Starting this July, the two tough women will be driving around Hamburg in their brand new, pink food truck. Called “Beetinthebox,” their company was more or less a spontaneous idea. At Vattenfall’s summer event last year, somehow the idea of having her own food truck popped up. During a five-hour car ride, Sina convinced her sister to quickly quit her job too and become self-employed. Sina and Sanna worked out the details, gathered relevant information, and wrote their business plan in only three weeks. After about 10 months, the idea was a reality. Apart from the required business-related expert knowledge such as advice from a tax consultant, the twins have done everything – from choosing a vehicle, deciding on a menu, and negotiating with suppliers to cooking – independently.
A desk neighbor designed their truck. “As soon as it was clear that we would go ahead with the food truck, we needed a workplace. We rented a desk in a shared-desk open plan office in Hamburg and we got to know our designer there,” Sina said. Their business concept is to offer light, energy-packed vegetarian lunches to people in Hamburg, and the truck’s fresh, pink look is already attracting beet fans and health-food lovers. Sina finds “being at a different place and make people happy with good food” the coolest thing about her new job. And actually, it is not that far removed from logistics. “The key skills you need for the job are firstly, the ability to judge personalities, since you have to deal with many customers every day and they all want to be served differently. Secondly, you need to be passionate about what you are doing, and thirdly, you need to understand logistical concepts. Since the space in a vehicle is limited, you have to plan your ordering chain, and you need to calculated your stock and purchasing programs well in advance. Actually, my logistics background is more than helpful,” Sina added. The only limitation she sees in her new job is the lack of lively exchange about her field of specialization (shipping) – and she is going to miss to be on board the ship and in the harbor. But her passion and motivation for this new project compensate for everything.
We asked Sina what she has learned during the last few years and which three pieces of advice she would have given herself at 14. Her honest answer: 1) Panic is never a solution – keep calm! 2) Things are not as bad as they seem, and 3) Structured work saves a lot of time. Now that she knows all that, and after twelve years of being interested in shipping and logistics, Sina feels “self-confident enough and ready to sail in new directions” together with her sister. You might think that working closely with a family member every day is a bad idea. But “we complement each other perfectly and are pretty harmonious,” Sina reported. “I am responsible for accounting and customer relations, while Sanna takes care of the technical things and purchasing.“ They plan to participate in food truck events like the Street Food Sessions on Spielbudenplatz Square from 5-11 p.m. on Thursdays.
Beetinthebox’s maiden voyage will take place on July 9 and Sina says she and her twin would love to see many KLU faces lining up for their delicious food. She recommends the beet/avocado/goat cheese and walnut salad and the fennel/quinoa salad, which are her personal favorites. On Facebook at the beginning of every week, they will announce where to meet the pink truck during the days that follow.
Sina and Sanna are currently looking for more locations to offer their salads, smoothies and baked potatoes to people who want a fast and healthy, tasty lunch and they can imagine serving at diverse events – like festivals, sporting events, and art openings. If you have an idea or would like to have beetinthebox at your Hamburg company during lunchtime, you are more than welcome to contact Sina (hello@beetinthebox.de)!