| April
Relocation Update
By Kenna S. Eaton, General Manager; from
the April 2005 Newsletter
On March 11th we (finally!) got the keys to the new building and
we quickly moved to close off the parking lot at 5th St.
so we could jump-start the deconstruction process.
At this point we had only a rough floor plan that would be
still need to be finalized and a desire to get going!
The floor plan
was first unveiled at the Annual Membership Meeting and then
posted in the current store so you can peruse it to
your heart’s
content.
Once
we have finalized the inside plans including layout, electrical
and mechanical, they will go to the City for formal approval
and permit issuance. Unfortunately this is a busy time of year
for
that department so we will have to be patient as we wait to
secure that important piece of paper. Much of this process
so far
has been fraught with a similar sense of hurry up and then
wait,
much like traveling by plane these days. We plan to start construction
as soon as we can, hopefully by mid-April. In
the meantime we will be looking for the extra equipment we
need, cleaning the equipment we’ve already purchased and generally
getting all our ducks lined up.
We’ve also begun the long process of figuring out how to
staff the new store, writing job descriptions, planning our work
flow and generally getting our inside systems ready for a huge
change.
We’ve
also started a blog on our Web site to post updates and answer
questions.
Top Ten Questions Asked:
- When
will you be moving? Early August is our best guess.
- Where
will you be moving? 105 E. 5th St, previous home of Garts
Sports.
- Are
we excited? You betcha!
- How
much will it cost? Between our savings and financing we
are hoping to spend less than one million dollars.
- Is
this a financially sound project? Well,
we’ve done
our homework and it will be tough for a few years. However the
community support is overwhelming and if we are as busy as we
think we’ll be, it will be no problem to repay our debts.
- Will
the seating area be larger? You betcha! We are planning
lots of space both inside and out to accommodate diners.
- How
will the deli grow? We’ll
be doing more of the same great food with a few extra services
such as sandwiches made to
order plus a salad bar filled with great organic veggies and
wonderful toppings (that’s my favorite part; can you
tell?).
- Will
there be a stage? We are planning to put in a raised
platform area into the seating area. During the day it will hold
tables
and chairs and at night can be transformed for multiple purposes.
- Will
you be hiring? And when? Yes, we will need more staff.
We will do some hiring this summer and some right before we relocate.
- What
will you miss most? Ummm…that’s
a tough question. Although we will miss the close-knit tightness
that
comes from
working in small quarters, the relief of being able to have the
space we need to work and serve our members is right now outweighing
any potential losses.
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