Copied from a mid-August 2023 email
Hello from a sunny patio in North Waterloo!
Shockingly, it's only been 1 month since the three re-opened after a two week hiatus. I spent those two weeks in early July flip-flopping between work + play, and since my weekends no longer include extensive time in the kitchen, I've continued to practice this new way of life all summer … (yes, taking a step back from work and discovering what I like to do in my spare time takes practice)
The very best part of my decision to pause meal prep was giving myself space and time to just be, allowing the capacity to reflect back and to think ahead. It created the chance to make decisions that feel good to me in work and in life, and not just quickly react to what's safe and logical for a business.
People are busy. A meal prep service seems logical.
People want convenience. A delivery service seems logical.
Meal prep was over 70% of revenue. Maintaining it seems logical.
But what's logical hasn't exactly been fun or fulfilling lately.
Despite wanting this business for a long time and envisioning much of my future within it, I never factored in how I'd evolve alongside it. Now, at this stage of life and business, I can't ignore it. I would be doing myself and the three a disservice if I didn't make changes that reflected an updated version of who I am and what I want for myself.
With that said, the best thing for me right now is to archive the meal prep delivery service and focus on the eatery, including the grab n go fridge. Not only does the schedule allow for a more suitable lifestyle, but the mental and physical workload is more manageable, the three is livelier and there's more opportunity to connect with customers and my employees.
Best of all, I'm far more content (happy, peaceful, self-aware) with my life and the current direction of the three. I'm working to settle into the unknown a bit better, and feel a touch more at ease without any detailed plan in place, reminding myself that opening a food business in my 20's was, in fact, supposed to be an experiment after all.
I don't know what the future holds, and I'm not going to pretend I do anymore – but I do know that this decision feels good, easy and right for me.
I am very, very, very grateful for all the support and enthusiasm around meal prep for the past two and a half years, and of course, I will forever welcome all my beloved meal prep clients to the three anytime for coffee, lunch to stay, meals to go, or simply to say hi.
Now, if you are looking for continued support around food prep, the grab n go fridge will be stocked every Monday, and again on Wednesdays in September. A range of meals and snacks are available for pick-up during regular business hours of 8:30am to 2:30pm; Monday through Thursday, with additional extended hours coming in September. Delivery is currently not an option but may be considered in the future. If you don't sense that the three can offer what you need and/or if you'd like to discuss other meal prep companies, I'm more than willing to share my experiences (market research) on similar services so please don't be shy to ask.
Building what has become of the three over the last few years has been such a journey, filled with confusion, tears, and a lot of tension headaches - but, it's also been a special experience to nurture relationships I already had, create relationships with people I would have never met otherwise and to share so openly about the challenges I was facing, always being met with support, or even praise, through tough times and hard decisions.
I'm excited to use all that I've learned to step into what's next.
As always, thank you for being along for the ride.