The post cards are finally in!
We’ll be mailing out rewards to our awesome backers this week, so clear out your mailbox and get ready for some broodje collateral (hint: it’ll coincide with our hard launch which means some pretty sweet giveaways as well!).
I’ve been a neglectuful blogger, and for that I apologize.
With launch and the collecting of collateral (ie sitting on my front porch casually waiting for the UPS wo(man) to arrive), I’ve made lame excused not to post.
Check out our menu below, available exclusively at Silver Spork (303 7th St SE) on Capitol Hill now!
If I’ve learned anything over the course of the last two months (re broodjes & bier), it’s that you have to wig out over the little things.
We’ve hit a few milestones since Jan. 1 that seem small (they’re small), but are indicative of a growing operation.
Jan. 1, I made myself open to total embarrasment and shame by making this blog live. I emailed 20 of my closest friends to update them on what I’ve been working on (from my broodjes email account, no less) and invited them to share in our progress over the month to come. Feb 1 we launched our Kickstarter campaign, and by then I had talked (and fed) four others into the journey. March 1, our funds were disbursed and I opened a Broodjes & Bier Restaurant Group LLC (got to keep an eye on the future…) bank account…Okay, I’ll stop being sentimental, but you get the point.
We’re in full throttle trying to get things together for Broodje Co. The box vs. paper debate was settled via social media. Verdict: we’ll be going with butcher paper. They protected the sandwich equally after being refrigerated for 12 hrs and frankly, the paper is more economical on a few fronts.
We’re busy this week choosing between two sandwiches to add to our Broodje Co. roster (sneak peak: apple & bacon chicken salad vs. salted bacon nutella and fruit ie YOLO). I imagine it’s a lot like choosing which of your children you love most…
Factors to consider: 1) chicken salad will sell to a lunch and dinner crowd; 2) chicken salad is a fine balance to our veggie and pork options; 3) salted bacon nutella is salted bacon nutella; 4) see 3; 5) it’s a snack-ier, lighter option than the other sandwiches we’ll be doing.
Obviously, cost is another MAJOR deciding factor. A) can we even afford to do another sandwich at the spork without a month of data under our belts? B) nutella’s not cheap, people. nor is thick cut bacon. Leave the economics to me though. What do you want to eat?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGFlKMllRXE&feature=youtu.be]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7ouX-d_Sc4]
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/579148457/broodjes-and-bier
Allow me to officially introduce the newly registered Broodjes & Bier LLC! It didn’t make sense to undertake an official legal activities until we were funded, but thanks to 100 very awesome people, last night I was able to pop a Yuengling and get down with the online office of the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Woot!
Obviously the last 14 days have been all about funding. Money is the fuel that will drive this train (was that weird?). That said, with this week devoted to legal and partnership talks, and even more fundraising, I’m starting to wonder when we get back to cooking! Alas, that’s business 
One of the biggest decisions we’ll make in the next two weeks is how we choose to package our broodjes. Initially, the consensus was butcher paper. There’s an authentic, nostalgic feel to it, plus it’s practical. BUT, I’ve always taken a bit of an issue with wrapped sandwiches. The ingredients tend to get squished in. Products on the shelf for more than one day are the worst offenders, but it’s nevertheless worth considering. So…I’m thinking boxes.
Specifically, small paper boxes just big enough to fit the sandwich. The logic is that the box will allow the sandwich to breathe. We won’t need to twist it around in paper which means the components will remain springy and fresh. I believe it’ll be much more of an enjoyable experience to open the box and see a fresh, bountiful Broodje staring back.
If you’re not really able to visualize it, no worries. I’ll take some pics tonight and upload ASAP! What do you guys think though?
All,
Firstly, on behalf of the entire Broodjes & Bier team, thank you so much. The outpour of enthusiasm has been incredibly humbling, and because of you we hit our 24 day Kickstarter goal in a little under 4 days.
It’s official: Come early March, we’ll be able to serve you delicious and fresh Broodjes on Capitol Hill. Your pledges have covered one month of ingredients and packaging. It’s a head start we did not have a week ago.
All of this being said, there are 17 days left in this campaign and there’s no reason we can’t accomplish double what we did in those first four. One month of ingredients is great, but with two months squared away we’ll be able to worry less about cash flow, and more about what we’re putting in your belly.
We would also love to serve you broodjes in a sit down environment where you can enjoy good food and beer with the people you care about most. Our prepackaged concept is tight, but we’ve got a few more tricks up our sleeve served best hot.
Come May, we hope to do that through a pop-up dinner series, where you can experience the whole sandwich and beer concept in full swing. With your continued support in the next 17 days of this campaign, we’ll be able to raise the capital to rent a space, buy ingredients, and bring Broodjes & Bier to life for an evening at a restaurant or cafe in Capitol Hill.
To be sure, there are a few new risks associated with us passing our goal and moving the campaign forward. As more and more supporters pledge at numbers for a free Broodje Co. sandwich, we have to think about when those rewards will be claimed. High quality is the foundation of our pitch. As a small team, we’re thinking through ways to control the flow of reward claims to ensure we’re still putting out the best food we can. That said, these our challenges we’re confident we can surmount through a little ingenuity, and of course, your help (send me your thoughts!)
You got us this far, and we’re confident you can help us make it the rest of the way there. In the spirit of full transparency, I’ve outlined our costs below and put in bold our new stretch Kickstarter goal.
Lets do this!
Best,
The Broodjes & Bier Team
$1,200.00 – An additional month of ingredients and packaging
$2,500.00 – Our Very First Pop-up
$300.00 – Fluctuationa in food costs AND to even it all up
-
$7,500.00 – Stretch Kickstarter Goal!
YES!
We launched our Kickstarter campaign bright and early on Friday morning, February 1st. Our numbers guru and all around mathematician, Virginia, calculated the initial amount we needed to cover the costs of launching BROODJE CO., our prepackaged sandwich concept. We still need to raise funds for our pop-up dinner series, which will allow us to serve our food in a sit down fashion, but BROODJE CO. is our priority, and so we set our goal for this endeavor at $3,500.
On Day 1, we absolutely, unequivocally, undeniably did very very well! And we have all of our amazing backers to thank for that. It was beyond humbling to see the outpour of support as the day went on, and by 9pm Friday night, we had raised $2,271 or more than 65% of our goal!
That said, we’re not there yet. The caveat of Kickstarter is that if you don’t hit your goal, you don’t receive a penny of the pledges. This is a hard and fast rule created (I believe) to ensure that if you invest, you’ll be able to see the project succeed. It makes total sense, but it also means that our work is not at all done yet. We still have $826 to go before Broodje Co. truly comes to life.
So, what’s the plan?
We’re going to continue with our Marketing Director’s strategy: using social media to get our message and plea to as many people as possible. We’ve been , posting on our individual Facebook pages, on Pinterest, and posting on Instagram. Our little venture got a big stamp of approval from the Kickstarter group. We were highlighted in three categories: as a Feature Staff Pick, a Washington DC Staff Pick, and a Foodie Staff Pick! We always believed Broodjes & Bier was a great concept and a necessary addition to the Washington, DC food scene and our remarkable success on Friday reaffirmed the viability of this business idea.
We still need to raise $826. We still need your support and your help. Help us reach and exceed our $3,500. Thank you for your faith in us. We won’t let you down!