Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 6, 1994 TAG: 9407070017
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By ALMENA HUGHES |STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Brothers Jim Woodson and Bill Woodson, and friend/co-owner Melvin Funk intentionally kept their debut low-key to give themselves time to fix any glitches in their first business venture.
"We didn't want to do this big opening and be swamped with customers and not be able to serve them, then have them go out and tell everyone how horrible we were," Funk explained. "But we felt that might be what would happen because we thought the time was definitely right for our idea because of the current health and fitness craze."
The idea was to offer a selection of fresh greens or fruit salads, homemade dressings and bottled fruit drinks, which admittedly are available elsewhere in the area. But here's the grabber: The athletically inclined entrepreneurs, either jogging or pedaling a bicycle equipped with a cool-pack, would deliver their wares to downtown locations within approximately 15 minutes of the time the order was received.
"We're all in pretty good shape," Jim Woodson said optimistically during the shop's salad days as word-of-mouth slowly increased its customer base. "We think it'll be fun."
Around June 13, the weather service reports, temperatures and humidity soared above 90 and stayed there for a week.
"It's OK," insisted Bill Woodson, who about a year ago returned to Roanoke following three years in Key West, Fla. "I got conditioned to heat and humidity in Florida," he said, mounting his bicycle and gamely setting off on deliveries.
On the 21st the temperature dropped to 89 degrees, but Roanoke got 64/100ths inches of rain and the air was as thick as Thousand Island dressing. Undaunted, the threesome took turns donning green waterproof ponchos to deliver their greens.
"Neither rain nor heat will keep us from our rounds," a slightly soggy Jim Woodson joked during a delivery on one of June's 16 rainy days, 10 of which also reached highs of 90 degrees or better. Indications that their idea was catching on kept the shop owners going.
The men say that between walk-in and delivery orders, the shop is already selling between 50 and 90 salads per day. To its original menu of generously portioned fruit, garden, Caesar, chef, spinach, seafood and chicken salads or pitas, it recently added a Greek and a pasta salad, 4-ounce bagels and homemade Parmesan-peppercorn or fat-free Italian dressings. Prices range from under a dollar for the bagel to $2.95 -$3.50 for pitas or salads. A larger, more-expensive dinner salad also is available, and all orders can be customized upon request.
Jim, 25; Bill, 27; and Funk, 26, all grew up in the valley, graduating from Northside high school and Virginia Tech; Northside and Lord Botetourt high schools respectively. Between them, they've worked in food service at the Texas Steak House, Steak and Ale, the Marriott hotel and the Olive Garden. It was during the latter stint that co-workers Funk and Bill Woodson started tossing around the salad-shop idea. About six months ago, Jim Woodson returned from Washington, D.C., to join them.
"Melvin had had this idea for about two years. We were all a little fed up with the corporate world and just thought we'd give it a shot. We're young, don't have a lot of responsibilities yet. We're just three happy-go-lucky guys who thought we'd like to have our own business and have fun doing it," Jim Woodson said.
"We're real happy with where it's going so far," Funk said. "We already have our regulars. About 45 percent of our customers get a salad every day. But we want to increase our base because we realize that eventually people will get tired of the same food."
The three now are trying to figure out the shop's best product mix and to anticipate changes and additions for the menu when the weather swings in the opposite direction.
"In the winter we'd like to add soups and hot breads, maybe baked potatoes," Funk said. "We'll probably come out with a new menu around October."
The take-out-only shop at 104 Church St. near Williamson Road is open Monday - Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Deliveries hours are 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. To order, call 342-4593, whatever the weather.
by CNB