Why don’t you edit your post and also post the link to that post.
The restaurant has been open now for over 1 1/2 years, the coffee truck now it it’s 4th year. I believe in 100 mile diet, organics wherever possible - so I pay a higher price for my quality foods/drinks etc…We have a beautiful ’secret garden’ in the back with our own veggies and herbs growing - swing seat, tables etc (it’s very relaxing, especially at night with the lights). I encourage all the arts to make themselves at home (musicians, jewllers, artists, poets, spoken word, karaoke) we do it all. Promotion and advertisements, word of mouth, they are all starting to pay off. More people are finding my little place, but… My staff are paid, most of my vendors get paid (in time), bills are suffering - I know it will get better - I feel it, I speak it, I praise it… other people are blown away by the ambiance the ‘arts mecca’ that I have dreamed about and created. Many people call it their second home/ favourite place to be…We had a fundraiser to try and get a commercial dishwasher (as I know this is the next catalyst to the next level of success - my staff spend more than 50% of their time catching up with dishes - and everything else falls behind - as we are getting busier), but only raised maybe a 1/4 of a dishwasher - that $ has now gone to bills and salaries in the meantime… :( I have been selling and praising the good things to my husband (as he is the other half of the $ situation (our house mortgaged multi times now) but, he just will not hear it anymore.. he says he has heard the same thing now for over a year and a half. He is under the strain of paying all the house bills, his job is dissapearing in a month… he has hopes of a similar job with another company - but would have to use the last of our line of credit to purchase a bigger truck to get this job… I understand his angst and stress and the thought of losing our home. I can’t, I don’t want to lose my dream though… not when we are at the bottom of the hill looking up and knowing it is possible to get up the mountain. There is so much love for this place in the community… One family alone donated a number of items to the auction and their son went around and collected bottles raising $15 of his own to donate! The songwriters, the artists, the poets the people who NEED a place to relax that is not pushy or corporate ‘box oriented’ … I know it will work, and we will all look back on this years down the road and remember the ‘rough water’ times… I am willing to take on a partner, investors, benefactors…’like minded people’ that believe in the same values - buying local, meaning local organic meats, cheeses, veggies, fruit, flowers, breads, everything! It is possible I just need help, and I don’t know where to turn to next…time is running out… and I am afraid I am going to lose it, and me in the process… my heart and soul are in this so I am taking the advice and asking the cosmic kitchen out there for help…. please.
If you open several seperate posts about the same thing—you’re not going to know when someone posts to you.
I guess the first question I have to ask is, how much advertising are you doing? Word of mouth is good but only reaches a small demographic area. Have you tried having a “reading night”? Invite a well known writer to read an excerpt from their work. This you can advertise on local cable for free and probably in weekly newspapers for the same price or at least cheap.
Talk to a local radio station about interviewing you on the air. The subject would have to be community related so make it free but slipping in the name of the restaurant shouldn’t be a problem.
Staying at home or in the store worrying won’t help! Get out and be proactive.
Ah! I see you’re just outside Nanaimo, I believe the Federal government has grants available for Arts related pursuits. Also check out Provincial and Island sources.
Also, how much do the people of Saltspring know of your restaurant? Saltspring is the home of MANY well known and high profile artist of every genre. Let them know you exist. They all get to Victoria or at least the island quite often and would spread the word.
Give it a try.
jim
advertise
advertise
advertise
Beyond that, either raise prices or cut expenses. Pronto.
Hire more people at minimum wage and get rid of the higher paid staff. Yes, it’s heartless. Do it anyway.
Organic is nice, if you can afford it. But if you can’t, you can’t. Buy more items from the regular restaurant supply ’till you have a larger customer base.
BTW, I’d switch to some disposable items to help with the dishes.
Nice paper napkins and a paper-plate-in-a-basket will work fine.
if you’re in serious trouble you could do something along the lines of “save our restaurant” and go with what the others said - inviting writers, talking on local radio etc.
We are fully licensed, we do advertise (bus bench, radio, tv, magazines, and are also in the news at least twice a year with various functions!) Disposable dishes really is not a restaurant thing perhaps more of a fast food joint (which we are not) + it really goes against our whole ‘Recycle, 100 mile diet, be good to mother earth’ thinking. We do have musicians that play, poets, catering gigs, various groups meet at our place. I am promoting and marketing even in my sleep… I also take the coffee truck to 3 farmer’s markets a week.. and various festivals. The coffee truck is literally like a mobile advertisement. So you see, I am doing as much as humanly possible… this is why I am asking for help! The quality staff that I do have working with me, are that QUALITY - so there is no way I would pull a corporate move like that (firing and hiring cheaper labour) it would cost me far more in re-training and faster turnaround with staff, with thinking like that. One of the first things I wanted to be able to do, when we become $$ stable is to offer benefits (medical/dental etc) to my loyal staff, my crew… without them, we would not have made it this far.. as I can only be in so many places at once! I appreciate all your suggestions, I always listen to wisdom from others with a very open ear and heart, but you can see my frustration and feel my stress a little clearer now, yes?
gypsymermaid edited this post 1 year, 4 months ago. Read the previous text »
I really do need your help please.
I know my last post went on and on with my story re ‘ special restaurant & coffee truck’ but I really do need advise about this please re- read it and help me
“Have you considered buying a used dishwasher? I know it sounds strange, but there are companies that refurbish and sell used industrial type equipment.
Catering and hosting small parties or meetings—
Do you have a liquor license? Most of the coffeehouse’s profits came from alcohol once they got their liquor license. Wine tastings and whiskey tastings.
Hosting live shows with a small cover fee also sometimes can help, if you get a local band with a reasonable following. ” –previous posted comment
Maybe get more dishes. The coffee house use to have a montage of dishes from thriftstores. It was neat.
Yes, that was the first consideration. I had a ‘guy’ who did refurbish equipment, he got us a large fridge, sandwich counter and dishwasher… the 1st dishwasher blew up when we turned it on, the second one never worked, then he just disappeared for 5 months.. after calling him daily, I finally got hold of him, he eventually refunded the dishwasher money.. the sandwich counter still needs fixing.. he just ‘gave up his business’ to much stress in his life… he had given me his guarantee on everything, so you see why I now want a new one that will be taken care of if it craps out. We do catering and hosting of small parties & meetings, we are fully licensed, we do host all kinds of entertainment shows and yes the door goes to the entertainment to make it possible. We have lots of dishes, we don’t have alot of space to house all the dirty ones that are created.. it’s a very small kitchen area. Feel my stress?
Have you considered hiring a dish washer during peak hours?
I worked as a dishwasher during the weekend brunches that my old coffee house had. Dish washers don’t make much but it’s an ok summer job for young people. 1 comp. meal and minimum wage it was a part time job I did to meet people because I was new to the area.
Yeah, with the shows we did, they tried a door cover—and they tried doing like 10% of the evening till. The second method helped to get people motived to bring in a crowd. Also 1 comp meal and 1 alcoholic beverage or beverage of the artists choice.
everyone does dishes here, me included.. there is no $$ to hire anyone else… there is no space . We already comp meals and bev to the bands . very frustrating…. I appreciate your thoughts though.
“our whole ‘Recycle, 100 mile diet, be good to mother earth’ thinking.”
I ran a business for years. And one of the first things I had to learn was that a business is NOT a place to parade your personal views.
A business must make a profit. Period. Or close the doors. Those are the only choices, and you will have to find ways to either cut the expenses, or raise the prices. That means compromises and that means using affordable help, affordable equipment, and affordable products. There is no other way. No matter how much you wish there was. :(
For one thing, you need to decide what business you’re in. Is it a restaurant? Or is it a playhouse? Is it a quazi-religious-health-food-and-vitamins-spa? Or is a concession stand? Figure that out, and then start making it work. All the other add-ons just confuse the issue. A restaurant sells food. A playhouse sells entertainment. A spa sells personal attention…. etc. Figure out what you’re selling, and stick with that. Then find ways to make that thing profitable. Not just breaking even, but in the black.
I’m not trying to be harsh. But my husband and I have been there, and it was the toughest thing to do -figure out WHAT we were selling, and learn to trim everything else out.
Mermaid’s Mug Mission Statement
To bring together the hard work of local farmers, artists, musicians and small businesses in a comfy, funky artistic Mecca in the desert of cheap imports and assembly-line customer service.
We are dedicated to providing deliciously comforting, hearty healthy foods and decadent lush beverages, made with care and love from only the best quality local ingredients.
We seek to feed the soul and the stomach of our community.
Our staff gives a crap!
I believe in my place, I believe it will work out without compromise. It is not a religious/playhouse/spa it does have the mobile component to it, which compliments it and helps bring in revenue, while advertising the restaurant.
I am not parading my personal views, I chose to embrace where restaurants ’should’ be going ‘100 mile diet/recycling’ and being active in the community… buying locally and encouraging growth with all aspects in the area
and yes, I am very passionate about my place, my heart & soul are there 24/7 my business my dream my future… *snif
19.95 FOR A DINNER PACKAGE!!! You’re giving it away. There’s no 20% markup on that and 20% is at the very low end of the scale.
You have a beautiful place and, apparently, have put a lot of work into it. Good for you. You deserve to succeed.
Like I said before, apply to the various governments for grants to apply to the arts side of the business. Also, I believe there are also grants for small businesses, especially when they are doing the health, local, small business thing. You may need an intermediary for some of them or to at least set out your goals properly but it would be well worth the time and money. And yes, I understand there is not much of the latter available but try to squeeze it in.
I really hope you succeed.
jim
The problem with gov’t grants is that they usually must have all the proper forms completed and turned in before the first fiscal quarter. Whom ever takes care of the art in your place, needs to research and complete these forms, see the requirements it’s not too hard.
You should look into having a music or art coordinator. If you don’t already have one.
With Perk, the coffee house I worked at, they had open mic Tuesdays (their biggest day) a few specials and musicians came from all over. Being a venue for live music will draw a crowd and things seem reasonable, they’ll stay, and bring more people.
Now once doing that—you ask some of your memorable groups to perform for a benefit and if they love your place, they usually will do it to help you expand and have faster better service (like with dish washer)
My suggestion would be a big birthday bash for the cafe, “Tides and Tunes Festival” or something alternately as silly (tides of change and well music.) Just trying to go with the whole Mermaid thing. :D
We did just have a fundraiser, with 3 musicians doing their amazing thing. A live auction and buffet. It did well, everyone had a great time - but we only raised about a 1/4 of a dishwasher - and then that money had to be allocated to Staff wages and a bill or two (that were screaming for attention) We will do more fundraising activities, but it’s very stressful playing catch up all the time, because we are so behind in the finances… :( We have games afternoons Sun, A couple times during the week on Tues we have an in house band that plays/practices in the background , Wed is open jam & poetry slam, Thurs live music (various bands, songwriter’s circle, bossa & jazz improv, shack records acoustic night)Fri is Karaoke night(including a ‘tickle trunk’ of costumes to wear on stage), Sat is Live music (various bands, open mic) So you see we do already have ‘things’ going on over here, and yes more people are finding us. I am the music coordinator and my manager also wears those shoes too. I have briefly looked at Gov grants, but have never found one that I meet all the criteria for as I am a ‘for profit’ restaurant - I will keep looking though :)
We also have ‘green drinks’ night (a ‘green thinking’ group that meets once a month and chats about issues and events), we have the ‘Red Hat Ladies’(senior ladies that get together and let it go wild), Wicca groups, moms & tots, stich n’*****, dungeons & dragons, wordstorm (spoken word, poetry).. you name it they come… just need that dishwasher to keep up…… I’m a shakin’ the money tree for all it’s worth… but nothing is coming down… :(
Yes you are for profit restaurant, this is why you hire an art coordinator who will implement an art program which is based out of your restaurant (as far as a gallery goes)this program then becomes a non-for profit…
You have to have a manager or two in your folds, start delegating responsibility along with that title, otherwise they’re just an expensive member of your wait staff.
Open Mic is key—a lot of people out there think they’re awesome, and their friends think they’re awesome, and they just need a place to showcase themselves. A few months of it, on a regulated day and the word will SERIOUSLY get out. Post up on community boards, music/art stores, colleges, high schools…they’ll ALL show up.
For the coffee house I worked at, they had people show up 5 hours early to sign up on the list—and open Mic ran for 7 hours, just to play 3 songs or 15 minutes max.
You’re still a young business that has to get established.
How’s your wash station set up? My coffee house had a triple basin sink (before getting a conveyor/industrial washer), soapy water, rinsing basin/spout and a sterilizer basin. Soaking the dishes first helped a lot, although you HAVE TO-HAVE TO be careful of glassware.
yep, 3 sink wash station as per VIHA (health authority) we do have the open mic night.. have since the beginning, actually we have 3 different open mic nights. People are starting to show up in waves usually, a whole whack of people then nothing for a while, completely unpredictable..
Hey Michelle,
Just got home, fed the cats and fish, hamsters are sleeping (lucky dogs) and I have a coffee in hand.
Western Economic Diversification: http://www.wed.gc.ca/262_ENG_ASP.asp#…
Sounds like for this part they operate through VanCity. Link on the page.
Looks like you’re eligible for improvements and equipment.
Canada Business. Links to a lot of program and funding. http://www.canadabusiness.ca/gol/cbec…
Such as : Canada Small Business Financing Program Sources of Financing
Women’s Enterprise Initiative Loan Program: http://www.canadabusiness.ca/servlet/…
Bunch more links especially for women. Looks like you qualify too.
Well, that’s a start. Let me know how these turn out and, if necessary, I’ll find more. They’re out there, it’s just a matter of persevering.
Good luck, Michelle
thanks staabis, I will check out those links!
littlenick
Times' gone mad
staabis
Dragon_Lady