OK, let me get this straight, I get delicious sandwiches delivered to my door for extremely reasonable prices AND I’m contributing to a good cause? Where the hell do I sign up?!
Freshbox Catering dropped me a message the other day asking if I was interested in tasting a Freshbox sandwich for some feedback and to help spread the word. (This is my “they gave me free food” disclosure, but it’s totally unnecessary, because I will be PAYING them for food soon, I promise.) I never turn down sammiches, so of course I gave them the green light. Customer manager Kelly dropped off four boxed lunches a few hours ago. My belly is so happy.
Each box comes with a sandwich (I had shaved roast beef with roasted red peppers, provolone, red onions and horseradish aioli), an apple, a bag of chips, a pickle and a chocolate covered Oreo. OMFG these oreos. ::drool:: Anyway. It was an awesome lunch. The other 3 people I shared boxes with (you didn’t think I ate all 4, did you?) were pleased, too.
All that schtuff is only $9 a box? And they BRING IT TO YOU? Win. Win win win.
Here’s the greatest thing about Freshbox, though – aside from good food, they’re doing good deeds. Their employees come from Faith Mission Shelters, so they’re providing income and job experience to folks who would otherwise be stuck on the street. Cool, eh?
Their tag line says it all “Feed your appetite. Nourish your community.”
BONUS: Online ordering coming soon 
Tagged as:
catering,
faith mission shelters,
food delivery,
freshbox catering
Thinking of starting a new business? Own a local business and looking for resources and new ideas? Looking for a directory of solopreneurs and small businesses in Columbus? Just plain interested in local news and growth in your community? Look no further than Metropreneur.
Launched Tuesday, August 3rd, TheMetropreneur.com seeks to be the go-to Columbus news source and directory for small businesses and entrepreneurs, in addition to offering social networking functionality to connect its user community.
I chatted with founder Walker Evans (of ColumbusUnderground.com fame) about the project.
What made you decide to start Metropreneur? Who else is involved in the site?
Around six months ago, my wife Anne and I were wrapping up the process of bringing her into a full-time position with our company, Evans Creative Group, and we had just started to brainstorm about what our next goals or projects would be. We’re continuing to grow ColumbusUnderground.com, but we were also toying with the idea of creating some sort of “spin off” type project that would focus on topics that we only occasionally cover on CU. The topic that quickly rose to the top of our list was “Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship”. We did quite a bit of local and national research, started reaching out into the community to assess our ideas for the project, and after a few months of development, TheMetropreneur.com was launched on August 3rd. Anne and I are handling most of the operations side of the new business while our launch team is rounded out by Melanie McIntyre, our Editorial Director and Jared Thompson, our Advertising Director. Both are seasoned media professionals and are great assets on this new venture.
What kind of information do you plan to share on this site?
The Metropreneur is a local/regional resource that will cover small business news throughout Central Ohio. We have small business profiles and success stories, topical and trend-based articles, Q&As and interviews, community spotlights, guest editorials and more. We feel that The Metropreneur will be a unique resource as the only dedicated media outlet in town that focuses exclusively on small businesses and startups. We’ve also put together a “Local Resource Database” that contains over 100 individual organizations and companies that provide different types of assistance to local entrepreneurs. That includes financial assistance, marketing firms, social media consultants, local government programs, retail opportunities and more. That database will continue to grow as we regularly add new resources to those lists. I should also mention that all of this content is provided for free.
What audience do you think will benefit the most from Metropreneur?
Our primary target audience is the small business owner or aspiring entrepreneur. We want The Metropreneur to play a proactive role in local economic development by helping new businesses get started and existing small businesses thrive. Additionally, we’re already seeing that some of our audience on the site falls into the category of “B2B” Service Providers… business owners or outreach coordinators who are looking to connect with small business to network or to provide services or products. And last but not least, we’re anticipating that the general public will become more and more interested in what we have to offer as well. The locavore and “buy local” movements are rapidly growing as more and more customers are preferring to support their local economy and get to know more about their local businesses and business owners. Even if those customers aren’t interested in starting their own business, they may find a lot of our content interesting as it allows them to see a little bit more of what is happening within the local small business community and build their own personal awareness.
If someone is interested in contributing articles, what should they do?
If anyone is interested in contributing a guest/community editorial, send a quick idea or pitch to Melanie McIntyre: mmcintyre@themetropreneur.com. We’re looking for rich content that is topical, timely, thought-provoking and informational. Also, if there is a topic that anyone would like to see covered more in-depth, or an idea for a small business that deserves some media attention, send those ideas to Melanie as well.
Tagged as:
columbus small business,
columbus startups,
metropreneur,
walker evans
Let’s get together for a night of wine, appetizers, prizes and fun – all while supporting the Mid Ohio Foodbank. Have some wine to help others dine.
On Tuesday, August 10, I will be guest bartending at Camelot Cellars Boutique Winery in the Short North from 6-9pm. Camelot will be discounting $1 off all bar sales… vino on the cheap FTW. But Camelot will also be donating 10% of all bar sales and $1 from every bottle sold to the Mid Ohio Foodbank… good cause FTW. The food bank is able to distribute $8 worth of groceries for every $1 donation they receive.
There will be ample snacks – cheeses, meats and perhaps some of manager Rick Mitchell’s own delicious mini meatballs. Nom nom nom.
Not enough reason to stop out? Everyone who attends will get a $25 gift certificate for future use! (And a corkscrew – you can never have too many of those.)
Camelot Cellars is located at 958 North High Street. I hope you can make it out, let me pour you a drink, and help feed families in Central Ohio in the process. Twitter users can RSVP here (though you don’t have to be on Twitter to attend!)
Camelot is a full service Boutique Winery passionate about producing small-lot hand-crafted wines. Camelot works with wine grape & juice brokers that source only the highest quality grapes from the best wine regions of the world. Unlike large wineries, Camelot pays great attention to detail of their wines from the juice to the barrique to the bottle to the glass, making every effort to fashion vineyard and wine region-designated wines that are a natural expression of the place they are grown. Their goal is to craft bigger, bolder, fruitier, food friendly styled wines. Camelot Cellars offers an extensive selection of red, white, and specialty wines. After you have selected and crafted your own wine, Camelot closely monitors the fermentation process as your wine matures. Within six to eight weeks, your very own personal vintage is ready to be bottled, labeled and enjoyed.
Did I mention I’ve never poured a glass of anything for anyone but myself before?
Tagged as:
camelot cellars,
fundraiser,
mid ohio food bank,
wine
Just one more week ’til I get to enter into a wonderful, wine-induced coma.
That’s right – it’s almost time for the second Columbus Wine Fest, taking place July 30-31 at Franklin Park Conservatory. The festival provides an opportunity to sample and learn about more than 200 wines from around the world and around the corner. Mix that in with some of Columbus’ finest foods, like Barrio Tapas, Due Amici, Trattoria Roma, and BRAVO! Cucina Italiana, and you’ve got a can’t-miss Columbus event. There will also be a Belgian Beer Café to educate guests on proper beer pouring techniques, the importance of using the right glassware and food pairing ideas.
Proceeds from the festival benefit Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus’ premier horticultural and educational institution and a staple in the community. So feel good about that next glass of vino!
I had a BLAST at Columbus Wine Fest last year. You know when you’re six years old and your parents take you to Toys R Us and everything is so magical and perfect? That’s kinda like the Columbus Wine Festival, for grown-ups! I can’t wait to go back this Friday and look forward to recording an episode of TappedIn.tv there!
Pricing:
* Adult Wine Tasting Ticket – $25 in advance (by Thursday) or $35 at the gate. Ticket includes a souvenir wine glass, 10 tastings and a Festival Program
* Groups – $22.50 in advance for groups of 15 or more. The Group Ticket Package includes all of the same amenities of the Adult Ticket, yet saves your party $2.50 off the advance price and $7.50 off the door price.
* Designated Driver Ticket – $10 in advance or at the door. This ticket includes two non-alcoholic drinks, Festival Program and souvenir wine glass.
* Under 21 admitted free when accompanied by paid adult.
* Additional tasting coupons may be purchased at the festival for $5 for 10
To purchase tickets or for more event details, visit www.columbuswinefestival.com or call 877-772-5425.
See you there, winos!
Tagged as:
columbus wine festival,
Franklin Park Conservatory,
wine
