Internship: Net Impact NYC
Net Impact supports My Happy Tummy Club to establish a Sustainable Community Restaurant with a Culinary School for Special Needs Individuals
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Outcome
Net Impact Facilitated My Happy Tummy Club's (a small tiffin service business by two Japanese women) transition from a shared kitchen to a Full-Service Restaurant, Creating Sustainable Support and Opportunities for the Special Needs Community through Strategic Business Planning.
Introduction
Goal
My Happy Tummy Club is seeking strategic business planning and financial analysis support as they graduate from a shared kitchen space and open a community space/restaurant that provides a sustainable support system for people with disabilities.
What did we do?
As Net Impact’s consultants, we provided recommendations to grow the nonprofit and support its transition to a full-service restaurant through marketing and financial analysis.
Team
Software Developer
Design Researcher and Design Strategist (Me)
Operations Manager
Business Analyst
Timeline
8 Weeks
My Role
Design Researcher:
Conducted comprehensive market research, including rental and buying options, and price comparisons, and identified marketing channels to gain insights and inform business strategies.
Took 5 existing Customer Interviews to get their feedback on the current operations and what they would like to see in the future.:
Design Strategy:
Business strategy development: Developed effective business strategies based on the research findings to improve the customer experience, expand marketing channels, and accommodate dietary restrictions through specialty labels.
Marketing strategy formulation: Created a marketing strategy to increase brand awareness and identify partnership opportunities, including positive scholarships for young adults with special needs, aligning the brand with social impact initiatives.
Business timeline creation: Created a detailed timeline to ensure the timely execution of strategies and initiatives, enabling efficient implementation and monitoring of progress.
Expected Deliverables
Partnership recommendations: Identification of potential partnerships for My Happy Tummy Club to work with in order to offer cooking classes to individuals with special needs. The recommendations will include identifying organizations or companies that share similar values and missions and have experience working with people with disabilities.
New Location Framework: If the Net Impact team has the remaining capacity, they will develop a framework for identifying potential new locations for My Happy Tummy Club. This will involve conducting a market analysis of both rental and buying to identify areas of high demand, assessing potential competition, and developing a plan for how to successfully launch a new location.
Positive Scholarships: Finding exemplary culinary schools that offer courses for young adults with special needs.
Marketing Strategy: Development of a marketing and distribution strategy that will help My Happy Tummy Club reach more clients. The marketing strategy will include identifying target markets, analyzing the competition, developing a brand identity, and recommending marketing channels that will be effective in reaching the target audience.
P&L Analysis: An analysis of My Happy Tummy Club's financial statements, will provide strategic recommendations on how to improve net income and utilize leftover cash for capital expenditures. The analysis will also identify areas where the organization can reduce costs and increase revenue.
Implementation plan: A detailed plan outlining how the partnership recommendations and scholarship program can be successfully implemented. The plan will include timelines, budget estimates, and key performance indicators to measure the success of the program.
The snapshot of the entire project
Business Strategy
Restaurant location recommendation: Astoria
Why Astoria?
Where do most Japanese live in New York?
“In particular, there are notable Japanese populations in Manhattan's Upper East Side and the East Village, Astoria in Queens, as well as in Park Slope, Cobble Hill, and Williamsburg in Brooklyn. The indelible presence of Japanese culture is found in the arts, business, and everyday life of this diverse city.” - Consulate General of Japan in NY
Pros:
● MHTC is currently based in Astoria
● Founders know the Astoria area and have a community in the area
● Aligns with budget
Real estate options: Buying
Price: $2,750,000
Address: 3329 Astoria Blvd, Astoria, NY 11103 (link) Space type: Retail/mixed use
Square footage: 3,546 SF ($776/SF)
Features:
● Close to public transportation
● Two 2-Bedroom Apartments & One Commercial Ground floor Retail
● Surrounding new construction development
Price: 8,000/ Month (10,000 including taxes + fees) Address: 28-06 21st, Astoria, NY 11103 (Link) Space type: Great for restaurant, cafe, bakery, bar Square footage: 2,450 SF
Features:
● 480 Sq. Ft. Patio
● ADA Bathrooms on both floors
Comparison: Buying Vs Renting
Building Features / Potential Usage
Proximity to Public Transportation.
Building Square Footage
Real estate options: Renting
Buying - Mixed Use Retail Bldg
Seating/cafe space
- Space for the Japanese market
- Potential to rent out two
2-bedroom apartments
N/W trains, ferry, busses
3,546 SF
Buying - Mixed Use Retail Bldg
- Seating / cafe space
- Space for the Japanese market
15 min walk to 30 Avenue Transit Stop, Astoria Boulevard Transit Stop, and Broadway
5 min drive Hunterspoint Avenue Station Commuter Rail
2,450 SF
Personas
Recommendations based on interviews
Expand marketing channels to cover more newspapers and Japanese cultural centers
For the new restaurant, consider creating a family-friendly restaurant experience.
Upgrade website for a smoother customer experience.
Add specialty labels to foods where possible (low sugar, low sodium, low fat, low carb, gluten-free, Kosher, Halal) for customers with dietary restrictions. Consider expanding menu to add more variety, especially for frozen food.
Marketing recommendations
Social Media Marketing
● Hire Marketing agency to run Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok ads
● Contact local influencers to get reviews on TikTok and Instagram: #Oishī, #Jikasei, #Japaninthebox
Email Marketing
● Newsletters with 15% off Promo Code
Promotions
● Digital ads on Google and Facebook
● Collaboration with local magazines, newspaper, and flyers
Events
● Interactive pop-up events in Local japanese grocery stores
