Category: Cafe

Signage and biz card design is complete

The manual for the cash register is printed, the cleaning supplies have been purchased, and now I have to pull my head out of biz mode and think church.  This will be my second last appearance as secretary treasurer of the Board.  I wish I had time to feel nostalgic.  Katie’s busy at home right now – she thought if she went into the shop she’d freeze (there’s no heat, the ovens are supposed to keep the place warm… ha ha) so she’s working on the sanitation plan at home.  She’ll be moving in with us towards the end of this month.

Margot has finally quit shedding.

Just cooked Jeff Tex Mex Chicken and Onions.

Crap, I still have to clean my living room.  GRRRR.  Meeting is here.  Can I do it ALL and bake cinnamon buns?  We SHALL SEE.

Keith is expected imminently.

The mongolian style kid’s hat I picked up at the going out of business sale of the costume store has been given to the Bean.  Yay.

 

First ever blog post from inside the store

As busy as I’ve been lately Katie is busier… she is currently cleaning and sanitizing the service table at the front of the cafe, which has been allowed to quietly moulder.  Once Katie is done with it, it will be CLEAN.

Paul is still agitating for us to get rid of the orange, because the store is really orange.  It would cost a young fortune to get this orange taken care of because it might take two coats of primer just to cover it, and it’s the entire wall down the length of the cafe. I am joining, not fighting, and finding orange things like four lovely bright orange place mats for the front counter.  Gotta admit orange is not my favourite colour, but I’ll be in the back most days anyway and Katie will have her back to it a good chunk of the time.  And it will remind me of Yarina, the previous owner.

Saw the bookkeeper last night for churchy stuff so I’m up to date with the bank recs and financials.  Phew.

Yarina left us a brilliant vase or two filled with flowers including freesias. I love that woman, she has been so kind and helpful, she’s made of awesome.

We’re waiting for the POS guy.  Nobody likes their POS contract, but at least we won’t get dinged on transaction charges for deposits going with TD.

We had a look in the storage locker at the back of the store.  We have lots of stuff up there including light bulbs for the fixtures and shippiles of bowls and racks and other things of that nature.  And a warm hold serving table which may migrate in the fullness of time to church.

 

Now to fool around with the Sonos system.  See if we can get some Frank Sinatra happening.  It’s been Kid Rock and Lady Miss Kier so far.

 

It’s all in the timing

I have to send loves and hugs and gratitudes out to Laura Redmond for the so far FABULOUS job she’s done on the design of the logo for the business.

Don’t you think it’s funny that we took possession on March Forth! and open the cafe APRIL FOOLS!?  Katie and I have giggled about this.

Cheesy basil scones in the oven right now.

Yesterday was so busy, what with insurance, Fraser Health, transferring the business license, having to take Ziva in to the krankenhaus (tie rod ends and a laundry list of stuff that has been peeving me ickishly), more Fraser Health (opening inspection March 22, things are GOING TO HAPPEN!!), trip to the bank to get a new password since I’m such a duffer, checking the balance on the account and yes the first rent check and Yarina’s payment went through so this is it, it’s REALLY HAPPENING.  Jeff loaned me his car and that was nice for a change.  Also, beer.  Also proper receipt containers as Katie and I are lousy about stuff like that unless we have a system to step into.  Katie is working like a mad thing on the recipes.

My tax money came in.  ///even if I mentioned it earlier, like, who cares.  I took Jeff out to the Keg on Willingdon and when the server heard about the restaurant comped us a dessert.  I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW PLEASANT everyone is being, it’s like … even the inspector we’re dealing with is a complete sweetheart.

HAVE ALREADY fielded my first request from a potential commercial tenant.  We’ll see if the hoops we’re asking her to jump through (follow schedule, prepay rent, have Foodsafe, licence, FHA authorization) prove too much.

 

Today, the sign, the phone, and Jeff’s first site visit as our official sponsor (he’s the one who sent me the original Craigslist ad) and IT guru.  Wait until you see the business cards, they are adorable.  Laura has such an eye.

I think the technical term is shitshow.

Dear Rob,

Wow.  (I deleted the wow, as it was a trifle twee.  But that was my first response).

I told you I had another call coming in – which I did, from my insurance company – and that I wasn’t interested. I am sorry that you interpreted me having to take another call, and me saying that I wasn’t interested, as unprofessionally hanging up on you, but I commend your gumption in continuing to try to make the sale.
This email will confirm that I am not interested in working with your firm and that I am requesting that your firm delete my phone and contact info.  I undertake to delete the previously forwarded draft contract.
Your email today I will treasure always as a shining example of what never to say to a potential customer.  Because, dear sir, if this is the aggrieved and self-righteous tone you exhibit to customers you haven’t landed, I shudder to think how you treat the ones tied to your firm with a five year contract.  (editors note, the contract was badly scanned and kinda illegible in parts.  guh).
Allegra

On Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 9:19 AM, Rob of a certain POS provider, which I am redacting because I bet these dudes would take not nice action.

 

Dear ALLEGRA,  (the all caps is a nice touch, doncha think?)

 

As one business professional to another, I do not appreciate being hung up on. I would show you the respect you deserve and I only ask for the same in return.  

 

You had brought up a lot of points which could have easily been addressed. 

 

1) The online reviews were written by companies and banks like the one you have decided to proceed with. That is how they win clients. They write slander online to have as a reference point for clients such as yourself. 

2) We CAN offer the rates that you were quoted. No hidden fees. 

3) We ARE a Canadian company. 

4) We have over 15,000 clients from coast to coast. We do not have the convenience of clients walking into our branch for a business bank account and signing them up for processing as well. We have earned our clients by treating them well and they in turn provide word of mouth advertising. If you like, I can provide you with a number of references and referrals. 

 

I hope you can see past the unprofessional sales tactics used by your branch and allow us the opportunity to speak again. If not, I wish you nothing but the best of luck in your business ventures. 

 

Kind regards,

 

 

Robert 

Still haven’t heard back from the landlord….

Getting down to the wire here.

Fortunately I have lots of other things to keep me busy, lol.

Saw Mike last night and he ran his magical MBA brain over the numbers.  I now have a drop dead number for sales if we are going to make a go of the business.  It is stretchy, but by no means impossible.  Katie asked this morning how much more I would be willing to invest before walking away, and fortunately that IS something I have thought about so it wasn’t hard to say.  She wants me to concentrate on obtaining cooking tenants.

I have an insurance quote.  It’s a tad higher than I’d like, but not unreasonable given the liability coverage.

Receipts for church have all been mailed or hand delivered, glory be.

 

Getting nearer

Bank account set up – waiting to hear back from owner about meeting with landlord.  If it goes badly, I will be returning various moneys back to proper home and I will be somewhat downcast.  However, I have an inkling of how much the current owner would like to rejoin her hubby Stateside and feel confident it will be fine.

The grandsnake has outgrown his hidey box and we had to buy a new one (and a mouse…) today. This will probably calm him down because his ass is currently hanging out when he settles into it right now, or else he’s lifting it up right off the bottom of his cage.   He’s eating like an ogre and pretty much growing like one too.  His having been bred for tameness means he has a minor genetic defect and trembles when he gets excited or confused.  Yup, it’s a really crappy idea to overbreed critters.  However I think he is a very pretty and biddable boy, even if I can’t stomach feeding time.

The rest of the tax receipts are in the mail.  phew….

Katie is here

Baking up a storm of maple bacon muffins, some of which will accompany to her foodsafe 2 class today.

Keith is going to the grands this weekend, and he will have biscotti in tow if the gods are kind.

Today I am ENDURING THE HORRAH of completing my first tax documents for the church. I will be glad when this term is over, despite all I have learned.

It is astonishingly windy – the recycling bin keeps leaping up and trying to make a run for it down the porch stairs.  The cats really don’t like it the noise.

Jeff says Margot had some kind of fit the other day.  Her eyes were open but she was impossible to rouse.  Then she perked up and was completely normal or as normalz as that crazy little fur machine ever gets.  Obviously I am mildly concerned but when cats are eating and drinking as per normal it’s hard to stay that way.

mOm, you will be amused to hear that Katie just came up behind me and said “can you read that in the dark?” and turned the lamp on.

Long and amusing phone call with Chipper yesterday.  She’s in much better spirits – her wordplay and sense of proportion have been somewhat restored – and she has been the biggest booster of the plan for the cafe.

I suppose I should pick up the phone and apologize to Carrie for our unfortunate text exchange, but I am still a little mad about it and if I am still resentful an apology will just make things worse.

Saw Mambo Kings the other day. I enjoyed the musical numbers and costume design a lot, and Antonio Banderas is a wriggling sack of puppies cute.

Lots of people asked me for the lyrics to my Beacon bday tune, so I am happy about that.

Receipting for tax time for donors at the church is done…. I will also be stuffing envelopes today.

And laundry.  I thought I was all caught up but the laundry basket is telling me different.

 

Sun is out!

Windy but glorious out there.

I am drinking cold cocoa and preparing to go to the church 30th birthday party.  It should be fun and festive.  I will report on how the song went over before I go to church tomorrow (I’m opening for Audrey the Wonderful (she really is, too, so firm of mind and so soft of voice)).

Paul just called – he’ll be coming as well and is making up some of his famed quinoa tabbouleh.  Of course he had to be reminded about it and that’s okay, it’s cool that he’s coming.

Kate is at her level two Foodsafe course, Monday we open a business account, Tuesday my money to close should come in, and then we hammer a cheque and get it to the current owner and get an introduction to the landlord at some point prior to closing.  Work is happening every day on the purchase, and while I would have preferred opening an account on Friday one business day won’t make a difference.

Everything people are saying on the internet about Amanda Fucking Palmer’s ‘the Bed Song’ is TRUE.  DO NOT WATCH UNLESS YOU ARE OKAY WITH CRYING.

I am writing YET ANOTHER character song for Midnite Moving.  It’s from George to Raven and it’s called ‘and then you smile’.

and I deleted the whole thing in 2020 because it was DREADFUL thank god I have this power.

Katie’s off at the cafe learning about the menu

And I am here at home working away on receipts and getting the printer hooked up to the new computer (Jeff advised, I finally took the advice).

Margot has been defluffed (as if….) and rendered a little less stabby, as I took off some talon action on her back feet.  She barfed all over my Fraser Health certificate plan and now I have to print another one.

This may seem like a particularly asinine comment, but if the way they blocked off Kingsway and 14h this morning is anything to go by, the Burnaby RCMP couldn’t organize an orgy at a porn convention.

This afternoon we bake, and Jeff will be the (hopefully) happy recipient of the largesse.

Peggy is back from China, I am so looking forward to talking to her about it.

I formally dropped out of the Chalice circle.  I am too set in my ways – the first one was so good, and was all about deepening friendship, which thank you very much IS spiritual.  However I was alternately disturbed and disappointed by the materials we were supposed to read, and the presence of two of the long time members of the former iteration of the circle was not a sufficiently  appealing inducement.

Still need the business name registration, waiting until later this week….  sigh.

Updates

Entered bunches of data for tax receipts, got church bank recs done, should have financials for tonight.  Wow, a board meeting on Valentine’s day.  Should prove that whatever we are it isn’t sentimental.

The master of ceremonies for the Beacon birthday party is now in possession of my lyrics, and I guess he’s a convert.

Phew!

Met with current proprietor of cafe yesterday afternoon, reviewed the inventory, all looks good.  The inventory covers all but 10K of the asking price; we’ll have to buy knives, a coffee maker, a meat slicer and a couple of microwaves, but all of that we can do without too much difficulty.  Waiting with bated breath for the registered name to come back.

Katie came up with an idea for a muffin that nobody else is serving in the lower mainland.  If it takes off, we’ll have people driving out of their way to eat it.  Just mentioning it to a couple of people yesterday made their eyes light up.

And we will be serving gluten friendly (can’t say gluten free because it’s a mixed use kitchen) food, as well as vegan offerings.

Happiness….