Vilnius resident who started a business in difficult times told the recipe for success: the most important thing is one thing

Rūta Sorakaitė

© Personal album photo

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The first such restaurant in Vilnius

Rūta Sorakaitė, the founder of “Paradise Apples”, says that the idea was created business arose at a difficult time for her.

“It simply came to our notice then. It was a very difficult time for me. It was not easy financially. At the time, my friend rented a cafe. I rented that bed from her in Žvėrynas and opened a vegetarian restaurant there. It was the first such restaurant in Vilnius.

It didn’t have much choice, we usually served lunch for the day. At the time, my friends laughed at me for not having a choice of dishes. And I told them that if a man wanted to eat, he would find, and if he did not want to eat, there was nothing to go to us (laughs).

We worked very successfully in that vegetarian restaurant. One day we were called from kindergarten and asked us to provide them with food. I agreed and thought it was a great business idea. One kindergarten appeared, then another. We had large premises in Lukiškių Street, but later we chose only catering for children, ”said the founder about the establishment of the company.

The most important thing is the team

The interviewee revealed that the restaurant business is very complex and requires a lot of ingenuity.

“Restaurants are a very difficult business, because you always have to think about what will surprise the customer. You have to think about how to keep people from coming to you. Really cruelly difficult business, ”said the interlocutor.

The main values ​​of the company are quality, communication and team. The director said that the well-being of the team was very important to her.

“The first place for me is the team. The health of the team and good mood are very important. It is important to have a good environment, both physically and spiritually. Teamwork, responsibility, duty are important. Our greatest value is quality and communication with customers. Only communication can solve the problem, “said the director.

It takes a lot investment

The woman emphasized that the uniqueness of her business is quality, and invests a lot in improving it.

“Every kindergarten chooses the company that will supply it according to its needs. We don’t advertise because we think we have to look for the customer, not us. We really value quality. Quality is not only the product itself, but also the service. We bought new machines, new dishes, thermoboxes. We invest in equipment, cars and people. It all makes quality. We invest a lot in quality and we try hard for it, ”says Rūta.

When asked if she had difficulty finding staff, the woman said she had heard from other fellow entrepreneurs that it was difficult to find a reliable person, but did not face the problem herself.

“I have heard that it is not easy to find quality employees, but our employees do not change. The team is stable. Maybe we were lucky enough to find good people. I myself am not faced with a situation that makes it difficult to find the right employee. The same drivers and chefs have been working with us since the very beginning of the company’s establishment, ”said the businesswoman.

Cheaper even in London

The businesswoman also mentioned other difficulties that Lithuanian small businesses face.

“I have always joked that if small businesses are to be established in Lithuania, those people need to build monuments (laughs). It is very difficult to develop your business in Lithuania. First of all, high rental prices. I started looking around England, and you can imagine that it is possible to rent premises in London cheaper than in Lithuania.

At the very beginning, when you start a business, you face very high fees. It is extremely difficult to retain employees as soon as you start a business: you cannot pay enough, ”says the woman.

However, the interviewee encouraged those who want to start their own business not to be afraid to take risks.

“It simply came to our notice then. Economists and financiers laughed at me, but I look at everything in general. I wonder how much money I can spend. I was wondering what would happen if I lost money, would my life change a lot or not. If it were very painful, there is nothing to do. But if you’re ready to lose a little, then go and do it, take the risk. If there is a desire, everything is possible, “said Rūta.

The founder of “Apples of Paradise” told how the business was affected by the global coronavirus pandemic, during which another new idea emerged.

“The pandemic was difficult for everyone – both for hotels, catering establishments and shops. Our business has also been suspended. During the pandemic, we introduced food baskets for disadvantaged children. The food baskets were for cost, so the work was more for the children than for profit. But every such situation is a kick out of stagnation when you have a chance to think about everything and new ideas can be born. May start again.

So during the pandemic itself, the idea was born to open an e-shop where we could sell our frozen products. In our online store we sell our own food for children, here you can buy cutlets, cottage cheese, pancakes, zeppelins.