More thoughts about hours.

My wife and I have been looking at the "big" picture and have made some very difficult decisions.  These decisions will definitely improve the hours, service and selections.  I am not quite ready to release these decisions, soon, very soon.

We realize that we need to stay open later in the afternoon/early evening.  The big questions is how late is too late?  I personally love a good cup of coffee after dinner.  Do enough people love a good cup of coffee after dinner?  This may be our sixty four thousand dollar question. We also want to provide more food choices for the customer, especially breakfast.

Suggestions welcome just remember we do not have a full kitchen at the coffee shop.  There will be no over -easy eggs or pancakes (maybe waffles).  We can do baked eggs in puff pastry, maybe with a little spinach and feta or ham and cheese.  I am getting hungry, are you?

We have also been giving some thought to special events on Friday and Saturday evenings.  Open mic. night, poetry night, coffee and dessert tasting, the board is empty right now.  If any one knows someone who might want to be involved in planning and organizing one of these nights - tell them to call or email me.  Our email address is on our website - www.commongroundscoffeeanddeli.com

A couple of news items.  We now have a reward program up and running.  Come in and get a card, for every dollar you spend you will earn points, accumulate 100 points and you will receive $ 10.00 in credit for purchases at Common Grounds.  Second is our email blast.  Come in and sign a card with your email address and you will receive emails once a week with the weeks lunch specials on and a coupon of one kind or another.

Getting away from the coffee shop for a few minutes.  I received a letter from the Bishop of The Diocese of Lafayette, Indiana this past week.  This may seem odd except for the fact that my oldest son, Joshua, is a seminarian for the Diocese.  Joshua is soon entering the last semester of his studies at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland.  He is scheduled to be ordained into priesthood on June 11, 2011.  As a father I cannot be more proud of my son.  Even though I may have to call him Father, he will always be my son.  If anyone wants one more person to pray for may I suggest Josh.  I know that he is praying for Roben and I and the rest of our family.  Josh just turned 30, he has accomplished so much for a young man, I cannot wait to see what he will accomplish in the next 30 years. 

This post is already too long.  Until the next time.

I have returned!

I know it has been a while since I have written anything here.  I have been so busy trying to get a grip on Winter in Port Clinton.  Business has been good.  We are doing a really nice lunch, need more coffee drinkers though.  Thinking of changing hours for the winter.

Looking for feedback on this.  We now open at 6:00am, not many people moving around at this time.  We do one or two customers between 6 and 7. We also think that there is possibly more business around 4 and we are missing them.  We also are thinking of staying open late on Friday and Saturday - maybe 9:00pm.  Looking to attract a crowd for the after dinner coffee, maybe have some entertainment or an open mic. night.

Anybody have any thoughts?  We want to be open when our customers want us there.
I want to become a daily blogger but I can't seem to manage my time in order to think and write.  I am a work in progress, still trying.

Talk to you tomorrow.
John