Eileen Hornor faces the same challenges that many entrepreneurs cope with when branching out with their small businesses.
Hornor had purchased the Brunswick Inn about nine years ago, after which she began tweaking the inn’s recipe for granola. The offshoot business — Park Row Kitchen Granola — had become popular, but left her with a conundrum — how much time, money and energy could she devote to the product while still keeping up with her main business: Running the 16-room Brunswick Inn.
For example, she utilized Coastal Enterprises, Inc., a Brunswick-based nonprofit that assists with, among other things, rural business development. Staff there provided guidance.
“CEI was a huge thing — to be able to go down there and talk to somebody who is an expert in marketing and distribution,” Hornor said. “That really helpful for me to refocus.”
“I do think Brunswick is an exciting place for business right now,” Hornor said. “I love organizations like the BDA (Brunswick Downtown Association) and the support systems they can provide.”
Another example — the artist who developed Hornor’s website and graphics is based in downtown Brunswick who she said offered beautiful designs at affordable rates.
“Brunswick is this wonderful enclave. There are some really, really talented people here. I love doing business in Brunswick. The customer base is really loyal, too.”
Granola by mail
As a result of a lot of research and a built-in focus group of Brunswick Inn guests, Hornor in February implemented an innovative solution in helping Park Row Kitchen Granola grow at a rate she could cope with: Offering a granola subscription service.
It was a step that makes sense. Hornor had already been bagging and selling the granola made in the inn’s kitchen to customers.
“They started calling and asking if we could mail it,” she said.
Depending on their plan, subscribers can get between one to two pounds of Park Row Kitchen Granola per month, simply by ordering online.
“I think it’s exciting when you have a product that you really believe in,” Hornor said. “I’m excited about the product because people’s response to it is so enthusiastic. … When again and again, people keep coming back and getting excited about it, that keeps me excited.”
Research, development, texture
Hornor has devoted a lot of time and effort into tweaking the granola recipe “with a lot of input from different people and demographics,” she said. She weighed feedback, especially that which involved sweetness and texture.
The result, Hornor said, is a granola that is light and crunchy.
“The texture is the most unique quality,” she said. “A lot of the granolas out there are so hard they’re almost plasticy, or their very wooden-feeling. Park Row Kitchen is really light and not overly sweet. It’s a purist granola. There are no chocolate chips, dried berries, weird things.”
It starts with oats, nuts and seeds with a sweetener and spice — in this case maple syrup and brown sugar. Park Row adds non-genetically modified canola oil. “The oil that you use really does impact the flavor.”
The flavor, she said, resonates with the concept of “life in Maine.”
“It makes people think of a certain lifestyle, one that’s outdoorsy. … That resonates with people’s perceptions of Maine.”
Granola is not a health food, however — it’s high in calories and half a cup has 260 calories. It may be best used sparingly — sprinkled over yogurt or ice cream, for example.
How much granola her kitchen produces varies, but she noted a big uptick leading up to the holidays, at which time Park Row Kitchen can produce a couple hundred pounds of granola a week.
Although she may be able to produce more product in a larger industrial or shared space, it’s more cost efficient for her to produce the granola in small batches by the chefs at the inn’s kitchen.
“Even though I can’t produce 100 pounds in four hours, I can still produce 100 pounds over a few days,” Hornor said.
SUBSCRIPTION PRICES start at $11 a month for a one-pound bag. Visit parkrowkitchen.com for more information.
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