Recipe

THE RECEIPE

Our Who, What, How, & Why.

A recipe a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required. The same word also means something which is likely to lead to a particular outcome.

This is our Recipe. A transparent and open view into who we are, what we do, and why we do it. We welcome our clients, potential clients, hiring candidates, and the overall community to openly understand our purpose, process, and passion.

There’s a lot here. Just as a baker needs a recipe, a teacher needs a lesson plan, a world traveler needs a map, or a coach needs an offensive and defensive strategy, processes and systems are what allow us to work hard, work smart, and make things happen. Our Recipe defines our daily routines and workflows and confidently communicates what we do best and what drives us, both as individuals and as a team. Whether you’re interested in working with us or just want to know how often we get together for happy hour, the Recipe is for you. Let’s dive in!

–—— TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

A DAY IN THE LIFE (HOW WE WORK)

PROJECT QUALIFICATION & KICKOFF

PROJECT PROCESSES & SYSTEMS

WRAPPING UP & NEXT STEPS

–—— INTRODUCTION

WHO WE ARE

OUR MANIFESTO

THE FOOD THINKER is a team of dreamers, designers, explorers, and strategists. We build, preserve and expand F&B brands passionately.

We believe every brand has a compelling story that deserves to be told.
We work collaboratively. Our expertise pairs best with our client’s input, experience, and overall investment.
We love to be challenged with innovation and exploration rather than model a project after something that already exists.
We’re honest and direct. We expect nothing less from our clients and partners.
We believe F&B brands are intended for people—not for numbers, search engines, markets, or metrics.
While the latter is important, the most critical element we seek to understand are the people our clients serve.
Every project we take on is useful and good for the world.
We only work on projects we believe can succeed.
We go all-in on every project. We expect an equal level of investment from those who choose to work with us.

OUR CORE VALUES

We’ve spent a considerable amount of time internally thinking about and refining our core values. These are driving and defining characteristics that make up the DNA of our company. We work hard to embody each of them daily, and if we find ourselves wandering off course, we refer to and reflect on them as needed.

We are invested in our work, but we know that work does not define us. We work at a diligent, yet comfortable pace, ensuring that we don’t take on more than we can handle. We want every member of the team to love their job, but at the end of the day, it’s a job. We go all in and do our best while we’re here so we can close our computers and enjoy time with family and friends when the workday is over. Balance is critical and keeps us coming back and giving 110% each day.

THE 5 THINGS

While we hope that establishing rapport and expressing gratitude are inherent in our company culture, we recognize that in the hustle and bustle, we can lose sight. That’s why we are committed to daily completion of these simple, yet purposeful “5 things” in an effort to actively pursue the core values that drive us:

–—— A DAY IN THE LIFE

HOW WE WORK

OUR ENVIRONMENT

We work in a collaborative, open space. We have work-stations ranging from our reclaimed wood conference table, an equally-awesome re-purposed standing desk, a drink and snack bar, traditional desks, comfy couches, and yes, even some classy armchairs. You won’t find us in private offices with headphones on. We work together, communicate often, and always have music playing. Good, positive vibes all day, every day.

THE WORKDAY + WHERE WE WORK

THE FOOD THINKER operates with a “remote-hybrid” work week. We thrive in a flexible work schedule, one that recognizes that working early in the morning, late at night, from a coffee shop, or at a bar is sometimes what works best.

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY: You’ll find us at our office. An open office environment with tons of natural light, bottomless coffee, comfy couches, beer fridge, and, yes, a selection of wine. Being together often allows us to work collaboratively, conduct meetings efficiently, and strengthen company culture.
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS: These are remote days at THE FOOD THINKER. It’s good to get out of the office. There is no shortage of coffee shops or co-working spaces to sit and garner fresh perspective. We often use these days, individually, for much-needed “head down” time to focus without distractions. Because sometimes, work goes better with sweatpants. We maintain a consistent line of communication amongst the team throughout the day via WhatsApp and Basecamp, and more often than that, you’ll find us pairing off and meeting up at a favorite spot for some outside-the-office collaboration.
MONDAY KICK-OFF: We start Monday by brewing some coffee and spending the first 30 minutes with a “kick-off” to articulate individual and team goals, set priorities, and celebrate accomplishments.
WEDNESDAY CHECK-IN: Wednesday mornings our team gathers for a collaborative review of all current projects and priorities. This is an opportunity to present work and garner open feedback from the rest of the team.
FRIDAY WRAP-UP: We bring things full circle on Friday, and end our week promptly at 5 p.m. During this time, we revisit our primary objectives for the week and evaluate progress on all projects. We also take time to reflect on major “wins” and high-five to our victories and accomplishments as a team. Also, happy hour. Cheers!

VISION DAY

Once a quarter, we close our inboxes and take a break from client work to talk internal strategy and new projects. We use this time to catch up on our internal projects and goals, as well as to reflect and relax. On these days, you might find our team going for a hike, bowling, or enjoying a local brewery.

VISION QUEST

Once a year we go away as a team on a Vision Quest to restore, reenergize, and reflect on what we do well and where we can improve. We pack our bags and head out of town to spend a couple of days focused on everything internal. Learning from each other and giving airtime to big dreams for THE FOOD THINKER are our main objectives. We learn together, expand on ideas, eat good food and drink great wine. (What else!)

COMMUNICATION + DIGITAL TOOLS

Communication is absolutely essential to the DNA of THE FOOD THINKER. We’re open, honest, and responsive both internally and with our day-to-day interactions with clients.

BASECAMP: Probably our most important tool. This is how we manage projects, timelines, discussions, and pretty much all client-related communication. As the client, at the start of our project, we invite you to Basecamp and keep all correspondence and communication within our Basecamp project. This eliminates the back and forth of email and ensures we’re on the same page with all deliverables and progress from day one to project completion.
GOOGLE DRIVE: Everyone’s favorite collaboration tool. Have some pre-meeting thoughts? Create a Google Doc. Internal and client feedback on ideas? Create a Google Doc. Compiling our monthly analytics? Create a Google Doc. Well, you get the point. We use them a lot and often wonder how the heck we survived without them.
ZOOM: Every now and then, you just need to jump on a conference call and/or screen-share. Zoom is used for everything from checking in as a team to setting up a virtual meeting with clients.
DROPBOX: We love the cloud and live in the cloud. File-sharing internally and with our clients is made possible courtesy of our friends over at Dropbox.

All of the technology in the world can’t beat an old-fashioned face-to-face meeting. Personal and direct communication is often the best and most effective. We’re careful not to get sucked into our computer screens at the sake of simply having a conversation.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & PERSONAL GROWTH

Each day is an opportunity to be better than the day before. Personal and professional development is encouraged and incentivized at THE FOOD THINKER, and we’re never satisfied with “good enough.”

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STIPEND: One of our core values is to learn something every day. Each team member is afforded opportunities to seek out personal and professional growth. Have you been wanting to take a new writing course or attend a web development seminar? Each individual is provided with a $500 annual professional development stipend to cover learning, growing, and getting their education on.
QUARTERLY 1×1: We don’t wait until our end of year review to sit down and have open communication about wins and losses. Each quarter, individual team members set aside an hour to meet with the CEO. This is the chance to express challenges or concerns, celebrate accomplishments, share honestly, and gain feedback on individual work. 1×1 times, usually over coffee or a beer, ensure we are all on the same page and allow for continuous, authentic internal dialogue.

–—— GETTING STARTED

PROJECT QUALIFICATION & KICKOFF

INITIAL INQUIRY

New projects begin when you fill out our project inquiry form, you give us a call, and/or we grab coffee and chat about what you’re looking to do and how we can best work together. Upon reviewing your inquiry, our team follows up with questions and comments that help us further distill your project, its goals, required deliverables, and desired outcomes.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

An imperative early step in our process is ensuring we have a full grasp on the project scope—and most importantly, your goals. We ask a lot of “why” questions. We don’t take on projects without a clear “why” behind the “what.” That’s what makes us a bit different from a traditional food consultant. Understanding your vision and goals allows us to explore possibility and opportunity. An ideal client is currently faced with a challenge (and opportunity) and is looking to partner with us to provide rewarding solutions. While this may include a redesign of a website, a new logo, a snazzy brochure, or a refreshed menu, we may find during our early conversations that opportunity exists beyond the specific “need.” Our early discovery conversations include questions like:

WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR THIS PROJECT?
WHAT MADE YOU REACH OUT TO US TODAY? What’s the current “pain” you’re feeling?
HOW DOES THE DESIRED DELIVERABLE IMPACT YOUR NEAR-TERM GOAL? This helps us attach value to the deliverables being discussed.
WHAT IS YOUR TIMELINE? With an undefined timeline, most of our projects fall in the 3-6 month spectrum, but we understand that every project is different and do our best to accommodate the client needs.
WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET? Not always an easy question to answer—and we understand that a potential client may not have any idea what the work may cost. This question isn’t to price-gouge, but rather, to ensure we’re in the same ballpark. Tight budgets typically don’t allow delivery of a top-quality final product. We’re careful about putting ourselves in a position that’ll leave a client unsatisfied or our team unnecessarily under pressure.

THE PROPOSAL

With a solid understanding of your goals, timeline, and overall project scope, our team works collaboratively to put together a comprehensive proposal for the project. This includes all associated deliverables, recommended approach, associated cost(s), and overall timelines. Our proposals give a full description to both the “what” and the “why.” Typically, our proposals are paired with a call or meeting to discuss specifics and details, as well as to answer any questions the potential client may have.

PROJECT KICK-OFF

If a proposal is accepted, we enter into the “project kickoff” stage. During this important step, you can expect the following:

CONTRACT & INVOICE: Step one is confirming our agreement in writing. We send a comprehensive contract agreement full of all the legal goodness, as well as an initial invoice for a project deposit. Payment structure and schedule is discussed and agreed to during this stage and is reflected in the overall agreement. We do our best to be flexible to the client’s financial situation in coming up with a mutually agreeable payment plan.
NDA’S AND NON-COMPETES: If necessary, we will discuss the signing of Non-Disclosure Agreements and/or Non-Compete Agreements at this stage, depending on the project. These items are discussed on a project-by-project basis.
INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT MANAGER: With the logistics out of the way, we introduce our clients to our Project Manager, who handles setting up Basecamp (our platform for project management), and giving an overall introduction to the process ahead of us. There’s plenty more on the tools and platforms we use day-to-day later in the Recipe.

–—— HOW WE WORK

PROJECT PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS

THE PROJECT TEAM

Our team is nothing if it is not collaborative. Everyone on the team has a role in the completion of each project. But, we’re also organized. Each project is assigned a project manager who takes charge of all day-to-day communications and managing project timelines. At different stages of the project, you’ll have a direct line of communication with almost everyone on our team—be it about design, development, or just to check in with your project manager. The door is always open and we welcome ongoing collaboration.

TIMELINES, REVISIONS + DEADLINES

Timelines are critically important to overall project success. We maintain an internal project calendar and are intentional when scheduling projects to ensure we have time to be thoughtful and focused on each client project. We set deadlines for all major and minor milestones throughout the project as part of the project kickoff process. We do not miss deadlines. The only time a project gets thrown off course is if a client is slow to respond with feedback and/or direction when needed. That said, we understand that life happens and always do our absolute best to accommodate requested timeline changes.

For each deliverable, we allow for a set number of revisions. Because we do not bill hourly (all pricing is project-based), sticking to a two- or three-round revision process is imperative for maintaining scope. If we’re beyond this number of revisions, not only is it a scope concern, more importantly, we’re likely off-track with our understanding of the project. Before we get to this point, we’ll have an open, honest conversation so we can get on track and move forward with confidence.

–—— FROM HERE TO ANYWHERE

WRAPPING UP & NEXT STEPS

The “end” of our project is far from the end. In some cases, it’s only the first step toward a long, happy relationship between our team and the client. We make sure every detail is accounted for as we deliver and deploy all final deliverables, and present opportunities to continue our relationship into the future.

DELIVERY & DEPLOYMENT

Throughout a project with a client, we organize all brand assets including logos,, collateral templates, usage guidelines, menu, etc., into an online Brandfolder. This cloud-based platform ensures our clients have easy access to all applicable assets on-demand, as needed. Upon receipt of final payment at project completion, we provide the client with access to their Brandfolder, which is theirs to access as they need, whether or not we continue to work together. If there’s ever a need for a specific file in the future, we’re more than happy to provide that to our clients.

OWNERSHIP

As the client, you own all final deliverables upon receipt of final payment. This includes all final, approved files. We do not provide original working files — design templates, Photoshop files, etc. — unless previously discussed and agreed upon as to protect intellectual property and ensure brand consistency for our clients moving forward.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Once the project is over, we maintain a positive open-door policy with all of our clients. If you need us, when you need us, we’re no just a call, email, meeting, or text away. A brand is an ever-evolving, constantly changing thing—one that must be maintained, developed, iterated, and improved ongoing. We’re most excited about relationships with clients that extend beyond “Phase 1,” and are always interested in the opportunity to continue and extend our work with outstanding businesses, organizations, and you, the fine person who made it all the way to the end of our Recipe.

NOW YOU KNOW (ALMOST) EVERYTHING.

With a transparent view into who we are, what we do, and why we do it, are we a good fit?
We’re always on the lookout for great clients and great people. Let’s talk about how we can work together.