Co-Executive Director France about to taste test some nourishing kitchen goodies.
As promised, since Sweet Beet Café temporarily closed, we’ve been hard at work figuring out how to reopen with a model that serves the needs of our community, is sustainable for our team, and works on a responsible financial model that our patrons and supporters can feel good about.
Part of this process was launching our first-ever significant survey experiment exploring what you, our dear community, thinks the next iteration of the café should look like.
We were blown away by the 280 responses we received from this two-part survey, and so very grateful to those of you who responded with such thoughtfulness and care.
The results and comments were overwhelmingly positive, serving as a much-needed reminder of our place in our shared community, for which we are so very grateful. We’re also taking to heart the constructive feedback generated by this process, knowing that we can and will improve what we have to offer.
We’d love to share with you an overview of the survey results, and where we are in terms of next steps for the café.
Summary
In reviewing the data and the commentary from both surveys there are three main overarching themes that arose in terms of what the community wants to see from Sweet Beet Café and the Community Room.
Overall, the respondents to the survey:
value the café and community room for the gathering space it provides;
prefer quality of food and beverage over quantity / variety of items;
and want to see more food-based education.
Let’s dig in and explore each focus area that our community named as central to the experience and impact of the cafe, kitchen, and community room.
Focus Area #1: Community Gathering Space
A gathering to generate feedback from community memebers.
Through the data and in large part through the comments offered in the first and second surveys, it is very clear that having a comfortable and welcoming place to sit and enjoy a meal with friends and family is extremely important to the community.
We received many specific suggestions and comments relating to gatherings at the café or in the community room. Here is a sampling of quotes from survey respondents that capture the intent and spirit.
I like the idea that community members could “rent” the community room for gatherings. Like a monthly group for young moms or something where all people who come pitch in $5 to cover the cost.
The environment and running into people. It really is more than a Food Hub. It's a hub of the community.
Knowing that by supporting the cafe, I was supporting more than just a business but truly supporting the community.
Focus Area #2: Quality Over Quantity
Background: A new cook in the kitchen, Julio, making tasty things. Foreground: pasta salad (which has become quite beloved!)
One of the assumptions we had going into this discovery phase of the next evolution of the café was that the majority of people wanted a wide variety of both food and beverage items.
This assumption turns out to be incorrect.
What we heard loud and clear, in the choices/data and in the community comments, is that a simpler, locally sourced quality menu is more important than variety. We were also shown that the customer experience of community, gathering with friends, the friendliness of staff and feeling a part of something are all also more important than an extensive menu.
Simpler and less variety does not mean that this would be at the expense of gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options. In fact, there were many requests for these types of menu items.
We received many specific suggestions and comments relating to a simpler and quality menu at the café. Here is a sampling that reflects more than one or two people commenting toward this end.
I prefer a basic simple menu, less expensive but fresh and clean.
Maybe less on the menu. Just a simple breakfast sandwich or egg plate, and a soup and sandwich of the day for lunch.
Having the Café in existence is most important. The menu is not as critical. Sometimes less is more. Basic offerings are better than none. The menu and food don’t need to be the holy grail of inspirational vegan cuisine.
Focus Area #3: Food Based Education
Co-Executive Director Lauren chopping peppers!
Through these surveys, we learned that people are looking for educational classes and workshops around food. Folks expressed that it’s important to make connections between the foods we offer in the market and how to prepare, preserve, or otherwise enjoy those foods through some type of hands-on, educational experience.
Here are a few comments directly from the surveys that demonstrate people’s interest in food-based education here in the café and kitchen.
Basic cooking, canning, pantry stocking, how to store, baking workshops would be so helpful. I don't always know what to do with items in the market, and I hate when things go to waste. That might be a fun workshop: how to use up food before it goes bad or how to preserve it. Not things like how to make eclairs, which is way over most of our heads and not very practical. Keep it simple.
More education about food. Make sure people in the market know what they are talking about and the difference between a rutabaga and a turnip, or the different kinds of apples, for example.
Monthly workshops would be great! Preserving food series.
Overall Areas For Improvement
When we asked about things that could be changed and areas of improvement, we received some expected, as well as some surprising feedback that we are taking to heart.
We are grateful that the community is sharing these concerns with us so that we may embody our organizational motto: ‘Learning as we grow!’ Through this survey process, we asked for constructive criticism and receive it willingly. It is also very important for us all to remember that 95% of all comments were positive.
In terms of the customer experience, we received feedback to address three main areas:
Comfort, cleanliness and coziness of the café and community room.
Speed of service.
More accessibility in terms of cost.
We are integrating this important feedback into the plans and long-term functioning of the café - and all our services - moving forward.
Takeaways and Next Steps
The biggest takeaway for us is in a shift of our framework from a ‘local café that has a gathering space’ to a ‘welcoming community gathering place that offers simple, accessible, quality, locally sourced and prepared foods.’
This is a significant change in the way we have approached Sweet Beet Café and kitchen and will inform how we move forward. Some of these steps will take time and we will be sure to keep you apprised of our progress along the way.
Volunteers Susan and Mariah creating a beautiful, unique display from our Sweet Beet/KFH apparel over the years.
The community room will become a focal point of Sweet Beet Cafe and Market, open to the wider community (as it is now!) and will be inviting, clean, and run efficiently. A community room refresh is in process - come check it out! And thank you to volunteer Susan Moss who has been leading the way on this!
The cafe will offer a slimmed down menu of nourishing, healthy, local food with from-scratch sweets as an option for those who want it. The service model is still being worked out.
There’s a lot to explore when it comes to offering hands-on educational classes and workshops. Once the café is open and running smoothly we will look into incorporating our ELO students, workshops, and the like.
We will engage in more staff training from the top to the bottom of the organization to enhance customer experience and company culture.
We will continue to seek and implement community feedback.
Conclusion
Given all of this tremendously insightful feedback, a reopening plan for the cafe is coming along and you can expect to hear from us soon with an update! In the meantime, we are indeed cooking in the kitchen and stocking the grab ‘n’ go fridge with all sorts of fresh, delicious, seasonally inspired meals and snacks.
We are excited not only about the next evolution of the cafe, but of Sweet Beet Market and Cafe together at 11 West Main Street. They are, along with Sweet Beet Farm, inextricably connected and provide the foundation for all of our community service work here at the Kearsarge Food Hub. We are committed to co-creating the future of Sweet Beet and Kearsarge Food Hub with you, our community. You make it all possible, and we are happy to be here to serve you. Please know that our doors are always open.
In gratitude and service,
The KFH Team
Stay up to date on the latest news and happenings from Sweet Beet and KFH by joining our mailing list, and like/follow on the socials.