It's an ongoing learning experience!
Well, we're learning! I shall never forget the day we took ownership of what was formally called "The little log store". Tom and I packed up some cocktails and drove to the store on April 29, 2016 to toast our new venture. Standing in our very own building, arms round each other, we romantically envisioned our exciting new future together. Gesturing an idea, Tom took a few long and powerful strides across the room and promptly fell through the floor. Clearly there was much to be done!
It's been months since that snowy April day and our romantic vision of the future has been replaced with the harsh realities of renovating a building that sat empty for over 5 years and starting a coffee shop business. We started with . . . (you guessed it!) . . . the floor! Initially we thought we'd knock things out quickly and open sometime in the June/July time frame. Well here it is now mid- August and while we are making progress, it's considerably slower with far more work than we ever anticipated. Not to mention the approvals and permits which all take an exorbitant amount of time and effort trying to understand the bureaucracy requirements and sequencing. We did manage to pass a significant milestone last Friday; we received our approval from the Health Department. This seemingly minor step now triggers a green light for building permits which are now in process and clears the way for the real work to begin. Big high five!
With plumbers, electricians, and HVAC, on sight this week we are now rolling through constructing some good bones for our coffee shop while simultaneously sourcing our products and offerings.
As difficult as some things seem to be, other things have magically fallen into place. One great example; While taking Tom on a tour of my favorite coffee shops near Denver, We ventured into my absolute favorite; Pablo's Coffee on 6th. I was ordering coffees while Tom snagged a table. In doing so, he overheard a conversation between the manager of Pablos' and another couple asking for advice on opening a coffee shop! When they finished their conversation, Tom stepped up to the manager and said "we're next"! Jason of Pablo's told us if we serve Pablo's coffee in our shop, we get his guidance and advice for free! Magical! We've since received invaluable advice and immeasurable help from Jason at Pablo's! Did I mention that Pablo's coffee is my absolute favorite?! Sometimes this decision just feels right!!
