Today we’d like to introduce you to Natasha Frost.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up wanting to help people. I have been working as a public interest attorney since 2002, and began my journey as a business owner in May 2014. My two business partners and I opened a bakery that was going to sell a little soup on side. When we first opened, I had a full-time “day job” at a non-profit, helping communities and organizations build spaces and places that promoted healthier foods and active living. I specialized in nutrition policy, including nutrition standards in the child care setting. I was also working on building sustainable, robust local food systems through equitable policy change efforts. Early on, I saw opportunities to build my legal systems work into our restaurant business model. I quickly learned that my understanding of systems and policy was an important ingredient to our business success, but the most important ingredient was relationships. I invested in building partnerships with local businesses, including child care centers and local producers. I took over sole ownership of the business in 2018, With the brilliance of a core group of women, we rebranded as Wooden Spoon.
When we launched the rebrand, we kept what was working and ditched the rest – both internally and externally. We expanded our child care catering contracts and built more local partnerships, which truly saved us during the pandemic. We slowed down and spent time to build important relationships with other Old Town businesses and local food producers. We got creative on what else we could provide for our customers, like creating a frozen meals line. We also identified ways to give back to our community, like providing meals to Mankato Youth Place, a local non-profit providing free out-of-school time support for youth. What we did internally as a team was just as important as revamping our product line, customer experience and event options. We shifted our internal operations to a more collaborative work environment, creating a leadership team and communications loop to ensure staff voices were heard.
One of the most rewarding things we did as a business was get into the food recovery effort, which is now called South Central Minnesota Food Recovery (SCMNFR). On May 24, 2019, Feeding Our Communities Partners, a local non-profit specializing in providing food for children, received a call that the Walmart Distribution Center had denied a delivery of raw chicken, and that group contacted Mankato Youth Place for help. I got the call shortly thereafter, and we accepted the delivery of one and a half tons of chicken. Our Executive Chef Brigette Rasmussen led the effort to cook off the chicken for use by MY Place and other local non-profits, mostly volunteering her time to cook day and night.
Once we got through that whirlwind, we realized that tons of food is wasted because there is no way to preserve and prepare the food into meals. So, we built a community-led food recovery effort, working with local non-profits, coalitions and individuals who are committed to ensuring that quality food is not wasted and instead gets to those in need. This effort has now grown into a newly-formed non-profit, and Wooden Spoon continues to serve as a leading steward of the work by taking in recovered food, providing a space for distribution and making food into ready-made meals.
In addition to the restaurant and food recovery work, I own the building where Wooden Spoon is located. When the business was in a free-fall of expansion before I took over sole ownership, my business partners and I realized we needed to purchase the building to extend our kitchen. I was able to purchase the building based on my parents’ support, as they were able to provide me a low-interest loan for the building down-payment. My sister and I now manage the building, which has turned into a creative space for pop-up events and small business vendor fairs. My investment extends beyond this building and into the rest of the Old Town community. I helped start our Old Town Association shortly after the restaurant opened, and now sit on its board. We are expanding our reach to large community events, building the brand of Old Town Mankato.
I recently left my non-profit position and created a legal consulting enterprise, called Seed 2 Roots, with a trusted colleague. Mary and I work in partnership with community members and coalitions, public health departments and other governmental entities, and public and private organizations to provide legal technical assistance regarding community policy solutions at the state, local, and organizational levels. Using a social determinants of health lens, we help frame a community vision in the context of existing policy and systems and identify seeds of change that will foster strong roots to grow just, equitable communities. Mary and I work across the United States to connect, educate, problem solve, strategize, and suggest creative policy and legal solutions to respond to pressing community health issues.
And that gets back to why I have been so successful. I am surrounded by amazing people and spend time building strong partnerships.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I benefit from so many privileges and advantages based on who I am and where I come from. And, my journey has not been smooth.
The business expanded too quickly, without the right structures or guardrails to protecting it from veering off course. In 2018, the other partners wanted to close the doors of the restaurant. I had a choice: either take it over or face financial ruin. I chose to dive in and haven’t looked back. With the support of an amazing women-led leadership team, we figured out the secret to our success – we embraced the pivot. This, coupled with important partnerships, hard work and a lot of luck, has allowed our team to rise like a phoenix out of the ashes and build a newly branded business that we can all be proud of.
As you know, we’re big fans of Wooden Spoon . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Wooden Spoon is a restaurant and catering operation that has a storefront with lots of bakery, gluten free, soups and meals. We love creating food experiences, like our Farm to Table events, specialty catering options or child care catering menus.
What are we known for:
We are known for our homemade meals and specialty items. We use real, quality ingredients and food made with passion and experience. Our catering options are tailored for individual customer needs, including special dietary needs, like gluten-free, vegan or Keto options.
We are known for our local partnerships. We use many local ingredients in our foods and sell local products. We work with other businesses in the Old Town area of Mankato to build community events and experiences, supporting each other in the process.
We are known for healthful, hassle-free catering. We have a variety of catering options for businesses and special events. We provide healthful food for child care and school facilities.
We are known for food recovery. We facilitate an effort to provide nutritious meals to families in need by using high quality food that would otherwise be going to the landfill.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is knowing that I was loved by my parents. As an alcoholic in active recovery and a survivor of narcissistic abuse, my parents’ love tethered me to what would ultimately be my journey in recovery. Despite all the bad things, I knew I was loved and supported because my parents built up a protective layer around the core of my being throughout my childhood, with little and big moments. There is not one moment that comes to mind – just the flood of all those moments strung together.
Contact Info:
- Email: natasha@woodenspoonmn.com
- Website: woodenspoonmn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woodenspoonmn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Friesensbakery
Image Credits
Stephanie Braun
