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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] restaurant sales

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  • From: "Steve Sando" <steve AT mrlucky.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] restaurant sales
  • Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 09:11:21 -0700

----- Original Message -----
From: "Liz Pike" <liz AT laughingbrookfarm.com>

> A better way to approach chefs is to take along a catalog WITH a fresh
> sample of what you can provide. What you might want to grow might not be
> what the restaurant needs! It'll take a few seasons to merge what grows
> well for you, that is also what chefs want. The catalog says it
> all...giving you answers right then & there for any questions your chef
may
> have (as to projected harvest dates/length, etc. (Johnny's is an
excellent
> one to do this with since it contains cultural requirements).

Hello and welcome to the "Class of 2003". Yikes! Not many from California,
huh? That's weird and interesting.

When I first started I was thinking restaurant sales were the way to go
until I had a long talk with my chef friends. I had fantasies of us
discussing menus and possibilities, perhaps over a glass of wine and a bowl
of good soup! Ha! They want you in, they want you out, they want it
consistent, they want you to read their mind, they don't want to pay you on
time, they want to find fault so they can throw a tantrum, etc. And if their
regular distributor finds out they are getting some of their things from
you, the distributor can "teach them a little lesson". I find that industry
the very opposite of why I grow things. Of course not all are like that, but
I think a lot of the high end ones, especially in my area are. I know there
will be exceptions.

For me, it seems we are all about learning to deal with time and nature and
the way things work in "real time" whereas restaurants are like a ride at
Disneyland that has to keep moving at the speed of sound.

I know some growers go around to several restaurants after the market and
see if the chef will buy anything, It's much more casual and inconsistent
but it seems to work.

P.s. Just had this season's first market and it was dead (bad management)
and I still managed to do really well!

Steve Sando
Specialty Produce from Napa: www.ranchogordo.com





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