We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Naomi Colon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Naomi , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
I have been a bartender for sixteen years at the CLT International airport and over the course those sixteen years people would constantly ask “why aren’t you a manger?” “What do you want to do as your career?” I was never offended by those questions, however I was lost trying to find the answer. Then one day while watching the amazing food truck race, two guys had a cocktail truck and it HIT me! I wanted a Bloody Mary truck. The B.M.T (Bloody Mary Truck) would serve as Charlotte’s first brick and mortar Bloody Mary bar. As a bartender that worked every weekend I could never enjoy a full bloody bar with all the things because they are only on Saturdays and Sundays. I started the journey by creating Kitchen Hippies LLC to fix this problem.
After officially establishing our LLC in March 2020, I introduced The Morning After, an all-natural Bloody Mary mix. I began selling the mix at farmers’ markets and vendor pop-ups to familiarize customers with the brand while we pursued the necessary permits for our truck. As the product gained popularity, I expanded sales through an online store. In the following year, I obtained my acidified food certification from NC State and FDA approval from the Department of Agriculture, paving the way for further growth and success.
Naomi , 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?
Kitchen Hippies was established in 2020 by me a Johnson & Wales University graduate with a B.S. in food service management and a proud mother of three.
Kitchen Hippies LLC currently produces The Morning After Bloody Mary line. Through sixteen years of experience, I discovered that existing Bloody Mary mixes did not meet customer needs and expectations. In response, I developed The Morning After line to offer a more palatable mix with multiple flavors and customizable options, creating an elevated drinking experience. Made from fresh tomatoes and a selection of fresh ingredients, The Morning After provides a thinner yet flavorful mix, enhancing drinkability and extending the dining experience. Over the next five years, the line will expand from its current 5 flavors to 20.
In the coming years, Kitchen Hippies will continue to serve Bloody Mary bars in the North and South Carolina area. The B.M.T. will commence construction at the end of 2024, and we plan to launch the Bloody Mary Truck by the beginning of 2025.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Oh boy! In 2024, I began working with a marketing team and during a lunch meeting, we were finalizing the details for branding our new website. It was suggested that we secure the trademark for our chosen name before proceeding with the brand rollout. When I searched for the trademark, I was prepared to have my name used by someone else, however I was not mentally prepared for that person to be someone that I had previously sent product to. You hear of these stories all the time, but I honestly didn’t think it would happen to me! Knowing that I was going to have to prepare to fight to keep something that I worked so hard to create made me angry. It was disheartening and made me feel defeated, but I knew I had to pick myself up and find a way to protect my brand or prepare for a potential rebrand. I also knew that I owed it to all the small business owners in my circle to learn more about protecting themselves so they wouldn’t experience the same issue or feeling.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I built my reputation in the market by creating a fresh and palatable product that offered an exceptional drinking experience. Despite inflation or setbacks, I consistently maintained the same premium products, even if it meant incurring greater costs. I prioritized exceptional customer service by promptly answering calls, responding to texts within hours, and ensuring speedy and on-time delivery of products to my customers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://themorningafterllc.wixsite.com/themorningafter
- Instagram: @themorningaftershop
- Facebook: @themorningaftershop
Image Credits
Naomi Colon Paige Wilhog