One in an occasional series of features on Charlotte area businesses, nonprofits, and events, and how they are adapting to the “new normal.
Our Subject: Chef Alyssa Wilen built her name by teaching in-person cooking classes that built a sense of community while teaching skills and recipes. As business at Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen boomed, they added office catering, prepared meals, and Saturday brunch to their “menu.”
What’s been impacted: With stay-at-home restrictions in place, and the danger of transmission with COVID-19, Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen had to cancel in-person classes, office catering, and Saturday brunch completely. Those three things had accounted for 95% of Chef Alyssa’s revenue.
Innovative pivot: Chef Alyssa reached deep into her one of her strongest skill sets – teaching – and quickly brought together a model for online classes. Subscribers sign up online and get a Zoom link for an hour-long, live, 3-camera class that prepares one dish from start to finish. Subscribers can ask questions as they watch, and get a link for making the dish again later. Each class costs $15.
“We try to work with ingredients people would have in their homes, so they don’t need to make a trip to the store,” said Andrew Wilen, Chef Alyssa’s business partner and husband. “They can watch the live class, and then go back and make the dish later, at their own pace, when they have more time.”
Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen is also ramping up the prepared family meals for takeout or delivery, with a delivery area stretching the entire county. The Easter holiday helped, as many people wanted a special meal or side dishes, or ordered them as gifts for friends they couldn’t spend the day with in-person.
Reactions: “It’s really cool to have a shared experience with people watching together and making the dish together afterward,” said Wilen. He noted that sometimes friends or families spread out around the country will sign up for the same class to share some time together. “They can connect and be together even if they can’t be together in person.”
The online classes reinforce the true brand of Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen: a community fostered by cooking. “Cooking brings people together,” added Wilen. “We’re all about the shared experience.”
Forecast for future: Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen is grateful that the quick pivot allowed the company to keep paying some of their staff, while encouraging them to ramp up parts of their business they didn’t previously have time or resources to expand. Now, they’re open to keeping some of their new offerings on the table for the future, even as they get back to their core business.
“A lot of people have been exposed to us nationwide,” said Wilen. “We never thought our cooking classes could reach as far as they have.”
While they don’t expect to do as many online classes once they can cook again in person, they will continue to offer some, especially at “special times” like holidays. They’ve also added 8-10 menu items they found popular with customers to their takeout and delivery menu, and will consider on continuing family table meals and delivery if demand continues.
Sign up for a virtual class, order a meal or learn more at: https://chefalyssaskitchen.com/