The idea for GRAND CENTRAL HONEY woke me up at 3 am one morning. I got up, got on my computer, and proceeded to write a business plan outline.

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I had been working with a friend on marketing his line of honey products and had been trying to strategize how to make a single brand stand out in a flooded marketplace. I had been researching the uber-fascinating society of bees to gather inspiration…and the more I read and learned, the more in awe I became. After taking a honey-tasting course, I realized just how extensive and varied the honeys produced throughout the world were. I had never tasted the goodness of small-batch, artisan honey until that. What a difference! It reminded me of wine-tasting so much. The range, the source of the honey, the terroir—it was all fascinating. A whole new world had revealed itself.

So…this all culminated in the idea of opening a honey emporium. Everything bee, everything honey. Hand-selected, raw and infused artisan honeys from all over the country and even the world, each one a limited edition. Bee/honey cards, charcuterie items, glasses, candles, sage, t-shirts, candy, jewelry—a one-stop shop. Instead of just one honey brand we would have many to taste and compare.

We met the people from the Savannah Bee Company at the Fancy Food Show in New York City. They are celebrating their 20th year and have grown exponentially, but the CEO, a beekeeper since childhood, keeps the ethics and philosophy of the company very grounded. They are a recognizable and well-known national brand with a following.

We jointly decided to have Grand Central Honey become a “Queen Bee Retailer,” which means that we carry all their core products.

We positioned their product in a store-within-a-store setting. The brand is a big draw, and customers stopping to purchase their honeys can browse other amazing brands while in the store.

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The name of the store originated because of the nature of honey—no two harvests are exactly alike, so each is really a LIMITED EDITION.

Just like passengers in Grand Central Terminal, the honeys converge in the store (station) and go to their destination. We have an ever-changing stock and are excited when we receive a brand-new flavor or product line. New small businesses which have developed bee- or honey-related items come to our attention almost daily. It is wonderful to see such an unfolding of interest in this area.

The focus of the store is the experience a guest can enjoy while perusing and tasting the selections. Our staff is always ready to answer questions, and we truly love talking to honey fans. We have a fun selfie room where guests can pose with neon wings and a crown—true queen bee vibes. Everyone loves our virtual observation hive. The Bee Bar is a fun place to taste any honey in the store to enjoy its properties and aspects. We offer a range of private events available for our customers to book, as well as public special events we host for all our guests. We look forward to expanding our repertoire as we evolve—to keep informed of happenings, definitely sign up for our “Buzz” email list. Also, please share with us any suggestions, recommendations or ideas you have!

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I hope you will join us at THE HIVE!

Sweetly,

Cindy McCartney

Founder & CEO