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Starting a Commercial Location (Chocolate Shop)


chocoera

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There's a small chocolatier here in town who has a setup much as ejw50 describes. Her store is a single room in a gourmet food and wine shop. She does all her enrobing by hand, with no guitar for cutting pieces. Last time I talked to her about it, she didn't even have a vibrating table for molds - I was telling her about the DIY model, since it's so cheap and easy.

But like ejw50 says - she knows what her margins are and what she can cover.

what do you mean by the DIY model? i also don't have a fancy vibrating table...i just fill, tap tap tap tap, pour out, scrape, tap tap tap, scrape and set upside down. it might just be my molds, but for every 200 pieces, i might only get 6 air bubbles... :)

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There's a small chocolatier here in town who has a setup much as ejw50 describes. Her store is a single room in a gourmet food and wine shop. She does all her enrobing by hand, with no guitar for cutting pieces. Last time I talked to her about it, she didn't even have a vibrating table for molds - I was telling her about the DIY model, since it's so cheap and easy.

But like ejw50 says - she knows what her margins are and what she can cover.

what do you mean by the DIY model? i also don't have a fancy vibrating table...i just fill, tap tap tap tap, pour out, scrape, tap tap tap, scrape and set upside down. it might just be my molds, but for every 200 pieces, i might only get 6 air bubbles... :)

Here's the thread on making your own. Cheap and easy. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=88503&hl=

You must not be using flat top pyramid molds. I can vibrate and smack those around all I want, and I still get bubbles in the corners!

Tammy's Tastings

Creating unique food and drink experiences

eGullet Foodblogs #1 and #2
Dinner for 40

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pyewacket: you rock. thank you so much for taking the time to write this out! i am copying and pasting this list to my future landlord (since he is renovating the structure, and brad and i are going in with the finer details and kitchen equip etc) and yes, i am renting the first 1-2 yrs, with an option to buy (setting a price now) so that if (lord please) im successful, it would be wise then to buy and invest money into the finer detailing, outside etc...but again. wow. blown away by the info! thank you!

Best to run all this by your local health inspector and rep from whatever regulating bureau that you must answer to first. You don't want your landlord to do all kinds of plumbing and building only to find that 1) your set up will not be approved by the engineer, or 2) you have everything arranged in a way that is inefficient for your production.

You MUST think very critically about how to locate all your big equipment and prep tables so that you and future employees are not working at cross purposes to each other. Eliminate steps from the stove (or melter/temperer) to the prep table to what ever cold box you are using. Make sure that whoever is working the retail section does not have to cross through your prep area to get extra truffles, brownies, milk coffee, whatever. This is very important during busy times!

RE: whether your business concept is viable for your area-

You need to do some solid marketing research to see why there is no artisan chocolate shop in your area. Is it because the market segment of the population in that area is too small to support it? or is there a real demand for it.

You MUST put together a solid business plan to carry through the first five years of your business and this includes solid market research. You don't want to spend a bundle of money and all your time making truffles only to find you are working 110 hours a week to generate only enough sales to break even.

YOU MUST ANSWER THIS QUESTION WITH CONFIDENCE:

Can I generate enough revenue through this business concept to cover all my expenses, pay myself a decent salary, and buy insurance benefits while working a reasonable number of hours per week?

If you cannot answer yes with the utmost confidence for this year and project it 5 years out, you either need to retool your business idea, or come up with something different.

I don't mean to seem negative, but you need to know before dropping a bundle of money that your concept is viable. The lists of bankruptcies are filled with people who started with a neat idea and no business plan.

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all good points.

i am currently working with a businessman who offers free small business strategy planning for no cost as a service to the community a couple times a week at the community college. He has sent me a type of worksheet that helps you think through your business plan, and once you've answered the questions, you have the core of your business plan.

as for a good time, well, we're at a type of standstill where we are at. both our businesses have grown so much in the last couple years that we feel if we stay where we're at, we'll run ourselves ragged and still not grow, and may, in fact, stop growing because we can't offer the type of bigger services to clients due to our location and lack of employees, equipment, etc (ex: since brad doesn't have a studio, he can not work much in the winter, except for web design, and has to turn away family and baby opportunities in the winter/early spring)

so we figure we should ride the wave and start up a commercial spot while we have our customers "hot for us" :)

and no chocolate shop in the area was never because the people in the area didn't like chocolate, but it was not big enough to warrant a godiva coming, and really, i don't think the townspeople were ever exposed to an artisan product, so they never had the ambition to learn to mimic and soon create their own (whereas i learned some with michael klug of burdick's and i was in europe, NY and san fransico, and from there, i was like, this is who i am, what i want to do, and then after some pastry classes, and lots of mistakes, i am where i am (i was pretty much self-taught and eG forum taught!)

but i am hopeful because what customers i have in the area are blown away by the product and are always impressed by what i produce and are very excited for a shop like this. and even the town itself offers a $10,000 revolving loan fund to promote small businesses, which is basically what our whole town (especially main st) is... (except for the fast food chains, and kmart, hyvee grocery) and its a loan that has no interest for 10 years, and after that, is very minimal rate. and the county does the same thing, and i'm researching to see if its possible to win both loans..either rate, i'm applying for both.

as for market research, where do you suppose i start digging anyway? would i contact city hall and ask if there had been any chocolate/dessert ventures? or do they conduct surveys of that type of thing? any ideas?

and as for the kitchen codes, i will instead email to the sani guy, and see what he says. (has yet to call me back. grrrrr. ) :S and good idea on thinking about placement of work stations, i'm so used to just me and a part time assistant, that i forget about our potential 5 employees who would be running around....if anyone has any pictures of their work stations, or ideas for best placement, i would appreciate looking at them. i have a interior designer friend whom we're meeting with at the end of the month, and it might help to have placement ideas...

thanks!

you guys aren't downers at all...so please don't think that. all your advice and careful thinking are appreciated and it makes me aware of new things to research or think about. truly you are appreciated.

Edited by chocoera (log)
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Hi Chocoera,

I have been following this thread with interest. I am a few years behind you in timing but completely understand what you are saying about moving your business to the next level. It sounds like you are a success at the level you are at and that's saying a lot for your readiness for the next step. It seems that you have the right attitude and a 'spark' that will really help you with your new path.

I was in Italy a few months ago working with chocolatiers there. Lucca Mannori gave us some stats on the business side of chocolate making. He said the cost of employees is the greatest cost. He has several Selmi machines and says "with all these machines I have the work of 20 people." He said you need to take a good look at the time it takes for 1 person to do the job of the machine. Yes, a Selmi with an enrober is expensive but if you compare it to the cost of an employee needed to do the same job ??? He also said that cleaning is a high cost. He estimates that they spend 30% of their time cleaning. Packaging was his next highest cost and after that - ingredients. But back to employees - which he says is his biggest cost... he said you should figure out how much more revenue that employee must create in order to be an asset. I'm not sure I completely have my head wrapped around that - but it sounds wise doesn't it?!

He was the most organized of all the chocolatiers we worked with. Mind you, he is tradionally trained and has a high stature in Italy. He said it is very important to have a level of quality - everything planned and programmed so that the quality is always the same. They have regular briefings so that everyone is always on the same page. I know you're not at that level yet - but it's good to keep in mind while you're setting up. Here's a few photos of his storage area. He even had a diagram on his walk in fridge that showed the location of everything so you didn't need to be inefficient when needing to get something!

Good luck Chocoera! I look forward to reading about your future successes!

gallery_58871_6314_136653.jpg

gallery_58871_6314_40613.jpg

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Market research is not just about your specific business, but about the market in general. Basically, what you want to do is identify who your core market is and what percentage of the entire market of the area they represent.

Here are a few questions you may want to research:

What is the population of the geographic area that you will serve.

What is the income breakdown of that population, meaning, what % of the population makes above say, $50,000/year per household. (This is probably your core market)

What is the average income of your regular customers?

What is the age breakdown of your core market?

How many have kids? where do they go to school? majority public or private?

What are their other interests?

Where else do they shop regularly?

Where else do they buy chocolate? and what types do they buy?

Where to they buy the majority of their groceries?

What kinds of restaurants to they frequent?

How health conscious are they?

How frequently do they make luxury purchases (ie fancy chocolate)

Are there any culinary/book/movie/arts clubs in the area?

How many people watch the food network?

How many people belong to country clubs?

Is there a university or college located nearby?

Of all the restaurants around, how many are considered "fine dining."

Knowing this kind of information about your core market will help you make informed decisions

about your business like, what kind of product mix you should offer, who are the people that might become a part of your core and what do you need to do to bring them in.

You can obtain this information in many ways. Go to the local chamber of commerce and see what info they have. The town government should also have population demographics. The public library is a great source to find out about social networking (clubs, etc.) and school demographics? Public school demographic information reveals a lot about the local population, like how many use the school lunch program. This can show you a lot about the growth potential of your business. For example, if the public schools have a low percentage of kids who use the free or reduced lunch program, you can generally assume that the community is relatively upscale with a good amount of disposable income. If not, you might want to reconsider.

You can ask your regular customers to fill out an anonymous survey. You can call up country clubs and say your thinking of joining and would like to ask some general questions about the membership and see the menu at the dining area.

Marketing is not advertising. It's fine tuning your message so that it is clear and understandable to your client base and appeals to others so that they want to become part of your core market.

To do that, you need to intimately know who those people are and how you can fulfill their need and desires.

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Hi Chocoera,

I have been following this thread with interest.  I am a few years behind you in timing but completely understand what you are saying about moving your business to the next level.  It sounds like you are a success at the level you are at and that's saying a lot for your readiness for the next step.  It seems that you have the right attitude and a 'spark' that will really help you with your new path. 

I was in Italy a few months ago working with chocolatiers there.  Lucca Mannori gave us some stats on the business side of chocolate making.  He said the cost of employees is the greatest cost.  He has several Selmi machines and says "with all these machines I have the work of 20 people."  He said you need to take a good look at the time it takes for 1 person to do the job of the machine.  Yes, a Selmi with an enrober is expensive but if you compare it to the cost of an employee needed to do the same job ???  He also said that cleaning is a high cost.  He estimates that they spend 30% of their time cleaning.  Packaging was his next highest cost and after that - ingredients.  But back to employees - which he says is his biggest cost... he said you should figure out how much more revenue that employee must create in order to be an asset.  I'm not sure I completely have my head wrapped around that - but it sounds wise doesn't it?!

He was the most organized of all the chocolatiers we worked with.  Mind you, he is tradionally trained and has a high stature in Italy.  He said it is very important to have a level of quality - everything planned and programmed so that the quality is always the same.  They have regular briefings so that everyone is always on the same page.  I know you're not at that level yet - but it's good to keep in mind while you're setting up.  Here's a few photos of his storage area.  He even had a diagram on his walk in fridge that showed the location of everything so you didn't need to be inefficient when needing to get something!

Good luck Chocoera!  I look forward to reading about your future successes!

gallery_58871_6314_136653.jpg

gallery_58871_6314_40613.jpg

wow, where in italy is he located? i was in florence for a short while this spring :) and the images...they're great! thanks!

and as for employee cost...good call...things to consider....but i wonder if maybe i won't be doing enough production the first couple years to warrant an enrober? and once my "Feet are on the ground" invest in an enrober and start advertising wholesale?

i like the idea of employee meetings and such, i am such a perfectionist, and my assistant constantly reminds me of that slight flaw :) but i am working on a recipe book, since i have my recipes all over the place, and also a techniques section, for future reference for future employees!

thanks for the post- would love to hear about what you're doing in canada?

Edited by chocoera (log)
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Market research is not just about your specific business, but about the market in general. Basically, what you want to do is identify who your core market is and what percentage of the entire market of the area they represent.

Here are a few questions you may want to research:

What is the population of the geographic area that you will serve.

What is the income breakdown of that population, meaning, what % of the population makes above say, $50,000/year per household. (This is probably your core market)

What is the average income of your regular customers?

What is the age breakdown of your core market?

How many have kids? where do they go to school? majority public or private?

What are their other interests?

Where else do they shop regularly?

Where else do they buy chocolate? and what types do they buy?

Where to they buy the majority of their groceries?

What kinds of restaurants to they frequent?

How health conscious are they?

How frequently do they make luxury purchases (ie fancy chocolate)

Are there any culinary/book/movie/arts clubs in the area?

How many people watch the food network?

How many people belong to country clubs?

Is there a university or college located nearby?

Of all the restaurants around, how many are considered "fine dining."

Knowing this kind of information about your core market will help you make informed decisions

about your business like, what kind of product mix you should offer, who are the people that might become a part of your core and what do you need to do to bring them in.

You can obtain this information in many ways. Go to the local chamber of commerce and see what info they have. The town government should also have population demographics. The public library is a great source to find out about social networking (clubs, etc.) and school demographics? Public school demographic information reveals a lot about the local population, like how many use the school lunch program. This can show you a lot about the growth potential of your business. For example, if the public schools have a low percentage of kids who use the free or reduced lunch program, you can generally assume that the community is relatively upscale with a good amount of disposable income. If not, you might want to reconsider.

You can ask your regular customers to fill out an anonymous survey. You can call up country clubs and say your thinking of joining and would like to ask some general questions about the membership and see the menu at the dining area.

Marketing is not advertising. It's fine tuning your message so that it is clear and understandable to your client base and appeals to others so that they want to become part of your core market.

To do that, you need to intimately know who those people are and how you can fulfill their need and desires.

those are great questions...and will email some friends at the chamber of commerce, and school system to get started...and actually, my parents belong to the country club (the only one in algona) and will swing by next time i'm in town. i love your way of thinking...it's a sound way reflect on choices and helps to make new informed ones! my notebook has a couple pages already dedicated to you! :)

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I realize there is an obvious conflict with oven heat and chocolate work; are there other reasons why people choose to focus only on chocolate and not do baked goods in their shop? Like even a few chocolate cookies or cakes to round out all of the chocolate options? Do some people really enjoy making chocolates but aren't that into baking? Is it an equipment issue? A couple of convection ovens and a mixer are not that expensive compared to an enrober but if you want to have everything it sure adds up. I'm curious because my vision for the shop that I may or may not ever open has always been pastry-centric but as I get more practiced with chocolates I want to include them to a significant degree. I feel like it would be good to have some of the every day type treats like breakfast pastries and cookies with chocolates as an optional splurge, maybe 75% pastry and 25% chocolate. I also think about ice cream, I want to do it all!

There was a chocolate shop in Oakland, CA (name escapes me at the moment, Bittersweet? In Rockridge - anybody?) that did some of everything, including retail bars from various makers, and I can think of a few places in Seattle that do both (Bakery Nouveau, Essential, and of course Dillettante), but it seems like more people deal in either all chocolate or all pastry.

Thoughts? Do any of you do pastry as well, and if not why? If so, what conflicts do you have?

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. . .

Thoughts?  Do any of you do pastry as well, and if not why?  If so, what conflicts do you have?

I do chocolates only and that's because I have no interest (nor any skill) in baking or pastry work. I love savoury cooking and chocolates! :wacko:

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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...

Thoughts?  Do any of you do pastry as well, and if not why?  If so, what conflicts do you have?

The presence of yeast in the air could cause a significant problem in the chocolate kitchen. Ganache is a good growth medium.

John DePaula
formerly of DePaula Confections
Hand-crafted artisanal chocolates & gourmet confections - …Because Pleasure Matters…
--------------------
When asked “What are the secrets of good cooking? Escoffier replied, “There are three: butter, butter and butter.”

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...

Thoughts?  Do any of you do pastry as well, and if not why?  If so, what conflicts do you have?

I toured the kitchens of a few 'chocolatiers' doing both pastry and chocolates. One had a completely separate kitchen for pastry. Another had a partition dividing the baking and the chocolate - for temperature and flour dust issues - but had a common walk-in fridge for both sections. I know other chocolatiers who do both. They do them on separate days. I plan to do both. I think you would need to make sure you have a cool room that the chocolates can hang out in on your pastry days though. I don't plan on using yeast but am still concerned with the flour dust issue. Would love to hear from others who do both.

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...

Thoughts?  Do any of you do pastry as well, and if not why?  If so, what conflicts do you have?

I toured the kitchens of a few 'chocolatiers' doing both pastry and chocolates. One had a completely separate kitchen for pastry. Another had a partition dividing the baking and the chocolate - for temperature and flour dust issues - but had a common walk-in fridge for both sections. I know other chocolatiers who do both. They do them on separate days. I plan to do both. I think you would need to make sure you have a cool room that the chocolates can hang out in on your pastry days though. I don't plan on using yeast but am still concerned with the flour dust issue. Would love to hear from others who do both.

i don't do any pastry/yeast work, but dabble in brownies, cakes, tortes etc...i plan on making and hand-dipping on like days and cookies, brownies etc would be on other days. i'm also looking into my construction guy building a small "walk in closet" area where chocolates would set and it would be as far a way as possible from the stove and may even have a separate cooling unit. (even if its just a fan!...we'll see) but i would never make ganache and a crossaint on the same day....though i think it is totally doable in the same kitchen, if you plan it right. but at burdicks, they used to do all in the same kitchen, till about 5 yrs ago, i think, they got their own new "factory" building for all chocolate work, and the commercial retail area still houses the bakery kitchen...

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http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=135315#

these are photos (i think they are mixed around a bit) of commercial ideas...the "bare bones" photos are of my location...you can't really tell, but if you walk in the main level, there is a 5 step staircase in the middle near the back with double doors, and that is where brads studio will be. the rest are some shots in brad's area, and i didn't grab a pic of the lower level (just a few steps below main level) where the production area will be....but just so you see what "Square 1" is for us! and will continue to update with progress on walls, floors, the tin tile ceiling etc...

the "finished" shots are of places i like, inspiration for what i want. i like warm colors and dark wood, built in cabinets for shelving instead of glass shelves, wooden floors, and maybe instead of investing in a confection case...use multiple "cake platters" (see pic) for chocolates display? (and ideas?) and i want a chocolate bar you can sit up to (see pic...not the wall colors, but the bar i like) and things like that...you can get the vibe i'm going for...

xoxoxo

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I don't have a shop but I plan on someday having one, I find that everyone's input is great for someone like myself who works for an oil and gas company and at night in a restaurant so my goal is to work the same amount of hour (15hrs a day) but on my shop instead for someone else and the nothing beats working for yourself!!

For marketing research, have you ever looked at census data? I know that it is avaiable for US and Canada (not sure if it is free), I did a study a couple years ago for a restaurant with census data using GIS (Geographic information System) which we used census data to find the best location in the city to locate a new restaurant based on population density, average income per household, roads with high traffic, identified competitors within the areas and the end result we had a map (I used a GIS software to get the results). The restaurant that I did the research for was really please since some of the information was new to them and it was a visual result that they used to come up with a solution.

Even with the rough times right now, a well plan business can do great as long as you know your area and customers.

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The presence of yeast in the air could cause a significant problem in the chocolate kitchen.  Ganache is a good growth medium.

I probably never would have though of that until it was way too late. Is it merely a practical consideration or the sort of thing the health department would be onto? I'm not that into bread baking, but I'm sure if I had a pastry shop there would be at least some brioche happening.

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Just read your first post.

The main thing for you to do is to build flexibility into your business. If you have the buidling, the other stuff can be added when needed

That means that even if you plan on making say, 3 or $400,000 p/a sales this year, you should plan to have the space to do double that before you have to move to a larger premises.

Grow with your business. don't buy expensive equipment if you don't have the volume for it--you can always get the stuff when you have the business, but if you have it and it just sits there staring you in the face, it isn't nice--or cheap....

Walk-in sales are important, but whole sales are just as important. It's good to have a "showroom" to show off your stuff, to invite prospective customers/clients to visit.

Remember, packging and the space/equipment it takes is almost as much work as the chocoalte work itself--plan accordingly.

Ensure you have sufficient power--a 3 ph 200 amp service would be sufficient--remember you have refrigeration, airconditioning, and other equipment.

Most municipalities will require that you have a minimum of a 55 gal. grease trap

If you can, see if you can get refrigeration with "remote compresors" so the heat is pumped outside of the building rather than in the building. The actual cost of remote style refrigeration is not more than regular, but there is more cost involved in installation. However one compressor can feed several units, so in the long term it is a much cheaper solution, as well as quieter and cooler in the building.

Some baked goods will compliment your chocolate and it is always a good idea to diversify-- Man does not live by chocolate alone! Remember you will have "lean' months-- July and Aug, and while no one really has an appetitte for chocoalte then, they do like cake--birthdays and weddings. As long as you can keep the bakery section separate from your chocoalte room, you're fine.

Don't forget to plan for advertising and working with the immediate community......

Hope this helps

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bad news. our landlord just pulled out for no apparent reason. we're going to try talking her into selling it to us as is, and we'll finish ourselves...or else we are back to the square 1 before you even get to sqaure 1 :(

we'll keep you updated.

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bad news.  our landlord just pulled out for no apparent reason.  we're going to try talking her into selling it to us as is, and we'll finish ourselves...or else we are back to the  square 1 before you even get to sqaure 1  :(

we'll keep you updated.

That is bad news. Sorry to hear it. Hope you manage to work something out very soon. Good Luck.

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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bad news.  our landlord just pulled out for no apparent reason.  we're going to try talking her into selling it to us as is, and we'll finish ourselves...or else we are back to the  square 1 before you even get to sqaure 1   :(

we'll keep you updated.

Oh dear. I can only imagine how disheartened you must feel right now. And yet - this could be a wonderful opportunity to be able to purchase your building. Good luck!

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  • 11 months later...

hi you guys :)

as i've told some of you, my husband brad and i finally did it. we (ok, I) filled out a ton of paperwork, got some loans (or town does a great 0% interest/5 yr loan and the county does a great loan for 4.5% interest 7 yrs....)

anyway, after a ton of headaches with potential landlords, deals falling through, finding a place large enough to lease (we didn't have enough money to buy right off the bat, and we wanted to make sure our new community could support our businesses before getting stuck with a commercial property)

but yes, we ended up with a spot right off of state st (which is our town's main st, redone to be cute and "old time" with all the shops on the st and side streets being independently owned) and since we're on a side street, we are taking measures to make sure our store stands out, with very cool vintage signs and we are in the process of getting a 4 ft awning to draw the eye down the street!

to start, here's some pictures of what we started with, the deconstruction, the framing, and then painting. we've done all the construction ourselves (except for the mudding, and of course, the plumbing and electrical) but the demo and building were done by me, brad, and my sister sara, and her husband scott.

we are continuing painting this weekend, and hope to install flooring in the next week or so.

enjoy the pictures, and i'll will update this thread with any new drama, pics, or revelations :) feel free to ask any questions, as i'm sure you are all aware of now, that i have no reservations when asking you guys questions! you are all my inspiration and guidance and would not have gotten to this step without you!!!

oh yes, you may be wondering what the store will offer? well, i'll be doing a small selection of coffee drinks and teas (thinking about forte teas, and i have a local coffee guy i LOVE and will do capps, mocha, espresso, iced coffee a house brew (that we are specifically designing for the store! yea!) and as some of you have read, serving hot chocolate (which is cause for much frustration and confusion for me right now) :P and then some breakfast goods, (scones, brioche, whatever i make that morning!) and then offer chocolates, fudge, baked goods, tortes, hi ratio cakes etc... and then non-edible items will be whimsical aprons and towels(a friend from CA), homemade lavender products (a friend from NE) and handmade very chic purses and hair accessories( friend from NE)...then Iowa native wines by the bottle, and some imported cheeses. as you can tell, when you're in a small town, you really need to diversify. so if someone doesn't come in for chocolate, they might come in for something else. but i really tried hard to make everything correspond and compliment with everything else because i don't want to be a gift shop. i want to be a magical, relaxing and fun place to go eat fine desserts and leave your world behind (*sigh...there goes me dreaming again!*) and then for services, besides wedding favors and what not, we'll do monthly date nights, where we reopen at night for music, appetizer and a plated dessert (a plated dessert will not normally be offered at the cafe...just things like brownies, creme brulee, chai tea torte etc) and then i want to do a "make bake n' take cooking club" for parents and kids to do together at the store and then take home...it'll be cool...

as for bradley, he will be down the hall and have an open gallery and photo studio with gallery wraps, cool lighting, flat screen TV for viewing your photos, custom designed albums and cards, hand crafted frames, and just a very comfortable but chic place to meet your photographer for families, weddings or seniors, or else a place to walk through on your lunch break! its going to be decorated so...fun :)

sorry...long over due...here are some pics!

xoxoxo

PS the later photos were done late at night...so kinda dark....and the ceiling is done, all brown! and that greenish color is actually more in the neutral family, the construction lights make it look a little off...but basically i took my biz card and translated it into the store...and furniture is second hand that i bought, sanded, painted a buttercream color, and then distressed and varnished...oh, did i mention i will have a lovely 8ft granite chocolate sit up bar? oh yes....

and i didn't get any pics of bradley's area yet, as we are still working on finishing the suspended ceiling, but his area will be a big focus this weekend, so i'll update when i have something exciting to show. and we do have a bathroom, not shown yet, but will after we get wallpaper up (a lovely copper with dk brown damask design) but the all our footage upstairs is about 1,400 and then i have about 200 downstairs for a packaging room (the really messy area you saw was downstairs) :0)

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