Hobbies, interests, pastimes...

AND

One thing that you might try is to cold brew your coffee. You can take the cheapest coffee and cold brew it in filtered water and come up with smooth coffee. (Heated before drinking it)
You might prefer that.

My interests are rather eclectic I think… The main ones include the propagation of the Word of God into everything, and being helpful to people in any way I can. Hobbies… I like doing handyman stuff, presently repairing a couple of motorcycles, mountain bikes, and an old Land Rover Discovery. I like doing outdoor things including bike riding, boating and fishing. I also like taking in art galleries and museums when I’m visiting the big smoke.

As soon as I get this bakery/coffee shop built and opened...in around 5 months if I get lucky.

You could hire @17Bees to help do some of the woodworking with you

Perhaps some cupboards, benches, chairs, display cases, or counter tops

I don't think that he lives in middle TN or that we can afford him if he did.

Please keep us posted.

Most especially if you get a website set up.

What state would it be in, if you are comfortable sharing? I tend to travel a bit to see family and CC friends... If we're in the area, we just might stop on by.

Just saw your post with your location... Please disregard that part but not the part about keeping us up to date.

I'm sure that @17Bees, like most of us, would be happy to make some contributions in exchange for a few baked goods and coffee.

Of course...
When we actually can agree on the name we will get a website up.
Then there's all the pics. I might have to run to Pennsylvania this week to see about a deck oven....don't know yet.

We have a slow day today... talking to a realtor tomorrow. ...we have been meeting with tons of various people and trying to work out deals trying to get this done. It's been a LOT of work and fun. But I've also been bored with quarantine and pandemic and isolation. Time for me to start a new career (again) and get to work.

And let's not forget the clay workers...aka pottery people. I actually could probably use another one.

We will need artisan custom coffee cups to sell.

I think it's really cool that you are wanting to recruit as many different kinds of craftspeople as possible and give them opportunities to utilize their skills.

I meant to ask... Sorry, I can't remember which thread it was in, but you had talked about how the business people define everything in terms of money and numbers, but you were saying that you don't measure success in money.

I've been curious as to how you would personally measure the success of your own bakery/coffee shop... By satisfaction ratings of the customers (determined through surveys?) By the amount of traffic you see come through every day?

I am, of course, delighted by the thought of people measuring success in other terms besides sales, but I've also found that the definition of "success" is highly individual, and so I was wondering what your definition is.

A business is built on a plan.
I have been involved in commercial food service for decades.

When I was younger and going through post secondary schools (yes, plural) I built a lot of imaginary restaurants and food service establishments.

After I graduated I was a part of several people's start-ups in the restaurant world. I helped with menus and food styling. I ran country club's kitchens for a decade. Finally as me being the one in charge...but none of them were mine.

This time I get to do things my way... from tip to toe.

My success will be in the capture rate from the street (customer counts) and from the ticket average (how much the customers spend). When it goes by the predicted numbers and I keep the labor budget and food costs in line at the same time...I will have succeeded.

Then because this is a home store...the satellite locations need to also cost as predicted and perform as predicted.

That is success.
I won't be rich by any means...but I'll make a living.

And if we can survive over five years I will have beat the odds.

50% of all food service establishments bankrupt in their first 6 months.

97% in the first five years.

I beat those odds...I made success.
Rich? HA! I am not planning on that.

I've got lots of ideas...
None of them are ones my partner liked for various reasons.

So far we have P235 as my favorite.
(As in Psalms 23:5)

Because we are a coffee shop bakery.

I don't know what the final name will be. It's a work in progress.

But I did get busy today. I put a bid on an entire bakery's equipment that went out of business.

It's going to be a TON of work to get the place emptied out and hauled to TN.

This is awesome. I would love to have one of these. As of late for some reason I have developed an interest in making things with wood. Just little handy things around the house like veggie boxes and coat hooks etc etc. I have tried looking for a womens shed where I can learn how to operate the tools but am not having much luck so far. There are a few of us wanting to learn but no guy or girl for that matter with the knowledge has the time to teach. I am hoping one will turn up soon.

Been binging on X-Files re-runs recently. The first nine seasons I dug. That 9th season was truly climactic. But, I think they ruined it with the additional seasons put on in 2016-2018. Mulder became a reflection of Hollywood "values", and the writing became almost silly compared to its dark seriousness of the '90s and early 2000s. And what happened to the romance between those two?

Anyway, anyone know of new Star Trek or Star Wars developments? I know there's a new JP movie coming out this year.

Love,

Gojira (a.k.a. Keithiepoo)

If you're in CA, you almost seem like you're being deliberately contrarian But, that's okay. In fact, I encourage it

Hello Love! I know a guy from Australia that just might help. He builds anything from complicated furniture to really easy tasks and uses all hand tools. The man's name is Steve Hay and he runs a woodworkers master class on line or in person, however I don't know where he's located. I'll leave you a link. You don't have to spend a fortune on tools. More than half my stuff came from ebay or flea markets or garage sales for half or less the price of new. Also you'd be surprised in how little a space you need. Steve actually put out a video about a year or more ago where he set up a little shop right in the corner of his living room! I don't think his wife liked it. He's been around doing videos for a long time.

Here's his link. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCamxdpLgM4yPF5fgxzG2y5g