Earlier this year, Pathway Lending launched its first Plate to Profit initiative in Knoxville, a gathering of seven East Tennessee food entrepreneurs who met for five consecutive Tuesday evenings for a deep dive into strategic business planning, financial management, operations, and marketing and branding.

Participants included AppeThai Food Truck, CommonPlace Coffee, Mama Bear Sweet Treats, Mooyah, Savage Daughter Pasta, The Kraken’s Cup Tearoom, and Stinger’s.

We sat down with Kristen Munson, Senior Business Advisor for Pathway, to learn more about Plate to Profit.

What inspired the development of this program?

The idea for Plate to Profit came from looking closely at our portfolio and noticing that food service businesses often face unique challenges—low profit margins, high employee turnover, and the constant demands of running daily operations. We saw an opportunity to create something tailored to help these businesses not just survive, but truly thrive.

Our goal was to provide practical tools in areas like financial management, operations, and marketing, while also creating a supportive peer network. Being a small business owner can often feel overwhelming and isolating. Plate to Profit offers a space where entrepreneurs can collaborate, share experiences, and exchange resources—because we know that when small business owners lift each other up, everyone benefits.

Can you share an interesting anecdote or success story related to Plate to Profit?

One great example came from Eli at CommonPlace Coffee. During one of our cohort sessions—which happened to coincide with school spring break—Eli noticed it was shaping up to be his slowest sales week of the year. In our Marketing & Branding discussion, we talked about using POS data to spot slow periods and then creating targeted promotions to drive foot traffic.

Eli put that idea into action immediately. He sent out a text promotion to his customer list the very next day, and sales jumped dramatically. It was such a powerful reminder that sometimes a simple, well-timed tactic—paired with data—can make a big impact.

What future developments are planned for this program?

We’ve already hosted our first post-cohort session, a Financial Q&A with our own Bob Lancaster, where participants could ask anything and everything about money management. These follow-up sessions are designed around the topics the entrepreneurs themselves request—so the content stays relevant and practical.

Next up, we’ll bring in a subject matter expert for an in-depth QuickBooks workshop. Ultimately, our aim is to keep Plate to Profit a collaborative, participant-driven space where Knoxville’s food entrepreneurs can connect, problem solve, and learn from one another.