HOHM Pantry
“I would not have been able to get this business started if it were not for the SBDC team. So many friends have asked me how I have done this on my own, and I tell them Marin SBDC is how I got this far.”
Profile
HOHM Pantry is Marin County’s first food refillery, offering bulk staple foods, herbs, oils, vinegars, teas and eco-friendly household and personal care products in downtown Novato. The business serves as a community hub where residents can purchase high-quality bulk goods while refilling their own containers, reducing packaging waste and lowering costs. HOHM Pantry owner Cara Edwards aims to make sustainable living more affordable and approachable for everyone at all income levels in the community.
What sets Hohm Pantry apart from other refilleries is its herbal apothecary offerings. Owner Cara Edwards brings over six years of experience as an herbalist and plans to collaborate with other herbalists and wellness specialists to offer personalized consultations and services, helping customers find products that support their individual wellness needs.
The retail space has been intentionally designed as a welcoming, inclusive gathering place. It is envisioned as a family-friendly environment, with plans to include a children’s area and reference materials to help customers shop with confidence and enjoy the experience. The vision for HOHM Pantry is to host workshops and classes, further strengthening it as a place that brings the community together around sustainability, wellness, and shared values.
Challenge
One of the biggest hurdles was finding a location with a commercial kitchen so they would be set up to sell food products. Many older buildings were not suitable for kitchen buildouts, and several landlords couldn’t accommodate the necessary improvements. Cara connected to the Marin SBDC during the journey of finding possible locations and reviewed different options with her SBDC Advisors. This helped her better understand the financials and determine long-term sustainability which eventually helped her decide on the Novato location.
Financing presented another major challenge. Cara had never considered applying for a business loan and initially believed it was not an option for someone in her position. Securing approximately $100,000 in funding felt out of reach until her SBDC Advisor, Anni Minuzzo, introduced Cara to Working Solutions. Even after applying for a loan, the process was stressful, with delays and repeated requests for additional documentation that left Cara unsure of the outcome. Working with her SBDC Advisor helped her understand the process and get the reassurance of next steps and how to appropriately fill out the paperwork.
Running a retail operation presents a significant learning curve. While Cara previously owned a yoga studio and had extensive experience hosting events and building community, retail is entirely new. Designing the store layout, troubleshooting a point-of-sale system, and navigating regulatory compliance for food retail all required new skills and adaptation. All of this was guided and supported by her SBDC Advisors which made the process easier and fell less daunting.
Game Plan
Working with SBDC Advisors helped Cara clarify and refine her business concept, moving from an initial idea of launching a small line of herbal tinctures to a more comprehensive brick-and-mortar refillery offering bulk foods, herbs, and eco-friendly household products.
As the concept evolved, her SBDC Capital Advisor, John DeGaetano, provided support to help Cara understand her financing options and navigate the loan process. Cara initially did not believe she would qualify for a loan, but with guidance from the SBDC Advising Team, she applied for and secured a Working Solutions loan.
Her SBDC Advisor’s patient guidance through complex documentation and spreadsheets was invaluable for someone without a financial background. He provided reassurance during waiting periods and helped her understand that delays and requests for additional information were normal parts of the process, preventing anxiety from derailing her momentum.
Together, this advising support enabled Cara to secure $100,000 in financing and successfully open Marin County’s first comprehensive food refillery. SBDC advising was also critical in helping Cara navigate the requirements for operating a food business and ensuring her business concept was ready to launch in time for the holiday season.
“This hasn’t been an easy journey- I’ve had many obstacles, but my SBDC Advisors Anni Minuzzo and John DeGaetano always helped me hold the vision alive, especially when things took longer than expected. They were supportive and encouraging. Working with my SBDC Advisors helped me feel like I had an entire team behind me. Knowing that I could reach out to anyone at Marin SBDC for support was so helpful.”
Cara Edwards, OWNER, HOHM Pantry
Results
- Started business on November 29, 2025, for Small Business Saturday with a public event
- 1 full-time person (owner) with husband helping on the side when he can
- Hosted two pop-up events to start with sales while still getting everything opened
- $100,000 loan from Working Solutions
- $20,000 owner investment
- $4,000 in sales from the first five days of being open for business
