As sellers of roasted chestnuts survive sanctions and rain in

As we started

A few years ago we became obsessed with the idea to open your business. Want to do it in public catering holiday parks, but so that it was not like everyone else. Long thought that this is no in Russia, and finally remembered how during a trip abroad often greeted sellers of roasted chestnuts. Check online - it's true we have no one in the country was not engaged. At first I thought that everything would be very simple: buy in Russia delicious chestnuts and equipment for cooking, and then agree with parks.

Looked online and realized that no one in Russia chestnuts large volumes do not bring. Only in some stores in the department of "rare fruits" caught packaging tasteless Chinese chestnuts. We started looking for suppliers abroad. We bought our Ukrainian colleagues first three tons of raw materials and two decorative locomotive equipped for cooking, rented warehouse. On all took about 3 million rubles. The next day after we received the first batch of chestnuts, we had to sell them at "Picnic Posters". Worked the whole family, even the groom's daughter came to help us. Very worried that no one likes, but in the end our locomotive queued all day. Then we have sold 300 portions, and then because the locomotive did not have enough power. Now we make the equipment twice as powerful

On that day, we realized that we would get. Began to participate in various summer events, to negotiate with the parks on a permanent placement. In parallel, we are looking for good European supplier. My friend, who lives in Italy, sent out requests to farmers and to send us samples come from them. Chestnuts one manufacturer we liked, we went to visit them, seeing as they have everything arranged, and they taught us various subtleties - how to store chestnuts, how to roast them to remain tasty. Some more time was needed to find a normal transport company.

One day, when they loaded the car to our next party chestnuts, embargoed. It was a difficult time: it was not clear what to do next - is it really necessary to buy Chinese chestnuts taste good? Factory owners reacted to our problem with understanding returned the money to us and advised good factory in Switzerland, with which we are still working. This factory provides most of the European chestnuts: Austria, Germany and Switzerland buys chestnuts name on it.









About chestnuts

Normal horse chestnut, which can be seen on the streets of Russian cities, has little in common with the noble chestnut, which can be eaten. Edible chestnut grows in Southern Europe, Turkey, Japan, Chile, China, Georgia and Abkhazia, and everywhere it is different in taste, as different varieties. After the embargo, we have begun to actively offer Georgian and Abkhaz chestnuts, but we refused they would like for them as much as the Europeans, but the chestnuts were not as tasty, besides the Caucasus there is no culture of collecting, processing and storage.

On good European factories chestnuts first purified from the barbed shell and sterilized. They are placed in large containers with water, and those that have risen to the surface, is discarded. Then chestnuts Caliber: Small processed into flour and mashed potatoes, canned average, larger (70-80 units per kilogram) are for sale on the streets, the largest - are used for expensive exquisite goodies maroon glace. At each chestnut incision so that it did not explode when frying, like popcorn. After that chestnuts are subject to shock freezing. Fresh chestnuts constantly stirred during storage, and storage are working huge fans. Due to the time consuming process of chestnut cost is greatly increased. For example, one ton of Chinese chestnut is worth about a thousand dollars, and a ton of sweet Europe - five thousand euros, without shipping and customs clearance.





We in Russia are the only European supplier of sweet chestnuts, and everything else that you can buy at the store, often imported from China. Once we had problems with the delivery - she did not come in time - and we were forced to buy up all available in shops in the city, Chinese chestnuts - found 60 kilograms, and in the end everything is thrown because they were spoiled.

The tradition of selling roasted chestnuts on the street there is a long time. In many countries, they are usually sold in the fall after harvest and Christmas, and we decided to sell all year round. For registration point many people use the same trains that we do. But there is also quite simple, for example, in France, Algerians can weld the bars to cut off the barrel and cook chestnuts directly on it. For most European cities, our 10 points - this is ridiculous. In Vienna alone employs more than 140 points of sale of chestnuts. This is due to the fact that they do not need much to get permission to trade in the city.









Chestnuts in the rain

We initially chose the theme parks as the main accommodation facilities, but the first time to work on activities. The fact is that for a contract with the park to wait permission to do so for at least six months. First, our application is reviewed by the Department of Culture. The contract is prescribed not only accurate placement, but the menu, the price per serving and even the number of chestnuts in each package. Underneath it all Moscow City Duma deputies have to put his stamp. Also, much depends on personal preference Park Director: if it for some reason do not like chestnuts, to work in his park, he will not let you. That's why with us terminates contract Gorky Park. Our very first to let a "Museon", then "Hermitage Garden", "Kuzminki", "Sokolniki" Gorky Park, "Sparrow Hills". Not all points are profitable. There is a park where we stand with a meager profit, because we can not deny the director, who is not to blame for the fact that it is located on the outskirts of the park, but not in the center but also wants this park was developed and was no worse than central. In such places, of course, we are the most loyal conditions for work, and we appreciate it.

The contract with the park is usually very strict: we not only pay rent, but also commit to open and close on time every day. Even if the street rain or freezing 20 degrees, and in the park there is no man, we have to work with. It happens that in everyday life is not possible to sell a single serving. But sales at the weekend is compensated. In addition to working in the parks, we constantly monitor the planned urban activities offer our services. Recently we loved Event agency - we often work on large corporate parties and weddings, auto discovery and bank branches. In cold weather, it would be great to work in shopping malls, we even had this experience. But there is space rent is too expensive. Even shoe shiner for your meter pays more than 100 thousand rubles.









Franchise sales

We decided that Moscow will work themselves, and in the rest of the city to sell a franchise. We already have a franchisee in St. Petersburg, Sochi, Perm, Chelyabinsk and Voronezh. Received requests from the Baltic countries, Kazakhstan and Belarus. Since our goal is to as quickly as possible to make the brand famous, we sell a franchise is quite inexpensive - 350 thousand rubles - and then do not require any royalties from sales. Franchisee receives equipment, supplies, training and the ability to always ask our advice. When buying a franchise, he undertakes to buy chestnuts only with us. This is beneficial to both sides: we are because of large volumes receive discounts from a supplier and then a slight premium to our franchisees sell chestnuts. Usually in small towns requires about five tons of chestnuts per month. If they bought them yourself, then be ruined.

Of the competitors we've seen so far only very frivolous projects. They buy Chinese chestnuts in "Auchan" and fry them on the table in any kind of events. With the purchase of chestnut trees in Europe and such volumes as we are, no one does not work.

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The budget for the theft

Employees - a headache all retailers. We pay our vendors thousand rubles a day, plus a percentage of sales. Usually we employ those who are accustomed to street sales. When the season kvass and ice cream passes, they come to us. When he comes, they leave, because there sales are active. Because of this, we have a large staff turnover. There are two trends: some sellers want to work every day, and this can not be done, because they are very tired and burn out. Others try to only work in the lucrative weekend and take a day off on Monday, because on this day thousands more base they will most likely not work.

Each new employee we learn to cook chestnuts: they fry them, do try and gradually learn to detect eye appearance chestnut, whether he is ready. The main problem of sellers is that they steal. And there is nothing you can do about it. Of course, we try to introduce control measures. Usually we count the number sold in the number of servings consumed bags. Once we realized that vendors sell to two servings of chestnuts in a bag. Then we began to order smaller packages to ensure that they do not fit more than six chestnuts. We continually review on Instagram hashtag # chestnuts and every now and then see how people take pictures of our chestnuts sold only in napkins. We are, to some extent resigned to the fact that it is impossible to completely eradicate the theft, so have a specific budget expenditures under the theft. Whatever you do, 10% will still be stolen.









How much can you earn

Sale of corn, cotton candy, donuts and popcorn - it's really very simple and profitable. But we wanted to do something special. We did not anticipate that with chestnuts will be so many problems: delicious can only buy abroad for foreign currency respectively, chestnuts fall under sanctions, they have to be ordered in large quantities, on the road with them can happen something bad, as quickly chestnuts deteriorate if their wrong store. In addition, the taste of chestnuts Russians are not very familiar. However, we, unlike our foreign colleagues have come up with their salt, and then they began to buy more active. We also came up with chestnuts sell mulled wine - is also boosted the sales. Especially during the cold season of chestnuts and mulled wine combination creates a special Christmas mood.

Cost per serving - 150 rubles - we found ourselves asking how much we ourselves are willing to pay for it. We now have 10 permanent outlets in Moscow, plus we participate in various activities. Profitability of each point is very different depending on the location, season and day of the week. One and the same point on weekdays can go into minus (ie sell chestnuts less than a thousand - paid staff), and on weekends to bring 30 thousand rubles. It usually turns out that one day fully compensate for the rest. On average, one point brings 10-15 thousand per day. The off-season, when people sit at home - the most difficult period financially, but we do not lose heart, because we know that it will pass.

Supply chestnuts in the restaurants, we do not plan to, because they need very small amounts, so it does not make sense. From retail stores, we also work unprofitable because deferred payment in the first nine months can afford only large firms. We also still so small that we even loan banks refuse.



Family and business

We are engrossed in chestnuts, home all the talk only about the business - even our little baby is one of the first words was "chestnut." In the morning we take the phone in your hand and do not release them into the night. We do not have days off, we can not, as before, to afford to go on vacation. Even last New Year, we met with our vendors in Gorky Park - collected food with festive table and carried them. Between them we distributed our responsibilities as follows: I - inspirer and Secretary, I franchisees and contacts with suppliers, the husband - working "in the field", ie monitors we bring chestnuts, placing them in stock, delivery to sales points, training and control of the sellers. Every day he opens and closes the point, taking revenue. Under contract with the parks, we commit ourselves to open and close at a certain point of time, we can not entrust it to someone else. Our daughter is engaged in financial matters.

Despite the hard work, we do not regret that these do. Because when you work for yourself, it's a very special feeling you get tired even less. In addition, it is interesting to be the only one of its kind.

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