Chapter 63
Jim, an attorney, city councilman, and one of Janie’s radio advertising accounts, owned the coffeehouse. He had acquired it out of bankruptcy proceedings. The previous owners, we found out later, were our neighbors across the cul-de-sac from us! I met with Jim on a Wednesday and began negotiating with him concerning our purchase of the coffeehouse. We arrived at a price, so I asked him to prepare the agreement. This all happened within a couple of days. I went in to close the deal on Friday, had no money, and did not know how it could ever happen. Jim and I had not discussed putting any money down until we met for the closing. When we started the meeting for the closing, he asked me for $5,000 down. I told him that I didn’t have any money and that I wanted him to lend me $5,000 to open the restaurant. He said, “I don’t have any money.” Then I reiterated, “I don’t have any money.” We looked like two broke poker players facing off for the final hand, when all of a sudden he slid the key across the table to my side and said, “Well, it’s yours now!” When I asked him to at least leave the money in the cash register, he declined. So I borrowed $50 from our checking account and opened the restaurant/ coffee house the next morning. I was freaked out to say the least. I had never been in the restaurant business or in the coffee business, and now was in both!
The first day at work was Saturday. Everything happened so fast that I did not have any time to think. I immediately had to fire the only employee due to lack of finances, and now God had me right where He wanted me. My anxiety went off the scale. I was now working “half day shifts” (ha ha) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., six days a week. My feet were on fire day after day. People would come to visit at the front counter, and I would stand talking and smiling, all the while in total agony. I enjoyed the people, but the trial to me was pure fire. I did not know anything about coffee shops or running a restaurant, and now, in the blink of an eye, I am the cook, brew-master, waiter, dishwasher, and cashier, and I almost forgot, the janitor also. Little did I know, this restaurant was to be my death on the cross. God was ever present even though I was completely astonished. The second week there, I called the owner of Fitti’s espresso in Kansas City and informed him of my plight. Bob, the owner, fully understood my situation and invited me over to learn how to make espresso coffee drinks. For $25.00 of coffee expenses and one day of training I gained enough confidence to continue on. I still was not happy, but at least I knew how to make a good coffee drink. Actually, with the espresso beans that I was using, I felt the coffee drink was off the charts. I waited awhile before doing any sort of food service, while I learned the art of making a variety of coffee drinks.