Pot and Pantry, San Francisco

 
11/30/2019





Offering new Bay Area “foodie” options

BACKGROUND
Pot & Pantry is a recently opened, woman-owned business that specializes in new and niche kitchenware and local artisan foods. Pot & Pantry Owner Donna Suh Wageman has created a unique marketplace where people can buy or sell high-end vintage kitchen equipment, cookware, accessories and tasty treats.

CHALLENGES
Donna Suh Wageman contacted the San Francisco SBDC in late 2009 to work on her business plan and to obtain financing to start her business.

ACTIONS
Donna’s past experience working for Williams Sonoma inspired her to create a company to serve San Francisco’s large and young “foodie” community, people with great taste but limited resources to meet their voracious culinary needs. Used clothing stores like Buffalo Exchange provided a great business model, but Donna needed to develop a plan specifically focused on San Francisco’s unique culinary landscape. For answers, Donna turned to the San Francisco SBDC.

Donna worked with a SBDC Business Advisor who reviewed her business plan and identified holes in her market research, marketing and growth strategies, and financial forecasting.

An SBDC marketing consultant helped Donna create a marketing plan to address the culinary needs of both older and younger customers. Upon completion of her marketing plan, an SF SBDC financial consultant helped Donna to prepare a 5-year financial plan which helped her among other important metrics to determine the capital needed to start up her business.

After Donna completed her financial plan, an SF SBDC loan consultant helped her to identify sources of capital guided her throughout the loan application process.

RESULTS
Pot & Pantry opened for business in late 2010 and obtained an SBA Community Express Loan for $15,000. Pot & Pantry has already been featured in several media outlets including 7x7NBC Bay Area and Daily Candy.

SOURCE: https://www.sfsbdc.org/story/657


Back To News



SBE Northeast
 


Louisiana Business JournalArchive