A Business Thinks Inside The Box
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Crystal Evans and Rob Ramsey of Box Lunch Hawaii
Rob Ramsey and Crystal Evans, who met while working at Planet Hollywood in Waikiki, had a similar concept of delivering lunches to people as an entry to someday opening their own restaurant and bar.
So one day Ramsey invited Evans to join him in his new venture.
“She blew me off at first,” he recalls.
“I told him I’d have lunch with him to talk about the idea. I told him I’d think about it,” she says. “Then he showed me the business cards he already had printed for me.”
Thus Box Lunch Hawaii was born. Evans handles marketing and takes the food orders. Ramsey makes the food and delivers it, while also maintaining a part-time bookkeeping job.
Box Lunch Hawaii delivers lunch for five and up to 500 people and offers a choice of six sandwiches (two of which are vegetarian): spicy tuna, honey mustard ham and Swiss, roast beef with mayonnaise, turkey and Cheddar cheese, Greek veggie delight and a Caesar wrap. Customers can order a box containing a sandwich and a drink, or a larger one which includes a sandwich, drink, chips, fruit and dessert. Platters are available as well.
The company, which was started in November 2006, will even create a custom menu on request. Clients include business meetings, private parties and school groups.
“We can feed a busload of 200 tourists on the North Shore,” explains Ramsey. “A restaurant may not be able to accommodate that many people.”
The co-owners both began their careers in the food industry at an young age. Born on Oahu and raised in Minnesota, Ramsey began working as a cook and dishwasher at a momand-pop restaurant at the age of 14. He has worked at Palomino, Ryan’s and Kincaid’s restaurants here on Oahu. Born in Los Angeles and raised in Kansas City, Evans started out as front-
line cook at a fine-dining restaurant when she was 16. By the time she was 18, she was working as a manager with Marriott. In addition to marketing Box Lunch Hawaii, she sells Arbonne cosmetics.
Ramsey and his fiancee, Kristi, have a 2-year-old daughter Ali and 2-month-old son Taylor. Evans and husband Sam have three daughters: Kalia, 8, and twins Maile and Mika, 7. They both credit their
families for their support for the business venture.
Ramsey admits there is one challenge to running the business.
“We don’t have a central location right now to go to,” he says. “She’s in Kaneohe and I’m in Nanakuli. We are looking to have our own deli some day.”
Evans agrees, but says, “Even if we have a deli, most of our business will be the delivering.”
For more information about Box Lunch Hawaii, call 343-0026, e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or log onto http://www.boxlunchhawaii.com
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