Visiting Bend Oregon has an interesting monthly event called First Friday. On the first Friday of the month, businesses entice customers with wine, snacks, and each one features a different local artist. It’s fun to walkaround, perhaps visit stores that you’ve never been in, and generally have an enjoyable walk.
There is a cool store in the Old Mill District named Kara’s Kitchenware. We had the good
fortune of being invited to participate in First Friday by offering samples of strawberries, mangos, or marshmallows with chocolate sauce. The chocolate sauce was made on the premises with Cheri’s HazelCream. It was our first demo, on a First Friday. There was a steady stream of people, a combination of shoppers and looky-loos. Besides our fruit and chocolate, others were offering caramel popcorn balls, chocolate bars, and wine. The art was lovely, offering trees and forest scenes.
My guess is that seventy-five percent of the people passing by stopped to taste a sample. The response was overwhelmingly positive. As I squirted the chocolate on the fruit, I gave my five second sales pitch. If someone stayed longer, then I would go into greater detail. A few people had
questions, which I was glad to answer. We also offered business cards and one-sheets that had the chocolate sauce recipe on it.
Demos are an excellent was to expose the public to our wonderful product. We will be back at Kara’s for First Friday in November. If you are in the area, please come and check us out.
