What we offer...

Yes, WickeDeli is a deli...but we are not 'JUST a deli' (see the WickeDeli timeline on our blog's home page). We like to think we are creative folk and as we discussed our business offerings and services - the following structure took form:

DELI- you can eat-in, take-out or pick-up. We focus on using natural and/or organic foods, local farmers (where possible) and high-quality, imported German foods. Our menu consists of a 'build your own' concept from our 'German Platter' to our salads, even our breakfast items! And if there is a particular meat or cheese you really like - you can just buy it by the pound right over the deli counter (just like the old days of the corner market).

GROCERY- any of our packaged items that we use in the deli, you can buy in our grocery area. Really like that local honey we use? Or that quark? http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Quark-(cheese) Or maybe you want to make up your own brats and sauerkraut at home? Good thing we have the grocery so you can satisfy your tastes from home, too.

BAKED GOODS- we will bake our own organic breads on-site. Note: we are not a bakery, but our bakery partner provides their delicious, natural and organic breads to us frozen so you experience fresh baked bread for your sandwiches and German Platters. We do bake some specialty items on-site like Herta's Kuchen and some cookies. And we partner with a couple local bakeries to provide the other delectable goodies like scones and homemade Black Forest Cake.

Hungry now? Good...only a minimum of 7-8 months to go! Hang in there...

Being a conscientious business

By our standards, being a conscientious business is not just about pushing forward with everything you have, every day - striving for perfection. It isn't just about finding the best materials and relationships to maximize the business. It isn't just about thinking of every possible detail from every possible angle.

So what do we think being a conscientious business means? And why do we feel we are so different than others?

Early on we knew that in order for WickeDeli to be a success it had to be an extension of ourselves. It had to be something we were proud of not just because we had the tenacity to open our doors and keep it going, but that we instilled within the business our morals and values. So, to us this meant being conscientious in HOW we approached the business and HOW we wanted to build WickeDeli from the ground-up. (It's always 'those little things', don't you think? And in this case, it's about the little AND big things!).

Because family, community and the environment are so important to us at home, it was natural that WickeDeli would emulate those same values. So from a business perspective that means: using organic and all-natural foods as well as biodegradable products, supporting local farming families, involving family and friends, staying in touch with our community through neighborhood associations - staying engaged...

There are still many individual foundations to be laid but it is a journey not necessarily a destination; and we get to make new friends along the way...

So maybe people are drawn to WickeDeli because they think our name is cool and they are curious, or maybe it is because they feel they can relate, or maybe it is a new experience and inspires them. Whatever the reason, we can move forward knowing that we built it right from the beginning and that the impact we make around us is something we believe in.

Inventory = details, details and patience!

What does 'bologna' have in common with a 'mopping bucket'? Not much that I can tell, but in relation to WickeDeli these non-relative nouns reside in the same document as one another: our very robust inventory spreadsheet.

I never understood how someone could sit for hours in front of a computer screen, scouring the internet, looking for the obscure (or even the 'what you wouldn't think is so obscure but somehow it is and you can't find it'). NOW I understand. (And we aren't just talking hours on the internet doing research - more like months). But I learned a bit along the way and the end result is a rock-solid document that is the foundation for outfitting our venture.

Whatever the goal when conducting internet research, the reality remains that you can find ANYTHING on the internet with time and patience. (I learned the patience part).

-Tatiana

"Cheers" to the logo journey!

Today was WickeDeli's first logo brainstorming session - there was much to discuss, re-address and explore. It was an exciting process (and hard for Chris and I to let each other speak - we have been waiting so long for this moment that our ideas were hard to contain any longer!). Dale and Betsy were attentive, engaged and interested. We discussed everything from space layout ideas (which is a component in the feel we are trying to accomplish) to color schemes.

Betsy was very proactive and brought in some German beer coasters (we still don't know where she got them all, but it really helped get the ideas flowing!). There was one in particular that really stood out to Chris and I (check it out at http://blog.pinkergreen.com/2007/08/cheers-to-bier-paper.html). Not only did this Bauhaus-influenced design appeal to us and create quite a bit of dialog regarding colors and overall design - but the company Gmund (www.gmund.com) is pretty cool too! They are a German paper manufacturer that has been around since 1829 and they have a line of paper that is made from recycled beer labels and the by-product of beer production (i.e. leftover hops and stuff).

So...two good finds in one day:
1) the first logo we have felt inspired by;
2) and a potential paper product we would want to support!

Dale and Betsy have some places to visit this week that we thought would give them some ideas as to what we are trying to accomplish with WickeDeli...and then we will regroup for more creative chatter.

It's LOGO time!

After months of conversations and meetings with a variety of designers and agencies - and just as much time deliberating - we are happy to have solidified an agreement with BRANDWISE to create WickeDeli's logo!

One of WickeDeli's values is to be conscientious of how our business choices directly impact our community. We put a lot of time and effort into trying to find not only the best fit for WickeDeli - creatively and professionally - but we were also striving to find a marketing partnership with a company based in Fort Worth. We feel we have found all three of these attributes in BRANDWISE.

We are looking forward to a mutually rewarding process as we work together to solidify the image and identity for WickeDeli.

BRANDWISE is owned by Dale Berkebile and can be found at www.getbrandwise.com