One of the questions I've been getting is What Is The Plan From Here for Simplicity Gluten Free. I'd like to share my vision from here but please give me grace when the plan pivots when needed depending on current affairs.
So I'm finishing up the Business and Organizational Leadership Bachelors Program at St. Petersburg College. My graduation date is May 8th, 2021. I really and truly cannot wait to graduate. Its been a very long time coming! During this last semester, I'll be completing my capstone (think final project that is the culmination of everything I've learned in the program. Its really intense!) and taking a photography class so I can better learn how to take pictures of all this delicious food I'm making. (Featured picture is a whoopie pie! Family favorite! These were gender reveal whoopies for a friend who had a little boy!) I will also recertify with ServSafe as mine expired during the pandemic and I haven't gotten around to taking the test again. There is also a Covid class so I'll get that done as well.
On another personal note, we found out last week that our 4th child is allergic to Barley and Yeast so that means 4 out of 7 people in my house are gluten free and we had to change his diet a bit. We are trying to conqueror sleep apnea and reflux for him. This is my cranio baby whom you will hear a lot more about in the future, as there will be fundraisers for the non profits that have helped us through his journey here.
So during this insanely busy time I'll be working my way through some significant milestones for the business. One of them is Crowd Funding so we can maintain our debt free status. We are selling t-shirts, hats, masks, mugs, sweatshirts and more at www.bonfire.com/store/simplicityglutenfree
We are also doing affiliate marketing list can be found here: www.simplicityglutenfree.com/post/crowd-funding.
Shopping through our links helps us by earning a small commission that comes back to open the business. Please share them with your friends and family.
The option to donate through go fund me and paypal are both also available on there.
We will be building our social media presence.. Please follow us on all of the social media platforms that I've gotten going here:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/simplicityglutenfree
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/simplicityglutenfree
Instagram: www.instagram.com/simplicityglutenfree
Twitter: www.twitter.com/simplicitygf
I will also be trying to squeeze in time to do some networking events.
I am actively looking for grants (that do not need to be paid back) if anyone knows of any that are out there.
So what will we do with the funds we are raising?
We need a home. We will be looking for something that will fit the scope of our business plan and our budget.
We need equipment. Due to the nature our our business, we will need to purchase new equipment. This will not be cheap.
I want to have 6 months of operating expenses in the bank before opening to give us a cushion to make sure we can stay afloat if there are more shut downs.
We will also need to have the funds available for the testing/certifications that go with gluten free food. Its not cheap so we need to have the funds on hand for that.
So what happens when these goals are met? Well..... We move into the place we will call home, we'll get it all ready to call home and then we'll open our doors for business!
I can work out of my home for smaller stuff and will likely not take orders until after May 8th due to my intense school schedule.
So I bet you are wondering what you can expect to see? Here are a few tasty morsels to expect....
Chocolate Ginger Snaps. These cookies are soft, chewy and oh so good. They are a favorite anytime of year but especially around the holidays.
Cupcakes. I really want to be able to just go somewhere and pick up a safe cupcake that won't kill me or upset my stomach. I know a lot of other people feel the same way.
This is a chocolate ganache cupcake with chocolate butter cream frosting. Mmmmmmmm!
Vanilla Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream frosting. Delish!
Cookies! We will feature a variety of cookies. Some of our cookies will be ongoing fundraisers for some of our favorite non profits!
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins! The left is plain and the right has a dairy free cream cheese frosting. These are absolutely heavenly!
Chicken Noodle Soup just like your grandma made.
Egg Drop Soup. Restaurant Style. Delicious!
Chicken and Dumplings
Tacos!
Oven Baked Fajitas! Mmmmmmmm!
Pico de Gallo!
Cranberry Salsa! This will be offered seasonally as its really hard to find cranberries during the summer. :)
During the Holidays I plan on offering allergy free meals to go including the coveted green bean casserole! (This absolutely includes gluten free french fried onions on top!)
We'll offer meals for one and meals for the family to make life easier on all!
This is a gluten free/dairy free grilled cheese sandwich. Mmmmmmm!
Allergy free meatballs! Super fun - they are stuffed with dairy free cheese! These will be offered with our Marinara and either with pasta or as a sandwich. :)
Saving the best for last here.... I think we all want to go to a restaurant that has a REAL gluten free pizza. Not a cracker crust, but a thick, delicious crust and something that is actually comparable to gluten filled pizza. Folks, we've got it!
So this has been a small sampling of what we will offer. We will take special requests with advance notice. We truly cannot wait to open our doors and start serving our community. I appreciate all the support!
As a recap, we will be a full service gluten free bakery and restaurant that will offer an international fusion cuisine that anyone can come and enjoy. We will be free of most of the major allergens with the ability to pivot and make things without other allergens as needed as long as our team has advance notice.
Work environment will be laid back and equal opportunity. My vision is to make our space a training ground for culinary students to come learn gluten free baking but also a safe space for folks with disabilities that might be deemed "unemployable" and give them a specialized skill set that they can either use with us if they choose to stay on our team or take elsewhere and earn a living wage with the skillset they will gain.
All my best,
Amanda
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