Assisted by ASBTDC Lead Center at UA Little Rock
Consultant Patricia Long
Passion for Plant-Based Eating Fuels Vito and Vera
Alicia Watson of Little Rock left her job as an occupational therapist to attend culinary school and start a business making flavorful plant-based cuisine.
Her business, Vito and Vera, offers prepared meals, in-home private chef services, event catering, and culinary wellness education.
“I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life – I love the thrill of the chase – so I have owned a variety of businesses. They all center around my holistic beliefs around health. I finally realized that my favorite way to promote this belief is through food,” said Watson.
Vito and Vera prepares and delivers plant-based, organic, locally sourced meals. Customers order from an online, seasonal menu. Monday is delivery day. The delivery area includes Little Rock, North Little Rock, and Maumelle.
“Vito and Vera has existed since 2019, but our meal delivery service began almost exactly when the pandemic started. I had been preparing to go live for months, but our first batch of meals went out in mid-March (2020),” Watson said. “We put a lot of thought and effort into how to safely pivot.”
Her original concept was a food truck. She connected with the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center in 2019 after another woman entrepreneur recommended the center’s services.
Her business consultant, Patricia Long, advised Watson on licensing and permit requirements, marketing strategies, and financial projections. The center also provided detailed market research and analysis.
Watson said Long has “guided me along the way from an idea to a women-owned startup business.”
“As a creative, I admit that I am most passionate about the creative cycle of my business. With Patricia’s assistance I’ve been able to obtain an objective look at my business and understand tangible approaches to adjust and pivot,” said Watson.
Vito and Vera depends on e-commerce, and the center’s market research and tips from Long have helped the business bolster its online marketing. “Many of the recommendations we received about social media and our marketing have been implemented, and we are starting to see the results,” said Watson.
The business is named for her grandparents, Italian immigrants whose big gardens and love for fresh, home-grown ingredients were central to her childhood and family life. “My grandparents taught me that produce were foods to be revered,” she said.
Watson wants to change peoples’ minds about health, beginning with food. “We want to show the community that adding more plants to your diet is a smart move for so many aspects of your life: supporting your health, your local farmers, and your environment.”
See vitoandvera.com to learn more.
Gwen Green, April 15, 2021
