Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kendra Schneider. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kendra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Absolutely, and spoiler alert! My first business idea is not what I am doing now. However, it does share the same purpose. I quit my job, like many Americans, during the Covid-pandemic to pursue something that had more meaning. Being stuck at home watching countless shows and documentaries like A Plastic Ocean, Down to Earth, Stink, etc. I was getting increasingly frustrated with the way our society operates. As someone who grew up being an overweight teen, I have worked tirelessly to improve my health over the years. I was mad when I learned about the chemicals in our everyday household and food packaging items that make us sick, let alone our garbage that continues to pollute our waters and soil.

I started reducing food packaging in my household, since much of our trash is food packaging and food waste. Not to mention the quality of our food is a major culprit in what can make us overweight and sick. I even challenged myself to a month-long vegan challenge so I did not have to worry about meat or dairy packaging. Once I gained some practice in my own home, I formed my original business plan. A zero-waste restaurant & refill store, imagine an “eco-friendly Cracker Barrel.” I began researching everything from zero-waste recipes to building designs that are built with sustainable resources and use less energy. One of the important lessons I learned early on is not to be married to your ideas or your methods.

I quickly learned that package free meals are possible but, there is a big commitment in time, preparation, and learning new habits. Not to mention I was exhausted chasing perfection. This is when I had my “ah-ha moment.” I didn’t lose weight overnight; it started by making small changes and progressed over time. I realized if I wanted to create a long-lasting change, I needed to meet the people where they are and start with one little change.

That’s when the idea for Takeout Takeout was born. My new goal became to take the trash out of takeout by partnering with existing restaurants and other food businesses. To alleviate the hassle and stress for businesses and the consumers, Takeout Takeout would offer a service that facilitates collection and sanitation so the takeout containers that normally get thrown away or tossed into a broken recycling system could be reused instead.

I took action and applied for a local entrepreneur program to get guidance and funding, but I was not accepted during my first application process. That’s when I started working with my current business mentor Jerry Norris who runs The Fledge here in Lansing. He helped connect me to other local entrepreneurs and told me to interview them and find out what their business goals are and what their challenges are. Are they even interested in making their small business a little bit greener? Why or why not?
With his guidance I was accepted into the LEAP One and All Program the next time I applied. I found a small business that was willing to do a trial run with me to test out reusable food containers, and it has been growing ever since. I started with a dozen soup containers and a dozen clam shells for salads and entrees as a small way to gage consumer interest and now there’s roughly 200 containers that rotate in and out on a weekly basis. Over 90% of our test partners customers request reusable containers with their weekly orders. To date over 2,000 single-use items have been saved from being landfilled and the best part is we made a big impact with one small change.

There is still a lot of planning going on in the background to officially launch Takeout Takeout on a larger scale. The state of Michigan hasn’t adopted an FDA Food Code since 2009. What this means is reusable containers for food businesses are not allowed under the current rules and regulations. I am currently working with a third-party testing facility to prove that there are safe and effective methods out there, as seen in similar business models in other states and even other countries. Once this is done, we can apply for a variance with the local health department, and we will have bigger things coming soon in 2024.

Kendra, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For those who may not know me my name is Kendra Schneider, I was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan. I received my bachelor’s degree from The American University of Rome in International Relations and Global Politics with a minor in International Business.

I am the founder of Takeout Takeout, a reverse logistics company that helps local restaurants & food businesses take the trash out of takeout! In August 2022, Takeout Takeout partnered with Abundance Café, and as mentioned earlier, over 2,000 single-use items have been diverted from our landfills. Since then, we have also partnered with two other local businesses, Apple Blossom Kombucha and Red Bike Delivery, who serve as collection partners.

The business model is simple, when customers order food there is an option to receive their meal in reusable packaging. Once they are done with their meals, customers can return the containers by swapping their containers on delivery or pick-up the following week. Or they can contact Takeout Takeout for pick-up so the containers can be transported back to a commercial kitchen to be sanitized and reused.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

It’s important to note I have two marketing channels, business to business and business to consumer. When I started the best source of new clients was word of mouth and using my current connections to make introductions. When Jerry, my business mentor, advised me to go around the community and interview business owners he told me to always ask the person I was currently interviewing if there was anyone else, they thought I should speak to.

Asking that one simple question led me to Erin Meadows my first business client who owns and runs Abundance Café. From there we used social media and made a video to announce our partnership for our business to consumer marketing. During the first few weeks of our launch, I worked with her in the kitchen to learn what happens behind the scenes to make sure my idea was still feasible. I also traveled with her during weekly deliveries and sat with her when customers came to pick-up their orders. Being available to the client and getting to know their customers during the beginning stages has built a success rate of over 90% of consumers requesting our service. My business partners have also become my friends and we share each other’s stories and business ventures through word of mouth at networking events, farmers markets, etc.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

When I think about building my brand reputation I want to be as transparent and honest as possible. So, for me it starts with telling my story and my journey. I don’t want to hide or lie about the fact that due to outdated rules and regulations my business is still in a testing phase and not yet approved by local officials. Overall, I think being my authentic self has made people feel safe when discussing new thoughts and ideas in the world and more open to trying something new. I’m not that well known yet, but that’s what I want to continue to build my reputation on being open and honest.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.takeouttakeoutmi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeout.takeout.mi/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Takeout.Takeout.MI
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/takeout-takeout-mi/?viewAsMember=true

Image Credits
Melissa Kolb