Something New, Old, Good, and (Not Too) Bad... and a mission

Hearthstone Coffeehouse & Pub 

If I have learned anything in the last years it is to take joy in the little things. That every day has something new, something old, something good, and something bad. Therefore, we would like to celebrate some (seemingly) little things.

For instance, this morning we got our locks replaced and keys made. Wouldn't be that big of a deal except that we had tried to get copies made before and it cost absurd amounts of money (to the tune of $30/key). Now more than just one person can have access at a time... probably a blessing and curse in the long run. Something new.

Our contractor, Fentress, was really happy because now they have schematics, plans, a designer, and a key... now if we can just get our State Design Release approved we will be set. Something old.

Surprising, when I went into let the locksmith in I found this banner across our front, hung there by our landlord The Broadbent Company. It was cool to see this sign- sometimes as I am working, calling people, meeting with contractors and suppliers I think, "This thing is NEVER going to open." Then a little thing like this happens. Something good.

Sadly, whoever hung it also managed to break the glass bulb that is right underneath and left shattered glass over the sidewalk. Something bad... but not too bad.

This whole thing isn't easy, sometimes its fun, I love the challenge, hope it succeeds, but mostly, in the long run I want it to make a difference to the people of Fishers, to our country, and to impact people globally. We are putting so much of ourselves in because we want to be a place that people come and find a piece of home in our space and with us.

As a good friend of mine said today, some people will look at that sign and say, "There's those drunks and they eat too much, they're friends with all riffraff." We hope they do, we can't think of a better compliment.

"Expeidiated" Process

So we are hard at work trying to meet with our design layout guy, Tom Palm, to get our electrical, plumbing, and elevations put to paper to get those approved at the state level. Once this is completed and submitted with a signature from everyone involved (and God knows who else) then it is a 3 week waiting process... or IS it? No, for a mere $CrazySum.00 we can have the application done and ready to build in 24 hours! While it is a lot of money we have to factor what is the cost of not being open for 20 additional days. But as someone who evaluates work and effectiveness of systems and people I have to ask two questions: 1. what is the difference between this "expediated process" and a "bribe"?; 2. If you CAN do it 24 hours why wouldn't you just cut the waiting time on a standard one? I mean, the difference between 1 full day and 3 full weeks is not a thin line but 2,000%+. Jus' sayin'.

Lastly, hire those expeditors, people. They are worth it.

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.

Want to Get Your Permits DONE?

If you are starting a business and want to get your building, sign, road impact, breathing (okay, that's made up), etc. permits found, filled out, signed, and in for approval? Hire an expeditor - which, to me, sounds like you are going to have someone whacked but it isn't that- they ROCK. They run you $85-$110/hour but they know the system, the weird law, rules, variances, etc. and will make the whole process smoother. Factor your time, gas money, mileage, headaches, and general lack of know-how in this complicated process and you would be well-advised to do the same. 

More Than a Job

Every job I have held after college was one that was more than a pay check. I worked in youth groups for the teens, the relationships that I got to build with them and the impact you saw take place over the years. I joined the United States Marine Corps because of the honor, the sacrifice, and the commitment I saw over their long history. As Mark and I start this business my mind is in the same state. We are not trying to start another coffee shop or pub but we are "beginning with the end in mind" and want to be agents of change in our community. We are giving money back for sure but we want our real impact to be our relationships with our employees and guests. Hearthstone is being built on the foundation of relationship, hope, and love. Maybe some of you out there will be loyal guests and bring others into that relationship with us, other of you may feel like you want your job to be more than a paycheck: you want to be part of impact and change. If that's you, message me and let's talk more about your potential involvement with Hearthstone Coffeehouse & Pub. Cheers.

BIG Step Forward

We actually just got the keys to our new place! The address is 8235 E. 116th St. Fishers, IN. Mark is out of town so I called him and asked if he could guess where I was standing. Tomorrow is going to be eventful was we meet in the morning with our contractor and the talk to coffeeshop designer, Tom Palm. Obviously, there is still tons to do but you have to celebrate the little stuff. I also walked next door to the Chateau Thomas Winery and introduced myself to one of the managers, Ivan. They seemed like really nice people, genuinely happy to have someone coming in and even offered to try and partner with us in the pub side of our venture. Hearthstone is moving forward!

Covering All Your Bases... some of which you didn't even know existed

Short blog here with lots of a back story... when starting a business take your layout and plans to every government agency you can think of and then ask them who else you should talk to. Take about 20 copies of your plans and a fat checkbook. And start ALL of this about two months before you think you need to. At some point we are going to load up on this blog links to all pertinent forms we have found... if it does one person good then I will be happy.