Gourmet Food Store Business Plan

Sarrica’s Market offers the following products and services:

Groceries
We will offer high quality groceries from Italy, the Mediterranean, Mexico, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States (Wisconsin, the Southwest, and locally).  Groceries will include items that represent the best known and desired foods from these areas. Items will include but will not be limited to: sauces, oils, spices, spreads, peppers, cheese, meats, pasta, rice, canned goods, drinks, chocolates, and hard-to-find desserts and candies.  A selection of frozen meals (made in the store)will be available for home cooking, and will include items such as homemade Italian meatballs & sausage, pizza, and “holiday” tamales.

Gifts
Gift items will complement the international theme of the store and include a limited selection of kitchen wares, cookbooks, picnic items, and original sewn items and jewelry. Gift baskets will also be available in the store and over the internet.

Delicatessen
Sarrica’s Market will offer unique cuisine with an international flair.  The deli will offer a limited menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The rotating menu will feature sandwiches, soups, salads, drinks, and desserts. All menu items will be prepared fresh each morning and displayed for easy pick-up. We will offer picnic lunches and frozen meals as well as cheese, meats, and ethnic deli salads by the pound.

The breakfast menu will include items such as quiche, scones, and biscotti, and the lunch/dinner menu will consist of sandwiches, salads, homemade breads, frozen meals, and daily specials. 

We will serve high quality coffee, tea, juice, and soda from around the world through out the day.

Picnic lunches will be made available to visitors, specially packed to be carried into the numerous national parks and outdoor venues surrounding Moab. We will also make this service available to the many outdoor guiding services in Moab. These businesses include climbing, hiking, mountain biking, river rafting, and jeep touring companies.

3.1 Competitive Comparison

According to the Utah State Tax Commission, taxable sales in Grand County for “Food Stores/Eating & Drinking Establishments” was $47.9 million in 2002. We believe we can gain a portion of the current market share and capture a new market that has been largely ignored in rural America. 

Moab is not a typical rural community, in that it has a tremendous number of domestic and international travelers vacationing throughout the year: 787,578 visitors to Arches National Park in 2003 alone. Moab’s recreational activities, pleasant climate, and natural and cultural treasures attract people from all over the United States and world to populate its boundaries. The population in Moab in 2000 was 4,779 and of those residents, 47.5 % were born in Utah, 48.7% were born in another state, and 3.8% were foreign born, or not U.S. citizens. The diverse make-up of this community and its rural location make Moab prime for this type of market and deli. Sarrica’s Market will provide this rural, isolated community and popular travel destination with a grocery that supplies its customers with cuisine other than what is offered by its established competitors.

The competition facing Sarrica’s Market includes all the grocery stores, coffee shops, and some of the eating establishments in the Moab area. Moab has two chain grocery stores (Citi Market and Moab Grocery) that carry many healthy food choices and some ethnic choices, but do not have an expanded ethnic food selection. The Moonflower Market Co-op carries health food but does not have an expanded ethnic food selection either. The Meat Shop carries local meats and some cheese, but does not carry international varieties of meats and cheese. 

Restaurant/Coffee Shop competitors consist of Arches Book Company, Banditos Grill, Bob & Shelly’s Moab Deli, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Buck’s Grillhouse, Center Cafe, Desert Bistro, Eklecticafe, Isabella’s Pizzeria, Knave of Hearts Bakery, La Hacienda, Miguel’s Baja Grill, Moab Brewery, Mondo Cafe, Paco’s, Pasta Jay’s, Poplar Place Pub & Eatery, Red Rock Bakery & Cafe, Red Cliffs Lodge, Rio Colorado, River Grill, Slickrock Cafe, Sunset Grill, Szechwan Restaurant, and Zax Wood Fired Pizza. 

Moab has an abundance of convenience stores (Dave’s Corner Market, Jimbo’s Country Market, and numerous gas stations containing convenience marts) as well as many established fast food chain restaurants (Burger King, Denny’s, Hoagie Yogi, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Subway, Teriyaki Stix, and Wendy’s). 

We consider the majority of the above establishments to be indirect competition, due to the vast differences between us in quality of product and combination of services.  Our direct competitors are Arches Book Company, Bob & Shelly’s Moab Deli, Center Cafe, Citi Market, Eklecticafe, Knave of Hearts Bakery, the Meat Shop, Moab Grocery, Moonflower Market Coop, Mondo Cafe, Paco’s, and Red Rock Bakery & Cafe.  Each one of these competitors has a component similar to what Sarrica’s Market is proposing, but does not offer the same combination of services with international amenities. 

We believe our mix of gourmet products and high-quality services, combined with our pleasant atmosphere, will help us compete with the existing small businesses. As for the larger grocery store chains, we will compete by providing a more intimate and educational shopping experience with quality products they do not carry.

3.2 Future Products and Services

Sarrica’s Market will introduce new menu items as time and profitability permit.  We will also monitor where our profits are coming from and enhance those areas of the store quarterly.

3.3 Product and Service Description

The starting menu will include items such as:

Breakfast:

• Quiche – Made with fresh ingredients and cheese featured in the market
• Fresh Bread – Crusty Italian, wheat, and pumpernickel
• Scones/Muffins/Biscotti – International recipes
• Coffee, Tea, and Juice – From around the world

Lunch/Dinner:

• Roast Beef – With sharp provolone cheese, red onion, lettuce, & tomato on dark rye bread
• Corned Beef/Pastrami – With Wisconsin swiss cheese, red onion, shredded red cabbage and Russian dressing on rye bread
• Turkey – With sharp Wisconsin cheddar cheese, lettuce & tomato on French bread
• Smoked Turkey – With Havarti cheese, avocado, sprouts, cucumber, lettuce & tomato on multi grain bread
• The Boonero –  Daily Special
• The Day After Thanksgiving – Turkey, herb stuffing, lettuce & cranberries on a potato bread roll
• The O’Connor – Turkey, Genoa salami, bacon, sharp Wisconsin cheddar cheese, lettuce & tomato on Italian bread
• The BLT – Bacon, sharp provolone cheese, lettuce & tomato on Italian bread
• Veggie Deluxe – Avocado, cucumber, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, red onion & sharp Wisconsin cheddar cheese served on multi grain bread
• Italian Veggie Deluxe – Marinated Italian vegetables, artichoke hearts, olives, red onion, & fresh mozzarella cheese on Italian bread
• Tomato with Fresh Mozzarella & Basil – On focaccia bread
• Grandma Sarrica’s Market Pizza – Made fresh and sold by the slice
• Bruschetta – Topped with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, olives, & grated Italian cheese)
• Fresh Gazpacho – Ripe tomatoes, sweet white onions, jicama, cilantro, fresh jalapenos, and lime juice chopped and mixed for a truly refreshing taste.
• Eggplant Chickpea Pesto – A delicious combination of baba ganoush and hummus served with pita wedges
• Seven Layer Bean Dip – Refried black beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, mixed fresh, cilantro, and authentic mexican cheese.  Served with sour cream, your choice of hot sauce, and corn chips for dipping
• Organic Soups – Made fresh
• Chili – Homemade using only the best ingredients
• Chips – A wide variety of speciality flavors

* Giardiniera is always available as a side dish to add a little spice to your sandwich.

Salads:

• Caesar Salad – Homemade dressing with bacon, croutons, and imported parmesan cheese.
• Greek Salad – Light airy and zesty Rotelo pasta tossed with tomatoes, spinach, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese, and Greek olives.
• Italian Salad – Ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh basil, and balsamic vinegar mixed to perfection. 
• Tomato, Basil, & Fresh Mozzarella Salad – Tossed in a light olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.
• Fresh Herb Salad – Spring greens mixed with dill, cilantro, basil and Italian parsley for a delightfully fresh taste.
• Pasta Salad of the Day – Always fresh and tasty.

Drinks/Ice:

• Juice – High quality flavors from around the world
• Soft Drinks – All natural
• Coffee – International & organic choices
• Tea – High quality flavors from around the world

Frozen Dinners: 

Sarrica’s Market will carry a variety of hard to find frozen food items.  Many of our frozen meals will be prepared at Sarrica’s Market and follow recipes that highlight items we sell in the grocery and deli. 

• Grandma Sarrica’s Market Pizza
• Meatballs & Sausage with Marinara Sauce
• Stuffed Shells
• Manicotti
• Baked Ziti
• Chicken Parmesan
• Italian Beef
• Holiday Tamales
• Ready to Bake Bagles
• Ice Cream/Deserts