220/221 Volts Whatever it takes?
I met with a contractor today - Steve from Columbia Craftsman - and we looked at our proposed location. This is pretty much how it went down...
We don't have a negotiated lease yet, but I will tell you that the space is on the southwest side of Columbia and is about 1,000 square feet. I'll also be able to skip to the new Starbucks that will be built this fall and I'm fairly certain all major business magnates base their location decisions on Starbucks proximity. Ahem.
Do you remember the old Peggy Jean's? It was full of antiques and lace and plaid and the bakers wore chefs hats. This Peggy Jean's? It totally flips the script. We have a vision for the new space...industrial chic. I'm fairly certain this term doesn't exist outside of my Pinterest board, but it should. To that end, think exposed ceilings, stone countertops, stainless steel workspaces, and a concrete stained floor to start. I'm looking at lighting from a barn supply company and I love it.
Back to the contractor though...the very first thing he said to me was the noticeable lack of a sprinkler system. Huh...good thing I brought an expert in, because sprinklers never occurred to me. Beyond that, he actually thought all my requests were legit (and that never really happens to me). Here is a quick iPhone shot of the actual space (the landlord is storing paperwork in there, so it is cluttered and the front windows are covered, so the light is blocked).
This picture is taken from about three feet inside the door, looking to the back of the space. On the right corner is a finished bathroom. So here are the tentative to-do list:
- Stain the concrete floors
- Finish out the walls and then paint and/or treat with a material...distressed metal? burlap? old wood?
- Figure out the lighting situation...we need a lot of good light, but florescent lightening is high on my list of things I hate
- Ductwork. I can't function without air conditioning.
- Talk with the electrician...we need a ton of outlets
- We need a front counter...concrete countertop without question, the base undecided though. The contractor suggested corrugated metal and uh....no. The goal is industrial chic, not a BBQ joint with peanuts on the floor. Perhaps stone?
- Consider the front retail area. What to sell? How to merchandise it? Pie kits are a must.
- Can we exist with just a Square Reader and no cash register? Cash register is not industrial chic.
- Neither of us feel the love for pie display cases...alternatives?
- Signage?
- Cool bench for waiting customers
- Some treatment for the front windows - sounds like a job for Ikea
- How do we update for our customers the current stock...chalkboard paint an area, or is that too overdone? Tracking inventory real-time will be necessary.
- Probably 1,392 other things I'm not thinking of...