FOUNDER OF THE MONTH
RENETA JENIK
FOODOM
BY Russell Nichols
In the spring of 2020 , as restaurants and cafes were shutting down due to COVID-19 , Foodom was heating up . The Folsom-based startup launched in March 2020 to bring experienced cooks into the homes of busy families .
“ Stress levels among working parents increased even more during the pandemic , and we are helping them take one large task off their plate ,” says Reneta Jenik , Foodom ’ s founder and CEO .
Foodom is an online marketplace where customers can find personal chefs who come to their homes and prepare healthy meals . Customers can provide the ingredients or , for an extra fee , have the chef buy the groceries .
Jenik immigrated from Ukraine to Israel at 3 years old , then moved to the Bay Area in 2008 . After moving to the Sacramento area five years ago , she says she felt a lot of stress juggling an executive job at a technology company , a family and watching her weight . She hired a personal chef after other solutions didn ’ t work and was hooked .
Foodom has served 85 customers and counting in the Capital Region and Bay Area , with 18 chefs on the platform as of February and a team of four employees . Jenik plans to expand to other states by year ’ s end .
PHOTO BY TERENCE DUFFY
My backup name for the startup was .................................... Sust : Food You
.......................................................................................... Can Trust . customers and a A startup can ’ t be successful without .................................. badass team . ..........................................................................................
The TV show that best represents my approach to business would be ...........................................................................
“ Undercover Billionaire .” that the solution
My biggest fear about launching was .................................... isn ’ t good enough . ...........................................................................................
If I could give my younger self any advice , that would be .......... limits exist only in my mind . ..............................................................................................
HAS THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED THE IN-HOME COOKING SERVICE ? “ The chefs follow ( Food and Drug Administration ) and ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ) recommended guidelines in the kitchen and usually come once a week and prepare all meals . We ask the family to stay away to keep social distancing and not to walk in on the chef while they ’ re working .”
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS STARTUP ? “ In 20 years , my vision is to have billions of families everywhere reduce the stress of everyday life with a home chef cooking for them . The other part is having every vacation rental with a private chef and creating millions of new cooking jobs with decent pay and flexible hours .”
For more on Foodom , read Russell Nichols ’ Startup of the Month column at comstocksmag . com .
114 comstocksmag . com | May 2021