Go Gourmet founder Lori Granito (third from right) leads a team in one of her corporate cooking parties, a major growth area for the business

New Orleans-born executive chef Lori Granito is taking cooking beyond the kitchen by tapping a rich source of entrepreneurial opportunity.

When she founded Go Gourmet Cooking and Catering Studio in 2001, Ms Granito focused on executive lunches - a business she could combine with her role as a new mother. She quickly identified a niche market for food-related corporate entertainment and branded product lines.

"We started suggesting to some of our clients that they could have corporate teambuilding cooking parties at our venue and after the first two, the word just spread," Ms Grantio said.

Ms Granito's idea for timed cooking challenges where teams must create a meal from the ingredients provided instantly hit the mark.

"This is a fantastic growth opportunity for us, because companies that were tightening their belts the past few years are now looking for ways to increase morale and keep valued staff," she said. "Cooking is a natural team builder - that's why the best parts of a home party always happen in the kitchen. In fact it's one of the most popular forms of teambuilding in the US today."

Business on the rise

Before long, the business had moved to the next level.  Two business partners came on board, and in July this year, the company moved to larger premises. Its scope has expanded to four different components: catering, cooking parties and corporate teambuilding, private dinner club, and lifestyle products - including a cookbook and branded gourmet foods.

"Catering is our core business and is what I believe we do better than anyone in town," Ms Granito said. "I started out catering in Hong Kong 13 years ago and have loyal clients who have been with me just as long.

"Moving into our current location has allowed us to expand into different areas. The Private Dinner Club, for example, is something we hadn't actually planned on, but some of my long time clients asked me if they could bring some friends to sample my food and it just grew from there."

A line of branded gourmet food products was created for people with busy lifestyles. All the products are either 'open and consume', or 'mixes' which require minimal additional ingredients - like the Beer Bread, to which you literally add a can of beer, stir, and pop in the oven for a freshly baked loaf of bread.
 
"Hong Kong is one of the best places in the world to start a business. You can be up and running with all the necessary paperwork in days," Ms Granito said. "Organisations like the Women Business Owners Club provide entrepreneurs with critical start up advice, and they along with numerous other organisations offer extensive networking opportunities to promote one's business. No matter what level of the market you are trying to reach, it is possible to find someone to help you navigate the business waters. It is also one of the few places in the world where an entrepreneur can raise a significant amount of capital for a new venture."

Growing client base

Go Gourmet's client base has grown by 30 per cent last quarter following relocation to larger premises, and the business has gone from two employees to 10 in the past four months. During busy months when extra staff are required, Ms Granito draws on Hong Kong's diverse pool of hospitality talents who are well trained and often multilingual. "The best part is that we are able to cross market against all the different revenue streams: People who book us for catering can be introduced to our teambuilding cooking parties or private dinner club, and vice versa. Our corporate clients can also offer our gourmet products in gift sets or hampers as a truly unique gift for their clients or employees."

In the future, Ms Granito plans to build on our corporate teambuilding and catering business as these represent the biggest growth areas. "Long term, we are looking at possibly opening other multi-unit food and beverage concepts that we would base here in Hong Kong and position to expand throughout the region."
 
Related links
Go Gourmet
Women Business Owners Club