On May 12th, 2017, Ass Monkey and I accidentally opened up a delicatessen.
I mean, we had planned to do it, we’d talked and dreamed about it for years. But were we really prepared to open a deli for the first time?
Were we fuck.
At 7am on that Friday morning, we opened the doors and had NO IDEA what was to come.
People queued up and down Rush Main Street for breakfasts, lunches, coffees and cake and we hadn’t entirely anticipated their arrival.
By 8am we had to ask Hulda, the Head Barista from Two Spots Coffee to jump in and give us a hand – she ended up staying for three whole hours. (Thanks Hulda, we love you)
Then we ran out of bread. I mean, our main service is to make effing sandwiches and we ran out of bread!
By lunchtime, we ran out of cake. CAKE! FFS!
Our little deli had been so sorely needed in our hometown for years that almost everyone who lives there came down for a look and to support – we were happy to see them, of course, but we had serious trouble feeding them fast enough!
That first month was crazy and we learned a lot on the fly – how to properly run a food and coffee house, how to develop the brand and menu, listening to our customers’ s requests and adjusting accordingly, figuring out our staff and stock levels..
..it has been one HELL of a journey so far.
I would say that opening a new business isn’t unlike having a newborn – you are like a deer caught in the headlights for the first couple of months, trying to incorporate this new energy into your life and settling on a rhythm and routine that works for you and the rest of your family.
There may also have been a few sleepless nights of worry – the usual!
We can now breathe a bit, knowing that we’ve survived the tough part – from here on out it’s just making sure that our little place continues to serve the community of Rush and beyond to the best of our abilities.
And to churn out cake. Lots and lots of cake ;o)
(Check out our website here and come say Hi some day! x)