The Neon Green Epiphany
As I sat here writing this, the last rays of sunlight were slipping away below the horizon, as were the final business hours of 2017. Beginning at 5 pm today, Friday, December 29th, there will be no more official business conducted until 9 am, Tuesday, January 2nd. Leave it to a business owner to think in such unromantic terms about the end of the year, right? Seriously, though, these thoughts inspired in me a reflection of where Govinda's has been the past year and where we want to go in the next.
One thing that has been on my mind for many, many months is instituting some sort of package deal or CSA option for our customers. I was having trouble visualizing what it should look like, and I also resisted the thought of taking away the element of personal choice when ordering.
Then last week when I was outside the Women's Birth and Wellness Center, checking out their bulletin board of info and services for mamas-to-be, guess what I saw? A neon green flyer entitled "The Root Cellar - FAMILY DINNERS." A thousand "Duhs!" upon my head! How could I have missed it?! This was the exact model I was looking for - Family Dinners for 2 and for 4, all printed up on one neat, bright sheet with a month's worth of menus, complete with order deadlines and pickup dates, posted outside a business frequented by women who are anticipating not cooking for their families for the next 6 - 8 weeks.
Pause.
I want to let the magnitude of the lightning bolt of realization from the sky to my questioning brain sink in. I was flooded with conflicted feelings of gratitude and chagrin at not having thought of this solution before. So after a week and a half of finetuning and adapting the Family Dinner program to our menu and clientele, here is what we are offering NEW in 2018 (make sure to scroll down to see what stays the same):
Dinner for 2 for the week:
2 of each entree (6 servings in all)
6 dirty rice
6 muffins
2 pieces of pie
Normally this order would add up to $88. We will offer it for $75, which is a 15% savings.
Dinner for 4 for the week:
4 of each entree (12 servings in all)
12 dirty rice
12 muffins
4 pieces of pie
Normally an order this size would total $176. We will offer it for $150, which is again a 15 % savings.
Student Special:
3 frozen entrees (chef's choice) - $24
3 brown rice - $3
Normally this order would total $27. We will offer it for a very student-friendly price of only $20; a 25% savings!
Tell your friends; tell your family! I am really excited about this new offering. What does not change is that you can interact with our menu exactly the same way you have been. These packages are merely an option for making ordering easier and saving a little money at the same time. We will still be accepting custom orders just as before.
Mark your calendar! Here are some fun things coming up this month:
New Year's Eve - ringing in the new year with kirtan. New Goloka Krishna Temple in Hillsborough will be hosting kirtan from 3 pm - midnight. Members of Samadhi will be leading from 8:30 - 9 pm.
Monday, January 1st - Govinda's Catering turns 5! This is a big deal in the world of small business. Thanks so much to you all!!
Saturday, January 6th - Members of Samadhi will be leading more heart-stirring kirtan at Triangle Yoga in Chapel Hill from 7 - 8:30 pm. Feel free to bring a vegan snack to share at 6:30 pm.
Saturday, January 13th - Samadhi will be sharing kirtan in the very special atmosphere of the Oasis at Carr Mill Mall from 7 - 9 pm. Great news! The Oasis has started to carry Govinda's Chocolate Tofu Creme Pie. Let the owners know how much you like the pie and would like to see more of our dairy-free, gluten-free treats.
Saturday, January 20th - Govinda's Catering should be at the Carrboro Farmers' Market. Come see us there and meet my lovely assistant, Radhika, who will be running the table during my maternity leave.
