Karen and Marc Solomon were referred to the UTSA SBDC and Senior Business Advisor Patrice McElfresh in February 2018. The Solomons were previously in the dental field, running family-owned Dental Centers of America for over 20 years. Soon after selling the family business in 2012, the Solomons wanted to continue to utilize their entrepreneurship knowledge and they loved the thought of working together again, so they began to research buying franchises. They were immediately drawn to Apple Spice Box Lunch Delivery & Catering Company. They traveled to Salt Lake City to meet with the owners of the 30 year-old company and were impressed by the integrity of the people in management and their sense of family. Patrice and the UTSA SBDC were able to help the Solomons answer all of their questions and connect them with resources for setting up their LLC, obtaining approval to be set up as a vendor in city and county agencies, developing marketing strategies, and attending networking events.
Apple Spice Box Lunch Delivery & Catering serves a variety of sandwiches on three different types of bread, delicious healthy salads, and a hot catering menu for meetings and events. Among the items that set them apart is their preservative-free bread. It is made fresh every morning.
The Solomons continue to work with their advisor, Patrice McElfresh, on growing their business through effective networking and marketing. They have utilized the training workshops provided by the UTSA SBDC and sought assistance on small business certifications, specifically gaining certification as a woman-owned business. They are also now one of UTSA’s catering vendor options, and they continue to reach out to other institutions to provide ready-made meals for business and recreational needs.
“We are so lucky to have found the SBDC! It is such a phenomenal program for the San Antonio community and we are so grateful for its providing us and all business owners such learning opportunities and at the same time growing our local economy by its extraordinary work.” – Karen Solomon
