somerville kitchen: Should I Invest?

Thursday 21 February 2013

Should I Invest?

Two weeks ago, you read about the investment opportunity in Toast Now ™. Thanks to many comments from readers, I decided to think more about it until...

... the investors, excited about a partnership in Sapporo, Japan, asked to come back for another demonstration.

The Japan soon-to-be franchisee, it seems, is working the concept of toast sushi - raw fish on toast.

"come on over", I said.

"There is no franchising requirements to have only wacky sandwiches - we'd guarantee that your top selling one will be a simple ham and cheese toast". Well maybe if you brought your own pickles with you rather than using my home made Lebanese ones for the demo, I thought.

Reading the annoyed look on my face; 'let me offer you a favourite of the 80's potlucks dish that always made an excellent appetizer - raisin bread with brie cheese and hazelnuts". Okay, they held my interest for another 25 minutes.

Now I have a completely blank look on my face. So emotional marketing kicked in by bringing back the one I really liked in the first demo - the avocado lemon toast (I did not want to admit that I have been making it for lunch all last week).

So Toast Now ™, I ask, what are your views about inclusion of waffles or not on the menu (I could not imagine how waffles will work with raw fish on toast in Japan). "A wise marketer once told me", they answered, "that our best bet is to specialize, specialize, specialize. And since we are still building the brand, best to stick to the basics - Toast". Impressed, I am now back considering this opportunity (despite insisting on a waffle).