So it’s a new year with exciting and grand possibilities for
The Spice Rack. I feel reflective and also like it’s necessary for me to try
and sum up the last two years. I contemplated doing it at the end of 2013 but
it was still unfolding and honestly I was exhausted, conflicted and sensitive
about the whole thing. We’re in a different and great place and the reality of
it is that I owe this story to our fans and friends and anyone else that is
venturing down this road or thinking about it.
It’s way too much to put in one blog so I’m going to break
it up into a couple blogs to keep your eyes from glazing over. J
To take a step back, we are a family-owned and operated
catering company called The Spice Rack Catering. In May of 2013 we opened a Café in Glen Burnie,
MD called Café 648 and in February of 2014 we closed. My dream had always been
to open a small restaurant that served comfort food, and the Café’s menu would
be designed the same way. It would be comfort food for lunch service and then
we added breakfast in the mix. I always cooked from the heart and the Café would
allow me, allow us to bring our passion for cooking and respect for food to
people on a daily basis.
Our catering company had been doing well and had a gradual
increase in business from its time of inception to the opening of 2013. For
those who don’t know my wife is the General Manager and Front of the House
person for the catering. I consult with her quite a bit because I realized I
was actually one of those artists who only care about the product (like most
artists do). For many artists it’s about the music, or the poetry or the
artwork or in my case the food. We don’t really care about the business side of
things. In reality, if I didn't have bills, I probably wouldn't even charge for
it. So, you see the need for a balancing (and patient) voice like that of my
wife.
That said, my wife’s opinion (and the opinion of some other
business associates) was that I should focus on continuing to capitalize on the
growth of the catering company and then focus on a Café or a restaurant. Now
that doesn't mean she didn't support me in the Café because she did. She
believes in what I’m doing and realizes that I am the hard-headed
quintessential artist that has selective hearing. The irony is that she is a
poet so this whole experience must have been a bit surreal.
The renovation, permits and opening are a whole other story
that I’ll cover in another blog.
We spent most of 2013 trying to increase clientele and get our
name out……
To be continued…
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