Starting with $20, Ganchudur Batgerel, a senior from Mongolia majoring in supply chain operation, with the help of her friends, earned more than $1,000 with her “tornado potato business” for the Great Ideas competition. A tornado potato elevates the potato with fried meat and sauce, all in a convenient stick form, she said.
A pregnancy craving
“When I was pregnant with my third child, I had a strong craving for something delicious made with potato, but not French fries. “
While I was on the internet, I saw a picture of tornado potato. I wanted to eat it so badly, so I tried to make it by carving potato by knife and frying it. It satisfied my craving, so I wanted to share it. That is how I found this business idea.”
Batgerel is minoring in entrepreneurship and said she is taking a small business creation class. The class assignment is to create an actual small business and earn money, and she used her tornado potato idea to accomplish this.
Then she thought only a potato might not be that interesting, so she researched what people like to eat with fried potatoes. She found out people on the island like to eat bacon and sausage with their potatoes.
“I had an apple corer at home, so I took the middle of the potato and put sausage in it and fried it. It was even better,” Batgerel said.
X Llewel Angala, a senior from the Philippines majoring in hospitality and tourism management, said, “Everyone definitely needs to try [their potato]. They should keep selling it, and maybe do a food truck business.”
Suvd-Erdene Boldbaatar, a senior from Mongolia majoring in human resources, said, “I loved it. It was yummy, and the size was great for the price. The potato has its own special taste. I would definitely recommend as a quick grab-n-go lunch or snack.”
According to Batgerel, she failed many times while creating the perfect crunchy potato, but her partner Munkhsaikhan “MC” Bayartsengel, helped her to elevate her potato.
Batgerel’s team’s goal was to participate in the Great Ideas competition’s revenue category. The category requires a business to have revenue of more than $1,000. They submitted their video for the first round of the competition and were selected as one of the five finalists out of 100 businesses in the revenue category.
Initial investment
Batgerel works at the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Concessions as a risk manager. “When I told about my idea to my manager Tonu Apelu, he supported us and invested $20. We bought our very first potato cutter with that money.”
Then Batgerel and her team raised more money by selling their products. They bought machines and tools. “Our business has a small amount of initial investment, but has a high amount of profit–86 percent profit margin.”
They first sold at the Kahuku farmers market and earned almost $100 in an hour and a half. According to Batgerel, they have only sold their potatoes six times and earned almost $1,100.
“I learned that doing business is really hard from this experience. I also learned the importance of researching the market and determination. There were many times that I was close to giving up.”
Batgerel said her business had roadblocks and lost revenue because once her team tried to sell at the Temple View Apartments without knowing that they needed to get permission.
Team members
“MC, our master chef, always makes sure our products are fresh, tasty and safe. I am in charge of the finance, and my husband Tuvshinjargal Lkhagvadorj and MC’s wife, Onon Dalaikhuu, do our marketing,” Batgerel explained.
Tuvshinjargal Lkhagvadorj, a senior from Mongolia majoring in information technology, is the team’s videographer, photographer and designer. Onon Dalaikhuu, a freshman from Mongolia majoring in human resources and TESOL, does the marketing.
Dalaikhuu said, “I’m glad to be part of this team and experience how to do business. I am in charge of marketing our products. I mostly use social media for advertisement.”
“Our product looks and tastes very good. People who ordered usually reorder. When we do sell, sometimes, I couldn’t have a chance to taste because they run out fast. My favorite is bacon potato with mint sauce and caramel potato. Our potato comes with a yummy signature sauce made by our master chef. I invite everyone to try it and promise that it will be worth $5.”
Future vision
Munkhsaikhan Bayartsengel, a freshman from Mongolia majoring in hospitality and tourism management, said, “When Batgerel asked me to partner with her, I accepted the offer because cooking is my passion. I cooked for the last seven years many different kinds of Asian, European and fast foods. I have worked in many different restaurants and food venues.“
Our product is creative and delicious. We have two kinds, bacon and sausage potato. We also have four different sauces so far — ketchup, mustard, barbeque and cilantro. We make cilantro sauce freshly whenever we do sell. We are planning to have seven to nine different types of potatoes and sauces in the future.”
“Delicious food is expensive in Hawaii. People come to us with just $5 and go back with a lot of happiness,” he said.
Batgerel said, “Our vision is to open our truck at the PCC and share our delicious potato with tourists from around the world. Our product is new to the island.”
The Mongolian Club sold their product at the Nov. 9 Food Fest, and the club made more than $2,000, which club officials said was the highest profit made by a club at the event.