29A – Venture Concept No. 2

29A – Venture Concept No. 2

Butterfly Pea flower. Have you ever heard of a more beautiful name? This Southeast Asian wonder is a  plant high in antioxidant and anti-cancerous healing properties. It was given to me as a gift to use in teas and flavored water. I not only fell in love with its beautiful cerulean color but upon further research and a small science experiment with this flower, I realized its potential as an enticing food product. It changes color in altering acidic environments, which truly blows me away. I also realized the intensity of this flower’s novelty since no one other than me was familiar with the plant and I was constantly inquired about it.

Realization soon washed over me…With the works and wonders of this amazing plant, I can open up a small café equipped with a complete line of healthy blue products such as almond milkshakes, vegan ice-creams, pastries, coffee beverages and teas. I would be satisfying the unmet need for tasty, sweet, and relatively quick options for people that deal with allergies or dietary preferences. I have noticed an overwhelming amount of healthy, vegan, active, and fit students on and around campus that are interested in continuing their vigorous lifestyles without having to sacrifice their fit diets. My opportunity to exploit a natural food due to commence and enhance a new food trend in favor of dietary aware or restricted people. Using natural and healthy products will be what allures the market. I plan to place my café near school to target the increasing number of young students that care about their health but don’t need to compromise their wallets, time, or their taste buds.

This business idea is innovative because The Butterfly Pea Flower isn't a new flower at all. This flower has been present in history for millenia—used around the world for cosmetic, dietary, and healing purposes. The flower has made a large return as natural dye and is taking over the food industry over artificial coloring. This flower contains anthocyanin which is the flavanoid that causes this array of pigments that range from yellow, red, teal, blue, purple, violet, and pink. Affecting the pH of a solution causes color changes in the flower. Due to the internet people have been spreading word of this flower’s beautiful power and aesthetic. Many people also post about it on Pinterest due to its alluring appeal and plethora of benefits. Finally, many businesses and people have discovered this flower recently and have used it in “mocktails”, blue lemonade and other yummy drinks.

My venture concept is to target and push young and excited people to care (or continue caring) about their health while also indulging in delicious treats that make you feel good inside. I am using Butterfly Pea flower, a very feminine and sensitive flower, as my main resource to do this. The flower establishes  unison and binds my concept throughout. I am using this opportunity to develop a community of people that want to share health consciousness, local talent, and aesthetic appreciation together. I will use my store as a venue and opportunity for hip events as well as provide a space for people to meet others, study, spread art, and enjoy leading a healthy lifestyle. People will care because it will be one of the few places to indulge in sweets, promote the surrounding community, and grab a blue coffee+treat while remaining healthy. People will pay money for my products because they will be irresistibly enticing. The blue and purple hues along with the fact that there aren't that many places around here to get yummy and guilt-free items will have customers crawling back. Many people (especially students) have dietary restrictions now and there is an increasing number of students that care about fitness and wellness. People that recognize a gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan kitchen and its rarity will spend their money at Got the Blues…but after trying out my café they will definitely not have the blues.

I believe my most important resource would be my healthy supplies and ingredients that I get from local suppliers because this was my point with coming up with this venture. Healthy options need to be more accessible and the cute store is the vessel/tool in which I will use to supply the products to people. The fact that all my ingredients will be healthy, energizing, vegan, gluten-free, egg-free, and soy-free is what makes this concept so valuable. This will all be possible with my local suppliers whom I will trust and others can too. This is very valuable to this specific venture because we will brag about this characteristic of our business a lot. The main need we are supplying is healthy options for people and a menu that is clear and clean. Most food & beverage items that are available have many unclear and unhealthy ingredients. They contain high fructose corn syrup and toxic colorants. The whole reason why I chose this venture is because it is too rare and difficult for people to find healthy treats easily with vegan ingredients, or at the very least, ingredients that are not toxic to our bodies. This is possible but requires a lot of extra work. Most eateries use soy, gluten or eggs in the majority of their product. It is difficult to get your kitchen certified organic or gluten-free and not many people would deal with that work…but I definitely will. This is what will separate me from the rest.

Got the Blues will be a hip hot spot where both locals and students can feel comfortable, free, and healthy. First I have to focus on the social capital I have now, which I am immensely grateful for. Since I am a sophomore my friends are heavily into social media which would be an automatic marketing tool for me. They would help with the promotional and advertising aspect of my business by promoting the café and spreading the word. I am also in cahoots with a company than can act as my supplier with reasonable prices. Furthermore, my father is a business man and my mother is a doctor and health specialist which is basically the perfect combination for this business for when I need advice. Eventually I want to use Got the Blues as a venue for me to put on all sorts of social events, ranging from art showcases, wine tastings, live music shows, and open mics. I want to bring people together-- and unite Gainesville residents that can share this common indulgence.