Starting a Food Business: Lean & Smart Ways

Join us at the Neighborhood Innovation Center in Dutchtown for an exciting, hands-on workshop designed to help food entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses efficiently. ""Starting a Food Business: Lean & Smart Ways"" will provide attendees with practical guidance, step-by-step frameworks, and essential resources to launch a successful culinary venture. Led by John Chen and Caya Aufiero from Urban Eats, this session will distill years of frontline experience into actionable insights tailored to today’s food industry challenges.

Attendees will learn about the U.S. food business landscape, choose the right business path (Restaurant, CPG, or DTC), and develop a niche strategy using lean methodologies. We'll also cover our proven 7-Step Licensing and Permit checklist to streamline the setup process in St. Louis.

As a bonus, we’ll introduce generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, demonstrating how these technologies can simplify small businesses' daily operations, marketing, and financial management. The workshop will conclude with a guided tour of Urban Eats and The Wink! Retail Incubator showcasing our place-based support model, followed by a lively Happy Hour featuring food samples from our current members.

Whether you’re an aspiring food entrepreneur or an ESO interested in impactful community-based support models, this event offers something for everyone.

Agenda Overview:

2:00 PM – 2:10 PM: Welcome & Introduction to Dutchtown Innovation Hub
2:10 PM – 3:30 PM: Core Workshop: Lean & Smart Strategies for Food Entrepreneurs
3:30 PM – 3:50 PM: Community Connection & Interactive Discussion
3:50 PM – 4:10 PM: Bonus Track: Leveraging AI in Your Food Business
4:10 PM – 4:30 PM: Q&A
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Guided Tours of Urban Eats and The Wink!
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Happy Hour with Food Samples from Urban Eats Members

Why Attend:
Discover how to launch your food business smartly, learn about essential licensing and permits, get inspired by our place-based entrepreneurship model, and explore how AI can transform your operations. Network with like-minded entrepreneurs, experience our incubator spaces, and enjoy a taste of what our community has to offer!

Audience:
Aspiring food entrepreneurs, small business owners, ESO representatives, and anyone interested in place-based entrepreneurship.

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