This goes out to Pug,Topher,CCafe, thank you...............

Tophie2

New member
Jul 6, 2008
157
0
St Augustine Fl
Visit site
My name is Chris and I have been following this board for months as we get our coffee shop ready for opening, and believe me, this has been quite the learning experience to say the least.

How it all started.
We were a loyal customer of a coffee kiosk located in one of our outlet malls. This was a Gloria Jeans franchise that 5 years later was turned indy. We noticed the business that they did consistantly, and had reasearched a Gloria Jeans franchise. Needless to say, the requirments were staggering. We decided we would reaserch other areas to have our own buisiness.

Then we saw that the kiosk was for sale.

Stunned we decided to pursue it with vigor.

After trying to get this concept together single handedly, we are very close to putting this together and be open by Sept.

Between, training to make the drinks, securing finances, making the decsion to have my wife quit her corp job, liquidating our 401k and pensions, maxing out our credit cards, getting an SBA loan, getting an accountant,project manager, and consultant to handle permitting and agricultural logistics, fighting with landlords that do not "get" the concept of a gourmet coffee shop, dealing with sign requirments, LLC documentaion, vendors that are reluctant now that our credit score has dropped,and finding the right location for the shop, I am hoping that this will work.

I have total faith with the product, and the equipment that I purchased,although used, very well maintained and required by Gloria Jeans at the time, was VERY well maintained by the owners who were a family owned entity.

I am getting anxious,and the whole town is pulling for us, as I am calling in all favors :D

Reading this forum has helped me tremendously with alot of questions and personal experience from the board members and shop owners.

This kiosk that will be relocated to another mall that has the town buzzing as this is a very popular and well known coffee shop.


Please wish us luck and pray for us!

Regards,
Chris and Ronda Spindler
 

CCafe

Active member
Aug 11, 2004
1,557
2
Des Moines, Iowa
Visit site
Well.. your welcome. We are more then happy to impart with some knowledge here and there. I'm just glad you could make heads and tails of what we were feeding you at the time.

Now that you have signed up you'll have to post periodic updates on your progress! :grin:
 

Tophie2

New member
Jul 6, 2008
157
0
St Augustine Fl
Visit site
Ok we are going to open this fri. Actually the big opening will be Sat but we are going to non chalantly turn on the open sign Fri so we can adjust to the new setting. I will post pics soon. :D
 

Tophie2

New member
Jul 6, 2008
157
0
St Augustine Fl
Visit site
Day four. I need to triple daily sales. The sign co is starting to piss me off and my cc pos is not delivered. Life in the fast lane, Luckily every customer says we blow SBs away. Oh yeah? TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
 

Tophie2

New member
Jul 6, 2008
157
0
St Augustine Fl
Visit site
We gave been open a week today! Business has picked up tremendously with our new sign :p . We are the talk of the town blowing away Starboys and the reaction has been amazing. Pics to come soon.
 

Tophie2

New member
Jul 6, 2008
157
0
St Augustine Fl
Visit site
Long day. Got a tip from a friend as they have a haunted house set up by the sheriffs office. Set up my catering pots with houseblend and hot cocoa, made an extra 110.00. Plus had a bunch of great contacts and got the local sheriff deputies to start and stop by the shop. Also catered another breakfast this morning. Happy halloween to everybody, I will be playing in my band, running the shop, and working my real job. Thank god for espresso.
 
Top