One thing I've been doing at work for the past couple years or so is to organize big lunches (or dinners, whenever we're too busy). I normally do it during the winter, and it's a really good deal for my co-workers: first of all, because they don't have to go out to look for food, and secondly, because they get to have a fantastic pasta dish, cooked at home (by Gaby), hot and ready to go, for about $6.00. People here are crazy about my 'Pasta Wednesday', and they got very disappointed when I started to travel in April and had to suspend them. :-)
I started off with a list of about 10 people, all from my department, and gradually started to expand it as more people were asking to join. I currently have about 35 'regulars' on my list, and a few in the waiting list. They love Gaby's food, and if you saw any pictures of myself, you'd know I do too.
I came up with an idea today; I sent an e-mail to the whole site (200+ people) telling them that I would bring empanadas on Monday to celebrate Argentina's Independence Day (July 9th). I offered them four different flavours (beef, chicken, ham, spinach), and asked them to place an order by end of day tomorrow... That was roughly an hour ago.
So far, I have over 200 empanadas ordered, and most came from people who are not on my list. Boy, we're going to be busy this weekend...
*** UPDATE 1:50 PM ***
I just reached 300...
Perhaps one day, they would discover that empanadas is better than Mc Burger Subway.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, people here already know. Even when my Aussie or Belgian co-workers come, they ask me if my wife could take care of their lunches, so they don't have to go looking for 'bad food'.
ReplyDeleteIf she could only prepare the 'facturas' she used to bake back in Argentina... But her pastafrolas and alfajores are still out of this world.
Maybe you are in the wrong activity sector, how about to start a new concept of Argentinian food business?
ReplyDeleteI am not talking about the traditional restaurant.
Fast delivery, healty, great taste, maybe frozen products, a single box for the whole week to keep in the client's fridge.
Think about it...
BR
Arturo
Have we thought about it!!!!
ReplyDeleteBut it takes time, Arturo... It'll happen, though.
The problem is that not everything could be extrapolated (transferred)to here.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I go to a restaurant in Quebec where I eat some grilled meat (very delicious) and it is empty. Besides, there is another one, EggsQuizz (English breakfast more or less). It is full everytime. They cost the same and you eat better in the first one. This is a question of culture. That is OUR answer to some of our questions.
Ricardo
Sorry, it takes me some time to logg in Gabriel
You are right Ricardo,
ReplyDeleteThe trully original taste normally is not appreciated.
You have to blend the local one with the original to find a good seller product.
For example, Mc'Donalds offers HOT, really hot chili sauce in their mexican restaurants, when they included that option into the burgers, sales soared.
Same thing in other places.
Here in Quebec you should sell 'Empanadas avec poutine' !!
Arturo
McDonald's and Burger King have the burger with ham, cheese and a fried egg in Argentina. It's the most common thing down there, but I haven't seen it anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteBut as I said in a previous post called Ñam, they added an egg to my burger the moment I asked for it. And boy was it good...
I agree, most restaurants have to adapt to the local taste. A Chinese restaurant here will serve you food that won't look at all like the one you would get from a Chinese restaurant in Argentina... Still, I am always looking for those who are close to the 'real thing'.
Poutine is nothing different than french fries, cheese and a sauce.
ReplyDeleteWhen I look Italian poutine, it makes me laugh. Italian ajjajajajaj.
Ricardo