Solstice Wood Fire Pizza

Client

After seven years in Bingen, Washington, husband-and-wife team Aaron and Suzanne decided to move their family and business to Hood River, Oregon. Unable to pay for the lease they signed on the beautiful Hood River waterfront, they reached out to their community for help. Their fans showed up strong, raising $57,000 through a Kickstarter campaign. Today, Solstice Wood Fire Pizza continues to provide a place for friends, family and communities to gather, serving inventive pizza alongside a delicious, homegrown and house-made menu.

Their goal

Reeling from the effects of the pandemic and the impact it had on the restaurant industry, Aaron and Suzanne came to Meriwether Group for help. Would their restaurant business survive? And if so, what form would it take?

How we helped

Using our proprietary North Star approach, Meriwether Group evaluated every aspect of their business, from food trucks to catering to the restaurant itself. We looked at their organizational structure, products and services, and evaluated the local and regional markets. We conducted workshops with their team and implemented processes and tools for their workforce. We also ran several financial modeling scenarios to help them best determine which parts of the business to invest in vs divest from.

The result

The mighty and seasoned team at Solstice Wood Fire Pizza made it through the pandemic, coming out more focused and equipped to handle whatever comes their way. As an active member of the community through philanthropy and events Solstice Wood Fire Pizza remains a desired destination, whether it be the restaurant or the food trucks that spread joy throughout the Columbia Gorge area.