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Ed Cederquist was helping out in his wife, Caroline's, medical weight-loss practice in Naples 10 years ago when he overheard patients gripe about how hard it was to prepare fresh nutritious meals at home.
From shopping for fresh food to the time it takes to prepare it, everyone knows maintaining a healthy diet can be a challenge. “It's overwhelming to eat healthy in this country,” says Ed Cederquist, who calls himself a chef by passion.
So in 2005, the Cederquists started BistroMD, a company that provides nutritious meals for people with medical conditions such as weight problems and diabetes. Some of their first customers were patients of Caroline Cederquist's practice.
Today, BistroMD ships 100,000 meals a week to customers all over the U.S. via FedEx. The company is about to open a second warehouse distribution center in Nevada to better serve customers on the West Coast. “We do plan on doubling over the next three to five years,” Ed Cederquist says.
BistroMD quickly gained notoriety when the company provided meals for “The Biggest Loser” television show and Caroline Cederquist made guest appearances on the “Dr. Phil” daytime television program. “The first time we were on 'Dr. Phil' it doubled our business,” Ed Cederquist says.
Ed Cederquist's public relations strategy: “We kept sending them things,” he chuckles.
Caroline Cederquist says she gained TV experience by volunteering for daytime television shows at a Fort Myers station. “It took a tremendous amount of time, but it was worth it,” she says.
The Cederquists launched BistroMD without outside investors. “It was all self-funded,” Ed Cederquist says. “I personally worked without a salary for four-and-a-half years.”
Early on, the Cederquists found a food-preparation company in Virginia that agreed to make small batches and launched a website that it promoted on Google and other search engines. “Ninety percent of our marketing is Internet driven,” Ed Cederquist says.
At first, Ed Cederquist helped pack the meals inside a North Fort Myers cold-storage facility. “I remember when we reached 100 customers,” he says.
Since those early days in North Fort Myers, the Cederquists moved the distribution to Indiana, which is more centrally located for shipping and where it employs 25 people in a former limestone mine that's now also used to store food for the military. The company remains headquartered in Naples, where it has 11 people handling administration, marketing and accounting. Another 10 customer service employees are located in Southern Virginia.
BistroMD uses dry ice and ships using FedEx Ground. A new warehouse in Nevada is scheduled to open soon, giving the company more convenient access to West Coast customers.
Ed Cederquist declines to say how many customers the company has or annual sales for competitive reasons, but Caroline Cederquist says the business is now much larger than her busy medical practice in Naples. Customers pay $199 a week each for 20 frozen meals.
On average, a first-time customer will stick to the meal plan for 12 weeks, though it varies because customers often return after an absence. “We still have clients who were our original clients nine years ago,” Ed Cederquist says.
Follow Jean Gruss on Twitter @JeanGruss
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