100 Days By the Sea is not the dream.
You see, there's always been the dream. Rich and mine, to open a cafe of sorts where we can feed hungry people wholesome food, and be together everyday. We would spend weekends wandering through quaint New England towns, peering into restaurants and sitting in cafes, crafting how we'd run our own place. We saved and planned and when we learned that we couldn't have children, this dream of ours became more potent. If we couldn't have a family, we would find a way to be together all day, everyday. Perhaps not the healthiest philosophy, but it helped us move past the grief.
100 Days By the Sea is not the dream. It's more of an adventure story, at least I hope so. After two months of meeting with Brokers and looking at empty commercial spaces, it became increasingly clear that the $20k we had saved to invest in our cafe wasn't nearly enough. Brokers stopped returning our calls. They kicked back our e-mails, politely telling us we were crazy and naive. And in the midst of all the dissapointment, I stumbled across 40 East Grand Ave. A tiny take out shack in Old Orchard Beach, just 90 square feet, but right across from the water and available all summer. The rent was reasonable and we had the money, so in the space of three weeks, we leased the building and paid a small fortune in permit fees and licenses. With the help of a kind plumber and a crash course in tiling, we managed to pass the State of Maine Health Inspection and opened for business just yesterday.
And for the next 100 days you'll find me by the Sea, at 40 East Grand Ave selling wraps, meeting interesting faces and pondering life as I stare at the ocean through the take-out window of Mainely Wraps. I hope you'll stop by, or at least follow along as I document the struggles and successes of opening a sandwich shop in
You see, there's always been the dream. Rich and mine, to open a cafe of sorts where we can feed hungry people wholesome food, and be together everyday. We would spend weekends wandering through quaint New England towns, peering into restaurants and sitting in cafes, crafting how we'd run our own place. We saved and planned and when we learned that we couldn't have children, this dream of ours became more potent. If we couldn't have a family, we would find a way to be together all day, everyday. Perhaps not the healthiest philosophy, but it helped us move past the grief.
100 Days By the Sea is not the dream. It's more of an adventure story, at least I hope so. After two months of meeting with Brokers and looking at empty commercial spaces, it became increasingly clear that the $20k we had saved to invest in our cafe wasn't nearly enough. Brokers stopped returning our calls. They kicked back our e-mails, politely telling us we were crazy and naive. And in the midst of all the dissapointment, I stumbled across 40 East Grand Ave. A tiny take out shack in Old Orchard Beach, just 90 square feet, but right across from the water and available all summer. The rent was reasonable and we had the money, so in the space of three weeks, we leased the building and paid a small fortune in permit fees and licenses. With the help of a kind plumber and a crash course in tiling, we managed to pass the State of Maine Health Inspection and opened for business just yesterday.
And for the next 100 days you'll find me by the Sea, at 40 East Grand Ave selling wraps, meeting interesting faces and pondering life as I stare at the ocean through the take-out window of Mainely Wraps. I hope you'll stop by, or at least follow along as I document the struggles and successes of opening a sandwich shop in
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