Cohere has relaunched our online community and bi-weekly dose of design inspiration, tips and abilities to connect with leaders of growing brands

Driven by a passion for design, Cohere is a sharp community of emerging brand leaders, designers, and founders. Our studio has been at the intersection of food + place for over 15 years. Entrusted by both new and established restaurateurs, hoteliers, real estate developers, and designers - we make it our mission to connect people through great design and smart strategy so they can build more together, more often.

doubling down on the content we want to see in the world

 - bringing you unfiltered stories with more vulnerable moments with founders, and more behind-the-scenes from world class design and hospitality projects that we want to invite you in on.

We have updated the way we will be sending this deeper content into two fun formats. 

: A bi-weekly dose of design inspiration, tips, and connections with and for leaders of growing brands.



 A great mentor of ours said "all good business deals get done at a bar stool". We wanted to create that space…in your inbox. Like a dive bar where the interior design intentions went out the window long ago, and the eclectic accumulation of Christmas decorations and vintage sports memorabilia are vignettes worth staring at over the course of several beers. Dives are the antithesis of branding and marketing. They just exist because people want to go there and they invite your honest beliefs over a game of pool. This is why we named these longer format stories in your inbox after this unique place. OUR DIVE will be the unfiltered stories, insights from founders, and nitty-gritty from inside of building great brands. We’re asking ourselves and our network - what vulnerabilities can you share today? Grab a seat.

The “dive” aims to cut through the fluff and give us a place to speak vulnerably about the realities of growing a brand, while remaining optimistic with creative solutions and ideas that contribute to positivity in this world. With the 

deepening divide of audience groups because of algorithm biases

 and AI means that brands are experiencing a harder time reaching their ideal fans, and we are left feeling empty by the monotonous crap we see online. The dive will offer a refreshing place to escape that phenomenon and open our hearts to learn from other great people in our network, in our niche of design, hospitality, real estate and food.



Well, this speaks for itself. Fast, easy to digest bits about hospitality, real estate and food product design trends, updates, and shares.

A quick hit of design inspiration and stories that aid your growth. Fast updates from our creative community. Curated news in hospitality, food, design, and marketing. Join the conversation with us in digestible bites.

If you're already on our list, wonderful. If not, take a moment and jump in.

Driven by a passion for design, Cohere is a sharp community of emerging brand leaders, designers, and founders.

#fff

Join the List.

Surround Yourself with People that Inspire You

Food

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a puppeteer, a magician and a cartoonist. I feel like as a photographer I get to be all of those things at once.


When partners come to Cohere with a new project, they’re seeking the best avenues to share something they’re excited about with the world. That passion and drive deserves to be surrounded by the best creatives to capture that emotion all in one shot or clip. It’s rare to find someone who can create a whole package where each piece of the end product elicits so much emotion.

 stepped in to partner with Cohere on projects for 

. Over the past 3+ years, he has crafted an animation and content style that’s all his own to help build a creative arsenal of work that represents the Cohere family of brands on a national scale.

Andre’s signature style of stop-motion animation, rendering, and photography has been recognized by One Eyeland, Production Paradise, Intl Photography and more. Andre shot for Philadelphia Magazine, Boyd’s, Hamilton Jewelers, Burlington Coat Factory, 5Below and others before landing a full-time photographer position at Anthropologie, and is now tackling many creative projects on his own or in collaboration with teams like Cohere.

We sat down with Andre to discuss his creative process, feeling empowered to keep creating, a glimpse of his childhood, and the most important lessons he’s learned. He had a few things to say - keeping it short and sweet.

Good work doesn’t always come from the longest timeline or the most difficult set to produce. Sometimes simplifying the approach and concept can lead to a clearer visual message.

Create work you want to see in the world. Don’t wait for the brief or perfect client to create a piece of work. Take on your own personal projects to try out new styles, ideas, and techniques. This can ultimately aid in clients finding you, rather than you finding clients.

The Philadelphia-based photographer focuses on finding new ways to look at everyday objects. Andre takes his visions to the next level by incorporating animation, 3D printing and CGI, along with traditional photography, to give a new perspective to ordinary things, like HipCityVeg’s golden chick’n nugget and the ingredients that fill the Simply Good Jars. It’s easy to see why if Andre produces it, it’s bound to feel fresh, new, and visually captivating.

Andre also produces incredible personal projects like the 

 series seen as a timely message for summer 2020, and he’s always exploring new ways to creatively implement these powerful and personal messages which have lead to even more professional opportunities in Philadelphia, New York City and Baltimore. He’s demonstrated that mixing passion with creativity is an undeniable recipe for success.

We always enjoy getting a peak into Andre’s mind and talking about how he is using his talents and platform to advocate for change, his success with his past work, and how his past has shaped what he produces today.

Stay tuned for more creative collaborations, and if you aren't already follow 

 You deserve to be as inspired as we always are.

When partners come to Cohere with a new project, they’re seeking the best avenues to share something they’re excited about with the world. That passion and drive deserves to be surrounded by the best creatives.

Picking the Brain of Creative Mastermind Andre Rucker

Agency

Impact

We are earning into business ownership as partners, in exchange for our services and advisory.

We’ve always operated as if our clients are our partners, approaching every project as if the success of the business was on the line, pouring our hearts and souls into how we perform. However with the 

launch of this new Equitable Partnership Program

, Cohere has evolved to incorporate the experience and insight of our best-in-class branding, marketing and growth advisory in exchange for ownership in shares of our client's businesses. 



Why are businesses entrusting us with the role of a partner?

In 2017, when we rebranded as Cohere, we realized our strengths are bringing people together for common goals and creating lasting value through our work. We became passionate about making a real impact in communities by crafting spaces that reflect their authentic essence. By defining our ideal projects and partners without hesitation, we set the stage for meaningful collaborations. With Erik's experience in growing the Tender Greens restaurant brand to 30+ locations, and partnering with industry leaders like Danny Meyer, his insights greatly enrich our agency's operations. We now use a combination of branding, marketing and growth strategies to employ with brands we serve - and in turn make them more profitable. 

As an alternative to traditional engagements, the equitable partnership model lends itself to the flexibility required by capital-constrained start-ups.

Why did we start an equitable partnership program?

We knew we wanted to create a business model that was different.

 Post-2020, during the tumultuous environment and business scenario caused by COVID-19, we are seeing more validation for our desire to address the need to create long-term value and relationships.

This has manifested itself in the form of Equitable Partnership agreements with new clients and partners. As an alternative to traditional engagements, the equitable partnership model lends itself to the flexibility required by capital-constrained start-ups.

The problem with the traditional agency model is that (typically) once a project is done, it’s done. The agency team has poured hundreds of hours into creating something new, and bringing it to the public, yet they just hand it over to the client in a fashion that leaves it easily outdated and lacking the ownership of the client’s own internal team. 

Thinking ten years ahead for a brand: how can we be actively involved and drive it?

In our new ideal relationship, we’re looking at

. We’re asking ourselves, “ten years ahead for a brand: how can we be actively involved and driving it?” We are allowing ourselves to engage with the curiosity and drive of entrepreneurship as we consider the best way to ensure long-term success.

We’re not the only groups thinking this way, but it’s something that has allowed us to differentiate ourselves from our peers as we enter into conversations with prospective partners.

When it comes down to it, we’re looking to partner with like-minded brands that fit the criteria we’ve found to be most successful for collaboration with Cohere. Typically that entails:

Startups in food and beverage space (new restaurant concepts) that can lean on our CohereFoodLab experimenting collaborations and sponsorships

Food + sustainability projects that can use our branding, marketing and growth advisory services

Startups in the Consumer Packaged Goods category (CPG)

Real estate developers embarking on a new development project

Established businesses seeking an expansion strategy

Established restaurant concepts looking to differentiate or pivot their offerings

These engagements typically allow us to engage with a very low monthly service fee from Cohere. If the business can support a small monthly payment, we can then roll that payment into the overall value of our offerings. Whether it’s branding, web design, strategy or marketing support, we can associate a fee/equity value for the scope that allows us to engage in a meaningful manner over a longer period of time.

Are you getting the most out of your team, or are you in need of a truly creative partner?

To us, it’s personal, and we want to help. 

We've always treated our clients as partners, giving our all to ensure the success of each project. Now, in some cases, 

, sharing responsibility for the business's performance.

So You Want Equity? Cohere Launches an Equitable Partnership Program

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Stories

As part of our initiative to encourage a remote/hybrid culture and inspiration from global travel, Cohere Designer Katherine worked out of Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia in May 2023.

Cohere Designer Katherine works remotely from Slovenia and gathers inspiration. 

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Designer Working Remote in Slovenia

Our team at Cohere has long admired the design community that Shawn Chopra and Anne Morgan, partners in business and life, have built in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood with 

. And, they haven’t been at it for long. good neighbor’s coffee shop with design-focused retail launched in 2020 - right during the height of the pandemic. Never mind that, they steadily won fans and built fruitful partnerships with many local artists and makers. Soon after in 2022, they launched their 

 space where architects, interior designers, and really anyone who signs on for their Trade Program can get exclusive access to coveted international brands like Finn Juhl, Frama, Normann Copenhagen, Hem - for whom good neighbor is often the only Mid-Atlantic retailer.

 - a 7-room boutique hotel on the two floors above their beloved coffee shop and retail space. Meant to be an extension of their (very well-designed) feeling of home, and an opportunity to showcase the work of both Baltimore makers and artists, alongside of Shawn and Anne’s Indian and Egyptian roots, we were honored to 

work with them to tell the story to local, national, and industry press.

Cohere partner Chris Richards sat down to have a conversation with good neighbor Co-founder Shawn Chopra and Director of Brand and Marketing Justin Timothy Temple to work with them to tell the story to local, national, and industry press, touching on fostering collaboration without competition, the highs and lows of bringing guesthouse to life, and what’s next for the good neighbor team.

Justin, you are good neighbor’s Director of Brand and Marketing; how did you become a part of the team and what drew you in?

My relationship with Shawn has really evolved over time. I remember attending a soft opening as a customer. It was right at the beginning of the pandemic, so it was a time with a lot of unknowns. When

 I think about good neighbor, at least in that period, it was a place of grounding, of stability.

 It was part of me and my partner's routine weekly, going on a Saturday morning. In a world that was just very chaotic, we knew that every Saturday, we were going to be there in that line no matter what.

And then it built from there. I knew we were going to Shawn and Anne [Shawn’s wife and good neighbor co-owner]. So it was very much a place of affinity. A place of feeling like there was some space that we could go to, that was enjoyable, welcoming and safe. We [Shawn and I] wound up hanging out more socially, rather than professionally. And so when the opportunity came to help understand a thing that they were working on from a marketing perspective, it was just a very casual ask. But as these things go, one thing turns into another, then we’re talking about more work together. And then a few months after that, you're part of a team.

CR: good neighbor has drawn a lot of lines between various cultural and artistic communities in Baltimore through the shop and guesthouse; it’s something that Jack from Dwell noted in 

. Tell us more about how you like to build partnerships with artists and potential collaborators.

We definitely don't feel like there should be any kind of competition between artists or makers’ work. 

We see it as, the more channels that an artist, or maker, or designer, or writer, or anyone has, the more chances that they have to get their work out there and be part of the Baltimore community. 

In terms of being a collaborator with good neighbor, it's just genuine collaborations, you know?

good neighbor ends up being that space where the collaborations tend to happen pretty organically

, which is really nice. But it’s also about not being shy. If we're doing design week or design events and different people show out, I’m not shy about asking them, "Hey, we'd love to work together. We'll have to find a way to see your work in this light, you know? Or do you have any visions of your work in a space like this?"

There's so many people we want to collaborate with - and when the time is right, everything aligns.

A good example is our collaboration with 

. I've been a fan of hers for a long time. I saw her at a few different artist talks before I had good neighbor. But never really knew if she thought about anything at the store once it launched. And then all of a sudden, she shows up at an event, I said, "We'd love to work together." One thing led to another thing, and she has 

, and it’s cool how it all just comes together.


CR: How did this ethos influence the creation of 

 and what was it like to bring that concept to life?

For us, it’s one big design process. Same as with the coffee shop downstairs, or the design warehouse down the street - there's always two phases. There's the design side of it. And then we also run the whole construction process. And I should say, at the beginning, you’re also sitting there trying to figure out what the operational side of it would be, right? Then you have the visuals, the website, and the overall experience. In all of that, there’s both good and bad moments.

[With the construction] There’s hard moments, whether it's with the city or unexpected costs - things that we didn't know we needed, but now have to apply across seven rooms. Those are the moments where you think, is this going to be worth it? Because as a founder and owner, your brain is always on. And as someone who's part of the design of everything, you're on both sides of it. You're the client, but you're also the beneficiary. You're trying to fund up the project 

 trying to get your vision out as a creative person. And then invested in your vision surviving operationally, too.

Within all of that, the good is always there - how collaborations come together, how when you design something and envision people experiencing it, you can’t really see it all come together until it’s physically done. There’s all the happy mistakes, or little moments, where things turned out better than I even thought they would - where a collaboration is more fruitful than we expected, or the way Justin shoots something shows it in a new light. That’s the beauty of guesthouse, there are so many of those little gems in how it came together.

CR: And what are you hearing from guests? How is the guesthouse experience sitting with people who stay with you?

We hear that everybody, broadly speaking, is rested, recharged, and comfortable. At a foundational level, that's the goal, right?

 There's a high-mindedness that we have; we want people to be their best creative selves.

 That’s a tall order and not everyone might use that language around it, but we just want people to feel comfortable, because if they feel comfortable, they feel safe. From a brand perspective, that’s a really good place to be - to see what we’re providing as what it’s like to stay in a loved one’s home, a place where you’re really familiar. You’re loved and going to be taken care of. And we really feel like that’s how it’s being experienced.

CR: The buzz around guesthouse seems to have had a really positive impact on how the artistic community is perceived and highlighted in Baltimore. Can you both talk about what it’s been like to see the attention and positive press that good neighbor has brought to the city?

Definitely. My wife and I, we've been here for 12 years now. We thought we would be here for four years, and that's a lot of people's experience in Baltimore. You come for college, you come for school, or get a job for a little bit. And you say, "Okay, I'll move on after that." And then the way we were embraced by the community here, the way we made friends, the way we felt connected to the city - we felt like it was such a special place and that more people should build a life here. Build a family, you know? So our four years has now been 12 years and starting multiple businesses.

Of course we want good neighbor to be a positive for the city. 

We're using good neighbor as a platform to say, “Look at what you can do in Baltimore. Look at the beauty of Baltimore. In terms of brand, makers, press - look at what Baltimore creates. Look at its artists, makers, baristas, chefs - they’re creative people and look at what they create.” Baltimore is an intersection of arts and culture, and I think we’re in the middle of it. Our job is just to nurture that energy and be a safe place for it to grow.

We use design as our medium to bring people in. It has to be for everyone, and everyone, at some point, thinks about what they are going to eat or drink. So the coffee shop was our entry point. And in that journey of someone trying to get a coffee, we hope we can draw you into all the amazing things Baltimore has to offer.

For me, I'm a life-long resident of the city. I grew up here - well, Catonsville, specifically, but moved into the city proper 15 years ago.

Baltimore is so infinitely fascinating, because there's always this community that is ready to creatively thrive in the city. And the only reason that it doesn't happen is because there's systemic incentive to keep the status quo.

What I love about the centricity of good neighbor around creative community is that it shows you don't have to wait for anybody else to allow or grant permission to do a thing.

 We just need to be creative and as externally creative as you possibly can and the enjoy the outcomes that come from that. I think that the more people that see that, the more permission is granted, it’s an osmosis effect. Then more risk taking will happen, more audacity will happen, “more devil may care” will happen. And the populace at large will be unwilling to accept any less.

In the past five years, I've seen the city be more embracing around a creative culture, and really try to platform itself around a creative culture, more so than I’ve ever known in the entire time that I've lived in this area.

 We can’t trace that all to good neighbor of course, but I do think we play a role because we’re always giving ourselves license to say, “How can we be a platform for these creative individuals?”

There's a culture shift that is responding in kind, because either you're going to embrace that creative community that's thriving and growing, or you're going to be the ones left behind at the end of the day.

That's the right answer. That's the answer, hard copy.

CR: I love all of that. It’s so inspiring to all of us at Cohere, too.

Talk to us about the next phase of good neighbor, do you continue to expand your concepts?

Truthfully, we didn't see good neighbor doing all this. And maybe that was just naïve, but for me, it was just a lifelong itch to kind of figure out what I really wanted to do with my life.

 Anne and I both come from immigrant families; the priority was to get to these stable careers. We listened to them, and we saw their struggle, too. But there was always this itch.

With this space, this is what I wanted to see come to life. We love the team here and seeing everyone’s talents being used and showcased. For me, guesthouse is the extension of truly building our idea of “home” - it’s a natural extension of what we did at first. As we move forward, I’m excited to see what naturally ends up happening between collaborations and the platform we’ve built.

Cohere is a creative agency working with visionary founders, entrepreneurs, and makers on hospitality, culinary, and community ventures. This encompasses hospitality marketing, hotel brand identity and design, naming, menu and print collateral, social media, public relations, and creative advisory services.

A design-focused coffee shop, boutique hotel, and retailer that’s bringing true connectivity to the Baltimore arts and culture scene.

Unfiltered with Shawn Chopra and Justin Timothy Temple of good neighbor

While other cities imposed restrictions that impacted urban development, this city did things differently.

Our activity in Miami over the years has ranged from commercial property branding in Wynwood, to helping launch luxury real estate and 

. This range has given us the perspective of how unique the boom happening in Miami is right now, and why people should pay attention…

Elevated Properties, Restaurants and Retail

Miami has emerged as one of the hottest markets globally, boasting unparalleled growth and vitality in various sectors.

Here is what we are tracking and why we are bullish on the Magic City scene:


Miami’s High-End Residential Market is Ascendant


We’re watching records break in Miami with the luxury, prestige high-end real estate market:


 number one luxury residential real estate market in America

, surpassing even iconic cities like Los Angeles and New York City for the first time.

valuable residential city according to the New York Post

, which shows that the trend in migration south during COVID had extreme returns.

Miami reigns over Dubai and Las Vegas for luxury branded high rises - with more than a dozen luxury brand-affiliated buildings set to open in South Florida by 2024.

 It’s now the unofficial home of the branded building

, helped in large part by its international buying demographic. Porsche, Fendi, Missoni, Baccarat and even Major Food Group have developed high-end residential properties and the trend is growing. The New York Times chronicled the advancement of these branded buildings and their amenities and how it might impact a trend beyond South Florida.

The city's meteoric rise can be attributed in part to the remote work culture, which spurred a wave of transplants from major metropolitan areas like NYC - dubbed "the great COVID migration." This influx of talent and capital has injected dynamism into Miami's economy, fueling innovation and entrepreneurship.

Other cities are suffering from a retail bust, while Miami retail is booming.

Moreover, Miami's retail landscape is undergoing a renaissance unlike anywhere else in the world. Unlike other cities, Miami stayed open during the pandemic, and this kept proprietors in business or even better, in growth mode. Vibrant neighborhoods such as the Design District, Mimo, Wynwood, and Brickell have become sought-after destinations, attracting renowned brands and fostering a thriving consumer culture. Recent openings of 

flagship stores like Kith and Nike's innovative Rise

 concept shop underscore the city's status as a retail powerhouse.

Cohere is bullish on the scene, and rightfully so. We have major street cred right now having worked with Stephen Starr and Keith McNally to open Pastis.


Less than a year ago we helped open the exciting

with a bang. Unexpectedly, Stephen Starr chose Wynwood for the location of Pastis due to the neighborhood's vibrant and dynamic atmosphere, which aligns with the concept of the restaurant. Wynwood is known for its thriving arts and culture scene, making it an ideal setting for a trendy and stylish dining establishment like Pastis. Additionally, the area's mix of creative energy, street art, and diverse community appealed to Starr's vision for the restaurant, creating a unique and exciting destination for guests. The team had a lot of work on their hands outside of replicating the NYC version in this beautiful new space, hiring in a tough labor market and making sure that Miami residents and tourists knew the brand. And, they also had to convince people to go to Wynwood, rather than South Beach, Bal Harbour, Coconut Grove, or the high-end hotel scenes. The place has been packed, and we are honored to have played a small part in the Pastis Miami success.

Besides Pastis, we are now working on some luxury real estate, hotel and restaurant destination projects. You can catch us opening up our new office here, working on

Miami has emerged as one of the hottest markets globally, boasting unparalleled growth and vitality in various sectors.

Why is Miami One of the Hottest Markets in the World?

Successfully implement blue ocean strategies, creating new market spaces and leaving the competition behind.

Entrepreneurs often refer to it as the "fire in the belly" – a combination of intuition, passion, and belief in their ability to bring something unique to the market. Identifying what the world needs and how to address those gaps with a new venture requires thorough research. This involves studying existing players in the market to identify opportunities and evaluating the unmet consumer demand and market failures. Once a clear vision of the opportunity is established, it becomes crucial to look inward for innovative solutions. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs find themselves stuck in a cycle of following existing categories, resulting in variations of similarity rather than something truly original and exciting.

Too often I see entrepreneurs stuck in category contagion leading to 

Social media has had a significant impact over the past decade. For example, when a trendy café in a popular location gains attention on Instagram, 

similar versions start appearing in cities worldwide.

 This trend has led to a flattening of culture, resulting in fewer unique local expressions and making emerging neighborhoods feel more like shopping malls than vibrant centers of local creativity.

That helped us define ourselves in a blue ocean manner - trend setting, out in front, creating a new category ourselves.

Focusing too much on what others have done before can confine a brand and its founders.

 This often leads to mediocrity and a lack of originality, resulting in a dull and predictable outcome.

How do you break a category’s mold so that your brand is not boxed in?

 A better way of approaching one’s idea is to ask - “what feels right?” How will our choices, no matter how small, connect back to our core beliefs? By anchoring in a core belief system, we can decide whether an external model, behavior, or campaign by someone we admire might inspire our unique version.

The next step in this process is to think of your audience. Will this idea connect with them? Is the user experience aligned with our brand promises? Can we create moments of surprise and delight? How can we make key brand experiences uniquely ownable to us?

When a business can manifest their values through 

 that resonate with their guests in a profound way, it is gold. Replicating others, believing consumers will notice your version in a sea of sameness, is a sure path to mediocrity.

When developing Tender Greens, we tested various table settings that needed to align with our earth sensitivity and fine dining standards, while also being practical for high volume operations. Instead of settling for common options used in fast casual restaurants, we chose Hepp flatware, steelite plates, and stemless Reidel glasses, aligning our values with our customer promise and setting ourselves apart from the competition.

of defining a brand through its many details, guided by values and customer experience, led us to 

If you are an entrepreneur seeking to create something unique, look inside yourself first, then find inspiration from those around you. Find and fill the gaps in the market in order to differentiate your brand from the field. Then, execute better than anyone else.

AVOID SAMENESS - Break Category Rules with Your Brand

2023 was the year that killed restaurants.

We promised to get real this year with more useful content to our hospitality clients and we're starting with the most sensitive topic amongst the food brands in our community. "The Year that Killed LA Restaurants"  was the headline for The LA Times, chronicling 

 and the grueling, bleak look ahead as we enter 2024. And it's hardly confined to California - it's something we're seeing in every city. 

92% of operators say the cost of food is a significant issue 

 National Restaurant Industry)

Since revamping our online presence, our focus has shifted to creating meaningful content and sharing the authentic stories within our community. This year, we're delving into the challenges faced by our community members and collaboratively seeking creative solutions. Sadly, we've noticed troubling trends in financial struggles, closures, and pivots within the food industry.


The past few years have been rough thanks to 

 who caused a roar of supply chain issues and inflation, labor struggles and a shift in consumer behavior. Now that government assistance has ran out, restaurants are in trouble. This is why we launched a series of content to address the root causes, shared stories, solutions and inspiration, but mostly


The increase in food brands suffering from a deficit is growing. There is evidence of problems industry-wide.

We have watched our clients in food products, hospitality, restaurants, brick and mortar, and wholesale share a common trait that is impacting their growth potential. Even the most attractive brands are suffering quietly behind closed doors. The causes are never ending:

(in 2023 we saw on average vegan down 9%, fast casual down 20%)

sales are down causing difficulty in other areas of the biz

Economically speaking, consumers are in a 

, influencing how they discover your brand, perceive its value, and make purchases. It's crucial to shift your approach from backend to frontend. We've delved into these factors and strategies for this significant shift over the past few months.


The Cause:
There is a negative delta between the financial projections and the reality of the brand's books.

Food brands often end up strapped for cash because they kick-started their journey (or year) with inaccurate financial projections. The root cause? A lack of financial literacy and false promises based on old growth models. Nowadays, food brands are luring investors with grand visions of scalability, deviating from the old model of modest, independent startups. The issue? Many pitch decks paint an unrealistic picture, and that's a red flag. Scaling is proving tougher than expected, and struggling businesses need to face the truth instead of perpetuating a cycle of fundraising without addressing core problems. It's time for honesty and strategic rebuilding.

The era of rapid growth and massive paydays is fading. Investors, savvy and budget-conscious like the rest of us, are becoming more cautious with their money. Flashy projections may look good on graphs, but when actual business growth falls short, it leads to a 

. Big promises, desperate fundraising, cutbacks, quarterly struggles, repeat. The bubble in food and hospitality is bursting, mirroring the tech trend of unfulfilled returns.

This has been dubbed the 

 - both before the pandemic but especially since. Most know it as hockey stick growth. It goes something like this:

A company raises hundreds of millions of dollars and launches a new to the market concept that promises to “change the food system” →

Rapidly expands and gets buzzy press/social →

IPOs, achieving a big liquidity event for the original investors 

(Yet the sad reality is that most businesses don’t even achieve liquidity)

And yet, remains an unprofitable business

While we aspire for widespread change in food systems, it's crucial to acknowledge that food isn't like tech, with only rare exceptions. Check out 

Food Tank's list of 122 organizations driving change

 in the food system—few promise massive scale or attract millions in investment. Sadly, we observe many brands opting for quick fixes and poor leadership, rather than adopting sustainable practices for long-term success.

Here is what we predict to be the trend to break this cycle:

capital raised on honest conversations, smaller amounts for specific needs

less emphasis on categories, more on healthy brands and good leadership

healthy portion of capital generated by the business (rather than matching investors)


Unpopular opinion, but the right thing to do: focus on scaling 


From folks in the industry who are applying them real-time…

Stories About Everything

Stories about
Everything

Surround Yourself with People that Inspire You

Picking the Brain of Creative Mastermind Andre Rucker

So You Want Equity? Cohere Launches an Equitable Partnership Program

Want us to help tell your story?

Stories About Everything

Stories about Everything

Surround Yourself with People that Inspire You

Picking the Brain of Creative Mastermind Andre Rucker

So You Want Equity? Cohere Launches an Equitable Partnership Program

Want us to help tell your story?

Stories about
Everything