Haley Harada : Taqueria Guaima
Since spring break, due to low revenue and continued conflicts with the bakery owner, Vanessa has decided to move out of the bakery space. As we move forward with this project, we will continue our educational agenda to teach Vanessa about basic business concepts and resume our search for new locations from which she can operate her business.
One of the options we are currently considering is a food truck alternative. We are in the process of contacting food truck manufacturing companies in the area to find out estimated costs. If we decide to pursue the food truck option, we will need to acquire loans from lenders at companies like the Opportunity Fund and KIVA that allow borrowing regardless of credit history. The loans will help Vanessa to cover the down payment for her food truck. We think the food truck alternative is a viable option that will allow Vanessa flexibility in managing her work schedule and delivery routes.
Another option we are considering is subleasing space in a dress store on the corner of First Street and Willow Street. Vanessa has connections to the storeowner, who says she will only charge Vanessa $400 a month to sublease the space. Because the store does not have a hood, Vanessa would have to sell pre-prepared items if she pursues this option. Additionally, she would have to differentiate her business from the full service Mexican restaurant next door. After our team visited the space this past weekend, we determined potential limitations such as sanitation issues and lack of visibility. We aren’t exactly sure how Vanessa would fare there since it seems to need a lot of cleaning and fixing up.
This week we hope to set up a meeting with Vanessa and the dress storeowner to determine the details of their potential subleasing agreement. We want to find out if Vanessa can legally sublease the space and how much she would gain access to for her monthly payment. Despite the circumstances, we are optimistic for the future and look forward to our continued partnership with Vanessa. Even though our efforts may result less measurable outputs when compared to other groups, we feel that they have the potential to make a positive impact on Vanessa and the greater Washington community.