2007 SBA Awards: Small Business Excellence Award Winners, Make & Take Gourmet

CNY Business Journal (1996+), May 04, 2007

SMALL BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

MAKE & TAKE GOURMET

* Headquarters: DeWitt

* Selected by: Solvay Bank

* Owners: Michele Bellso

* Established: 2006

* Type of business: Meal-assembly kitchen

* Financing: 2007 SBA loan for $100,000

* Business profile: Make & Take Gourmet is a franchise business created by Michele Bellso. It has 12 locations open, or in the process of opening, in New York: Baldwinsville, Cicero, Fayetteville, Camillus, East Rochester, Clifton Park, Victor, Watertown, New Hartford, Binghamton, Auburn, and Webster. The concept of Make & Take Gourmet is for customers to make an appointment to prepare delicious, "homecooked" meals at a Make & Take location and then take the meals home and freeze, cook, or eat them. For a small additional fee, the store will prepare the meals for the customer.

Customers can make most meals for a month in less than two hours - saving on grocery bills, fast-food stops, and time spent planning, preparing, and cleaning up after the meal. Bellso estimates that nearly 30 hours a month can be saved with meals that average less than $3 per person, per meal. Entrees vary monthly and can be viewed on the company's Web site (www.makeandtakegourmet.com) along with information on private parties, gift certificates, and fundraising.