Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Natasha Case, Founder of Lunch Bunch, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Our business is Lunch Bunch, and our customers are parents (right now only in LA) who are tired of and stressed about packing lunch - and kids who want to eat food that tastes great to them and is a fun experience.
Tell us about yourself
I am the co-founder & former CEO of Coolhaus Ice Cream. I started it in 2009 with my wife, built the biggest women- and queer- founded & led ice cream business (dairy, dairy-free iconic ice cream sammies), and sold it in 2021 to Perfect Day. During that time, Freya and I had two kids - Remy, now 5 ½, and Nico, now 2 ½, and were juggling growing Coolhaus and another business, Future Gin… so finding time to do all the monotonous tasks like packing lunch became less and less appealing. As an entrepreneur, my mind always goes to how I can solve a problem and how I can do it in the most unique/creative differentiated way so that it can stand alone. That’s the origin of Lunch Bunch - providing fresh, ready-to-eat, chef-driven, and locally-made bento boxes for kids to enjoy at home or school. The food looks like characters to encourage kids to be curious about eating. We will actually be building content and merchandise around these characters so that kids can connect and learn even more about what they are enjoying, in addition to other educational topics!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
The Coolhaus acquisition was a major milestone for me - I still can’t believe that something with such humble beginnings could come to bring joy to millions of folks over the years. I’m so proud of the mission and voice we created to empower diverse creators to live their dreams too.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
At the end of the day, the victories and failures are all on your shoulders - and it truly is a thankless job. You must be willing to create something amazing and just know in your gut that you are building something great and powerful. Know that you do not need validation other than your customers loving what you bring into the world!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Dream big - like really, really big, and put it down on paper in a detailed way. I hosted a podcast on Eater with Vox Media called Start to Sale. Everyone should listen to the episode with Ari Weinzweig - he talks all about ‘visioning’ and how it transformed his business and thinking. Also, you walk through a wall when you don’t know it’s there… meaning a little bit of naivete is not bad. You’ll take important risks you don’t even realize you’re taking. Lastly - picture all the worst-case scenarios with your partners when you are not in them…what happens when someone leaves the biz, etc.? You don’t want to be negotiating if things get ugly!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://lunch-bunch.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinlunchbunch/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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