May 15, 2006
Here's the beef | A chat with Josh Styles, owner of Boston Beef Works in Bath.
By Whit Richardson
Founded: October 2005
Employees: One full-time, two part-time
Startup costs: $40,000
Projected revenue, year one: $80,000
Projected revenue, year two: $125,000
Contact: 443-9694
241 Congress Ave., Bath 04530
What kind of sandwich shop is Boston Beef Works?
We specialize in roast beef and steak subs. We have a wide menu, but that's our specialty.
Where did you get the idea for your shop?
Me and my wife are both from the North Shore in Massachusetts, where sandwich shops like this are plentiful ˆ there's about 10 in each town down in Massachusetts.
So you saw an opportunity for one of those shops in Bath?
Right. I saw a lot of people like myself ˆ transplants from Massachusetts ˆ who had gotten used to that kind of food being so plentiful and not being able to find it around here. So that's what inspired me to start. I started on a mobile cart, like you see people take to the fairs.
Had you owned a business before?
I have a cleaning and painting company that I've run for about 10 years now.
How did you finance the launch of Boston Beef Works?
A lot of my business was self-financed through my cleaning and painting company, and I borrowed a few small amounts from family members.
What was your first day of business like?
My first day of business was absolutely insane. I could have never imagined. It was really a beautiful thing. We did about $700 in sales on our first day and we didn't even have a sign out front. Like I said, we do roast beef and steak subs, right? We went through 80 pounds of roast beef on that first day. I could have never imagined. We ran out and we had to run to the store and get more roast beef in the afternoon.
Has the business been steady ever since?
It's had its low points and higher points beyond that. But it's fairly leveled out. Holidays tend to be slow, but for the most part business is at a certain level. We're almost doing $2,000 a week in sales. So, for being open six months, I think that's fair.
What does your competition look like and how do you differentiate yourself?
In this town there's an Amato's and there's Mario's, which does pizza and subs. We've got a McDonald's and a Burger King, and that's about it. But I have a product they don't, and that's the roast beef sandwich. A bunch of people around here do steak subs, but I think that I do a much higher quality one. It was my competition's food that inspired me to do this business. Because I live here in this town and Friday night would come around, I wouldn't want to cook and I'd want to get something to eat. I tried every place in town several times and wasn't really satisfied. I started cooking at home, and my friends and family tried it and liked it, and that's what happened ˆ it went from there.
How do you market your business?
Right now the only thing I'm doing is an ad in the Coastal Journal because they are very cheap advertising. I also have an ad at the local Shaw's supermarket here. They have a billboard out by the doors and I have a little ad up there. But that's all I'm really doing right now because there's not a whole lot of money at this stage for advertising. So I'm getting a lot of good word of mouth.
How difficult is it juggling two businesses?
Incredibly so. I also have an eight-month-old little girl. So I have my good days and bad, man.
What are your plans for growth?
Down the line, I would like to open another store in the general area of Maine, either in Portland or Augusta. And I'm hoping to have a website in the next six to 12 months.
You seem to have a Boston sports theme at your shop. Do you name your sandwiches after Red Sox players?
I do. I used to have the Damon Dog, which is a hot dog, but I changed that to the Traitor Dog. I've got Manny's nachos, we've got a Big Papi's nachos, and I got Brady Burgers. And we're still working on it.
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to wrichardson@mainebiz.biz.
Employees: One full-time, two part-time
Startup costs: $40,000
Projected revenue, year one: $80,000
Projected revenue, year two: $125,000
Contact: 443-9694
241 Congress Ave., Bath 04530
What kind of sandwich shop is Boston Beef Works?
We specialize in roast beef and steak subs. We have a wide menu, but that's our specialty.
Where did you get the idea for your shop?
Me and my wife are both from the North Shore in Massachusetts, where sandwich shops like this are plentiful ˆ there's about 10 in each town down in Massachusetts.
So you saw an opportunity for one of those shops in Bath?
Right. I saw a lot of people like myself ˆ transplants from Massachusetts ˆ who had gotten used to that kind of food being so plentiful and not being able to find it around here. So that's what inspired me to start. I started on a mobile cart, like you see people take to the fairs.
Had you owned a business before?
I have a cleaning and painting company that I've run for about 10 years now.
How did you finance the launch of Boston Beef Works?
A lot of my business was self-financed through my cleaning and painting company, and I borrowed a few small amounts from family members.
What was your first day of business like?
My first day of business was absolutely insane. I could have never imagined. It was really a beautiful thing. We did about $700 in sales on our first day and we didn't even have a sign out front. Like I said, we do roast beef and steak subs, right? We went through 80 pounds of roast beef on that first day. I could have never imagined. We ran out and we had to run to the store and get more roast beef in the afternoon.
Has the business been steady ever since?
It's had its low points and higher points beyond that. But it's fairly leveled out. Holidays tend to be slow, but for the most part business is at a certain level. We're almost doing $2,000 a week in sales. So, for being open six months, I think that's fair.
What does your competition look like and how do you differentiate yourself?
In this town there's an Amato's and there's Mario's, which does pizza and subs. We've got a McDonald's and a Burger King, and that's about it. But I have a product they don't, and that's the roast beef sandwich. A bunch of people around here do steak subs, but I think that I do a much higher quality one. It was my competition's food that inspired me to do this business. Because I live here in this town and Friday night would come around, I wouldn't want to cook and I'd want to get something to eat. I tried every place in town several times and wasn't really satisfied. I started cooking at home, and my friends and family tried it and liked it, and that's what happened ˆ it went from there.
How do you market your business?
Right now the only thing I'm doing is an ad in the Coastal Journal because they are very cheap advertising. I also have an ad at the local Shaw's supermarket here. They have a billboard out by the doors and I have a little ad up there. But that's all I'm really doing right now because there's not a whole lot of money at this stage for advertising. So I'm getting a lot of good word of mouth.
How difficult is it juggling two businesses?
Incredibly so. I also have an eight-month-old little girl. So I have my good days and bad, man.
What are your plans for growth?
Down the line, I would like to open another store in the general area of Maine, either in Portland or Augusta. And I'm hoping to have a website in the next six to 12 months.
You seem to have a Boston sports theme at your shop. Do you name your sandwiches after Red Sox players?
I do. I used to have the Damon Dog, which is a hot dog, but I changed that to the Traitor Dog. I've got Manny's nachos, we've got a Big Papi's nachos, and I got Brady Burgers. And we're still working on it.
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to wrichardson@mainebiz.biz.
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