Coffee

I'm terrible at blogging.  I know I could write more often, but the man-baby and the infinite challenges the cafe throw at us never allows for such luxuries.

Twitter affords a 5-second brain fart to guff onto the masses, spefically the food-obsessed yeggers I feel driven to feed once in a while, such is their influence and friendliness to us country folk out here in the tiny hamlet/ oil refinery world of S'park.

But I digress, and I almost feel compelled to punch myself in the mouth with my unnecessary two-paragraph introduction which precisely tells you nothing apart from my puffed-up opinion of online media....who cares?!

But here's the reason for this blahhhg post: 10 things about coffee that normal functioning people (i.e. not coffee geeks) have never known or considered about this prodcut:

1. It's not a bean.  It is the seed of a coffee cherry, whose fruit is delicious when ripe.
2. The most dedicated farmers will visit their coffee trees up to seven times to only pick the cherries when they are ripe.  This is rare in the coffee industry.
3. The average farm has 7,000 trees (1 hectare).
4. The average farm does not have running water.
5. The average farmer does not drink coffee.
6. One coffee tree makes 1lb of green coffee each year.
7. It is a food.  There are seasons to coffee and the green 'bean' will fade over time, often losing its acidity the longer it sits in burlap sacks.  Roasting fresh is great but doesn't mean much if the green is two years old.
8. Roast date of your coffee is important.  Ask or check the bag you are buying.  You wouldn't buy stale fruit.
9. Dark roasted coffee gives you a flavour from the actual roasting process, i.e. it cooks out all the unique characteristics of that coffee.  This is usually done to hide the inferior qualities of the product.
10. How you grind coffee is crucial.  Burr grinders used to be expensive but Hario hand grinders have changed all that (so long as you don't mind the effort it takes).

So there's ten things mildly interesting about coffee.

Changing of opening hours at Cafe Haven

I feel rather sad about doing this....there's bad news and good news....

After three years of existence, we're cutting our opening hours back to 5pm.  There are a couple of good reasons:
- there just isn't enough business coming through the door after 5pm.  We get busy after 7pm but it's rarely enough warrant being open.  The cafe has experienced some fantastic growth this year, but the majority of it has been between 9am-4pm.
- a quality of life decision.  When the cafe is open, as an owner, your brain is switched on.  And guaranteed there will be some kind of crisis or issue to resolve.  That means, more often than not, we have to remain near the cafe in case something goes wrong.  Every single weekday.  Of course, if we were busier then we would make it work.  But after three years, well, we're just taking it as a sign that it is not meant to be!

It hurts to do this because we think we have a rather nice spot to hang out in the evening with a friend over a nice cup of coffee and dessert.  It is also sad because choices for places to go in the evening in Sherwood Park that are not bars or restaurants are limited.

Part of the challenge I think is that Sherwood Park has such a huge family-orientated population that so many of the residents' lives are filled up with their childrens' activities or their own past times.  And that's a good thing: after working so hard during the day, the hours are precious family or personal time.  It is an admirable trait of the people of Sherwood Park.

And of course, Julie & I will soon be fitting into this above role with little Matheo growing up ever so fast.  And that is why we are shaping our hours to suit the population and to suit our lives too.

The good news?
We're going to continue with the music night on Thursdays.  It has fluctuated in popularity but we are keen to continue offering Sherwood Park the chance to listen to some of the exceptional talent floating around Strathcona and Edmonton.  If you know of someone who would like to play, please contact saturday@cafehaven.ca

Thanks,

Michael, Julie & Matheo

Grandpa John. Passed away after 97 years young.

This blog is a bit of a mish mash of business and personal.  I'm actually rather critical of people that do this but I justify my approach by the fact that I don't really promote the blog via the website...so I kind of feel it can have a place in the hearts and minds of those who've discovered it.

My grandfather passed away yesterday.

He is responsible for Cafe Haven being in existence.  Back in 2005, I was living a rather hectic life in London as a Marketing Director at a magazine company: I was certainly part of the rat race when I met my wife-to-be Julie. Inspired by Julie's worldly travels I wished to get a taste of what she had already experienced, but I was fearful to leave the career job, the great salary and the lifestyle it paid for.  I confided in my grandfather.  His advice to me was, "when you get to my age you do not have memories of the time you spent at work, but what you did outside of it."

It really hit me.  The classic 'work to live or live to work' decision.  I took hold of my life and asked Julie to travel the world with me.  We did and traveled to South America, Australia, Tasmania, Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong and India.  Best year of my life.

Then we got married in Jasper and opened Cafe Haven in Sherwood Park.

My grandfather holds an enormous amount of influence over me because of the way he led his life.  On the precious few times we met, he told me about some of his adventures....Driving from London to Italy with his wife in a Jaguar.  Driving up to Scotland for one night's dancing at a swanky hotel.  It was his belief that you can do anything, you just have to put one foot forward.  He was a romantic and a gentleman.  A charmer and a funny man who always walked tall.

His real name was Cuthbert, which he hated and never used.  Ironic that I never use my real name either (Kim).  I think he came off worse!

In the last few years I headed up to the North to visit him.  By then he had a terrible short-term memory but could pluck childhood memories out like they had just happened an hour ago.  I loved listening to his musings and his constant positive spin on all matters.

I never had the luxury of constant contact with any of my grandparents.  But the rare times afforded were always quality and hugely important to me.  Grandpa John was truly inspirational and will be missed dearly by everyone who ever knew him.

Rest In Peace grandpa.
x

chocolate tasting

Over the last couple of months we've been working with Sherwood Park's very own coconista (a chocolatier is a more famililar name to us), of JACEK chocolate, to develop the very best chocolate-based drinks.  We have two types:
1. Moccaccino
2. Hot chocolate

Owner of JACEK, Jacqui, has spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get the right balance of dark/ milk chocolate; the right balance of sweetness and; cocoa percentage.  The other challenge is having to produce something that is unique, practical and an amazing drinking experience without pricing itself out of the market.

And it is almost there.

Jacqui has devised a base chocolate that is grated ahead of time and stirred into drinks during the preparation stage.  But the best part is left to the customer to enjoy:  Jacqui has created chocolate spoons that are served with the drink.  The spoon along with the base chocolate creates a perfect balanced chocolate flavour.  In the hot chocolate it's smooth and creamy without being sickly sweet.  In the moccaccino, the chocolate is a secondary flavour (allowing our high-end Transcend Coffee to shine) but still has enough presence to make it a chocolately experience.

To make it even more interesting, there are 3 flavoured spoons to choose from:
1. Brownie (basically a simple dark and milk chocolate)
2. Mayan (some spice)
3. Cardamom (an element of orange citrus notes and probably my favourite)

There will be a test stage during August/September where will seek to get feedback from customers on the drink profiles  - this will help JACEK tweak the recipe.  Soon after the product will be launched.  You'll hear a lot more about it in August- so watch this space!

Working outside makes it better inside

The other day, I was preparing lunch for Matheo.  This involves unearthing a ziplock from the freezer, retrieving a few cubes of various foods his mother has prepped, cooked and frozen using an ice cube tray.  There's tuna which are brown cubes, green pea cubes and then two very similar purple/blue cubes: beets and the other blueberries & yogurt.

You can probably guess where this story is going.

Yep, my failure to check the label meant my boy happily gulped down a wonderful mixture of tuna, pea & blueberry yogurt.  His twisting lips and confused frown should have told me of the sharp & sweet flavours of the blueberry yogurt fighting with the meaty flavour of the tuna.

But I just keep doing aeroplanes and choo-choo trains with spoonfuls of this bizarre mixture.  Poor boy.

I honestly never saw myself being a stay-at-home dad.  Having lunch with Matheo is now a regular event for the two of us and my son probably now assumes it is quite normal to see more of his father than his mother.  

It's obviously not a clear-cut situation: Julie will often come back from a long shift and then have to play mum while I rush around trying to catch up on bookkeeping/ admin/ catch up on emails or repair something at the cafe.

It's why I am writing this at 2:15am.

But it works.  My work is not time-sensitive, nor does it directly affect customers.  If Julie isn't at the cafe to ensure quality control, fire fight staff situations or manage wastage issues, then we're in trouble.  It's almost like Julie has to manage the short-term while I manage the long-term.

In the future, however, I would like to employ someone who can run the day-to-day tasks at the cafe and have Julie help me develop the business (and not manage it).  Simply because the more policies and procedures we can instill in the cafe, the less money is wasted: the business becomes better maintained and better maanged and more efficient.  The more we can fine-tune how to make the cafe be profitable or understanding the most profitable elements of the menu, the better business owners we will become.

Only when you stand back from your business can you truly be effective.  Elbow-deep in dishes is  not an effective place to be.  BUT, you need to have washed every dish at least once so you know how to write the policies.  If you don't know your own business then you will fail.

And, with two and a half exhausting years under our belts, we know every element of Cafe Haven.

I hope!

The summer slump

3 days till June. And while there is still talk of snow storms, we have to believe that the summer is pretty much here.

for establishments that serve coffee it sets a new challenge. Cafe owners and baristas alike, push their heads against the glass wondering what the warm weather feels like. The oncoming balmy days drive a significant amount of business away from The Park and into the mountains or onto far flung beaches. Everyone runs off on their holidays and turns Sherwood Park into a bit of an empty dustbowl.

It's one of the reasons we had Julie's dad build the patio last summer. It took a fair amount of planning to decide on style and colour but I think the end result is impressive. Someone told me, "That's better than spending money on advertising".

It's probably true. The patio is a symbol of summer. I think everyone desires to be outside basking in the warm sun, especially sipping a glass of vino or supping on a cold beer. It's been that way for centuries.

Country Road Greenhouse is helping us making it look pretty - Carol is re-planting the planters and is going to help us start growing ivy up the back fencing. That will really add character and colour.

So, I hope we can encourage the few who do hang around Sherwood Park this summer to come and visit us!

synergies

independent cafes, like any small local business, has its challenges. one of the biggest is trying to generate enough volume so that suppliers take you seriously and offer reasonable pricing or shipping.

Lately, I've been creating supply partnerships with the likes of Transcend Coffee, Credo and the soon-to-be-open Elm Cafe. Such collaborations allow us to achieve attractive pricing on basic but essential items. For example, Transcend 1&2, myself and Elm all use the same paper cup supplier (with Credo soon to join), so that there's enough volume to demand a fair price.

Then with things like equipment parts and cafe supplies, Nate Box (Elm Cafe), Geoff Linden (Credo Coffee) and myself co-ordinate needs so that we can reduce shipping costs and increase bargaining power.

Of course, you can't do this with everything. But every little bit helps.

Golden Fork Awards 2010

Cafe Haven wins...

1st for Best Brunch

2nd for Best Coffee Shop

2nd for Best Sandwich

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

An astonishing achievement and one we are very proud of indeed. Look out for a profile on the cafe in Vue in the next few weeks (I'm sure I'll tweet about it!). For a full list of all the winners: http://ht.ly/1KSjt

Bear with us as my good friend, Scott Cairns, wrestles with updating our website to have a little more clarity.

Can't wait to receive our fork...I do get an actual solid gold fork, right?

For Eva

Yeah, I'm terrible at blogging - always something else supposedly more important to be done and before I know it, the blog finds itself gathering dust on my office shelf.

So, dearest Eva, since you asked so nicely and Mr Matheo is currently having his afternoon nap, I'll splurge something on the page. It also means I can avoid tallying receipts and sorting out the cafe recycling!

Lots of news from past, present and future....

The last couple of months at the cafe have been overwhelming. More and more exposure from the media meaning more and more people coming to check out the cafe. Blogs, Edmonton Journal articles and word-of-mouth via Facebook and Twitter has made the business thrive. The brunch boomed on the back of a review from Edmonton Journal and I'm not joking when I say that a whole day of Sunday's sales this time last year is now achieved in the first hour of business!

We're getting more involved in sourcing local product and Original Fare has been a really interesting experience for us - very positive. We are involved in the Alberta pulse/ seed promotion week in May as well as the Wild Boar BBQ (via Slow Food Edmonton). Then there will be another Tomato Fare in Strathcona, which was real fun last year. We are also working with farmers directly: Viking Colony Farms for our chicken and eggs for example. It's not enough - I want to source local produce this summer too. Our regular supplier, Northern Light Produce Network, is pretty good at doing local when the season permits but it all comes down to the success of crops that year. And pricing of course.

A new menu of sandwiches, salads and bites will launch next week. They are result of a number of weeks work. I'm looking forward to the free-range chicken, strawberry and melted brie with mint on foccacia! Julie & Jenna - you are both so creative! And I think one sandwich is the culmination of three people's ideas! Watch this space for more about the new menu.

Coffee news. I've just read God in a Cup that had me all excited about coffee (yet again). Honestly, you would never believe just how much there is to coffee. I've been fighting with the Fetco again as I search for the sweet spot. Technically speaking, the coffee is in the zone - according to the refractometer I have borrowed from Transcend - but there is this edge I can't shake off it. I'm talking miniscule details but it still irks me. So my solution? Scott Rao has a new book out purely discussing brewing techniques. I'm going to be devouring that for sure.

Family news: Julie, Matheo & I all went off to South Africa to enjoy my sister's beautiful wedding in Cape Town. It was such a beautiful wedding: set on a cliff overlooking the ocean with a violin quartet playing and mountains behind us. Wow. We did some incredible things while we were there like cage diving with Great White Sharks! Nothing like having someone dangling 3 tuna heads just in front of you and getting 4m sharks in a frenzy. Scary, magical and slightly stupid all at the same time!

The staff did an amazing job when we were away. Courtney was fantastic - 2.5 weeks of sole managing a store that normally takes two of us. She is simply double-awesome. One unfortunate incident involved the oven and potatoes. The oven was switched to self-clean at the end of the day on Sunday but no one checked to see if anything was in there. The end result was a 3am phone call to our cabin in the middle of an elephant safari, "Hello Mr Harvey. Yes, the fire department has just cut through the lock on the door. Yes, that's right the cafe is thick with smoke." Slightly traumatised, we made our 36-hour journey home (thankfully our 6-month old was amazing well behaved on the flight). The cafe was fine - the smell went away quick enough.

So, we're looking forward to the rest of the year. we'll keep developing the music night and the story-telling slam and see what else comes our way. The patio will open up soon enough and we are working with a couple of green houses to make it look all pretty.

All in all, things are just swell!

Survival of the unfittest

I'm rubbing my eyes a little too much at the moment because it seems we're on course to have our best month to date at Cafe Haven. This is somewhat peverse: it's January! Who has money in January? I guess caffeine craving Sherwood Parkians (and I'm thankful for it).

I'm confused, although with my new and very shiny dad-brain, that doesn't take much.

So, this month has been less watching the bank balance followed by prayers every night and more about getting on top of dishes. Julie and I decided on scaling back the amount of hours our employees work in the week and gave ourselves full time work again at the cafe. Oh my once beautiful soft hands.....

It's worked because the numbers in the bank say so but it's physically hurt us. We're new parents getting used to 3am feedings and pooey diapers. That's left us snoring at the grinders or occasionally burning someone's bagel. I swore I would do something about my lack of stamina this year. Working at the cafe wasn't supposed to be the solution. And it's not exactly stress-free.

And then there have been some interesting moments in January: The drain on the dishwasher unhooked and created Cafe Haven Creek under our neighbour's carpet. With some absolute genius luck they're planning to change their carpet to tiles next week so don't care! Then our extremely high-end Black & Decker (ahem) food processor gave up on us after literally thousands of seconds of use, shock horror! "DON'T BUY RESIDENTIAL!" I can hear chefs all around Edmonton screaming. Does Cuisinart count? No? Oh well....

This small death was followed by a waffle-maker homicide. Rumour has it a Saturday staff member went - as we say in the UK - 'ape shit on it'. R.I.P. Mr Waring. Thankfully, the speedy staff of Hendrix Condon Barr had a replacement shipped from the east in time for this weekend's peanut butter waffles. Impressed indeed.

The staff have been incredibly consistent this month, giving us very few hurdles or stresses to deal with. And that's a real blessing. Actually, there is a really good feeling about the current bunch - a nice gelling of personalities. And that is so important.

And lastly, the cinnamon buns. Edmonton Journal's Liane Faulder does a spot on CBC every other Friday to talk about foodie things. Best cinnamon buns was this week's (29th Jan) topic and we were mentioned! I have to admit, it is one of the few things we don't make at the cafe. A local husband and wife team are the ones who bang out these great desserts, using old church and family recipes. Congratulations Vivian.

Watch out for news on our Original Fare membership!! Very exciting times ahead.

“STORY SLAM IN THE PARK”

LAUNCH - 7:30 pm, Tuesday, February 9, 2010

At Café Haven, 9 Sioux Road, Sherwood Park, 780-417-5523

Contact: Katharine Weinmann, 780-467-9541

or go to Café Haven’s website: www.cafehaven.ca

Based on models in Vancouver, New York and Edmonton, Story Slam makes its debut in Sherwood Park on February 9th. Cafe Haven's Michael and Julie Harvey, and long- time Sherwood Park resident and Story Slam enthusiast Katharine Weinmann invite you to take a risk, be bold, and have an experience you’ll always remember. Visit your dreams, explore your past, stir your creativity, question your existence, write a story and get on stage to share it with an eager, appreciative audience in a welcoming, yet competitive environment. We gather on the 2nd Tuesday of every month to celebrate stories – fact, fiction or a combination.

Arrive early. Share a meal, tip a cup and join our newest community of storywriters and readers. We'll hear stories about childhood, middle and old age; lifetime yearnings and wisdom gleanings; parenthood, sisterhood and brotherhood; triumphs and failures; dreams and nightmares; what ifs, and what might be's.

In short, Story Slam in the Park is:

WHO: 10 storywriters, a story-loving audience and 5 audience judges

WHAT: 5 minute, original stories read/performed before an audience (Strict point penalty for rambling. Gong at 7 minutes). “Pass the hat” for contributions - $5 suggested - the evening’s winner takes all

WHEN: LAUNCH - Tuesday, February 9, 2010 & the 2nd Tuesday of every month Sign up at 6:30 p.m. Stage opens at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Cafe Haven, 9 Sioux Road, Sherwood Park

Check out their website at www.cafehaven.ca for their menu and directions.

Katharine has regularly enjoyed Edmonton’s event, hosted by Susan Hagan and the Blue Chair Café. Appreciating the depth of creativity and the breadth of community represented both by those who step up to read, and who come to listen, she felt captivated and inspired to bring Story Slam to Sherwood Park. “Story Slam in the Park invites a community’s best - its vibrancy, eclecticism, pragmatism, and capacity to dream big… We’re a cross section of age, ethnicity, politics, work and life experience, and viewpoints.”

As a life coach, process artist and group facilitator whose work centres on community building and future creating, Weinmann recognized Story Slam as a simple, yet effective and highly entertaining way to do this.

An open letter to the staff of Cafe Haven and those who supported the 'Keep Edmonton Original' pledge

Dear Cafe Haven staff and loyal & loving customers,

Julie and I are completely stunned by the efforts of our staff and the generosity of customers.

It is a simply brilliant idea that must have been incredibly challenging to put together: for our staff to drum up $500 from paying customers, who already show such dedicated loyalty to the cafe, so that Cafe Haven can have membership to the influential 'Keep Edmonton Original' association, is truly an outstanding act that goes well beyond the call of duty. But what has really touched us, is the time and effort by the staff to do something so thoughtful. And how positively the customers responded to such a request.

When Jenna, the staff member who orchestrated the entire thing, presented us with a huge Christmas card announcing our membership to the association and messages from staff old and new as well of customers' support, it made us both well up. If any of you have watched Jimmy Stewart's It's a Wonderful Life, well, that last scene at the end of the movie, that was how Julie and I felt. It really did.

It has without doubt, been the toughest few months the cafe has ever faced. Jenna and Courtney, with their extra responsibilities, have had more than their fair share of putting up with a couple of stressed owners - in fact, most of the staff have.

I'll be honest and say that our hearts were flagging and our heads were beginning to sag at the thought of another tough year ahead of us. It is regretable that we forget just how much customers enjoy the cafe; that we forget that people see us as more than just a coffee shop but a place in the community. We've become numb from all the problems rather than reflect on our successes.

But what the staff delivered through our customers' generosity has restored our faith and our desire to make this cafe a success. It really is a very special Christmas present - and one we shall never forget.

So thank you, thank you, staff of Cafe Haven and to all those customers who got involved with the pledge! Have yourselves a very Merry Christmas. We look forward to seeing you in 2010!

The Harveys

This letter is written in light of the fantastic efforts by Cafe Haven staff, having raised money through our loyal and loving customers, to pay for a membership to "Keep Edmonton Original", a profile-raising association for independent local businesses. This was orchestrated by staff member, Jenna Sieben.

wasting money

waste not want not - as probably any self-respecting mother from the 20th century would say. Business owners are without question the kings of one thing: reducing cost and avoiding waste. It KILLS a business owner to watch an employee, either through poor training or ignorance, use excess; throw away good product; make unnecessary errors; drop things; break things; lose things...

"Isn't that factored into your costs of business? Isn't that covered with your pricing?". To a degree, yes, but not everything. Watching compostable ToGo paper cups spill on the floor and be contaminated is heartbreaking when you are already paying 100% more than the regular cafe and the national franchises. The same with coffee beans being spilt everywhere: at double the price, you are losing double the profit. Cups smash, wine glasses shatter and plates chip. Franchises have you sipping out of paper whether you want to or not. That's a huge drain on the environment and unnecessary for those customers staying in. We have a policy of making our customer pay for ToGo cups with a 10c increase on price. This goes to a green charity once a year. The flipside is that anyone who comes in with a travel mug (Thank you!), gets 10c off. Simple.

But back to my gripe about waste: It's a problem everyone has, and minimising these mistakes with clear policy, training and constant reminding are the only solutions for survival and reigning in waste.

Other stuff on my mind...

This week has been an incredibly hard week for Julie and I with poor staff attendance (uncommon at haven). It's getting tougher as we enter Christmas: private parties/ catering functions and sections of the cafe booked up for events - all begin to create complications in the running of the business. Good problems of course and much needed money into the business at a time when Julie & I have been struggling to keep the wage bill down. The end of this month shall be interesting for sure.

A nice surprise today came in the form of Andrew Legg (ex-Transcend Coffee employee) who will hopefully be performing a one-man show of the Christmas Carol on 20th December at our cafe. He's also performing it at Axis, which I encourage you to attend if you're more of a city-bound person. It will give us the Christmas feel I'm looking for at haven. It will also remind me exactly what Christmas is all about (it's easy to forget).

the stuff of staff

Being a boss can be great as well as horrible. A lot of it, I think, comes down to your judgement of who to employ. As employers, my wife and I have made our fair share of mistakes but thankfully you learn and get better at targeting traits of good workers.

The problem in the cafe world is that most staff don't hang around too long. Starbucks, for instance, have a joyous turnover of 300%. That's one very fast spinning revolving door.

At haven, we certainly seem to be developing a core of staff that have one quality that every business yearns for: the staff care. It really makes a huge difference to the day-to-day running. This does not mean that you can get laxidaisical in providing clear instruction and sound operational procedures. But it does mean that when things do go wrong it is more likely to be a mis-communication than due to a lack of care. Mis-communication you can rectify. Lack of care is a one-way track out of the business.

It's so important for our cafe because we have a large check list of closing duties that we start at around 4pm....that's five hours before the doors actually close. The duties are not exactly fun but they are incredibly important: the list spans some four pages and requires an awful amount of cleaning. Why? Because as an open-plan cafe you cannot get away with anything be left for more than a day (and in the restaurant world that happens a lot). Our customers can sit at a table and view our kitchen. With this kind of scrutiny you must (and should) run a tight ship. It's testament to the staff that the health and food handling inspector is a regular customer.

So, how do you ensure the staff do the work? Our solution is a simple one: roll your sleeves up and show them yourself. Lead by example. If the boss does it then everyone does it. Nothing worse than a manager showing off his extensive collection of keys to the store safe and various cupboards, refusing to work up a sweat because they are "above that now".

But getting good staff is mostly about leading horses to water and all that. At the end of the day, you need to find staff with good solid character and a conscience. And I'm very proud to say that at Cafe Haven we have that by the bucket full.

Colourful characters can also be problematic. Like coming to work to find your staple in the middle of a plate of jello. Terrific.

Mathéo has landed

Here's the reason I've gone 3 months without a single post on my blog. A cutie indeed. Mathéo was born 9th October 6lb 15oz and Julie & I are as happy as two new parents can ever be. Now four months old, it's a testament to Mathéo's temperament that I am finding the business more stressful than a new born baby. He sleeps alot; doesn't cry too much and; generally has the relaxed vibe of his mother. But I am proud to say he has his father's frown perfected!

Business has been tough. Julie's new found full-time preoccupation with motherhood has left a huge gap in the cafe. Thankfully, we have some incredibly gifted staff who've taken on Julie's usual workload. Jenna Sieben, our new Head of Kitchen & Catering, began to operationalise (if that's a word) the food element of the kitchen. This has been nothing short of a mammouth task. From start to end, Jenna has mapped out instructions on storage, handling, preparation, building items and plating of all food elements.

It's working, but it's costing us. The absence of Julie has led to staffing hours (and therefore wages) increasing significantly. October was a month that almost saw us go under. Hop, skip and jumping our way through the bills has scared us. A line of credit with the bank would seem a logical option but they make everything so complicated and it's $300 just for an application. One part of me feels it's necessary, another part of me wants to stay away from borrowing money.

We added to the chaos by changing the menu and intend to do so every six months in order to give the cafe a seasonal feel. We've also taken on the responsibility to go local, using Sherwood Meats fantastic product of free-range chicken, free-range eggs, locally reared hams and a Montreal-style smoked beef. The flavours are incredible and have improved the quality of the sandwiches dramatically.

So, it will be Christmas soon. With Remembrance Day nearly over, we've found ourselves using this holiday as a starting point for giving the cafe a festive feel. But no Christmas songs until December!

came out the other end safely

after months of planning, pouring over the smallest details, we finally took the plunge, closed shop and ripped out the whole kitchen.

it was a scary, stressful and uncomfortable time. i don't think i've slept as little in my life.

it all started off with friends coming over on the saturday and helping us literally tear the place apart. the shock of seeing what has not probably been uncovered in 15 years was, well, just gross! unbelievably, we were able to clear out the entire cafe under 3 hours. without friends helping us we would have been there for days!

sunday (4th July) saw us begin what i considered the biggest challenge: a six foot trench through concrete. julie's dad had the sole responsibility to make sure the trench was accurate, clean and perfectly dug. and he did it to perfection.

thinking the biggest hurdle was behind us, of course, several issues decided to change that. concerns over the thin wall between ourselves and Cash Central were highlighted (since it use to be a single unit back when BMO were tenants). This could have potentially set us back weeks. Aaron Box, the General Contractor, managed to get the inspector to provide advice, submit an application and approve it within 24 hours. That is a fast turnaround!

We had many moments like that. Issues that could have potentially delayed us or cost me a fortune, only to find a way around it. Another was when the pony wall on the south side was unable to handle the weight of the glass blocks on top - it was tilting back at such an angle that if we wanted anything to go up against it, it had to be dead straight. Again, Aaron, set about creating a perfect brace that ensured the wall would never move.

This kind of luck comes down to the people you employ to get the job done. I was incredibly fortunate to have a set of people that took a very conscientious approach - all knowing we were a new small business with still a lot to prove in the Park.

all the electricians were brilliant and worked long hours. the mechanical guys from Mainline and Randi himself were fantastic and very generous with their time and effort. The millworker, Paul Vail from Cripple Creek, did an amazing job of creating a single sixteen foot counter that snakes along the edge of the kitchen. And the detail and finish are nothing short of perfect.

Finally Aaron Box, who as General Contractor, had to manage me as well as the project. He did what he was paid to do and got the job done in a time frame no one thought possible: 8 days. And thank you to his brother, Nate, who set me on the right path with a design that we thrashed out until it was solid.

Thank you to everyone. We really couldn't have done it without you.

Ch ch ch ch changes...

we're two and half weeks away from closing up shop for reno's.  Appliances are on order and I've accepted quotes from plumbers/ electricians and millworkers.  Money's been spent and there's no turning back!

The aim is to be closed for six days, during which time we'll literally rip out the old kitchen and replace it with something bigger and far smarter.  The designs I inserted in my previous post are fairly accurate with some minor but important tweaks.

All this is stressing me out but I am also really excited.  I'll bore you senseless if I discussed the minute details on the blog of every change so instead you'll just have to visit the cafe after July 11th!

In addition to the changes, we're revamping the menu.  We're going to be a little more dynamic and have seasonal menus so that we can suit the mood of our customers as well as the seasons of the produce.  On weekends, we'll be offering brunch options and some tasty sugary delights!

Another exciting element is the new patio we're working on.  My father-in-law, Reg, is leading this project and he hopes to have it done in time for the re-opening.  Reg was instrumental in the first wave of renovations we did when we took over the cafe (if you want to see how far we've come already, check this out!: http://tinyurl.com/lhlhas)

To add to the fun, the week prior to closing I'll be in Calgary cycling 200km over two days having raised $2,500 for cancer charity.

One day, I might fancy doing nothing for a change....

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry...

It might end up looking completely different from this drawing but I wanted to show you just what's been going on.  Working closely with chef consultant, Nate Box, he's come up with a rather brilliant and different looking kitchen area...  There are five distinct areas to the proposed layout:

1. food prep area (the central island infront of the two tall fridge/ freezer units)

2. food building area (i.e. making a sandwich) in the right hand corner

3. customer serving area/ till (angled counter)

4. barista station (front counter)

5. dish pit

Having these accurately defined stations maximises efficiencies and improves workflow.  But there are plenty of hurdles.  Getting power and water to a front counter that is not attached to a wall currently means digging an 18" deep trench twelve feet to the back wall - that's pricey.  It also means we have an incredibly tight barista work station.   Then there are issues of grinders and blenders being very close to customers at the till so we might be screaming "Hello!" at them!

The devil is in the detail.  To ensure we don't get caught planning something that could trip us up, I'm currently writing down every part of the process when undertaking every element of the cafe.  For example:

Medium latte

• locate cup and heat with hot water
  
• locate saucer and garnish (saucer is specific to cup) with sugar and spoon.
  
• Locate steaming pitcher and grab milk. Pour required volume. Add thermometer.
  
• Start grinder (12 sec.). Disengage porterfilter, knock out puck, wash (if necessary) and wipe dry, stop grinder.
  
• Dose, collapse, level and swift. This happens around the grinder and then over a metal bowl.
  
• Tamp (on tamping matt). Wipe remaining grind off porterfilter.
  
• Wipe draining tray, purge group head and tip out water in cup and leave upside down
  
• engage porterfilter and place cup underneath
  
• Grab jug, purge wand, insert wand and stretch/ steam milk
  
• Stop shot. Stop milk at desired temp. Remove jug and place on counter, purge wand and wipe
  
• Remove cup and swirl to break crema.
  
• Swirl milk and knock jug on counter. Pour milk.
  
• Place on saucer. Serve.
  

So, plans continue to be developed/ revised and discussed.  We're not pulling the trigger just yet but I hope in a couple of weeks the final concept will be in place and we can begin making plans to build a new look kitchen. Oh, and maybe a new patio too.

watch this space..

POS (Pain or Suffering)

is what I think POS stands for (not quite 'Point of Sale').  "The wonders of a new till system!", I was promised as I stared at the row of flashy computer touch screen systems.  "They will change your life! Run your business, manage your books, rub your feet and let you take 6-week holidays!"

I was sold from the moment I walked in the store but never truly understood what I was getting myself involved with.

Three weeks ago I purchased the system and it still sits in my 'office' - a room filled with various vegetable boxes stacked three high and four deep, all stolen from CostCo to assist with the move to our new home, just a little over a kilometre from the cafe.

Three weeks later and $6,000 lighter and the system has yet to be implemented.  What was I thinking?

It actually turns out I was thinking in the right way.  POS these days are glorified relational databases which can sew volumes of data together to help run a business effectively.  At the most simplest, it controls exactly how food and drink is ordered to avoid the least confusion, minimise wastage, reduce the time to serve and maximise satisfaction and your profit.  It can also take staff's available hours of work; their less-desired hours of work and; the real no-no hours, throw them all into a grid and help you schedule in minutes rather than hours.  If you tell it you use 20g of ham in a breakfast wrap and it knows you ordered a 2 kilo ham, it will inform you after the 103rd wrap that you are running low and need to re-order.

Wow.  That's my kind of system and I've not even touched on the incredible reporting and analysis of sales.  So, the last three weeks learning this beast will ultimately pay off.  That's as soon as I can find which vegetable box I packed it in.

juggling

3 things.

1. renovations to the cafe in april are more than likely to be delayed until we can get finance, millwork designed and built, an electrician and a plumber confirmed.  Not much then!  Two trades we had confirmed bailed on us and the millworker we did have lined up was decent enough to suggest they might be out of their league with the job in hand.  I have a very clear idea of what I want it is now down to the small issue of getting it to fit the budget.  A similar experience would be fitting 5 elephants into a mini (two in the front, two in the back and one in the trunk! ahem).

2. I'm riding to conquer cancer.  Not just me and I won't actually conquer cancer, but 200km of gruelling biking in The Rockies (!?!) will hopefully bring in enough sympathetic donations to achieve the rather challenging $2,500 target imposed.  Some might actually donate on the basis that they hope to never see me again... Either way, all donations welcome:  http://tinyurl.com/df2lx7

3. we're pregnant!  Julie is technically past the requisite 3 month period and we are allowed to announce her status.  It has not in the slightest sunk in yet by the very fact there is no real obvious difference in Julie's physical state.  Apart from Julie having loads more sleep than normal (it's like traveling the world again), I honestly don't feel the imminency of the situation.  I am an excellent fretter and a great panic-button professional so it will be interesting to see how I do as the time nears.  Terribly probably, but I am so excited to be a dad.  Any tips anyone?  Useful ones please.