Honeybee Burger offering is now closed and is no longer accepting investments.
INVEST IN HONEYBEE BURGER TODAY!
Saving the planet one plant-based burger at a time
$1,819,252.32 Raised
REASONS TO INVEST
Honeybee Burger is positioned to take advantage of the twin tail-winds of increasing demand for plant-based food, and Americans' large and growing appetite for fast-food of every kind, and burgers specifically
Major studies show that plant-based diets and reduced meat intake are a top priority for Gen Z and Millennials - over 150MM people in the US alone!
Honeybee Burger has already established its presence in LA, and has a large and growing social following (17k+ Instagram followers), great reviews (4.5 stars), thousands of customers served from its pilot locations, and managed to be profitable during 2020 despite the pandemic
The Honeybee Burger story
Honeybee Burger is a humble fast-food burger joint with a grand mission: help save the planet by making plant-based food more desirable, accessible, and available everywhere consumers think about eating.
Why the bee? Because honey bees are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food we take! It's hard to imagine a more important creature to our food system. That was a creature worth recognizing and celebrating!
We chose the ever-popular and iconic cheeseburger to build our brand around, because, hey, Americans love their burgers!
Plus, every time a customer eats a plant-based burger instead of one made with beef, it reduces our carbon footprint while saving enough water for 2 months worth of showers and preserving precious farmland! Now that’s something we can get behind!
Moreover, beef consumption and the commercial ranching of cows place a huge burden on our planet, using up our water and our land, pumping tons of CO2 into the environment, and of course, killing our cows! And reducing meat intake is associated with improvements in heart health, digestive health, and reduced risk of stroke! Shifting our demand for beef to plant-based alternatives can help all this - from the planet to your body!
That’s why Honeybee’s founder, Adam Weiss, came up with the idea of creating a mission-driven plant-based food concept back in 2018.
Adam opened the first Honeybee location in 2019, with co-founders Jeremy Adler, Brian Cikigil, and Ophelia Weiss. Located in Los Feliz, Los Angeles (since moved to Silverlake) this “pilot” location allowed Honeybee to test and optimize the menu, establish a loyal customer base, and basically show the world Honeybee’s awesome and distinctive take on plant-based fast food!
*By investing in Honeybee Burger Inc, you are investing in a company that owns not only the intellectual property that is Honeybee, but also owns 75% of our new flagship location opening soon in Los Angeles. Honeybee Burger, Inc. will also receive 5% of all revenue generated from the Honeybee cloud kitchen in West LA’s Colony Cooks.
The Problem
The demand for plant-based food is growing, but fast-food vegan options are often lacking and unappealing
Let’s face it. Vegan food can be boring. Before the introduction of “plant-based meats” like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, vegan “burger” options were typically veggie or bean patties, which didn’t try to emulate beef, and were not very appealing to traditional burger lovers.
But with these new plant-based meats working to mimic the taste of actual beef, people flipped out! For the first time, you could have a burger (or a sausage) that cooked, looked, felt, and tasted like meat -- but that was made entirely from plants! All of a sudden, the 97% of the US that didn’t identify as a vegan could eat a plant-based burger and enjoy it as much as beef - but without the harmful environmental impact.
As Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat grew in popularity (Beyond even went public in 2019), many major fast-food chains introduced new items made with one or the other. Unfortunately, these options are often crowded into a corner by double cheeseburgers and bacon burgers and are seldomly prepared in a way that makes them appealing or keeps them vegan. And to be frank: the last thing that traditional fast-food burger joints want to do is to convince you not to eat meat!
And that’s why Honeybee was born!
The Solution
A delicious plant-based alternative to fast food burgers that totally updates traditional vegan food
We decided to feature all of these amazing new products, including both Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, and offer them in a totally plant-based menu with fries, shakes, fried chicken sandwiches, breakfast offerings, and more. Our food is cruelty-free, environmentally conscious, delicious, and anything but boring!
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We set out to create a more popular, accessible, and desirable vegan menu, or what we refer to as Vegan 2.0! We use humor, inclusive messaging, sustainable packaging, and the most contemporary, delicious ingredients on the market to appeal to meat-eaters and non-meat eaters alike, and at the same time, make plant-based food more appealing to younger consumers as well!
Vegan 2.0 is about teaching, not preaching. It's about inclusivity, not exclusivity! It's about fun on a bun!
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The Market Opportunity
Plant-based eating is on the rise, especially among millennial and Gen Z consumers
The burger segment is the largest in fast-food, representing about 30%, or over $90 billion of the total US fast-food market of $281 billion. There are over 100,000 burger restaurants in the US alone.
The plant-based food market is on track to be worth $74.2 billion by 2027 with the burger patties segment expected to grow at the highest rate as seen with the 10% increase in demand last year for plant-based burgers (and growing). Burger brands are among the most iconic in fast food, including McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy’s, Carls, and more. According to multiple sources, Americans eat 3 burgers per week, 70% of which are ordered at a fast-food burger joint.
But, major studies show that plant-based diets and reduced meat intake are among the top priorities for Zoomers (Gen Z) and Millennials (which makes up over 150MM of the population), and according to Gallup, nearly one in four people reduced their meat consumption last year.
Our Traction
A proven concept, ready to be scaled and expanded
Honeybee Burger launched in May 2019 with our first “pilot” location in Los Angeles, in a small neighborhood east of Hollywood. We took over a tiny old burger restaurant, with a main floor of about 500 square feet (with about 350sf of storage upstairs), and hidden under an old movie theater marquee. By the end of 2019, sales were growing, and the store grew both sales and profits during the pandemic, despite almost no in-house dining, restricted out-door dining, and delivery apps taking up to 30% commissions! We believe that this performance would have been even more extraordinary in the absence of the pandemic. This model will serve as the template for our new flagship location at 345 La Brea and future locations.
We also launched our first cloud kitchen in March 2020 in West Los Angeles, chosen for its proximity to delivery markets from Beverly Hills and Westwood to downtown Santa Monica. Despite the pandemic, which has shut down these office districts, our location is close to break-even. This framework will serve as the model to open future virtual kitchens that can leverage our brick and mortar brand throughout Southern California, and eventually across the country, as the growth in cloud kitchens continues to increase. [This location will also be paying out 5% of its revenue to Honeybee Burger Inc.]
Honeybee Burger has been featured by Eater Los Angeles: “The Hottest Burgers to Try in LA Right Now” and “14 Essential Vegan Restaurants in Los Angeles,” among other food publications. We have received an average of 4.5 stars across review platforms, have 17k+ Instagram followers, and 17k+ YELP followers.
Metrics from our pilot store have also surpassed the typical burger QSR: Average order values and sales per foot are about double traditional burger QSR’s! Where the average customer spends about $8 when they visit McDonalds ($10 at Wendy's and Burger King), they spend over $20 at Honeybee!
The pilot store also demonstrated efficiency, generating over $1,150 per foot in gross sales, compared to $645 for McDonald's, $555 at Wendy's, and just under $400 for Burger King).
*Honeybee Burger, Inc. acquired the Honeybee intellectual property in February 2021 from Virtuous Food, LLC. Honeybee Burger, Inc. and Virtuous Foods, LLC share the same Founder & CEO, Adam Weiss
What We Do
We strive to make our food delicious, sustainable, accessible, inclusive, and fun!
Honeybee uses the best ingredients available, offering entirely plant-based burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, wraps, and of course, fries, ice cream, and shakes. Our products are made beautifully, packaged sustainably, and marketed in a way that allows us to leverage our brand so that our customers feel part of something bigger than the burger they just ate.
Today, Honeybee has become a platform for some of the best-known, most delicious plant-based food out there, such as Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, Atlas Monroe chicken, Akua Kelp patties, JUST Egg, and more. In fact, exciting new brands have sought us out as their fast-food launch partners. This will open up exciting new menu opportunities for us, and with each launch will further distinguish Honeybee from the competition.
The Business Model
Focus on growth while remaining capital-efficient to get stores online faster and cheaper than competitors
By targeting “second generation” restaurants with pre-existing and costly infrastructure already in place, we reduce our construction budgets and development time by 50% or more. This allows us to get locations online and generating revenue months faster than building stores from the ground up.
Our business model was designed to be both scalable and capital efficient. That’s why we're embracing cloud kitchens, so we can more quickly expand our footprint. And we're planning on franchising Honeybees as well, so passionate restaurant operators can do good while they're doing well.
The plant-based food market is on track to be worth $74.2 billion by 2027. Grocery sales of plant-based foods that directly replace animal products have grown 29% from 2017 to 2019. Honeybee will leverage our brand visibility, and our food expertise, to develop branded plant-based food products, for grocery, customers, and other restaurants. Because in the end, we want plant-based food everywhere consumers are making meal decisions.
*The above is a rendering of a future Honeybee burger location. Images are computer generated demo versions. This location is still currently under development.
Honeybee Burger, Inc.’s first new location will be in the heart of Los Angeles and will be approximately 75% owned by Honeybee Burger, Inc., with the other 25% going to legacy investors.
Based on the performance of the existing Honeybee locations, we expect to earn margins of 10-18% on our company-owned stores (brick and mortar + cloud). This includes keeping Prime margins (COGS + Labor) to 60-65%, occupancy of 8-10%, and miscellaneous costs of 8-10%.
How We Are Different
“Vegan 2.0”: Our unique, fresh, modern take on plant-based fast food with broad appeal
Honeybee is not just another fast-food business. It is a mission-driven fast-food business designed for today’s consumers and tomorrow’s decision-makers.
Unlike other vegan or vegetarian restaurants we’ve seen, our approach to plant-based food is specifically tailored to a broader audience that includes meat-eaters and non-meat eaters alike, and young and old alike. Our branding, design, and even the names of our food specifically embrace a younger demographic: our single burger is called the “Honeybee”; the double is the “Queen Bee”, and our breakfast sandwich is the “Brekky Bee”.
We have also gone to great lengths to avoid all nuts, and we continue to create more gluten-free options while making sure to use sustainable, environmentally friendly packaging.
Ultimately, what separates Honeybee most from the competition is the manifestation of our brand in everything we do: from our in-store design to our menu names, our packaging, our collaborations with new food companies, and finally, our mission: to save the world, one plant-based burger at a time!
The Vision
BEE part of something bigger
We believe that a modern fast food brand focused on plant-based burgers and sides like Honeybee will quickly find its spot in every major US city. Our goal is to establish incumbency to become the de facto plant-based burger joint at airports, sports arenas, high street retail, and even central business districts and malls.
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Our goal is to open 4-6 stores within 12 months and have 12-20 stores operating within 24-36 months. If we are able to open these stores, and achieve sales per foot in our brick and mortar stores of $1,200, and also achieve sales from our cloud locations that are slightly stronger than the pandemic-performance from the Colony location, our aim will be to achieve a top line of $15-20MM in 3 years. Longer term, we may look to a potential sale to PE or SPAC or strategic buyer, though we will never lose focus on growing and operating our stores. Of course, if we could follow in the footsteps of giants like McDonalds and Shake Shack, we might go public one day! A bee can dream, after all.
Evidence and data show that the trend toward plant-based dining is worldwide, not just here in the US. If we are able to achieve our goal of becoming a truly iconic fast-food brand here, then we might be able to follow in the footsteps of other famous brands that were born in the US and then expanded internationally.
Ultimately, we consider every burger eaten at Honeybee is one less beef-burger eaten. And if we can do that a billion times, we have a real shot at making a lasting, positive impact on the world.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Experts in finance, food, design, and the plant-based restaurant industry
Founder & CEO, Adam Weiss has a successful 10-year track record of investing in plant-based restaurants and businesses, including Cafe Gratitude, Gracias Madre, vegan snack company Safe + Fair, and even co-founding plant protein company, Plantible Foods in Carlsbad, CA - dedicated to making the most sustainable plant protein in the world.
Weiss realized that Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat were exploding in popularity and were mission-driven, yet there were no fast-food restaurants dedicated to the plant-based burger space that was leveraging or sharing this mission that he could see. Thus, he set out to create Honeybee.
Since then, Weiss has assembled a team that includes Jeremy Adler a 20-year restaurant operator and chef with demonstrated success scaling restaurant operations; Brian Cikigil, an ex-finance professional, who runs the day to day operations; and Ophelia Weiss, a professionally trained designer and ex-Wall Street finance pro, who is involved with all aspects of the store design and customer experience.
Why Invest
We’ve combined a staple of American culture with the fastest growing food segment, to create a winning combination!
Investing in Honeybee is supporting a mission to save the world while being part of the fastest-growing segment in Food and Beverage. We have blended one of the most popular American food segments (burgers) with one of the strongest trends in all of dining (plant-based food). By establishing Honeybee’s incumbency in the plant-based fast-food world, we believe that we will change the eating habits of the next generation of fast-food diners everywhere.
We believe Honeybee has enormous potential to grow locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, through company-owned stores and franchisees, driven by the increasing demand for plant-based food, especially among millennials and Gen Z!
We'd love to have you join the Hive. You will BEE part of something bigger. You can BEE part of the solution. Invest in something that you can genuinely BEE proud of.
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THE OFFERING MATERIALS MAY CONTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION RELATING TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE COMPANY, ITS BUSINESS PLAN AND STRATEGY, AND ITS INDUSTRY. THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON THE BELIEFS OF, ASSUMPTIONS MADE BY, AND INFORMATION CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO THE COMPANY’S MANAGEMENT. WHEN USED IN THE OFFERING MATERIALS, THE WORDS “ESTIMATE,” “PROJECT,” “BELIEVE,” “ANTICIPATE,” “INTEND,” “EXPECT” AND SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS ARE INTENDED TO IDENTIFY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, WHICH CONSTITUTE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THESE STATEMENTS REFLECT MANAGEMENT’S CURRENT VIEWS WITH RESPECT TO FUTURE EVENTS AND ARE SUBJECT TO RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES THAT COULD CAUSE THE COMPANY’S ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE CONTAINED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. INVESTORS ARE CAUTIONED NOT TO PLACE UNDUE RELIANCE ON THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, WHICH SPEAK ONLY AS OF THE DATE ON WHICH THEY ARE MADE. THE COMPANY DOES NOT UNDERTAKE ANY OBLIGATION TO REVISE OR UPDATE THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS TO REFLECT EVENTS OR CIRCUMSTANCES AFTER SUCH DATE OR TO REFLECT THE OCCURRENCE OF UNANTICIPATED EVENTS.
ABOUT
HEADQUARTERS
11150 Santa Monica Blvd, Ste 600
Los Angeles, CA 90025
WEBSITE
View Site
Honeybee Burger is a 100% plant-based food company that is aiming to become an iconic national fast-food brand. Our mission is to help save the planet by getting more people to choose plant-based food over animal-based food by focusing on America’s most popular and iconic fast-food: burgers!
TEAM
Adam Weiss
CEO & Director
Jeremy Adler
Hospitality Partner
When Jeremy became General Manager at EN Japanese Brasserie in NYC and Eveleigh in Los Angeles, he led both restaurants to more than double their revenue. After the birth of his daughter, Annabella, Jeremy became a Hospitality Consultant for numerous Los Angeles area hospitality businesses, including Shutters on the Beach, Chateau Marmont & Venice Ale House.
Jeremy was there at the beginning, helping design the menu and manage the operations of the Honeybee pilot store in Los Feliz.
Jeremy continues to work on the menu, refining recipes and creating new menu items. He also helps to manage the development of new locations.
Brian Cikigil
Operations and Execution Partner
Brian is a career finance professional, focusing on operations and reporting, and has worked on Wall Street and in California for several noteworthy firms. He is familiar with multiple technology platforms used in financial reporting, and has acted in the role of technology integration for several firms, including for Honeybee.
Brian is primarily responsible for daily operations of Honeybee stores and corporate activities outside the kitchen. This includes all technology integration (apps, comms, POS), as well as HR, logistics, and marketing and promotions, specifically through third party delivery apps.
Ophelia Weiss
Design and Customer Experience Partner
Ophelia designed the inital and distinctive template for Honeybee with the specific goal of appealing to women and young families while embracing our unique ethos. Her use of bright color blocks, natural/organic elements, and 8-bit visuals has created one of the most iconic brands in fast food.
Jorge Hurtado
Kitchen Operations Manager
Jorge joined Honeybee after our launch and was integral in helping streamline prep, food ordering and inventory management. He is responsible for all kitchen management and back of house operations, including COGS management and menu optimization. Jorge also leads our recruiting, training, and managing of BOH staff.
Jorge's energy and passion for cooking has made him an excellent and passionate team member, and he will be deeply involved in the opening of new stores, kitchen management, and menu development and execution.
TERMS
Honeybee Burger
Overview
PRICE PER SHARE
$1.20
DEADLINE
Sep 26, 2021
VALUATION
$12M
AMOUNT RAISED
$1,819,252.32
Breakdown
MIN INVESTMENT
$240
MAX INVESTMENT
$50,000
MIN NUMBER OF SHARES OFFERED
8,333
OFFERING TYPE
Equity
ASSET TYPE
COMMON
SHARES OFFERED
Common Stock
MAX NUMBER OF SHARES OFFERED
1,516,666
Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares
Company | : | Honeybee Burger Inc. |
Corporate Address | : | 11150 Santa Monica Blvd, Ste 600, Los Angeles, CA 90025 |
Offering Minimum | : | $9,999.60 |
Offering Maximum | : | $1,819,999.20 |
Minimum Investment Amount(per investor) | : | $240.00 |
Terms
Offering Type | : | Equity |
Security Name | : | Common Stock |
Minimum Number of Shares Offered | : | 8,333 |
Maximum Number of Shares Offered | : | 1,516,666 |
Price per Share | : | $1.20 |
Pre-Money Valuation | : | $12,000,000.00 |
*Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares. See Bonus info below.
Voting Rights of Securities Sold in this Offering
Voting Proxy. Each Subscriber shall appoint the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (the “CEO”), or his or her successor, as the Subscriber’s true and lawful proxy and attorney, with the power to act alone and with full power of substitution, to, consistent with this instrument and on behalf of the Subscriber, (i) vote all Securities, (ii) give and receive notices and communications, (iii) execute any instrument or document that the CEO determines is necessary or appropriate in the exercise of its authority under this instrument, and (iv) take all actions necessary or appropriate in the judgment of the CEO for the accomplishment of the foregoing. The proxy and power granted by the Subscriber pursuant to this Section are coupled with an interest. Such proxy and power will be irrevocable. The proxy and power, so long as the Subscriber is an individual, will survive the death, incompetency and disability of the Subscriber and, so long as the Subscriber is an entity, will survive the merger or reorganization of the Subscriber or any other entity holding the Securities. However, the Proxy will terminate upon the closing of a firm-commitment underwritten public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 covering the offer and sale of Common Stock or the effectiveness of a registration statement under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 covering the Common Stock.
Investment Incentives
Time-Based:
Friends and Family Early Birds
Invest within the first 48 hours and receive additional 20% bonus shares.
Super Early Bird Bonus
Invest within the first week and receive additional 15% bonus shares.
Early Bird Bonus
Invest within the first two weeks and receive an additional 10% bonus shares.
Amount-Based:
$250 | Hive Class
$25 food credit + Access to special discount codes and promotions.
$500 | Colony Class
5% bonus shares + $75 food credit + Access to special discount codes and promotions.
$1,000 | Swarm Class
7% bonus shares + $100 food credit + Honeybee hoodie + Access to special discount codes and promotions.
$2,500 | Apiary Class
10% bonus shares + $150 food credit + Honeybee limited edition track jacket + Access to special discount codes and promotions.
$5,000 | Beekeeper Class
12% bonus shares + $150 food credit + Honeybee limited edition track jacket + One year (non transferable) 25% discount (up to $1,000 net) + Access to special discount codes and promotions.
$10,000 | Queen Bee Class
15% bonus shares + $150 food credit + Honeybee limited edition track jacket + One year (non transferable) 50% discount (up to $1,000 net) + Access to special discount codes and promotions.
*All perks occur when the offering is completed.
The 10% StartEngine OWNer's Bonus
Honeybee Burger Inc. will offer 10% additional bonus shares for all investments that are committed by investors that are eligible for the StartEngine Crowdfunding Inc. OWNer's bonus.
This means eligible StartEngine shareholders will receive a 10% bonus for any shares they purchase in this offering. For example, if you buy 100 shares of Common Stock at $1.20 / share, you will receive 10 additional Common Stock shares, meaning you'll own 110 shares for $120. Fractional shares will not be distributed and share bonuses will be determined by rounding down to the nearest whole share.
This 10% Bonus is only valid during the investors eligibility period. Investors eligible for this bonus will also have priority if they are on a waitlist to invest and the company surpasses its maximum funding goal. They will have the first opportunity to invest should room in the offering become available if prior investments are cancelled or fail.
Investors will only receive a single bonus, which will be the highest bonus rate they are eligible for.
Irregular Use of Proceeds
The Company might incur Irregular Use of Proceeds that may include but are not limited to the following over $10,000: Inter company debt or back payments. Salary payments made to one’s self, a friend or relative.
PRESS
ALL UPDATES
05.12.22
Updates
Hi!
We will be sending out our latest update in a few days to CONFIRMED INVESTORS only.
By now, confirmed investors should have received a few updates already - to the email address that you provided to Start Engine when you invested. If not, please email us at Investors@Honeybeeburger.com.
Thank you, Team Honeybee
PS - We are open in Venice at 326 Lincoln Boulevard (By Rose) daily from noon to 8, and to 9 on Friday and Saturday. Investors with food credits may use them there or at 345 N. La Brea in Mid-City.
10.29.21
Updates...
Hi all!
I am going to be posting investor updates via email going forward.
For those of you who did not invest, you may keep in touch by following us on Instagram @Honeybeeburger, where we will post news about general updates.
I will circle back to this platform periodically to post general updates as we have so many followers here.
Thank you all for your support.
Cheers, Adam
Note: For questions about your stock certificates or your Start Engine account, please email Contact@StartEngine.com.
09.18.21
The finish line, the Big Apple, and more
Hi all!
By now you may have heard that we “inked” our first deal for a New York location!
Here it is: After a year of looking (including during the worst of the pandemic) - we landed at 280 Bleecker Street - in the heart of the Village neighborhood of downtown New York City.
The location was an old seafood restaurant (very symbolic that we are replacing a resto that served animal based food, but still sad for the owners who closed), and it is located adjacent to the famous John’s of Bleecker Street pizza - a place that routinely gets a cue past our front door! Woo hoo!
The entire neighborhood is known for fast casual places - which we fit in to perfectly. It is also not dependent on business or office traffic, which is fine, because the students, locals and tourists will more than make up for that! Plus, we think the late-night vibe of the area will help us expand our operating hours and bring in all kinds of new customers!
We are also in negotiations on 2 other sites in Manhattan (no assurances)! NY landlords seem to be getting more comfortable with our brand and story, and this is bringing us more opportunities and prospective sites. This is crucial, as there have been a few recent additions to the market in NYC, including PLNT Burger, Hip City Veg, and a few other single-site operators. I say: the more the merrier! Having more plant-based burger joints in NYC will increase the size and awareness of the market - and I am more than up for the competition.
Because, this:
If we could make number 1 vegan burger in LA, with the most competitive, evolved vegan burger scene in America, I think we can handle little old NYC!
Food credits
The system is going live! You will soon get an email (from COMO) to activate your account (it will be pre-funded with credits). Please note that the credits will initially only be usable at La Brea (in-store), but they won’t expire, and soon they will be usable throughout our stores and online as well (though not with 3rd party delivery apps, like Postmates, as they collect payment, not us).
Awards: Food Credit allocations: (based on amount committed)
Hive Class ($250-$499) - $25
Colony Class ($500 - $999) - $75
Swarm Class ($1,000 - $2,499) - $100
Apiary Class ($2,500 - $4,999) - $150
Beekeeper Class ($5,000 - $9,999) - $150 PLUS 25% food discount up to $1k (good for one year)
Queen Bee Class ($10,000 - $15,000) - $150 PLUS 50% food discount up to $1k (good for one year)
Reminder: if you cannot or will not use your food credits, we are going to set up a donation and sponsorship program. Stay tuned!
Other Swag
We are still getting through the SWARM hoodies (we emailed y’all with a link a few times), and now that we have final numbers for the track jackets, we are proceeding with their design and production. Thank you for your patience!
Finally, if you are on the waitlist, and you have been contacted by Start Engine to finalize your investment, this is the last chance to invest in this round. We are over-subscribed, so if you do not (or cannot) respond to the email, you will not be able to invest in Honeybee at this time. Either way, we’d love to have you follow our story!
More big news to come!
With huge gratitude, Adam
09.08.21
Wrapping up!
Hi all!
I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend!
We are very close to our end funding goal. In fact, we have commitments that take us above our 1.82MM limit (hence the wait list), but they have yet to clear. If these funds clear, we are essentially at our maximum!
Please see below for clarification:
- If you did get in, but have not yet confirmed your investment (either a check hasn't cleared or you need to use a different card), please try to do so this week, as the campaign is going to close soon. You can view your status on your investor dashboard.
- If it says 'Invested', you are all set as an Investor in Honeybee.
- If you are on the waitlist, you may still get in. Provided there is room, you will receive an email asking to confirm your investment within 24 hours. It is on a first come, first serve basis, based on when you first joined the wait list.
A note on these updates: we have seen some information from these updates make it to the press. While these are not confidential communications, I am going to be a bit more strategic with updates so we have better control of what makes it to the press, and when our news gets out (we want to optimize our visibility).
La Brea
We are starting to hit our stride, and have finally landed on most of the delivery apps. Our POS systems seem to be working, as do our new order management systems. Staffing has been an issue, though in the past 48 hours, we have hired several team members with great promise.
If you have visited us, please YELP us or leave a Google review. Every review matters this early, and every half-star impacts our conversion on Yelp ads (and Google). Link below in case the hyperlink above doesn't work.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/honeybee-burger-mid-city-los-angeles
Food Credits
We are now in final testing the food credit system, and should be able to go live in a few days. The credits will be good system-wide, but at first, only at La Brea. Confirmed investors will receive emails soon regarding credits. Note: the credits do not expire, so no worries.
For investors who cannot use the credits (because they are not local), we are exploring options to donate or trade the credits. I would love your feedback, which you may leave on our website.
Hoodies
We sent out another batch of SWARM hoodies, and are current through mid-July. We have been so short-staffed (some Covid issues, some systemic) that we have dedicated all our time to the stores, but I hope that we can scale up fulfillment soon.
Track Jackets
I now have a handle on the number of jackets we'll need, so I am able to pick final vendors. The design will be different from the SWARM hoodies, and I hope you'll find it was worth the wait! Thank you for your patience.
NYC
Yes, we signed a deal and are in design and development! Our NYC de3velopment partner, Keith Schwebel, is a long-time developer (and friend), having developed the ARLO NoMad hotel and brand, and the recently launched NEST Apartments in Jersey City, a stunning new project featuring micro-apartments. Keith will help shepherd our NY expansion efforts, and will allow us to pursue multiple projects at once. In fact, we are in negotiations on a second NYC location at this very moment,
For our NY projects, we have engaged the top QSR architect and design firm in NYC, and our partner Ophelia Weiss will work closely with the firm in the execution of our vision. I will disclose the name of the firm soon to our investor group, as we are not yet ready to begin PR.
BUZZ BY! La Brea is located at 345 N. La Brea, just north of Beverly Boulevard. Parking below. Discounts to investors until credits become live.
With gratitude,
Adam
08.29.21
Whoops you did it again!
Hi!
Well, you took us all to the finish line, again! THANK YOU!
The campaign will have a final waitlist in case a few investments don't clear. Please feel free to join it. As always, you'll be given the opportunity to opt in or out if the space becomes available!
NOWADAYS collab
Today marks the launch of our most recent collaboration! This one is with the incredible plant-based chicken makers, Nowadays.
We test a lot of plant-based products, and in particular, chicken and chicken nuggets. We never found a chicken nugget that we would be willing to carry until this one!
Why am I sharing this level of detail? Because I want investors to understand how we strive to keep Honeybee ahead of the curve, and ahead of the competition, with new and compelling choices!
Nuggets also accomplish other things for Honeybee: they provide yet another reason to come visit; they have a particular appeal to children; and they are at a slightly lower price point, to offer more affordable options on our menu.
These type of collaborations create excitement for Honeybee customers. In the QSR world, we are always striving to give customers a reason to revisit us. These type of collaborations do just that!
345 North La Brea Avenue
We are still in soft open phase, as we finalize the integration of the delivery apps and all the new tech.
Our name is now in lights!
And our distinctive wall covering is installed.
We are still awaiting our final light fixtures, which have been delayed for many months due to the issues I'm sure you're all reading about. Ugh.
The reason I'm sharing these details is that important Design Elements like these serve as a great foundation for potential franchises. I believe we've created an incredibly distinctive look that is unique in all of QSR.
In such a crowded field, having a look that's appealing and distinctive can attracts both customers and potential franchisees (when the time comes).
Until then, buzz by! Investors will receive 25% discounts until the food credit system is fully installed, which should be done in another few days.
And if you do come by, please say hi and don't forget to drop us a review on Google, Yelp or wherever! (Photos help your reviews get approved, especially if you've never posted a review on Yelp before.) Here is the link for our Yelp page: Honeybee Burger Mid-City
With gratitude, Adam
08.25.21
So close!
Hi!
Even though we're just a few thousand dollars from our finish line, many companies go a little bit over in case not all investor funds are able to clear. So, if you're on the fence, there is still a chance to invest.
Regardless, you have all exceeded our expectations with your interest and support in our business! A huge thank you to the over 2,000 of you who are joining our Hive, and the many more who have been following our story!
Franchising
We've received many inquiries about franchising, and I am certainly keeping a list of those of you who have expressed interest. The rules regarding franchising are very strict, so I am unable to solicit interest from prospective franchisees at this point. That said, we will let our investors know about our franchising plans before the general public (as regulations permit).
We have a bunch of exciting things to talk about in the coming weeks, from new and exclusive product launches to potential new locations!
Once the campaign closes, I will have your contact information as provided through StartEngine. That way we will be able to stay in touch regarding all matters Honeybee.
Until then, stay tuned here for news and updates.
With gratitude, Adam
Ps: here are a few images from our La Brea store (still limited for press reasons).
Feel free to buzz by! Investors get a 25pct discount until food credits go live any day now. Please toss us a great review if you're able.
We're getting our lighting and wall treatments installed this week! I'll send pics soon. Cheers
08.21.21
Happy World Honey Bee day! And 🗽🍎
👋🏼 Happy World Honey Bee day! 🌎🐝💛
📢 The Honey bee is one of 20,000 bee species! And while she isn't the only pollinator in the group, she's obviously our favorite! 💛
We get asked almost daily why we picked Honeybee as a name, since honey isn't vegan (we agree). 🤔
👉🏽 The reason is that we felt that the little miracle creature is a great symbol of nature's ability to help feed us! Bees pollinate so many agricultural crops that it's said they are responsible for 2 in 3 bites of food we take each day! 🤯
📣 We chose today to launch our newest "Hive", located at 345 N La Brea, in Mid-City LA! 🎉
Buzz by! We're open with outside dining from noon to 7 all week (hours will extend in the near future). Note: food credits are still not live, but investors who buzz by will receive discounts!
And if you noticed the subject line (I'm an admitted emoji abuser, especially on Instagram), we've got some news to drop...
We signed our first lease in New York City!
After a year of my well-documented search, we found a spot for our first East Coast Hive!
I'll provide details later, but for now, just know that we are aiming high with our little company, and we couldn't do it without all 2,000+ of you! THANK YOU ALL!
With gratitude! Adam
08.18.21
Notice of Funds Disbursement
[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].
Hello!
As you might know, Honeybee Burger has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Honeybee Burger be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.
This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.
Thanks for funding the future.
-StartEngine
08.18.21
What exactly is a "soft" open anyway? Oh, and we're thisclose to full!
Hi all!
This Saturday, August 21, is World Bee Day -- a day you probably never thought of before, but one that is very significant for us (I will post on Saturday in more detail).
That day is also the day we have chosen to "soft" open La Brea.
What does 'soft" mean? In our business, a "soft" open is one that occurs in the first few days of business operations, where we are still working through operational kinks. Customers might experience longer wait times, order errors, product inconsistencies, and other glitches that simply cannot be ironed-out without actually being in business. Our goal is to minimize these issues in the shortest period of time before exposing our new restaurant to the general public.
We are choosing this approach, as opposed to a splashy, PR-driven opening, as there are so many new facets to our business that we are deploying for the first time. For example, our payment system, order system, food credit system, and even our hardware are all brand-new, and these are not minor components. Exposing our new restaurant to the broader public and press at this early stage could risk us getting off on the wrong foot. We may not have only one chance to make a first impression, but we want to be cautious. (Plus we still have some final touches to add, including lighting and design elements).
That said, I would be thrilled if you came by this weekend for the "soft" open (which will last the first full week). We will be open on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 7. We are at 345 N. La Brea, located between Beverly and Melrose. There is parking below (!) and plenty on the street. Because of the recent Delta restrictions, we will keep service outdoors, in our amazing courtyard!
If you come, please understand that we will not yet be deploying the food credits. We are doing this because adding that layer of complexity to our very first weekend will certainly cause delays and compromise our opening. I hope you understand that we are in this together, and we all benefit from a great opening. We will host multiple investor days, where we will have specials, as well as dedicated staff to working through the food credit process. These will likely occur over the next few weeks.
PLEASE: No posting or photos. Why? Because when we officially open, the large publications, like Eater LA, VegNews, and VegOut will be less likely to cover us if there is already a bunch of pics online. However, if you want to really impact our business in a great way, getting started with a bunch of 5 Star reviews would be amazing - though I am not specifically requesting that!
Thank you all for your awesome support -- great things ahead!
Cheers, Adam
PS - We are nearly at our max fundraising goal, so if you are on the fence, this may be your last opportunity for this round.
08.11.21
Who's Number 1?
We are! Honeybee was selected as the BEST VEGAN BURGER in LA!
Yesterday, VegNews, the leading vegan/vegetarian publisher, published their list of top vegan food in LA -- the Nation's most selective, competitive market for vegan food (and burgers!). We are thrilled to be on it, but we won't stop until we are the best burger in LA, period.
Click here to view the article!
Getting close to the finish line
We are currently over 90% of the way to our final funding goal, so that means about $120k left before we close the campaign for good!
We have over 2,100 investors! My goal was always to reach 2,000 -- and I cannot thank you all enough for your support and belief in us. I truly believe we are building the most compelling F&B brand in the country - one that can and will make a difference in our shared future, while also potentially becoming one of the most valuable brands and businesses in all of QSR (Quick Service Restaurants).
You might want to hurry, as the launch of our flagship store on La Brea will coincide with World Bee Day (August 21), and we expect to attract a lot of attention, both locally and nationally (as well as abroad) to our Start Engine page.
If you invested, you may re-invest (your perk level will rise based on your total investment, but not for bonus share classes; just for food credits and swag). If you are on the wait list, you will have received a reminder from Start Engine asking if you'd like to invest. If you have been following us (we are at over 5,000 followers, which apparently is super high for a business like ours), this is your chance to invest or ask questions.
Swag
To our investors over $2,500, we are awaiting a final count before we order and produce the track jackets. Because of the numbers, we will not be able to re-order them once we place the main order (based on minimums), so we need to get the count as accurately as possible. Ordering too many would be wasteful, as we will not make them available for sale (hey -- it's a perk to recognize your investment, not just a track jacket!).
As for SWARM hoodies ($1,000-$2,499 invested in total), we have fulfilled 95% of the original requests. I have emailed the list 3x, hoping to get my SWARM investors to link to our website to complete their hoodie request. Please email us at SWARM@Honeybeeburger.com with any questions. If you are CONFIRMED as a SWARM investor, please visit our website and select the SWARM hoodie under MERCH. We do the confirmations manually, so each errant request can be a huge distraction. Thank you for your understanding and patience.
Investor day
We will be holding an Investor day at La Brea in a few weeks. I will email confirmed investors invites soon, as I have access to emails for confirmed and funded investors. In the meantime, any one may feel free to buzz by our grand opening on August 21! Details to follow.
With gratitude, Adam
REWARDS
$240
StartEngine Owner’s Bonus
This offering is eligible for the StartEngine Owner’s 10% Bonus program. For details on this program, please see the Offering Summary section below.
$250
Hive Class
$25 food credit + Access to special discount codes and promotions.
$500
Colony Class
5% bonus shares + $75 food credit + Access to special discount codes and promotions.
$1,000
Swarm Class
7% bonus shares + $100 food credit + Honeybee hoodie + Access to special discount codes and promotions.
$2,500
Apiary Class
10% bonus shares + $150 food credit + Honeybee limited edition track jacket + Access to special discount codes and promotions.
$5,000
Beekeeper Class
12% bonus shares + $150 food credit + Honeybee limited edition track jacket + One year (non transferable) 25% discount (up to $1,000 net) + Access to special discount codes and promotions.
$10,000
Queen Bee Class
15% bonus shares + $150 food credit + Honeybee limited edition track jacket + One year (non transferable) 50% discount (up to $1,000 net) + Access to special discount codes and promotions.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
0/2500
HOW INVESTING WORKS
Cancel anytime before 48 hours before a rolling close or the offering end date.
WHY STARTENGINE?
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