“You’re right. You’d have to start small. Build the brand. Prove the quality. But I really think it’s a way to future-proof the business.”
Mr. Wilde folds his arms. “It’s not how we work. We don’t have any knowledge about freezing. I bet it’s not so easy as dumping it all in a chest freezer. There are probably regulations. And how would we get all the bags, and we’d have to have pictures on them and…” He shakes his head. “It’s not going to work.”
My heart sinks a little. I don’t know Mr. Wilde or Bray well enough to know how to appeal to them. Maybe I’ve come on too strong.
“We can source packaging, Dad,” Iris says. “Getting a designer isn’t difficult. I actually have some designs that I’ve been messing around with.”
“You have?” I ask.
Iris shrugs. “But the money required. The investment. It’s a lot.”
“You have the space for all the freezing equipment. And I’ve looked into some places where you can lease the equipment.”This is really doable. And the bank loan wouldn’t be as big as they think. Especially with the amount of upside at stake.
“The problem is if it doesn’t work, it’s a lot of money wasted,” Bray says. “And we don’t have money to waste.”
I wish I could offer to lend them the money. I’d be happy to. Iris is smart. I know she could make this happen.
“I think you’ve underestimated how the crop yields go down when you switch to organic,” Bray says. “It makes it all so volatile.”
“But the prices you can achieve.” I flip to another slide on my laptop. “The difference is incredible.”
Mr. Wilde grumbles underneath his breath. “That’s gotten even more expensive.”
“Demand for organic is growing,” I try to reassure him. “But if the horticulture is too difficult, maybe you start with nonorganic,” I suggest. “That would give you an opportunity to get the freezing operation in place.”
“It’s a good idea, Dad.” Iris looks at her father. “You’ve seen the figures. Business isn’t getting any easier. We’re always under pressure to reduce prices. It’s never-ending.”
“I’ve also got some data on some less-traditional fruit and how demand is growing for them. You could also think about trialing some different fruit and freezing them. That gives you an advantage against other operations that are just freezing berries.”
Mr. Wilde shakes his head. “It’s a lot of money,” he says. “Like Bray says, we don’t have that money to lose.”
“Think about it,” I say. “We could talk again, and I’m happy to do anything I can. I know other people who might be helpful for you to talk to. Finance people who’d be able to get you the loan, for example.”
“But the loan would be guaranteed on the land, right?” Mr. Wilde asks.
“Probably,” I say.
He shakes his head. “You owe me a crossword clue,” he says.
I nod, getting the message. Our discussion is over. Business is done for the day. All I can for hope is that the idea percolates. This is a risk, and a big one. Like they say, they don’t have money to lose. But there’s a massive upside here. I just want them all to think about it. I just want them all to know that how it’s always been doesn’t have to be how it always will be. If they do, maybe Mr. Wilde will have a change of heart.
TWENTY-ONE
Iris
This evening, I haven’t felt as out of place as I expected. Maybe because I’m with Jack. The Colorado Club is beautiful. I’ve never seen the main building other than the door of the goods entrance, and the kitchen. It lives up to the hype. At the same time, it’s not stuffy or snobby. Everyone’s friendly and warm. But not overly familiar.
“Was it as bad as you thought?” Jack asks as we head out of the restaurant, Blossom.
Neither of us have talked about Jack’s presentation earlier in the evening. “Your freezing idea?”
He chuckles. “I meant the restaurant, but you can tell me what you thought about my idea, too.”
I sigh. “I thought it was good. It all makes sense. But… my dad… I’m not sure if he’s willing to take such a big risk.” Jack starts to say something, but I stop him. “It’s not me who needs to be convinced. And there’s no point in pushing Dad. He’ll have to come around to the idea. Or not.”
“Okay, so what about spending your evening at Blossom?”
“Jack Alden, how could I have abadevening with you? I feel how much you care in every word. Every time you check in on me about the food and my beverage. The fact you’ve taken so much time to think about my family’s business. The way you pick out the things on the menu that you think I’ll like before even thinking about your own order. You’re kind and caring and any evening with you would be one of the best evenings of my life.”
