By STEPHANIE SUN
Staff Writer
University High School (UHS) students have created their own business to bring people what they crave. Brian Guan (Jr.) and Erik Mumm (Jr.) created Cravings, a South Irvine based homemade cookies delivery company, on December 15, 2014. Since then, their student run business has been very successful.
Cravings sells homemade dessert items. The company’s main product is its homemade cookies, created using a secret recipe that was made out of trial-and-error. A condensed video of their cookie-baking process is on their Facebook page, showing exactly how the homemade desserts are made. The plus menu includes pizookies (cookies with ice cream on top), Oreo-infused cookies, and Mexican hot chocolate. As for the delivery part of the business, all the orders are made fresh, ready for delivery. Guan said, “A huge part of our business model is making our cookies fresh and delivering quickly so that by the time we arrive to our customer’s door, they’re still warm, fresh and soft. That’s what the core of this business is all about, making homemade cookies accessible to as many people as we can.”
Hungry customers can place their orders for Cravings desserts through its simple website. The small business offers to deliver the desserts as soon as possible or at a specified time, confirming the delivery through text messages. “Every time we open, it’s a learning process,” said Guan, “but we’re getting better each time.” Guan and Mumm are the main operators of Cravings, but they hope to expand soon and possibly hire other drivers. They are also very thankful for their parents’ support.
As for their inspiration, Mumm said, “After seeing my friend receive not only delivery pizza but also deliveries from Starbucks, I was inspired by the idea of convenience. Local ‘Irvin-ites’ love everything to be nice and convenient, so I decided to provide homemade taste right to people’s doors.”
Cravings mainly advertises through its social media accounts. The creators announce the day before that they are ready to take orders, and, as another way to promote their business, they wear their Cravings shirts the day they are open. They have also offered many promotions and deals, including delivering food with their order from Cravings for seniors who are playing Assassins.
Sarah Verdegan (Jr.), a satisfied customer of Cravings, said, “Their service is the main reason I order! Erik comes to my door every time with a smile on his face and makes it worth the extra delivery charge. The soft, fresh, warm cookies are definitely better than anything I could make even if I was capable of turning on the oven, and their pizookie is by far the best item they offer!”
If you want to order what you crave, you can learn more about Cravings and its delivery times through its website, http://tinyurl.com/lk8d8u2, Facebook page, Cravings Irvine, Twitter, @CravingsIrvine, and its Instagram, @Cravings_Irvine.