Storing the Bacon
In the first few months after launch, we were keeping inventory of about 20 different types of bacon at any given time. We tried to stock enough of each type to be able to fulfill between 5–8 orders of any product at any moment. And to make the bacon last as long as possible, we wanted to keep it refrigerated. With an average order of around four pounds of bacon, that meant we always had to keep close to 600 pounds of bacon on hand.
In the early days, this was out of Scott’s house: yes—a house with 600 pounds of bacon in it.
Fortunately, Scott had a two-car garage and was able to convince his wife that they didn’t need to put both cars in there. So we had the space, we just needed refrigeration. Where do you go for cheap refrigerators? Easy. Craigslist.
Tips for getting refrigerators off Craigslist:
- Free refrigerators are never a good thing—most likely they’ll be power-hungry, old, and, for the most part, already broken.
- Don’t underestimate the value of frost-free when it comes to a freezer.
- If “Free Delivery” is included in the ad, it means “if you come see this piece of shit, you won’t buy it.”
That said, in no time flat we had three refrigerators and one freezer running in the garage right next to our ship, label, and manifest station, which consisted of everything we needed to get the bacon from the fridge to the customers.