COVID-19 has changed every aspect of our lives. In this new series, we explore the way businesses, services, organizations, and other groups are adapting to restrictions. It’s a celebration of innovation, promotion for small businesses, and a service to our readers. Got a pivot story to tell? Email dayanti.karunaratne@stjoseph.com
The Pivot: Cada Día is a new brand of tequila launched in December 2019 by Ottawa couple Sandeep and Riti Gupta. Originally intended for national and international distribution, the pandemic triggered a change in course. And that’s a good thing for anyone in the city who enjoys premium tequila, as they are now focusing on local restaurants and offering free delivery within Ottawa.
The Backstory: The Guptas always enjoyed travelling in Mexico. They are also into healthy food, and believed tequila to be the healthiest spirit. Sandeep quickly pivoted his own preference for Scotch once he got to know top-shelf tequila. But they saw a gap in the market: for those wanting to sip on a somewhat-regular basis, there were limited options at a reasonable price point.
By working with both ends of the market — agave farmers in Mexico and bartenders at the local restaurants — the couple built Cada Día, and by early 2020 bottles were popping up around the city. Tastings at foodie events introduced the brand to enthusiasts, and North American distribution plan was in place. Then the pandemic changed everything.
“Our sales for those three months were attributed to about 50 per cent private clients, who bought our tequila by the case of six, and 50 per cent to restaurants,” says Riti. “Our intent was to launch in Ottawa first because it’s our home, and home is certainly where our heart is, but the plan was to quickly launch in Toronto, then western and eastern Canada and then the US. 2020 was supposed to be big.”
Luckily, the first tequila shipment made its way through the borders before any of the delays hit in March. With plenty of tequila and a collapsed plan to get it to into the hands of drinkers, the couple decided to focus more closely on local consumers. They created a “premium sipping tequila kit” with perfect glassware and king cube ice trays and are now offering free home deliveries anywhere in the Ottawa area.
“This has actually been amazing for us because we are doing our own deliveries and have been able to meet and form relationships with so many new consumers that we might not have been able to before,” says Riti.
Find out more and order for yourself by connecting with Cada Día on Facebook or Instagram.