Jafflechutes: North America
A$5,357
of $5,000 targetyrs ago
Successful on 28th Apr 2014 at 12:11AM.
Jafflechutes: We're Melbourne's first float-down eatery. A pop up float down. Catch and eat. Floateria. A gravity controlled melted cheese delivery mechanism.
The Jafflechutes story started with a plan to create pocket parachutes for people who live on fifth floors and forget their keys. That market seemed a bit niche, so we began talking food instead. After a brief flirtation with Parajaffles, we eventually settled on Jafflechutes. The rest is history.
For the last nine months we've been floating down toasted jaffles to hungry Melburnians in laneways across the CBD. Our goal? Create fun. Our motto? Always Yes.
We love Melbourne. We'll probably stay here for a long time and buy dogs and take up gardening, but right now we feel that it's time to turn things up a notch. We want to take Jafflechutes on the road. Do Americans know what jaffles are? We're not sure - but maybe it's time they learned!
Step one: New York City.
Image credits
Things can get pretty hectic during jafflechute launches, and we barely have time to properly document the magic. Thanks to the following for their amazing images, which we've used above:
(in order of appearance)
Robert Zappulla
weheart.co.uk
Klaus and Fritz
Three Thousand
(in order of appearance)
Robert Zappulla
weheart.co.uk
Klaus and Fritz
Three Thousand
How The Funds Will Be Used
We're really confident that we can sell the idea of jafflechutes to a foreign audience, but less confident that we'll be able to deliver using the same methods that we've relied on in Melbourne.
If successful, the money from this campaign will go towards materials (we want to make LOTS of parachutes), sourcing local quality ingredients, subsidising travel and accommodation costs, and perhaps most importantly, ensuring that no one who helps us along the way is ever out of pocket.
Jafflechutes has always been intentionally profit-neutral. We believe that even a secondary focus on money-making would distract from our goal of creating environments of fun and discovery. This model works in Melbourne, as we're able to subsidise any large costs with our day jobs, and because we have the support of some of the best friends in the WORLD. These networks won't exist for us in the great unknown of North America, and that's why we're seeking your help.
If $5000 seems like a bit pricey for a whimsical sandwich-throwing venture, consider that each of our hand-made parachutes costs between $0.50 and $1.00 to make, and takes about ten minutes of preparation. We're aiming to make 1000 parachutes. Could we order them in on a crate from a poorer country? Probably - but that wouldn't feel right.
And if we're lucky enough to exceed our goal? We'll just keep adding cities to our Jafflechutes hit list. North America's a big place, and cheese is a popular food group - we're keen to cover as much ground (and air space) as we can!
If successful, the money from this campaign will go towards materials (we want to make LOTS of parachutes), sourcing local quality ingredients, subsidising travel and accommodation costs, and perhaps most importantly, ensuring that no one who helps us along the way is ever out of pocket.
Jafflechutes has always been intentionally profit-neutral. We believe that even a secondary focus on money-making would distract from our goal of creating environments of fun and discovery. This model works in Melbourne, as we're able to subsidise any large costs with our day jobs, and because we have the support of some of the best friends in the WORLD. These networks won't exist for us in the great unknown of North America, and that's why we're seeking your help.
If $5000 seems like a bit pricey for a whimsical sandwich-throwing venture, consider that each of our hand-made parachutes costs between $0.50 and $1.00 to make, and takes about ten minutes of preparation. We're aiming to make 1000 parachutes. Could we order them in on a crate from a poorer country? Probably - but that wouldn't feel right.
And if we're lucky enough to exceed our goal? We'll just keep adding cities to our Jafflechutes hit list. North America's a big place, and cheese is a popular food group - we're keen to cover as much ground (and air space) as we can!
The Challenges
Scraggly trees, unnecessary ledges, mild-to-unfair wind gusts, misplaced roofs..
No really, our greatest risk is of over-promising and under-delivering. That's what this campaign is about. We don't want to take our foot off the accelerator until we're on Ellen or Letterman or suddenly and mysteriously Japan-famous. Or until this stops being fun.
No really, our greatest risk is of over-promising and under-delivering. That's what this campaign is about. We don't want to take our foot off the accelerator until we're on Ellen or Letterman or suddenly and mysteriously Japan-famous. Or until this stops being fun.
PRE-ORDER A JAFFLECHUTE! For New Yorkers and Montréalais only. Get in early and avoid the PayPal rush by pre-ordering. New York City and Montreal are the only certain locations on our map right now, so unless work, wind or worry keep you away from our launch (in which case we’ll refund you), you’ll have one less afternoon snack to think about!
22 chosen / 28 available
Est. delivery is May 14
GIFT A PERSONALISED JAFFLECHUTE! (For everyone!) Gift a jafflechute to a North American brother or sister and include a transcontinental message of love / life advice! Donate here and you’ll be subsidising the cost of one jafflechute, PLUS we’ll give you the option to include a personalised message. That could be anything from an ‘XO’ to a semi-naked selfie and email address. We don’t judge. Never judge.
22 chosen / 128 available
Est. delivery is May 14
COME TO OUR PARTY! (Melbourne only) + Gift a personalised jafflechute! Come to the Jafflechutes Winter Party! There’ll be FREE drinks, jaffles (probably not the floating kind) and dancing. Meet new people! Find old friends! If you meet the love of your life, we’ll jafflechute your wedding! * JULY 19, 2014 * Venue TBA!
13 chosen / 137 available
Est. delivery is Jul 14
A Jafflechutes t-shirt! Made with love and care and the nicest-smelling fabric we can find. Select a size when you order, but we'll be in touch later to confirm everything.
24 chosen / 76 available
Est. delivery is Jul 14
2 x PARTY TICKETS FOR WORKSHOP ATTENDEES! Hello, Parachute Workshop attendee from 1000 £ Bend! We just met! Great shoes, by the way! As another way to *thank you* for helping us achieve our goal of 1000 PARACHUTES, we're discounting our party tickets by something per cent. It's not much, we know. We'll also dog-sit for you when you're on holiday and provide free gift ideas when you need them. 24/7. PARACHUTE FACTORY 4EVA
5 chosen / 65 available
Est. delivery is Jul 14
EXCLUSIVE JAFFLECHUTES NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DIARY! (for everyone!) + Personalise a jafflechute ... We'll be keeping a record of *everything* that goes on while we're away - cute dog sightings and strange new cheese experiences included. When we return home, we'll collect the best bits, bind it all together neatly, think up a clever title, and then gift it to you. We'll only make 100 copies, so this is legit exclusive. Also possibly the world's most expensive zine.
19 chosen / 81 available
Est. delivery is Aug 14
COME TO OUR HOMECOMING PARTY, WITH A FRIEND! (Melbourne only) + Gift a personalised jafflechute TWO TICKETS to the Jafflechutes homecoming party! Because sometimes you need a wingman, and friends are the best people. Same party. Still winter.
11 chosen / 89 available
Est. delivery is Jul 14
A JAFFLECHUTES NYC SUMMER TOUR POSTER! (A2) Adorn your walls with a moment in airborne food delivery history. This would go well alongside that Doors poster you have no reason to take down, and might serve as a timely replacement for the picture of Jason Priestley you tore out of your friend's Dolly mag in 1996.
1 chosen / 19 available
Est. delivery is Aug 14
THE PERFECT FIRST DATE! (Melb only) + 2 x party tickets + Gift a personalised jafflechute This one is dear to our hearts. For $100, we’ll do a special jafflechute drop for you and your date/spouse/BFF. It might take a while to arrange, but we promise to make it special. Jafflechute your first date, anniversary or romantic laneway stroll - if it’s for love, then it’s eligible. Getting engaged? We can attach your ring to a chute and send it down to you. Inherently risky, but SO ROMANTIC.
2 chosen / 13 available
Est. delivery is Jun 14
NAME A JAFFLE! (for everyone!) + Gift a jafflechute + 2 x homecoming tickets ... Who named the Reuben the Reuben? Don’t google that - just think about it. For $350, we’ll give you the rights to name one of our jaffles. What’s the use in naming a jaffle? Not much, probably - but we’ll tweet it often, celebrate you on Facebook, and of course we'll publish your credit on our website. Our website’s pretty simple, so it’ll stick out like a Geocities banner ad.
0 chosen / 6 available
Est. delivery is May 14
JAFFLECHUTES AT YOUR EVENT! Are you getting married under a 4-ish storey church tower surrounded by low scrubs and zero ledges? Maybe you're organising an event for aeronautical engineers and parachute enthusiasts? For $500, we'll show up and rain delicious cheesy jafflechutes on you and your guests. Standard order is 40. Victoria only, but for interstate events, send us a message!
0 chosen / 10 available
Est. delivery is Jul 14
A TREE IN YOUR HONOUR (AND LESS CO2) To be honest, we don’t have anything to offer that’s $1000 worth, so this is one in the good name of symbolism. For $1000 we’ll plant a tree (or two) for each of the Jafflechutes team that travels to North America, and place a plaque with your name and a few words of your choosing. We'll plant it somewhere public and easy to access so you can visit it from time to time to think about things. Smaller carbon footprints 4EVA, etc.
0 chosen / 6 available
Est. delivery is Aug 14
YOUR JAFFLE AT EVERY LAUNCH! Hey there, Acme Cheese Company Inc! Hello, Breakfast Yeast Spread Manufacturer! Want to get your product permanently fixed to the Jafflechutes menu for the duration of our North American tour? Well, this is your opportunity! We'll offer your product at every event held in North America and celebrate it at every social media-y opportunity! A marketing spend so small, your spreadsheet will barely flinch!
0 chosen / 3 available
Est. delivery is May 14