agricultural heritage and history as a major supplier of America’s food, we’re naturally positioned to innovate. There’s a lot of history and experience built up in Indiana.

Nick: Short of lemons and bananas, anything can be grown here. Husk is a true food start-up with a tangible food product. Our access to logistics here is important. We’re in the crossroads of America. We have so much warehousing around here and it is easy to move food around. There are not a lot of places with the same access as we have here.

Gerry: We built Kingmaker Foods from the ground up. We’ve had access to real estate as we’ve grown and we can get a truckload of product to two-thirds of the population in one day.

Meredith:

John: It’s hard to get people to deviate from their traditional paths and adopt a new way of thinking. Acceptance is the biggest obstacle.

Nick: I came from technology start-ups and moved into grocery start-ups. The start-up community in Indiana is strong in technology, but not in grocery. In grocery, people are not as friendly and not many people are trying to innovate. Innovating in food involves tearing down an old paradigm whereas an industry like technology is innovative by nature.

Gerry: In technology, they cover a new territory with a new idea. In food, we’re covering old territory with a new idea. It scares people. I’ve been in food since 2004 and I’ve found it to be one of the most paranoid industries out there.

Meredith:

Gerry: knows the tracks and use them as a mentor. Get in front of someone like Nick or me. It’s not a huge community, but everyone connected to it is willing to advise and give a few hours of their time.

John: Launch Fishers and Launch Indiana are resources for start-ups. At Launch, we look for innovation-driven enterprises. It doesn’t have to be innovative in software or technology. It could be kettle chips. We want to help innovators get their businesses up and running. People can also tap into crowdsourcing through platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. These platforms allow start-ups to sell to consumers directly. Crowdfunding can also help food entrepre-

states to innovate in crowdfunding.

Meredith:

Gerry: The fast-food story has had its heyday and it’s on the way out like Betamax and VHS. People just don’t want their food wrapped in a bag and handed to them in the back seat of a car anymore. People are tired of it. And all of the pressure on reducing sugar and soft drinks and the push for health and wellness is too much for fast food to overcome. People will look to slow down in a fast-paced life. That’s going to hurt fast food and create opportunities for new food start-ups.

Nick: I expect that in the future people will buy their grocering what they want from specialty stores rather than shopping for everything from oatmeal to ammunition at Walmart

that a lot of consumers are already interested in decentralizing their food shopping. They want to buy products that Market.com. We’re getting good receptivity.

Gerry: We lost several local food manufacturers in Indianapolis, and that left a void for smaller co-packing manufactur-

smaller food start-ups get to market by manufacturing their product. That way, they can focus on sales and marketing.

Meredith Lee is a 20-something who lives in Indianapolis. For work, she is a freelance writer. For play, she swims, practices yoga and replaces bad habits with good ones. For dinner, she prefers dessert.

The Garden Table is a local eatery and fresh juicery in the heart of the Broad Ripple Village. We serve seasonally inﬂuenced and locally sourced food and cold pressed juice. We believe in simple dishes, made from natural ingredients, grown and harvested by local farmers. Downtown location opening soon. 317.413.3778. TheGardenTable.com

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Eating Local Simpliﬁed

Getting Hoosier-grown goodness on your plate doesn’t have to involve hours in the kitchen. These ﬁne establishments proudly serve up the freshest locally sourced cuisine.

The farm-to-table movement begins with Central Indiana farms and dedicated producers who care about bringing only the best to market, which is a very good thing for locally owned restaurants that search out the best dairy, meat, produce and beverages for their patrons.

Farm-to-table is gaining momentum not only with bornand-bred Hoosiers, but the many visitors to Central Indiana. Edible Indy connects growers, producers and food artisans with their community.

Here is a select list of some of those chefs and owners who take great pride in celebrating Hoosier-grown goodness.

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St. Elmo gives a big thank you to our local partners! As a locally owned business for over 110 years we take great pride in our local business relationships. Cheers to independent businesses! 317.635.0636, StElmos.com

127 S. Illinois St., Indianapolis, M–F 4–11pm, Sa 3–11pm, Su 4–10pm

Milktooth is a neighborhood brunch destination, serving up Indy’s ﬁrst Mod Bar coﬀee program along with upscale breakfast and lunch. Focusing on seasonal, local ingredients— everything is made in house. 317.986.5131, MilktoothIndy.com 534 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis, W–M 7am–3pm

A Mass Avenue staple oﬀering non-hpp raw juices and smoothies in a hip and trendy walk-in location. All juices are cold-pressed, old school centrifuge, and freshly juiced on site and their cleanses programs are available year around. 317.797.4254, NaturalBornJuicers.com

865 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis. M–F 7am–7pm, Sa 9am–7pm, Su 10am–6pm

We’re proud to keep it local at Harry & Izzy’s! Three restaurants sourcing locally from 10 regional farms, four breweries and seven locally owned purveyors or producers leads to one great meal. All open M–Th 11am–11pm, F–Sa 11am–midnight, Su noon–9pm. HarryAndIzzys.com

Downtown: 153 S. Illinois St., Indianapolis, 317.635.9594 Northside: 4050 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis, 317.915.8045

Airport: 7800 Col. Weir Cook Memorial Dr., Indianapolis, 317.241.0533

Oakley’s Bistro, a neighborhood American Bistro focuses on rotating seasonal menus encompassing the Midwest rustic appeal with local sustainable ingredients making every meal a special occasion. Owner and operator, Chef Steven Oakley is a James Beard Nominee with Bon Appétit recognizing the bistro as “one of the hottest restaurants coast to coast”. Join Chef Oakley at this Northside Indianapolis staple for lunch or dinner, whatever the occasion, the experience will be divine. 317.824.1231, OakleysBistro.com

1464 W. 86th St., Indianapolis. Lunch: T–Sa 11am–1:30pm, Dinner: T–Th 5–9:30pm, F–Sa 5–10pm

Hotel Tango, the first small batch distillery in Indiana and is also the first service disabled, combat veteran owned distillery in the country. Using only high-quality, local ingredients allows us to stand out. We invite you to come in and taste what our Hoosier heads, hands, and hearts have made, sit by the fire, or belly up at the bar. Drink local, buy local. 317.653.1806, HotelTangoWhiskey.com

702 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis. M–F 2–10pm, Sa–Su noon–10pm

Founded in 2005, Chef JJ’s is a unique, personal and hands-on culinary experience with a focus on the Big Green Egg®, corporate team building, private events and grilling classes. Chef JJ’s provides clients with the most innovative culinary experience in Indianapolis. Our multi-course meals are prepared and served backyard or family style. We oﬀer distinctive private dining opportunities for your event with personal attention to detail. Call us to set up your event today. 317.602.3828, ChefJJs.com

Downtown: 42 W. South St., Indianapolis 1040 Broad Ripple Ave., Indianapolis, M–F 11am–6pm, Sa 10am–5pm.

Cardinal Spirits is a craft distillery and cocktail bar just oﬀ the B-Line in Bloomington. We combine ageold distilling techniques with modern technology, and specialize in creating memorable experiences. CardinalSpirits.com

922 S. Morton St., Bloomington, M–Th 4–10pm, F–Su 12pm–12am, 812.202.6789

From a store full of fresh, seasonal foods and a team of Chefs and Culinary Experts comes a celebration of food called table by Market District — a restaurant that brings passion for food right to your plate. Open daily for lunch & dinner, as well as brunch every Sunday. 317.689.6330, MarketDistrict.com/Table

11505 N. Illinois St., Carmel. Su–Th 11am– 9pm, F–Sa 11am–10pm

Dine at a true farmstead restaurant, located inside a beautiful historic barn on an organic dairy farm. Food grown and raised on-site takes center place on organic menus shaped by seasonal rhythms. Open for Lunch, Dinner, and Sunday Brunch. 317.733.1700, TraderspointCreamery.com

9101 Moore Rd., Zionsville. Lunch: M–Sat 11am–2:30pm; Dinner: Tu–Th, Su 5–9pm, F–Sa 5–9:30pm; Sunday Brunch: 9:30am–2:30pm

Upland oﬀers a brewpub, beer bar, tap house and tasting room, all serving up Indiana’s ﬁnest craft brews,gourmet burgers to beet and pesto pizza. The Carmel Tap House and the Brew

Pub have full service lunch and dinner menus.

For a full listing of locations visit UplandBeer.com

Bloomington BrewPub: 350 W. 11th St., Bloomington, M–Th 11am–12am, F–Sa 11am–1am, Su 12pm— 12am, 812.336.2337

Carmel Tap House: 820 E. 116th St., Carmel, M–Th 11am–12am, F–Sa 11am–1am, Su 12pm–12am, 317.564.3400

Local Roots, California Wines (and vibes)! If you love tasting great Napa Valley wine in a fun, eclectic, groovy atmosphere, then Peace Water Winery is your place!

Best yet, 50% of our proﬁts are donated to charities. So come in for a tasting, buy a glass, take home a bottle or join our wine club and learn how “One Bottle Does a World of Good!”. 317.810.1330, PeaceWaterWinery.com

37 W. Main St., Carmel, T–Th 2–9pm, F–Sa noon–10pm, Su noon–5pm

Shared commercial kitchens help keep costs in line HUBS FOR HIRE

BY KATHY JONAS | GRAPHICS BY CARYN SCHEVING

inda Gilkerson of Indy’s Kitchen is not a chef or a baker. She opened Indy’s Kitchen, a shared commercial kitchen, to help other small businesses enter the burgeoning local food market. And Gina Zieniewicz, who makes her mother’s Italian biscotti, opened a shared commercial kitchen when she and her sisters couldn’t find one that met their needs.

Rita Franco accidentally got into the shared kitchen business when she moved into her stepfather’s space in Irvington to do a Mexican carryout business—La Mexi Gringa. While doing that, she ended up renting space, which eventually let to her starting her own shared commercial kitchen as she discovered she is passionate about helping others. She hopes to open another kitchen on the city’s south side, too.

These small business owners are part of a growing trend of kitchen incubators that allow food trucks, caterers, chefs and farmers’ market vendors to share space in a fully equipped commercial kitchen, licensed and inspected by the state or county health departments, where they can manufacture their products and take them to market in accordance with Indiana state laws.

While a 2009 Indiana law allows some home food operations for specific foods sold at farmers’ markets or roadside stands, most food businesses must use an inspected commercial kitchen to prepare food, according to Janelle Kaufman, food and consumer safety administrator at the Marion County Public Health Department.

“Churches have a lot of potential for shared kitchens,” Kaufman said. There are a few churches are on the list of shared Marion County kitchens. Linda Dernier of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church says they opened a commercial kitchen in 2011 after receiving a matching grant. Renters include a bakery owned by a parishioner.

One of the great benefits of shared commercial kitchens is cost. Julie Davis of Your Budget Catering has been working out of Indy’s Kitchen since 2012. She estimates it would have cost her $75,000 to $100,000 to open her own kitchen. “The environment is fantastic,” she says. While she eventually wants her own location, she adds that Indy’s Kitchen is allowing her to succeed now.

In April of 2015, CookSpring opened in Fort Wayne with a goal of helping start-ups eventually become self-sustaining, according to Spencer Mize, Director of Advancement at The Summit, which is home to CookSpring. “A lot of people are good at cooking but not at business plans,” he says.

There are many reasons why new businesses use shared commercial kitchens. It’s less risky than investing in one’s own commercial kitchen when the business is just starting up, and it avoids or delays the challenge of obtaining all the necessary permits. These kitchens are a huge help to entrepreneurs, businesses and the communities that benefit from the depth of goods produced at them.

For specific questions about permits, food safety and/or health issues, consult your local county health department or the Indiana State Department of Health’s Food Protection program’s website at in.gov/isdh.

Kathy Jonas is a freelance writer who recently worked as managing editor of WeddingDay magazine in northern Indiana and Indianapolis. She is a diehard Indiana University fan and she and her husband (and one very spoiled hound) spend as much time as possible at their condo on Lake Monroe.

Some of the public kitchens in Central Indiana and other surrounding cities

Indy’s Kitchen

2442 N. Central Ave., Indianapolis

Contact person: Linda Gilkerson

317.426.2996, IndysKitchen.com

Opened in 2010

Hourly rate: $20 for oﬀ-peak; $24 for peak; other charges for storage

The Flippin’ Kitchen (Allicarte Catering) 6129 E. Washington St., Indianapolis

Contact person: Rita Franco

317.414.7990, Facebook: The-Flippin-Kitchen

Opened in 2015

No hourly rates/shifts and monthly rates

Northwood Christian Church 4550 Central Ave., Indianapolis

Contact person: Sherrie Proctor

317.283.1352, IndyNCC.org

Opened in 2015

Hourly rate: $10 ($50 month minimum)

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church 8320 E. 10th St., Indianapolis

Contact person: Linda Dernier

317.898.7807, StMattsIndy.org

Opened in 2011

Hourly rate: $15; additional storage fees

Carmel’s Kitchen

1025 W. Main St., Carmel

Contact person: Stephanie Lewis

317.714.1198, CarmelsKitchen.com

Opened in 2010

Hourly rates: $20 for oﬀ-peak; $25 for peak; additional storage charges

CookSpring Fort Wayne

1025 W. Rudisill Blvd., Fort Wayne

Contact person: Spencer Mize

260.446.3200, CookSpringFortWayne.com

Opened in 2015

Hourly rates: $17.50 (based on membership)

Nana Clare’s Kitchen

3907 Calumet Ave., Valparaiso

Contact person: Gina Zieniewicz

219.286.3645, NanaClares.com

Opened in 2012

Hourly rates: $24 and lower, varying

The Ohio River Valley Food Venture 975 Industrial Dr., Ste. 1, Madison

Contact person: Samantha Pierce

812.273.6510, VentureOutBusinessCenter.com

Opened in 2005

Hourly rate: $25; other charges for storage

Chefs take great pride in their sources. They are as carefully selected as the carrots, cucumbers and peppers they feature on their menus. Chefs know great meals begin at the source.

In the vast Panna Estate, rich in natural beauty and situated in the heart of Tuscany, lies the source of the pleasingly balanced and refreshing Acqua Panna spring water. Acqua Panna boasts a unique smooth and velvety taste, giving it the rare ability to please all discerning palates. A Taste of Tuscany.

Naturally filtered over 30 years by the Italian Alps and bottled at the source in Bergamo, Italy, S.Pellegrino has been a key ingredient in ex ceptional meals since 1899. Chefs trust their sources. Chefs trust S.Pellegrino.