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Having started the “12 O’Clock Box” lunch subscription project just over three months ago, Vilnius residents Eglė Stankevičiūtė and Julius Valančauskas now admit that the demand is already exceeding their means. It is unlikely that the business project born during the second quarantine will collapse once completed, since they have just received investment from 70V, a venture capital fund and accelerator that invests in B2B companies with high development potential.
It does not apply to calorie counters.
Interestingly, neither E.Stankevičiūtė nor J.Valančauskas were chefs or restaurant owners until then, just active visitors. Egle is involved in hotel management, working with catering, and Julius is a professional bass player. During the first quarantine, the two enjoyed a break after an unexpected break from work, allowed to travel through Lithuania in the summer, but the second quarantine began, and it turned out that the pause continues.
“We have been concerned with healthy and tasty food and sustainability for a long time, so we started to think in that direction,” recalls E. Stankevičiūtė. The specific idea, a lunchbox subscription, was born in September, just as people return to offices after the summer, children to school.
Meal subscriptions are no longer new in either Vilnius or Kaunas, but often these projects are aimed at people who have some calorie counting goals. The creators of 12 O’Clock Box have decided not to follow this path: their dishes are made with high-quality ingredients, following the principles of a healthy diet as much as possible, but it is no less important that they are delicious and complete. . The pair focus on omnivorous, curious, active, and healthy eaters, offering them both soldiers and Vietnamese lasagna and soup. pho (by the way, the latter is one of his hits). A couple of many ingredients are purchased directly from farmers and they do not buy meat, for example from supermarkets or mass-produced meat processing plants.
Photo from personal album / Box Lunch at 12 o’clock
The heavy potato “artillery” of Lithuanian dishes – zeppelins, kugelis – have not prepared, but the so-called cozy dishes “as with my mother” – pigeons, cutlets – as well. By the way, the menu is not advertised in advance, so each lunch becomes a kind of surprise for the diner.
Subscription: for a week and a month
The 12 o’clock box delivers lunch at night, the next day all you have to do is heat it up and put the individual items on the plate if necessary. Because sustainability and aesthetic appearance of food are important to the developers of this business, no disposable tableware is used: dishes are delivered in reusable boxes and the next day when a new dish is delivered, a box is taken empty of yesterday.
Eglė and Julius have now assembled a circle of loyal subscribers, who first volunteered to order their dishes to acquaintances, musicians, poured praise, and began to spread the word about such service by word of mouth. Several famous people also shared with their followers their good impressions of the food received. According to the interlocutors, almost everyone who has started to subscribe to their food boxes continues to do so.
Photo from personal album / Box Lunch at 12 o’clock
The minimum period for which the lunch can be subscribed is one week (it costs 49 Eur), you can also subscribe for a month, that is, immediately for 22 business days (the price of said package is 175 Eur). In the long term, we also plan to subscribe for three months or even a year.
It is interesting that, according to J.Valančauskas, the boxes are mainly transported to work at home, but this project further connects its future with the delivery of lunch boxes to the offices, so as not to eat stale and often low-quality food in the coffees. or chew yesterday’s leftovers from home. Food will be delivered to offices, as opposed to homes, the same day.
Photo from personal album / Box Lunch at 12 o’clock
There are no plans to stop at the end of the quarantine
The quarantine will end sooner or later, life will return to normal, how will the interlocutors combine new activities and old jobs?
When we were building this business, we didn’t think we were quarantined, we immediately thought that that lunch subscription would still be relevant.
J.Valančauskas says that he doesn’t see many problems because he usually plays on weekends, so he thinks he will be able to dedicate working hours to the new project. And E. Stankevičiūtė assures that he does not even think about quitting a new job, especially since it is now related to the commitment to develop it further after receiving a financial investment from the fund.
“When creating this business, we did not think that we were in quarantine, we immediately thought that that lunch subscription will continue to be relevant, so we will invest in the brand itself, multiplicity, long-term one and convenient. shop, ”the couple share plans for the future. Right now, both are expecting extremely stylish and ecological lunch boxes, which, according to the interlocutors, will attract attention and it will be a pleasure to take them to the office surrounded by colleagues.
There is no lack of experience in the restaurant business.
Vilnius residents entered the field of services, which was no longer entirely new in the capital, and danced to the rhythm of this activity without resorting to the food business15 minutes The story of the spoken Troika Klaipėda is somewhat different. The format appreciated by Klaipeda residents is also different: they present the ingredients of the dinner plate with detailed cooking instructions.
The company, named after the clever name “Bear Veža”, was established just a month ago and soon received the best comments about the great taste of the food. This business is driven by Inga Gembutienė and Eglė and Mantas Klaišiai, who already have experience in the catering business. Inga tours restaurants in Nida during the summer, and Eglė and Mantas run a Chinese food restaurant.
The name “Bear Veža” was dictated to entrepreneurs by folklore. According to I. Gembutienė, it is full of expressions like “hungry bear”, “don’t be hungry like a bear”, or the bear talks about the big spoon. The word “carries” has a figurative meaning, I really like it. Therefore, the company logo includes a charismatic bear, a hero who delivers delicious food to families.
Company photo / “Bear carry” dinner package
Menu – from Europe to Asia
“It just came to our knowledge then. In fact, for those who have no experience with catering, it would be difficult to develop. Special permits are required. It is a new concept: bringing raw products, a recipe, an idea of what to cook for dinner. Restaurants can serve cooked food, which should be eaten in two hours. Our idea is to offer what to cook for dinner and at the same time reduce the stress level when you don’t have to think about what to cook for the family. This way, you will discover new flavors ranging from Asian, Indian, Thai to traditional European cuisine. Lithuanian dishes are given the least attention. Of course, everything can be put together to bring that zeppelin to a boil, but our idea is to make the dishes in 30 minutes, when after work you can open the package for that day and prepare dinner, ”said I. Gembutienė.
Company photo / plates “The bear carries”
Our client only needs to have three things at home: salt, pepper and olive oil.
According to her, the package contains all the ingredients, from spices to honey. If you need a sprig of thyme for garnish, it will also be packaged. “The ingredients come with instructions: a detailed six-step description of how to prepare a dish. Our client only needs three things at home: salt, pepper, and olive oil. If we need panela or honey, we pack it because it may not be we have, and it may be necessary to caramelize it with onion or pear ”, said the interlocutor.
Company photo / plate “The bear carries”
According to the woman, such a concept is when, after the delivery of the dishes and the recipe, it is necessary to prepare a dish at home, the most focused in the world for families raising children, when both adults work. To make life easier, a family can choose a menu for a few days, determine how many family members there are, enjoy delicious and fresh food, and try new flavors very quickly.
“Bear carry” began to supply and gourmet dinners for two, so that those who want to surprise the other half can prepare a special dinner with little effort. In this case, even the duck would evaporate on the table. confit with Dutch fries, caramelized beets and cinnamon-scented pears or another non-everyday dish.
Klaipeda residents are still getting used to
“Bear Veža” delivers food in Klaipeda and the suburbs. According to I. Gembutienė, the people of Klaipėda gradually understand the idea, but there are also curiosities: they ask if the company makes sandwiches for a bite or imagine that a baked carrot will come home.
“Vilnius has had that concept for five years.” Meška veža “with its quality, dishes, suppliers would probably have already hired people for packaging in Vilnius, and Klaipėda has not seen such a concept. People take a few more months to see and understand . We can be happy to have a client who places orders every week and also friends surprised during the holidays. In Klaipeda and Barbora it took a while, and now the couriers do not have time to turn. The flow of our clients is not as high as we would like it until now, it takes time, but there is interest, “said I. Gembutienė, who creates recipes together with his colleague Egle. The women themselves taste the food.
Company photo / plates “Bear carries”
We understand that the menu must be suitable for both children and adults. Children will not eat crab with scallops and pea puree
“We are testing it to be delicious, not to have a molecular cuisine with 30 ingredients and you will be cooking for an hour and a half. You will not be surprised, we try everything, we know what goes with whom. We do not invent bicycles. We understand that the menu should be suitable for both children and adults. Children will not eat a crab with scallops and pea puree “, the interviewee is convinced.
Prices for “Meška veža” depend on the number of meals ordered for several days and the size of the family. For example, three dinners for two cost 46 euros. The more dinners and family members, the lower the price of a dinner. Klaipėda residents say the portions also reflect the name and are “tremendously large”.
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