April 2012 Coffee House FAQ’s

A quick Blog:

Long time no blog….. Time flies when you are busy! This is a quick note to answer the questions that our recent video announcement has generated.  We are working very hard, serving breakfast Tue-Sat and lunch Tue-Fri, but things are still financially tenuous.

We need additional income, hence the Coffee House.  This will be an experiment to see if our customers will support the idea and if it will be cost effective. Of course we want to see this become a “happening place”, extend the hours, bring in live music and find ways to grow. All in good time!

These are the details on the new venture:

Open as a Coffee House only on Friday and Saturday evenings.

4pm to 9pm for now………

The kitchen will NOT be open during Coffee House hours.

The Pastry case will be FULL.

There will be a few pre-made sandwiches and salad items to Grab and Growl.

I will NOT be working these hours, but I *might* drop in for a visit from time to time. (I am already working 10-12 hours a day, including Sunday paperwork and Monday prepping for the week.) We will be in the kitchen Tue-Sat during the day as usual to feed you.

I am thrilled that so many people have responded to the video and I again want to thank Jay Grant for his offer to produce the video and his fantastic result. Thanks also to Joseph “the Big Jeezy” Henderson for busting out that beautiful latte art! He agreed to come in during the week of his Master Thesis Defense to do that for us.

That should cover the FAQ’s. So now the whys and wherefores:

As with all small businesses we are struggling financially. We are committed to high quality/sustainable/local ingredients, and that is costly. Though we are very busy the tax burden of having a business is overwhelming. I’m not one to gloss over the facts: we nearly tanked in February because of financial issues. I decided to put my head down and plow, the staff dug in and we have not looked up until now. We had some good press, some unexpected press and an uptick of support through March. We are slowly gaining ground.

We have done this on a skeleton crew. I cut staff coverage and asked the impossible from the crew and we are still standing. Everyone working at the café has to multi-task endlessly.  If you have never been in the food business you can’t imagine how much work these people do in a day.  If you have worked in food service just imagine having to do your job and cover every other job in the house simultaneously.  I want to say a personal thanks to Marcey, Heidi, Scott, Kurt, Dallan, Joseph and Amber for every single thing they have done to keep us going. I am motivated to get up at 4:30ish everyday because they have been willing to back me up and keep this café open. These hard working people need and want their jobs. I also think about the regulars (you know who you are…) and what would happen if we can’t stay open. For now sheer determination has gotten us through. The long hours and physical stamina required to get this far in 16 months has taken a toll and I must ease up a bit.  Dallan will be there to run the Coffee House with occasional help from Joseph and Dustin, and I hope that the bottom line will improve

What it means (to me) when you eat a meal at the café is nothing short of miraculous. You support local farming, you eat food that is sustainable and drink coffee that is direct trade. Your hard- earned money supports people who work incredibly hard to grow your food and coffee. Equally as important you support a team that works way above and beyond normal job expectations to put that plate and cup in front of you. We thank all of you for your continued support and look forward to seeing you in the evenings for coffee!

Lell

October 2011

Approaching 11 months:

And we may not make it to one year mark.

I have spent hours trying to write about this blog post… Many things have happened at the café since the last post in the Spring.  Changing our Saturday hours received rave reviews. Serving Breakfast all day Saturday from 7 to 1 was a hit with the customer base. Then July happened. We have been in a slow and steady decline since mid-July. Lunch business is way down and breakfast is what seems to carry us financially. What to do?

Every person who is aware of our struggles has offered a plan. All of the ideas and suggestions are much appreciated. But here is the reality:  I am personally working all the hours that I can physically sustain. Every item you see on the breakfast and lunch menu is produced with my two hands. Requests for dinner or a different menu are not workable because I am only one person.  I do not have the luxury of more equipment or space at this time so changing the food system is not feasible.  We do not have the money to hire a prep person in the kitchen.  Though we surpassed all projected numbers for the first 7 months we have not sustained that rate. I had hoped to spend the first half of the year on my own and planned to hire help to get me out of the kitchen occasionally. That is not an option anymore.

Nation wide sales are in a slump. Established restaurants in Rock Hill are feeling it.  Every small business is suffering in this economy. I can change things  about how I do this business but if people do not have money to spend then we can’t continue.  It is that simple.

I have cut staff to bare bones, adjusted the inventory, reworked my resources and still we are substantially down in income.  Grocery prices continue to climb. I can’t make payroll and rent  and pay the payroll taxes and sales taxes on these numbers. 

Many of you had faith in my abilities to bring a local /sustainable Café to Rock Hill. I have loyal, true and supportive customers. But you are quite possibly not enough for a small business to survive.  My days and hours are marked by the rhythm of your smiling faces coming through the door. I continue to do what I do in the face of impending doom because I believe in you and what you have supported to get us this far.  I am racking my brain to find a way to survive until things are better in the world. I have thought of reducing hours, reducing days, limiting the menu, the list goes on and on. I have 5 employees to cover the hours we are serving and the time it takes to get the doors open and closed each day.  If we have to close that will be 6 people out of work.

Here is the crazy part: If I could expand my space to include a full Coffee House and add a few seats I could increase income with out adding much in equipment costs or overhead. But bank loans are nearly impossible when a business is struggling and the world is mostly upside down.  So… short of winning the lottery this week I am out of ideas for survival. I will continue to keep the doors open as long as possible. You may soon have to contend with a big change in the hours we are open. I may need to close the first half of the week and be open the last half of the week. I’m not sure what formula could work. But I will do all I can to forge ahead.

What can you do? Bring a friend to the Café. Buy a cookie to take to your office-mate. Eat lunch, and then get a cup of soup to go. Buy a Gift Card for someone. Stop thinking about a CSR Membership and actually get on board and make the investment in our survival.  If you have a CSR Membership come to the café more than your allotted dollar amount each month and spend a few extra dollars if you can. Pay in cash so I don’t have to pay 2-5% to banks for your credit transactions. Offer to help with Compost! I had to throw that in there because we always need more people hauling off our scraps for compost…

Be patient and trust that I am producing everything I can with the equipment and resources that are at my disposal. Reduced staff means we are all multi-tasking. I have one person taking care of the dining room. That person is also the Barista making your coffee drinks most days. My Sandwich Board person is making your lunch plate and also delivering food to your table and I am not only cooking for you I am delivering food and making coffee drinks too. My dishwashers do EVERY DISH and PAN by hand.  (My staff is nothing short of amazing and they deserve your thanks and appreciation too.)

I want to thank all of you for your continued support. I know many of you are in reduced financial straits too. I know the on-going financial crisis has taken a toll on peoples’ incomes and savings and eating out has become a luxury for many.  

I have dreaded writing about this reality but I feel an obligation to my many CSR members to be honest about the day- to -day results of your investment. I still shake my head in wonder about how many people pitched in with time and sweat to help get the doors open in the first place!  We have made it this far against all odds. I hope that 6 months from now I am able to post a blog that says we have made it another half year. Stay tuned for updates and send good wishes and business our way.

Lell

I Resolve

January 2011

A number of customers asked me last week what my New Year’s resolutions were… and my reply was the same that it has been for several years: “I don’t really make resolutions.”  But I woke up this morning and realized I do have a few and they are all important in the life and journey of this café.

I resolve to stay the course and do my very best make this Community Supported Restaurant an evolving and successful venture.

I resolve to listen to the customer base and do what I can to continue to create the food and atmosphere I am being asked to produce.

I resolve to work with as many local farmers as is possible to operate a financially sound and sustainable system. It is no small feat to keep consumer prices down while being committed to paying the higher dollar cost of local food. So far so good and I hope for more great food options on the menu soon.

I resolve to find more composters! We are producing up to 15 gallons of compost- able product per week and have overwhelmed the few dedicated souls that have been willing to haul the scraps and coffee grounds away. I am asking each of you to think about where your scraps and trash are going.  Also consider creating your own compost process and try to be aware of how your food consumption affects the world around you.  

I resolve to continue to go against the grain as often as possible. I was raised with the phrase: “The impossible just takes a little longer.” Dozens of naysayers said I would never find a way to get this café open.  Six bankers had no faith in the project. As a CSR we shrugged off the negative and found a way to open the doors with faith in the power of Community. We threw in a small measure of sheer will and determination too.  Impossible is not in my vocabulary.

I resolve to get more of you off the canned drink and artificial sweetener merry-go-round. I have bowed to the masses and stocked canned mega-producer products in the café. I personally gave those sorts of products up more than four years ago and it did make a difference in my health and financial life. The next step was to give up artificial anything. No “flavorings”, no additives, no unpronounceable chemicals in my food.. (It is the way I cook for you.) It is much easier to buy quality food from farmers that I know.  I am hoping that more and more customers will try life without food additives and make their own personal changes to think, buy and eat local.

I resolve to plant a SMALL garden that I can utilize despite the long hours at the café. I KNOW I will not have the time and energy to support my usual garden this year. But I will have my own tomatoes and herbs. The pleasure of walking out the door into my yard to gather a fresh simple supper is a great resolution to keep.  I hope many of you will join me in that plan.

It is a New Year and time for a hopeful point of view on many things. Life has been very positive of late. The hard times and bleak days of this past financial crises are hopefully fading to a memory. I see many of you minding your budgets and thinking about the ways you spend your hard earned dollars. So many of us have had to learn to live on less and I think the end result has been good for our society. I see more people finding happiness in relationships instead of “things”. It is my great hope that this re-set in our world has brought us together as a local and global community and that we continue to pay attention to the small things. As a community we can all be careful and mindful of our future resources.

As for the café: Every week we inch forward and we continue to meet our financial obligations. So far so good!  We still have more people than seats for lunch and breakfast has continued to grow. With the students returning I think the coffee end of the business will keep us hopping!

Though a New Year is a fresh look forward I want to be sure to look back to say thanks to everyone who made the café possible.  Personally 2010 will be a landmark year for me for so many reasons. To all the people that made this café a reality please know that I am so very thankful to be where I am doing what I love.

Warm Regards and Happy New Year!

Lell

How can I possibly sum up the first three weeks of Lell’s Cafe?

Joy, Joy, Joy.

We all imagine the big moments in our lives. Seriously, I spent more than two years wondering how it would feel when my  “regulars” could finally come through the door of the café for the first time. I now know how it feels but I am frankly beyond words when I try to explain what this has meant to me.  It has been a Tsunami of emotion each time an old customer has walked in to give me a big smile and a hug. I must say the reality of finally living the dream has been worth every second of hard work.

Yes, I look tired. (I am)

Yes, my feet hurt and right now I can’t multi-task beyond three things at once.

None of that matters because I am doing what I love. I love getting up at 4:15 am knowing that I need to make that drive from Charlotte to Rock Hill to make the biscuits and scones. I love hearing that people are so thrilled to have good coffee back in their lives. (People have cried over that first sip…) I love knowing that the food is making people happy and the concept is making people wake up and think about the value of local food and community.

What I really love is the team I have working with me. I have been sent angels to make the café work. From the first dollar of CSR money to the people that showed up wanting a job, each person has a certain purpose in making all of this succeed. For now I just want to say how proud they have all made me the past few weeks. There is an addictive vibe that happens when a team really pulls together. We have been “in the weeds” nearly everyday, lines out the door, more hungry people than seats and my crew has knuckled down under the pressure and taken on any job that needed to be done. In my kitchen no one hands a dishwasher a dirty dish without saying thank you. No one stands around looking for something to do. I have been given this amazing crew of people that believe in hard work and the satisfaction of a job well done.  They all have respect for their coworkers and the task at hand. They push me to be better at what I do and they give me strength and support when things are difficult and the pressure is beyond what I think I can handle. What a gift, what a gift.

I have over-used the word, but I really am humbled by all the good that has happened in my life. This new project has taken on a life of its own and I am finally getting it through my head that I should just sit back and enjoy the ride.

I have to stop now and post this. It is 10 PM and I need to get some sleep so I can get up tomorrow to start a new week.  Chocolate Chip Scones in the morning. Maybe Flan later this week and Adult Chocolate Pudding should appear in the pastry case. Maybe this is the week we can buy a big mixer and Cinnamon Rolls could happen too! Who knows what the soup will be……..

Lell

Announcement

I am pleased to announce that Lell’s Café will open for LUNCH on Friday November 19th!

We’ve jumped that final hurdle and secured the Business license. We’re preparing to rock & roll in the kitchen and I’m so thrilled to be here. What a roller coaster ride! I’m ready to trade in the construction dust for the glory of biscuit flour and the smell of butter! Oh to hear the espresso machine running wide open, the grinders in full swing and feel the energy of my incredible crew swinging into action. I cry every time I think about the luck I have had in finding the right people to make this Café work. There has been Magic and Synchronicity every step of the way.

I have approximately 3 jillion people to thank so this will be Thank You Phase 1

Cameron Bunce (R2D2)

This café would not physically exist if it were not for his unwavering dedication to stay the course to Opening Day. I had the opportunity to thank his parents in person last weekend for the gift of their son in my life. Unpaid and overworked, he never faltered and never gave up. We had daunting work loads and he managed to take every hurdle in stride. He also managed to keep me motivated and focused on the end goal. As he pointed out very early on, there would be an espresso machine and a 6 burner range waiting  at the end of the journey. Sure enough, here we are. On a personal note, there is nothing this man can’t do. He is a true steward of the Earth, he nurtures his gardens, he creates art from everything he touches, he documents and photographs the world at large and lives his Faith in quiet gratitude. Cameron takes his place in the crew as Head Barista/Cash Register Guru/Baker and my personal HERO.

Stephen Crotts (C3PO)

The Invisible Hand of our Social Media platforms. Most certainly a volunteer of gargantuan proportions. Social Networking has been the backbone of the Community Supported Restaurant model. Daily updates, calls for action and volunteers and the reality of work and success have been chronicled via Facebook & Twitter. Stephen has taken care of all the details and posting. He has learned to use my voice and taken the burden of marketing and connections off my shoulders on a daily basis. My emails sent at 2 am were often dealt with before most of you had breakfast. Stephen also preaches the gospel of eating and living local. He is the poster child of less talk and more action. He functions within a group of dedicated artists that get things done. Every moment that I spend in his presence is a moment that I live more fully.

Brandon Oxendine

Website, Menu & Graphic Maestro! What a beautiful job and what a great look and feel he has created for the online presence of the café. Far away in Charleston he has dedicated hours to this project. He is another of the true Artists in my life. His work speaks for itself and I have loved every minute of seeing what he had in store for each project. I believe we will see some of his art appearing on the walls of the café. My Thanks and gratitude to his amazing talent and positive outlook on life.

Teresa Trogdon Anderson & Robert Anderson

There would not be a Lell’s Café without my Sister and Brother-in-Law. They alone convinced me that I could do this. My sister found the CSR model via Google. Rob is an amazing source of research and information. Between them they are both very talented cooks. Their support goes way back…after they got married I went to visit them in their tiny Greenwich Village apartment where I  first experienced steamed green beans. The beans were simple and perfect. I was 17 and it was a revelation. For 30 plus years they have taught me so many important things. For the past two years they have been the solid anchor in my goal to get back to Rock Hill to cook. There is so much I want to say about their role in this process but I think it is enough to say I am eternally grateful for the gift of their love and support.

Erika Schmid, John Fowler, Marie-Claire O’Reirdon & Jeff Gwaltney

These are True Friends in every sense of the word. They’ve had complete Faith in me. Timely kind words, constant laughter and shelter in every storm. These are the people that have stood by me through thick and thin. I would not know what to do if I did not have each of them in my life. These people understand and believe in the magnitude of the dream I had for making this café a reality. They are the valuable souls who picked me up and dusted me off and sent me back out there to find a way to bring this café to life.

Diane Hopper

She was the architect of the original Business Plan. She has MAD EXCEL SKILLS and thank God for that! She volunteered hours upon hours to input the original numbers, and has re-worked the numbers for each iteration of this goal. She is also one of the best neighbors a girl could hope for and continues to offer her wisdom and Excel prowess to keep us very real and on track.

Lucy & Tom Warlick

First the bar stools! They donated the bar stools, then the major portion of the art and endless ideas, creativity and support.  They both showed up for volunteer days and put in hours of cleaning and scrubbing. Always a phone call away, Lucy has sourced creative ideas, made sense of some nonsense and spread the CSR word.  The tags that identify our chairs were made by Lucy. Each of those tags represents a person willing to buy a chair to make seating happen for this café. She poured her gratitude and thanks for all your efforts into beautiful works of art. Though they are “temporary” on the chairs those tags will become art on the wall for us to celebrate her gifts and talent. In so many wonderful ways the Warlicks have been a source of strength and inspiration.

Our Community Supported Restaurant Members

There are members near and far that have put their money where their mouths are and made all of this happen financially. The commitment I have to feed you for the next few years is not something I take lightly. I am honored by your faith and generosity. You are all gutsy and wonderful and I Thank You!

Together you all have made it possible for us to do something that takes our neighbors by surprise, and displays the possibility of a world that ought to be. Stay tuned for a continued list of thanks. I need to go buy some groceries and get busy in that kitchen!

Regards and Hugs,

Lell Trogdon

Update #8

Thank you to everyone who expressed your support today!

Customer Service was kind enough to call back and help us find a solution to our issue. At this point there is no need for anyone to contact City of Rock Hill representatives on behalf of Lell’s Café.

This is a time of transition in the way our economy works, and if small businesses that are involved in their communities are going to exist, future policies will have to be shaped that support them. Dialog is paramount. Be informed and involved, and support efforts like Rock Hill’s Open for Business program, which aims to provide solutions for projects like ours. 

For those interested, this week is an excellent time to become a Community Supported Restaurant member. Our members have carried the dream this far, and now it is on the verge of blossoming into a beautiful reality!

Regards,

Lell Trogdon

Update #7

I thought this blog entry would have the opening day announcement, but I was wrong. On Monday I went to the City offices to pay for my business license and finalize the opening process. Instead I discovered that in order to pay for the license I have to pay the utility deposit. That deposit is $1200.00. You read that correctly: One thousand two hundred dollars.

The only term I have for my reaction was “gobsmacked”.  I thought the employee was joking. However, she was not and I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told the same amount. Apparently the deposit is based on previous tenant bills and then nearly tripled.  I was also told that it was not refundable after good faith payments.  My good credit history has no bearing either. This is money that will sit in an account doing absolutely nothing to further the success of this venture. I have paid thousands of dollars to bring this building to code, hundreds in permit fees and certifications. Every penny has been equity in the forward momentum of bringing a new business and at least 9 paying jobs to Rock Hill. Now I face a mountain I’m not sure how to climb.

The City Utility policy is completely inflexible. I do not have an option to make three payments, no one will discuss reducing the payment and no one is returning calls as I escalate up the managerial ladder.

I ask you: who is opening new businesses in Rock Hill?  Hint: Big chains and big business. I’m sure $1200.00 is nothing to a large corporation. For me it is the opening grocery bill.  I have a choice now: pay for my Utility Deposit or buy groceries to create the food to feed you. If I don’t pay the deposit I can’t have a business license - which makes it illegal for me to open the doors of my business. Quandary of vast proportions.

Of all the obstacles I have faced in getting back to Rock Hill this is the most exasperating. I did call the Utility Office when I was writing a business plan and was told that deposits ranged from $50-$100. Vastly incorrect information! I feel foolish for not seeing this coming.  However, I feel a bit justified in my disbelief when I tell people these facts and every single person has thought I was joking too.

What can we do as a community to change these sorts of policies? I hope that we as a community can work to support and nurture small business growth. I hope some of you will call your City Council members or the Mayor and say you want policies that inform and help small business owners.  And if anybody knows anybody that can change the Lell’s Café situation, PLEASE let me know.

Regards, 

Lell Trogdon

Update #6

Drum roll…….

que: Heavenly Host of Angels Singing:

Hooray! We passed all inspections and start training staff today!! It was a long week of chasing the elusive Certificate of Occupation but we did it! At long last all the yellow permit cards are out of the window and the Health Department “A” is in the window! WHEW! What a ride.

The chairs and tables arrived and were scrubbed by volunteers and then felt footed and placed in the cafe. I had a moment last night to take in the magnitude of seeing all those chairs and tables sitting there because so many of you embraced the concept of paying for the pleasure of naming that chair or table. We have chairs named for loved ones departed, gifts for friends, whole families that plan to gather at the table together and chairs for people that have moved away but hope to visit from time to time. People who believe in the Community Supported Café made all of this happen!!

Very humbling.

We also hung the first piece of art yesterday. The amazing and magic Lucy Warlick agreed to let us borrow 2 (!) of her stunning pieces. Having that art on the walls has made the space very real and I have started to let go of all the trouble and strife involved in construction and started thinking about the responsibility and joy of feeding people in this clean beautiful space!

I have a jillion people to thank but will address that in the next post. Today I want to thank Aaron Rich for creating this blog with the support team of Brandon Oxendine and Stephen Crotts.  I asked for a way to reach out and talk about all the events and experiences that are involved in making this dream happen and here is the result! How lucky am I???

Off to listen to the glorious sound of the espresso machine running wide open today!

Lell Trogdon

Update #5

November 3, 2010

I have many people to thank for all the amazing work and help this week:

Beth Williams and her partner David for the mirrors. (Yard sale priced and hand delivered!!)  Beth is a great Massage Therapist located on Cherry Road and I personally look forward to finding time to visit her table soon!

Thanks to Scott Adams, new team member in the Clean Dish crew and extreme work horse . He has volunteered for several days and worked hard to finish all the caulk and last minute details. Methodical and thorough!

Dominic of Espresso Partners dropped by and decided his naked portafilter wanted to visit with us for awhile. He offered to leave it with us providing we will use it plenty… uhhh.. Please don’t throw me in that briar patch!!

Ken Mercereau: Ken and his wife Colleen have been wonderful help in locating used equipment. As if that is not enough they have pitched in and loaned some equipment to use until we can buy our own. Ken has volunteered for several days with the hard physical labor and the cafe would not be coming to the finish line without his fine assistance and advice. Thanks to him for all the amazing information/contacts for solving our hood problems and heavy lifting solutions. Truly these two wonderful people are gifts from heaven!

And as always my  thanks to Cameron Bunce. He has given his ALL to make the cafe a physical reality. Uphill and down he has been unwavering in the details and demands of building the dream from the ground up. Actually we had to drop most of it to the ground and rebuild it……. but no matter the obstacle  he has found a way to keep the momentum going. It is a pleasure to work side by side with someone so dedicated to doing everything right . 

Thanks also to Stephen Crotts for your great help in the fb world and your magic self for being there to help and visit and cheer me along. I love that the big moments have been shared with you!