Coffee shop delays...a.k.a lessons in patience and trust

So! We are coming up on the 1 year anniversary of finding our cute little mushroom building.

Alleah, owner of Drifter is excited as hell!

The past year has been super exciting, scary, stressful and a lot of work. We had countless meetings with architects about all the little details, brainstorming sessions, demolition parties and health department discussions... but still no coffee shop. Its scary not knowing when our little shop will open. Will it open in the dead of winter? Will it be slow or busy in the beginning?

Snapshot of the crew tearing down the house on demolition day!

I am learning that these things take time. Just because I wanted to be open by Summer 2018 doesn't mean that it was going to happen. Everyone told me there would be delays, but I never believed that it would be the magnitude and frequency that we are currently experiencing. One full year and construction is finally starting.

Our delays are mostly involving negotiations with the landlord and contractors. It turns out that deciding an exact budget and timeline for building is really hard to do! It took a long time to figure out the specifics of things— like how much it will actually cost to build a greenhouse and who will put the plumbing in and when.  I was persistent and worked hard at meeting deadlines, but at the end of the day I was waiting on things outside of my control. This is the nature of development and construction, and we are deep in it.

A shot of the concrete after it was ripped out! New cement will be poured and things are going to start changing!

When will the shop open? When will our gathering space be available for this beautiful community that has opened their arms for us? Now we are shooting for December, friends.

We have all the city and health department approvals, and I have officially signed the lease documents and put a deposit down for construction to begin. Now it is in the hands of the contractors to get the shop ready as quick as they can.

Sneak peek of the upstairs in its current state.

Please send good vibes for a speedy build out! We plan to have many community events in the next few months to keep the fun going!

Community Q&A

Q: What kind of food/treats/snacks are you planning to carry? — @erainymo

A: Tasty locally sourced baked goods, vegan + gluten free options of course, bagel and open faced sandwiches, oatmeal options, cereal and we plan to expand our menu as we grow!

Q: When do you anticipate opening? I live right around the corner and am SO looking forward to this! — Katie Boyce

A: We are hoping by December/January now! So pumped to be in the neighborhood!

See you soon!

Alleah Webb, Head Honcho

Head honcho in BEAST demolition mode.