OK, bad news first.
We still don't have a definitive opening date. Sorry.
The good news is that it's coming soon! After receiving some feedback from the city inspectors, I'm hoping to be in a position to make an announcement sometime next week. We've been working non-stop on our list of corrective actions, and it's looking very good right now. Of course, we won't know until we have the final inspection, but we are very close to finishing our electrical work, which was one of the most complex and labor intensive parts of the renovation. We also have crossed off some important plumbing issues, in addition to doing major repairs to the roof, ceiling, exhaust hood and other infrastructure around the bakery.
One main focus in the coming days will be the storefront, which has been repainted and fitted with new lighting. After another round of cleanup, we should be rid of dust and debris from the construction activity, and ready to welcome customers into our (still tiny) space with a new look.
There have been lots of comments and questions about a Grand Opening, and I usually feel a little anxious when the subject comes up. Of course we will want to celebrate the re-opening of the bakery, but my biggest concern is being completely swamped by the demand and leaving folks out on the sidewalk without their tomato pie or sticky buns. Here the conversation usually turns to something like "OK, then - you're doing a soft opening?", which also makes me a bit peptic. The reason is that we can't very well start operating without telling everyone, especially since the hands-down, number one, first place, tip-top question on everyone's mind is when we'll be open. I'm not about to sneak around after coming this far. So, I'll ask you all to sit with me and embrace the uncertainty for a while longer. Rest assured that although I've really neglected the blog, I'm not holding back information, and everyone is as up to date as can be at the moment. The truth is, I've been so focused on crossing off items on my to-do list and managing minor catastrophes as they occur that I come home feeling a bit like a zombie and often just crash before I've had dinner. I'll save some of those stories for a later post (working title - "So you want to be an entrepreneur...").
I'll close with another big THANK YOU to everyone for being so supportive and hanging in there with us! I should also mention the press we're getting, which has been a lot of fun and is oddly relieving, since it gets the word out and makes up a little for my bad blogging habits. Here are a few links for anyone who hasn't seen them yet - feel free to share!
Eric