Five short weeks ago, a friend mentioned that Sparrow coffee was permanently closing due to covid. Just a comment made in passing. I woke up early, at 5:30, the following morning and thought, “we need to buy that coffee shop.”
I texted Dave who is always awake at that hour. I got an immediate response. He was pumped up, on fire, ready. He said he had experience running a coffee shop in the past. He was on it, making plans, dreaming, scheming. This is right up his alley, fellowship, connections, music, food, coffee, pouring into people, high energy.
Dave texted after Scott got up and said Scott gave him the go ahead to find out more. Dave got in touch with the current owners, a church, and they gave him some figures. Scott and I started talking. Scott did not feel peace about it. Dave and I felt it would happen, it was supposed to happen. Typically, Dave is the dreamer, the risk taker, and Scott is the planner, the realist. I am somewhere in between but leaning hard to the dreamer risk taker, more like jump in and then face reality later.
The next several weeks were full of Dave and Scott talking business and Dave and I dreaming. Scott started mixing in dreams too. We finally settled on a business partnership model we could agree on. Dave would manage it. Scott will oversee the business end. I will do the social media and work there some.
Over the next few weeks, Dave met with bad news about his financial part again and again. Not because he doesn’t have good credit, but because investors and lenders are really cautious right now due to covid. Scott was still having trouble trouble finding peace but also talking about dreams. He and Dave met and came up with the name and the vibe.
Once Dave got his 5th no, he texted with Scott and me and we put the idea to bed.
Two hours later I got a text from Calvin, our shared landlord, asking for Dave’s number. Shortly after, we got a text from Dave. Scott and Dave talked. The landlord was making a crazy low offer. The current owners were also making a crazy offer. Dave looked at his finances and savings and he and Scott crunched some more numbers and suddenly we were a go.
Scott had already done some deep analysis. Dave gathered tons of information about how the coffee shop was being run, the books, costs, etc. With a few tweaks to hours, number of employees, the way the ordering is done and adding outdoor seating, and it looked like we can make a profit. Covid is certainly a factor. But if we can stay afloat and break even until covid passes, we can make this work.
Now we are excited. Dave made a video announcement on facebook. The previous owners gave us a public blessing. We immediately began getting really great feedback.
Dave hit the ground running. Scott hit the computer running. Huge to do lists. The business end of things, the actual shop, the plans, the changes, the dreams.
We are planning to stay open more hours, until 10 each night. The coffee shop closed at 4 every day before. We will open Sundays, it was closed before. We ordered outdoor tables and chairs to offer more social distancing and healthier options for staying safe. We are working on online ordering and pick up. We are planning live music, outdoors to start with. We can do our music there. We can sell my book. We can have Chad make some cool leather products. We are ordering t shirt and masks for the employees and then to sell. We are taste testing coffee and pastries. Dave has cleaned the whole place and is interviewing and hiring. So far, all the applicants have been previous employees and they are excited to work there again.
The place itself is amazing. It is big. Tons of parking. Great location near KSU and MCC. It has a conference room with rolling walls. It already has all the equipment including dishes. It is wired with a great sound system. The decor is amazing. When we have been down there, people are stopping by to see what is going on.
We are very excited. I’m excited about having my therapy office so nearby. Covid go to you know where, we are doing this!
dianegclark 