From Restaurant to Innovative Meal Box Programs: The Story of Lucie Jejkalová, Who Wasn't Afraid to Start Over

Her story is inspiring proof that even through difficult life trials, you can build a successful business – if you have the courage not to give up.

From MLM to Running a Nightclub

Lucie's entrepreneurial journey began unconventionally. Already at 19, she realised that "you won't find millions in the library" and that school wouldn't teach her how to earn the money she needed to fulfil her dreams. That's why she jumped into the MLM business. At 22, another bold choice came – leasing the Žába nightclub in Nejdek.

"It was a popular nightclub, but the night business was wild." Lucie recalls. "It was an extremely demanding period, but it taught me the value of money and work. I realised that money isn't free – behind it is energy, people, and a lot of work."

A Dream from Age Fourteen Returns at the Worst Possible Moment

After the nightclub, came work at a state enterprise as head of catering, and then insurance, where Lucie worked her way up to become a successful saleswoman. But then the dream from when she was fourteen returned – to have her own restaurant.

And it came back at the least suitable time – in June 2020, after the first wave of COVID. "My mom was tapping her head, saying I was crazy. I told her: It's just the flu, mom, please, you're all going crazy over that TV. I know what I'm doing, I'll manage it," Lucie recalls with irony about her own naivety.

COVID Reality: From Enthusiasm to Thoughts of Ending It All

They opened on August 1, 2020. They were open for about two months and then were shut down. "I think it was September or October. They closed us for about three months. Then they opened us in December for fourteen days – for Christmas. And then closed us again for two months."

Each closure meant throwing away ingredients, financial losses, and uncertainty. But Lucie decided to keep her team. Especially one chef with three children. "I supported him for a whole year. The idea that he had three children at home and no work was so sensitive for me. I told myself that when we open, he'll pay me back."

Because she hadn't been in the business for more than half a year, she didn't receive state subsidies. The only support was a thousand crowns a day, 30 thousand a month. "From that, I gave more than half to the chef. My financial cushion ran out pretty quickly. I stopped paying for electricity. I chose what to pay now and what later."

And then came that dark moment: "I was sitting in my car around three in the morning at Jimlíkov, and I wanted to take my own life – drown myself there. It was terribly difficult. I didn't know when they'd open us, if at all, or how it would be. I couldn't see a solution."

The Strength Not to Give Up

What saved her? "Something inside me told me I couldn't do that to the people who helped me. I couldn't do it to my mom. And I told myself – the bailiffs haven't come yet, they're not banging on my door yet, so there's probably still a chance to save it."

She sold her nice car, bought a "beater," took the deposit barrels to Makro to have some cash. "I didn't tell anyone about it. I completely forgot about it – I pushed it out of my head. Only after a year, at some ball, my friends suddenly reminded me, and I burst into tears."

Slowly, after reopening in 2021, the restaurant began to recover. "It took about another two and a half years before I paid off all the loans. My personal life for the last five years is zero. I had to give up absolutely everything for four years."

Foody Boxes: The Courage to Start Again

And just when the situation began to stabilise, an idea for another business came – meal box programs Foody. "I keep trying to stick to some diet, which I then don't stick to, because I love food. So I told myself – if I don't want to diet and cook, I'll just start a company for it."

But after her COVID experiences, she was afraid. "I put it off for half a year. Uncle Fear came, reminding me what I'd been through. I was scared to start something new again."

What finally convinced her? "The vision of the potential. And people around me told me there would be interest. In January 2024, we launched Foody Boxes – healthy meal box programs with local ingredients."

What Makes Foody Different?

Lucie connects meal box programs with local trainers, a nutritional advisor, and supports Karlovy Vary athletes like Olympian Martin Rubeš or the Energie hockey players. "I want to support local people who are talented and want to achieve something."

The biggest reward is clients' results: "We have clients who've lost 18-20 kilos. One man came like a little barrel, two chins. After three months, I didn't recognise him – a completely different person, full of confidence and positive energy. That's why I do this."

Women in Gastronomy and Prejudices

As a young woman in gastronomy, Lucie encountered prejudices. "Three times a week, I heard from my sponsor that I could never afford this on my own – a restaurant at such a young age. It really offended me."

Even today, it happens that a salesman comes and wants to speak with the owner. "I say I'm the owner. And they say: Sure you are. I always say – I know, I'm young, I don't look like it."

Her advice for other women? "Don't be afraid. Have confidence and believe in what you're doing. If you're selling a good product, you have to stand behind it.”

Life Lessons

"If I'm proud of anything, it's just that I didn't give up. And the friends around me who didn't leave me hanging," Lucie says modestly.

"People think entrepreneurship is easy. They don't have even 5% understanding of everything you have to deal with. You can act like everything's great, but it's not easy at all. If you think you have problems, try entrepreneurship – then you'll really experience problems."

Still, she adds: "I'm glad for what happened to me. It gave me character, humility, and taught me to appreciate things. It toughened me up. And most importantly, I learned that there's always a way."

Lucie Jejkalová's story shows that a successful entrepreneur doesn't need to have everything planned from the start. What's important is not giving up even in the toughest moments, not being afraid to ask for help, and believing that even after the worst storm, the sun will come.

Explore this story online: [LINK]