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December 2007 Presentations

The Finer Foods in Life: Healthy Whole Foods in Storefront and Drive-thru

The Finer Foods in Life is a storefront/drive-thru planned for a W. 8th Street location that will provide whole foods, organic local produce, juicing, organic coffees, pastured beef and chicken, and free-range eggs. They have grant applications in process and are seeking $200k for their building and equipment.

Merrill Rounds, owner, has owned and operated Farmer's Produce in Price Hill for three years. This is a produce store that she revived into a natural foods market, serving soups, smoothies, etc. She was also head retail clerk for Shadeau Bread in Over-the-Rhine. Other management includes Jean Deckenbach, manager, a nurse with St. Elizabeth, self-taught nutritionist, and patient advocate, and Barbara Kohlbrand, chef, a graduate of Cincinnati State's culinary program and caterer at Vineyard Church and for private parties. Positions still to be filled are sanitation worker and front desk/register/customer service.

Finer Foods focuses on providing healthy foods in a convenient format. We are in a health care crisis in this country due to our busy lives and the need to find prepared food in a hurry. Much of the food we eat today contains "enemies to our bodies," such as white sugar, flour, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives. These ingredients are present in all fast foods, making it difficult to each quickly yet healthily. Finer Foods will offer whole foods that provide proper fuel for the body to prevent or reverse diseases like diabesity (diabetes and obesity), cancer, heart disease, and others. Yet, these foods will be provided in a fast-food setting, making it easy to get healthy foods conveniently to eat there or to take out.

With Finer Foods, people can drive through to pick up a healthy breakfast; e-mail an order for groceries to be picked up via drive-thru; set standing orders for child-friendly, healthy meals; or stop in for a healthy snack. No matter the need, it can be filled quickly with healthy foods.

Damaged organic produce is easy to procure in this area and will be used as-is where appropriate, or made into ready-to-eat foods. Foods will come directly from local farmers. Markup is 200%. Expected volume is $400/day, $10/customer for 40 customers. This is conservative and fits with current trends. Customers will be commuters from the West Side who normally shop organic, local customers currently involved in buying clubs, co-ops and green alternatives, and community-based walking customers.

Locally, organic food has increased from 10% to 65% of the market in the past two years (source Crossets). Both biggs and Kroger's have renovated their organic sections and many organic coffee houses have entered the market in the past two years. Current grocery/prepared food competition includes Wild Oats (Whole Foods), Kroger, biggs, and health food stores. There are no prepared natural foods on the West side of town, and the closest Wild Oats is in Hyde Park. None of these focus exclusively on natural/organic foods, so the customer still has to read labels carefully. This provides Finer Foods with a distinct advantage: since they will sell only whole foods with 10 or less ingredients, with no pesticides, preservatives, growth hormones, or refined products, customers will quickly develop a high trust level with the store.

Projected opening is 6 months from start of build-out. Strategic partners include E.A.T. Food for Life farms, Kathy Huber, farmer, Findley Market vendors, and Weston A. Price Foundation.

Projected revenue for Year 1 is $120k with net income of $40k. By Year 4, revenue should reach $350k with net income of $116k. Funding of $200k is needed to renovate the building and purchase equipment and products.

Contact:
Merrill Rounds
513-244-6223