Fresh Corner Cafe has found its footing with its business plan and is starting to gain traction in its marketplace.
The Midtown-based food service got its start two years ago as Get Fresh Detroit when a couple of University of Michigan students decided they wanted to create a business around providing inner-city corner stores with fresh, healthy produce. The socially entrepreneurial endeavor has evolved since then, experimenting with different ways to provide nutritious food to places known for stocking their shelves with unhealthy, processed-food options.
The company changed its name to Fresh Corner Cafe last year when it switched its business plan to providing healthy prepared foods, such as freshly made wraps and sandwiches. It moved to
Green Garage early this year and has been steadily building its business since.
"We feel the demand is growing," says Noam Kimelman, owner of
Fresh Corner Cafe. "We just launched our new catering service. We also have a lunch delivery service on the horizon."
Fresh Corner Cafe is now delivering its food to 25 locations across the city, most of which are in Detroit's Northwest Side. Ten more are in the greater downtown Detroit area and location No. 26 is opening on the East Side.
"We're slowly expanding onto the East Side," Kimelman says. "I hope to be in 40 locations by the end of the year. We're talking to CVS, which would double the number of our stores."
Fresh Corner Cafe has hired five people this year, expanding its staff to six people. It is looking to bring on two more drivers this fall.
Source: Noam Kimelman, owner of Fresh Corner Cafe
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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