What Is the Tuesday Night Test Kitchen?

[ChefetteDuJour]

Here is my "Tuesday Night Test Kitchen" idea that I'm about to resurrect --

I came up with this idea last summer and did a couple of successful ones before I got slammed at work during the Fall. This is not a grand opening show or even an open house, it's just a discrete, limited audience testing/tasting.

I think this works great for: 1) new consultants, 2) times of slow bookings, 3) people with small kitchens/houses, 4) Single consultants OR an opportunity for a test audience other than your family, 5) Seasonal product/recipe changes, 6) when you want to show people *all* (or a boatload - ) of products 7) Most people tend to book Shows later in the week (?) 8) If you have a very interested high dollar prospect 9) Any other insights? Naturally they have the opportunity to buy and it could turn into a regular show. I don't expect it but am pleased if it happens.

The appealing thing about this (if not already obvious) is that there is no packing, no travel, and all your tools are at hand in your own comfort zone. Guests come with an expectation of a Practice Run, so there isn't an undue expectation of perfection required on your part. You tell them ahead that there WILL be a practice altar call (so to speak:chef so there won't be discomfort about presenting the host/business opportunities.

My flyer is attached. I'm about to call a friend and her roommate who have zero discretionary money but who each might have recruitable friends in new markets I'm interested in pursuing ...
Would love to hear comments and your experiences if you do this ...
PS - FONTS - I realize that not everyone will have the font I used for the "Marg's Tuesday Night Test Kitchen." The font I used is "Porky's" - you may need to find an equivalent font that looks playful enough. Sorry if it doesn't come through for you. I didn't embed the fonts but I could try if it doesn't hike the megs up too high.

 

[Kenzie09]

My recruiter does this on one Sunday a month as a 'product class' - I hope to do something like this when I am out of this small apartment :]

 

[Leslie_512]

<3 that idea! I hate practicing my recipes when it's normally just my daughter *who's 3!* and I to enjoy them. LOL

 

[lesliec]

I love this idea!!!!!

 

[Cr8vKitchen]

Great idea!

 

[suzipooh]

Love it! Please keep us posted on the response you get from participants.

 

[jeannieperrypc]

I love this idea and I'm going to give it a try. Speaking about the flyer, I tried making some changes (successful) but when I emailed it to myself, then it altered the whole page and shifted everything to the far right. Any suggestions on that?

 

[lockhartkitchen]

Great idea! I'm going to try this.

 

[ChefetteDuJour]

I love this idea and I'm going to give it a try. Speaking about the flyer, I tried making some changes (successful) but when I emailed it to myself, then it altered the whole page and shifted everything to the far right. Any suggestions on that?

Hi Jeannie

So smart of you to test it first! I don't know exactly why it gets reconfigured in cyberspace but it could be font differences or any number of things. It's a tightly configured flyer, I admit.

Usually the best thing to do is to turn it into a PDF file before e-mailing. If you don't have Acrobat Standard/Pro, there is free software out there. I've never tried it but I can check for you.

 

[angel7581]

I long for a better kitchen for something like this.

 

[Chefgirl2]

Brilliant!!!

 

[dannyzmom]

Brilliant!!!!!

 

[france59]

Thanks for the idea! I'm going to try this once a month on First Tuesdays. Hopefully, it will give me a shot in the arm.

 

[BlueMoon]

Chefette,
how are your Tuesdays at Marg's Bistro going? Marghi

 

[ksmedic]

I love this idea! I'm going to try it the first tuesday of every month too. It sounds fun!

 

[KayPT]

I have done 2 already. Thanks for the idea! They are so much fun and very relaxed.

 

[Nfldfran]

Hi
Just wondering where you find the recipe for Parmesan crusted chicken with creamy risotto? Is it in one of the Season's best?

 

[ChefetteDuJour]

Hi
Just wondering where you find the recipe for Parmesan crusted chicken with creamy risotto? Is it in one of the Season's best?

Nfldfran - It was in one of the Weekday Dinners Done! series. The first one, I think.

Thanks everyone else for your comments. I haven't done this lately because I'm finding that PC products are outstripping my storage space in the kitchen so I do a lot of moving/shifting around. That's one reason I broke my Cool n Serve cover :-( So I have to do some strategic organization before I can be active again.
-- And to Angel 7581 - please don't think that I have some kind of great kitchen - it's a 1958 model... back in the days when they didn't even have tall bottles of salad dressing. My pantry space is awful. I'm just making do as best as I can.

I appreciate the encouragement. I'm going to re-double my efforts to get back to this! Reorganizing is at least easier than hauling 1/2 the kitchen somewhere else!

 

[magentablue]

Does anyone with a tiny kitchen do this? I'd love to have my own show or try out a test kitchen, but I find that when my husband and I are both in the kitchen, we can't move. I can't imagine inviting others into our galley kitchen. There is a small cut out in the wall over my kitchen sink that leads into the living room. In theory a couple people could stand there and see into the kitchen, but viewing me anywhere in the kitchen other than at the sink would be difficult. I'd either be behind a solid wall, or with my back to them. No kitchen table (ha!) no dining room table, and only a small coffee table in my house. We're stuck in our starter home until the market turns around... I really wish I could borrow someone else's house so I could do my own parties!

 

[esavvymom]

Does anyone with a tiny kitchen do this? I'd love to have my own show or try out a test kitchen, but I find that when my husband and I are both in the kitchen, we can't move. I can't imagine inviting others into our galley kitchen. There is a small cut out in the wall over my kitchen sink that leads into the living room. In theory a couple people could stand there and see into the kitchen, but viewing me anywhere in the kitchen other than at the sink would be difficult. I'd either be behind a solid wall, or with my back to them. No kitchen table (ha!) no dining room table, and only a small coffee table in my house. We're stuck in our starter home until the market turns around... I really wish I could borrow someone else's house so I could do my own parties!

Do you have a close friend maybe that you could do this with? "Borrow" her kitchen that is? As a thank you- you could offer her some sort of gift, or if you submit enough as a show, you could make her the Hostess (technically, she is anyway!!). At least maybe once a month or try it once to see what response you get with it.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Hmmm ... does it have to be Tuesdays? It's hard for me to count on having one night off work on a consistent basis. How are they going?

 

[ksmedic]

My test kitchen dates are going to change and they will only be monthly. I plan to change the night because some people won't be able to make tuesdays and so I plan to mix it up...occasional saturdays or sundays too. I put it on facebook as an event and invited several of my guests that came to my grand opening show. Some have already RSVP'd and plan to bring a friend and my first test kitchen which is the 2nd week of Oct!

 

[ShelbyMichalek]

I advertised this as a Mom's Night Out with my playgroup and already have people signed up for Feb and 1 for March. I made it a limit of 5 people with a "waiting list" and asked that I have RSVPs by the Monday before. It's every 2nd Tuesday currently - we'll see how it goes.
I've been planning to do this since I first saw this thread forever ago, but now I'm finally able to implement it.

 

[kcmckay]

I know this is an oldie but it's a goodie! I was going through my subscribed threads. I'm curious though for those that have done this how you got word out? My plan is to offer it once a month because once a week is too much for me to keep up with and feel once a month would be a better response.

Do you email it, hand them out to those you see, offer it to show guests? Any insight is appreciated!

 

[Krista Burson]

I would be interested too. I'm trying to increase my business and think this would be a great way to start.

 

[byrd1956]

could not open the word doc file...I am also curious about this and would love to see the type of document used