Layouts, Design, & Contractors

It feels like we turned a corner sometime in the last week. Things went from "just starting" status to decision-making and deciding some paths to follow... which is both fun (and a little nerve racking). When it comes to steps allow me to lay out how I wish I would have done this:

1. Get our space.
2. Apply for my liquor license.
3. Apply for my liquor license (yes, I know I put it twice... we had to resubmit).
4. Have applied and obtained all necessary town/city, county, and state building permits
5. Have interviewed and chosen our contractor, interior designer, and web design/SEO firm to
6. (I'm not here yet)

We did this list pretty close but at this point our main concern is the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC). 

When it comes to the space though there is no such thing as "too much detail". Consider that most people, with the use smart phones and the Internet, will visit your website or app before they actually come to your shop. This means that the vibe they get from the site has to match the real vibe of your physical location- otherwise this can cause a mental dissonance that is uncomfortable and can be a hurdle to them coming back. THEN consider how you are laying out the physical space itself. For us Tom Palm has done our physical layout (and has been incredible to work with), we have a contractor, and then are using a guy named Allan Misch for our interior design.

Tom Palm is a coffee house layout genius and works with you tirelessly to do the layout, think through customer flow, and create an equipment list. He will do as many modifications as we need and knows what that means as far as electrical, gas, and water lines.

We have a long-standing relationship with our contractor and trust both them and their selection of subs implicitly... this is not to say that Mark and myself won't be stopping in to check on work and progress though.

Now, in my mind, Allan- not the contractor- is the hub of this wheel. We want him to create the space that we only have in words. The furniture, colors, music, textures, and feng shui have to be pulled together by him. That is why who you choose for this role is crucial. I had not really thought through this until I reflected back on the times I had walked into a store or restaurant and immediately walked back out because of how it had felt.

For those of you following our progress, thank you. Your support and interest are encouraging and flattering. Let us know any of your thoughts or concerns- we would love to dialogue with you.