Melissa Carr
Rockville, MD (USA)
Role(s):
Founder/Owner/Principal
Thyme Out
Find More Startups
Startup
Location:
Rockville
Industry:
Food Service/Restaurant
Year Founded:
2006
Number Employees:
1-10 people
Description:
Thyme Out is a is a unique market cafe specializing in fresh, healthy meals for individuals and families. Our extensive menu includes "Ready-to-Cook" family size meals and "Ready-to-Eat" entrees for one. Additionally, we offer Heat-and-Serve Hors d'oeuvres and catering Platters for Lunch, Cocktails or Dinner. Because we make our own sauces, salsas & marinades, our meals are free of perservatives and added sodium. Nutritional information is provided for our meals. Additionally, we customize our meals to accomodate food allergies. We have a number of customers who are gluten-free, for example. Thyme Out offers additional services including home delivery and the company has developed a successful School delivery fundraiser program that was lauded in the NY Times-February 2008. Owner, Missy Carr was the recipient of the prestigious Stevie Award for the School Delivery program in 2008. The company has received recognition in prominent news outlets, to include NBC-4, Fox 5, The Washington Post, Bethesda Magazine, The Gazette Newspaper, and the NY Times. The company has a Customer Loyalty program and Gift cards and has been venturing into Socila Networking website Facebook and Twitter as alternate methods to stay in touch with it's 8000 customers.
Due to a badly timed expansion opportunity,and current economic conditions, the company has debt that is difficult to manage. The owner has cut expenses while adding revenue sources by evolving the business model, however, interest expenses and fees continue to cut into cash flow.