Signing Off

This sixth edition of Below the Surface will be my final wrap-up – at least for now. It has been such a pleasure connecting with you all through the screen. I have appreciated all of the kind replies letting me know that you’re enjoying the inside scoop. I’m not saying I won’t pick this up again if inspiration should arise, but I do see the need for me to put more energy into other pressing issues.

This past week has been really eventful. As I’ve alluded to in past newsletters, we are gearing up for a new menu launch and a change of schedule. Monday July 6th will be our last Monday operating, and Friday July 10th will be our first Friday back. Our Friday menu will include all of the sweet treats that are currently on the menu, plus looooooooots more burger and sausage buns (because summer!), and trays upon trays upon trays of our meat, veggie, and vegan focaccias. THEY’RE BACK. We’re calling it “Focaccia Fridays”.

We’ve decided that it’s important for us to source our produce from local farms at this time that we’ll be using for toppings. Normally our produce comes from a larger supplier, for both cost and efficiency considerations. The pandemic has reinforced how essential small producers are for the resiliency of supply chains and regional food security, so we decided to dig deep and find a way to make this happen in our shop. It’s been a process to research suppliers, do the appropriate price comparisons, and figure out who can work within our needs. That said, we think it’s 100% worth the effort and look forward to serving you the absolute best & freshest focaccias.

Along with a menu change, we are gearing up for being able to offer payment options at the door. We’ve seen a noticeable dip in demand of online sales and so we’re coming up with a safe & effective system to allow for both pre-orders online, a few at-the-door add-ons, and the ability to sell bread & treats at the door if they don’t sell online. It’s sink or swim out here and we have to keep ourselves nimble and adaptable! We are working on a set-up that will be as safe as our current one, but will have some display space, room for a point-of-sale system, some grab-and-go options – you get it. We’re in the process of sourcing more PPE, a wireless card reader, and a few other important components. It’s happening a bit slower that we’d hoped (#covidproblems), but it’s happening, nonetheless.

Business can feel like an enormous ship, full of momentum and heading in a clearly defined direction. To turn the ship towards a new direction takes time and unrelenting effort. These days it feels like we have to steer it in a different direction every week. That kind of movement takes many hands, all on deck, and lots of heaving and hoeing. That’s where we’re at right now, and so I’m going to bid adieu to Below the Surface so I can be the best Captain I can be. I hope you’ll love the changes and growth that you’ll surely see in the coming weeks.

Signing off for now,

Jess