After investing around € 70,000, Andra Condor created Nava Food, a kitchen delivery concept with plant-based foods. Prices range from 10 to 40 lei, և the entrepreneur estimates a turnover of about 400,000 euros after one year of operation.
Out of a need to eat healthier, Andra Condor started Nava Food, the HoReCa business, from Cluj-Napoca. Only vegetarian food is cooked here, and the business started 6 months ago, last fall, after investing 67,000 euros from European foundations, but also from its own means.
Exotic flavors such as burgers, pasta, salads or soups are all made in the Nava Food kitchen, all according to vegetarian recipes.
“The food ship flew in November 2021, six months ago, but I started working on the project a year ago. Through this project, I wanted to show that social business can be successful in Romania, that in a business environment, it can also think about the social component. Last but not least, I wanted to talk about the potential of food ույս plant-based cooking. I use ingredients such as raw turkey, neutral flavored soy milk without sugar, high-density coconut cream, pleurotus mushrooms or rye mushrooms, ”said Andra Condor of Cluj, founder of Nava Food ZF.
Social Business Nava Food – Vegan cooking program for people with cancer
The ship is also a social enterprise, which means that 90% of the profit will be invested for social purposes. The entrepreneur mentions that the Nava Food team has already started donating lunches to the Căsuţa Bucuriei Association in Cluj-Napoca every month. At the same time, work is being done on a program to prepare vegan for people suffering from cancer.
Ingredients are taken from Cluj
Most of the ingredients come from local producers near Cluj, but for those who can not find them in the country, he says, they turn to suppliers from abroad.
The most popular dishes on the Nava Food menu, says the entrepreneur, are classic sticky burgers, such as Nabalyan soup or pasta.
Prices from 10 lei to 40 lei
Prices for Nava Food products range from 10-12 lei and can reach up to 40 lei.
“I do not think that plant foods are more expensive than foods of animal origin. I think in both cases it depends on the type and quality of raw materials. However, most consumers are willing to pay more for special experiences, raw products, semi-finished kitchens, “says Andra Condor.
The entrepreneur describes the Nava Food customer as a careful person, what he eats, very curious about the new flavors, but he does not have to be just vegan or vegetarian. He wants to have diversity in terms of customers.
The business currently operates only with deliveries in Cluj-Napoca, but Andra Condor wants to open a seasonal physical location, but also a permanent physical location.
“We will open seasonal places in several places. It is planned to open a physical site in the future. “Now we try to be present at the festivals as much as possible with food trucks,” the founder added.
On average, Nava Food reaches 30 orders per day, and the average voucher is about 70 lei. The business operates in a team of three people, consisting of friends and family.
400,000 thousand lei business per year
By the end of the year, the entrepreneur estimates that Nava Food will have a turnover of approximately 400,000 lei, and in three years he intends to franchise the business.
“For three years I have been seeing Nava Food in every major city in the country,” he said.
Andra Condor is not his first business venture. Before opening Nava Food, it had several other businesses, including an antique clothing store. However, HoReCa’s business experience is unmatched by any other business, he says.
“I work 12-14 hours a day, sometimes on weekends. I take care of the kitchen, but also the administrative part. It’s hard, but it brings me a lot more than I have ever done before. “People’s feedback gives me the strength to move forward. I think people want that kind of food,” he concluded.