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Fudi- Where You are the Chef (a possible new service in Ajijicl


Stephanie

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Hi! I asked a while back if you all thought a business like Hello Fresh in the US and Europe would be something people there would be interested in. I got positive feedback and some questions which I answered but never heard back. I'm heading up in the next couple of weeks to check out cost of spaces for food prep etc, and would love more feedback from the community!

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Given that eating out or carry out is very moderate in cost here, you may find the demand for this minimal.  It is not like the U.S. where it is easy to spend $100 on a restaurant meal these days.  Having said that is certainly isn't as cheap here as it used to be.  We fondly remember the Hole In The Wall where two could feast on great food plus beer for $10-12 U.S.

 

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And many Restaurants here are members of the Traitte (sp?) Delivery Service where a restaurant meal can be delivered to your door. Why would anyone cook (even with the freshest ingredients) when they have that option. Each to his/her own but I prefer to grocery shop for myself. YMMV.

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It surprises me that the local Mexican business people are not getting upset by the number of expats who are running businesses here.. if there is no local Mexican people offering that service then that’s fair enough, but so many expats are offering rides to the airport and just about everywhere else.. food to be picked up a local bazaar.. moving you from place to place, just to name a few...,

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On 1/21/2020 at 3:40 PM, Mainecoons said:

Given that eating out or carry out is very moderate in cost here, you may find the demand for this minimal.  It is not like the U.S. where it is easy to spend $100 on a restaurant meal these days.  Having said that is certainly isn't as cheap here as it used to be.  We fondly remember the Hole In The Wall where two could feast on great food plus beer for $10-12 U.S.

 

Completely understandable. My aim is to make it as affordable as going out to eat. I expect customers to use the service about once a week when you just want a different experience. I would love to know what everyone would think is a reasonable price for this. 

Currently our prices are approximately $5.00 per serving without alcohol. ( As much as I'd like to provide that service, it will take a while to get a license, though, for first and or loyal customers I like to provide a little free 'treat'!

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On 1/21/2020 at 3:51 PM, Ferret said:

And many Restaurants here are members of the Traitte (sp?) Delivery Service where a restaurant meal can be delivered to your door. Why would anyone cook (even with the freshest ingredients) when they have that option. Each to his/her own but I prefer to grocery shop for myself. YMMV.

Absolutely, I wouldn't cook daily with all of these choices, though I personally find cooking fun and would do it once a week. Exactly what you said...to each his or her own! One thing I do is all of the chopping and keep the cook time to 20 mins. I very much appreciate your feedback. I know it's not for everyone!

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On 1/21/2020 at 5:12 PM, TelsZ4 said:

It surprises me that the local Mexican business people are not getting upset by the number of expats who are running businesses here.. if there is no local Mexican people offering that service then that’s fair enough, but so many expats are offering rides to the airport and just about everywhere else.. food to be picked up a local bazaar.. moving you from place to place, just to name a few...,

I get that and appreciate your thoughts. I would love to provide jobs to locals with this business and I want to retire early. Just 5 years or so may give me the income to live modestly I'm the Chapala área. After that I hope to have a house  built and use my retirement money to just be retired. If I were to make that happen, I would love to pass my business on to any loyal employees to own and thrive.

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It is a great idea.  You won't know if you will be successful until you give it a try.  Of course getting the word out is tantamount to your success.

Just have enough money to keep you going for the first year, anyway, and hire Mexicans that can speak English since your cliental will probably be mostly Gringoes initially.

Good Luck.

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On topic:  I don't want to be discouraging, but as others have said...this may have a very limited appeal.  I, for one, delight in the fact that restaurant meals here are so affordable (as opposed to those in the U.S.)  that my spouse and I can get "out and about" frequently to enjoy them.  Cooking at home means not only prep work but cleanup afterwards.  How pleasant it is to leave it to the restaurant staff !😉

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11 minutes ago, gringal said:

On topic:  I don't want to be discouraging, but as others have said...this may have a very limited appeal.  I, for one, delight in the fact that restaurant meals here are so affordable (as opposed to those in the U.S.)  that my spouse and I can get "out and about" frequently to enjoy them.  Cooking at home means not only prep work but cleanup afterwards.  How pleasant it is to leave it to the restaurant staff !😉

We have found that eating out in the RGV is actually cheaper than lakeside or Puerto Vallarta. Especially lunch and early dinners are practically give- aways with good quality food and if you skip the alcohol, a downright steal.

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Stephanie. I once knew a consultant whose business was to turn failing restaurants around. Then he got smart, started buying them. Now he is a multi millionaire. I remember him telling me that in an average restaurant, the actual cost of the food on the menu should be no more than 40%. Sure people can, and do, sell for less, but they are throwing money away and there is no point trying to compete with them.

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More tolerant?...This is not the USA or CANADA, this is MEXICO, the language here is SPANISH....Just like if you moved to the USA, you would be expected to learn basic English....Although being very elderly is a legit reason for not learning, as well as being hard of hearing, all the rest have no excuses...Just lazy I guess.....

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45 minutes ago, dano1948 said:

More tolerant?...This is not the USA or CANADA, this is MEXICO, the language here is SPANISH....Just like if you moved to the USA, you would be expected to learn basic English....Although being very elderly is a legit reason for not learning, as well as being hard of hearing, all the rest have no excuses...Just lazy I guess.....

This post is more to the point than your other one lumping everyone into one basket.

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1 minute ago, gringal said:

Maybe so, but the OP is talking about starting a service HERE, not in Texas. si?😉

Yes...but I was replying to YOUR observation:

  "I, for one, delight in the fact that restaurant meals here are so affordable (as opposed to those in the U.S.)"

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I was not familiar with Hello Fresh so I Googled it - interesting concept. Couple of thoughts: the minimum plan was for 2 people but you would probably need a single person option here. There are pre-made meals available at the various weekly markets and they usually average less than 90 pesos per serving just to give you an idea. Is this food that must be cooked the day it is received or could a person keep it for a day or 2 in the fridge?

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I think the food opportunities here are based on food processing. Using local ingredients, often unique, and then produce and market a product. Mexican small business people, I have found, are not very good at marketing and promotion. By the time a product begins to "break", the big corporations take over and copy it.

I just thought of an example. Inspired by the horseradish thread in La Cocina. A jarred sauce made with ground Moringo roots, vinegar and salt, maybe some other spices, maybe some body friendly preservatives. Graphics, teeshirts, tastings, etc You get the picture. You could also make a Moringo based Wasabi paste, saving restaurants a fortune. Heck - call it being from the Mexican Wasabi tree!

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14 minutes ago, pappysmarket said:

Yes...but I was replying to YOUR observation:

  "I, for one, delight in the fact that restaurant meals here are so affordable (as opposed to those in the U.S.)"

I should have qualified that with "where I have lived in the U.S."  Would that do it? 

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8 minutes ago, gringal said:

I should have qualified that with "where I have lived in the U.S."  Would that do it? 

Who the heck would know where you lived in the US? Maybe the part about the US should have been omitted? No need to add a dig to your comment about how affordable meals are there.

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