My husband is a man who loves adventure. His idea of a dream vacation is taking a sailing trip across the Atlantic. YIKES! But if you ask me, I am very content to have my feet planted firmly on the ground. If we are going to vacation near water, give me a nice quiet cottage on the beach and I'm a happy camper. I would much rather see the water from the safety of the shore, where my husband would love to be out on the water and not even see the shoreline!
Our opposing philosophies are not just seen in our vacation dreams, but in our daily living as well. My husband's sense of adventure can even be seen in his profession. He's an entrepreneur. His entrance into this livelihood, as you can imagine, came a lot more easily for him than it did for me.
Prior to starting his own business, Scott had worked in the corporate world for much of our married life. He had worked himself up from store management to being an officer in a fortune 100 company. But when that company was bought out by another corporation, we knew many of the positions in the office would be changed, including his. We saw the writing on the wall, so to speak. We just didn't know for sure when the hammer would fall.
In preparation, Scott began thinking what he would do next. We knew he would have a year's severance, for which we were very thankful. My thinking was that he would find another job within that year in the corporate world. A safer option. But Scott had other ideas in mind. He desired to start his own business so we could remain in our home and be close to our grown children.
The thought of going into business was very scary for me. We had gone down that path before. 16 years earlier we opened a small bagel shop with some dear friends of ours. Scott kept his job and I managed the shop for 6 years. Our three children were still grammar school age at the time. Our youngest child had just entered kindergarten when the business opened. I had been a stay at home mom since my children were born. Working outside the home was never something I desired to do after we had our children. I loved being the "class mom", going on field trips with the kids and being there when they got home from school. I struggled with being at the shop. My heart was at home, not in the business. I often would teasingly say that someday I was going to write a book telling people 3 simple rules to live by if you were thinking of opening a business. Rule #1: Don't open a business if you have to go into debt to do it. Rule #2: Don't open a business unless you have at least enough money in the bank to live off of for 2 years. Rule #3: Don't go into business if you have young children living at home. Obviously I had issues with the timing and way we opened this shop, and these were not the easiest 6 years of my life. But it was primarily because of my own lack of trust in what the Lord had for me at the time. I didn't like the story He was writing for my life and fought against it. We eventually sold the shop, but because the store had not been a money maker, it took us years to recover financially.
So, needless to say, when my husband said he wanted us to take a trip to the west coast to look at a few ideas for businesses to start, I didn't jump up and down with excitement. And even though it had been ten years since we had sold the bagel shop, and God had used those ten years to teach Scott a LOT about himself and about business, every fiber of my being wanted to cry out, NO! Don't do it again! And it wasn't just the fear of failure I was concerned about, although that was a biggie. I also knew how all consuming having your own business can be. It's not a 9 to 5, punch in a time card kind of job. You take your work home with you because it's your life. But instead of focusing on that, I tried to swallow my apprehension, packed our bags, and we got on a plane and headed out west. It was his inspiration trip for "his next big adventure". I was just holding on for dear life and praying God would change his mind.
While we were on the trip, I had my birthday. We were standing outside the space needle in Seattle, Washington waiting for it to open that June morning, when my oldest son called my phone to wish me a happy birthday. He asked how the trip was going and asked me how I was doing. I shared my hesitation and my struggle. My son paused, then said, "Mom, do you remember that book you always said you were going to write when we had the bagel shop?" I laughed and said, "Yes". He said, "Mom, all those rules are in place now. If dad is ever going to get the chance to do this, now is the time. You need to let him do it." He used my own words against me, but I knew he was right. I thanked him. I told him he had helped me more than he could know. And I decided right then and there I would support Scott in his endeavor. It didn't mean I wouldn't struggle after that. Fear was still a daily battle for me. But I made a choice to seek to trust the Lord in it from that moment on.
When we returned from our trip that June, Scott didn't waste any time putting his ideas to work. One in particular seemed to stand out. A biscuit shop. It was providential that he began moving forward so quickly, because just a month after the trip, his job came to an end.
We had some sweet young friends, Gus and Krysten who decided to go on this crazy journey of a biscuit shop with us. Gus had just lost his job as well and was looking for work. They had 2 young boys at the time, and I wanted to protect Krysten from the same stresses that I experienced with having young children when we had the bagel shop. I didn't want her lifestyle of being a stay at home mom to change. I prayed daily that she would be able to stay home with those boys after we opened the shop.
We immediately began hosting taste tests in our home every Thursday night. The four of us invited friends and neighbors in to taste our recipes and rate our food. We did this for several weeks as we perfected the menu. We worked through the biscuit recipe first. Then the chicken. Then moved through the rest of the sandwiches and sides on the menu. Every Friday morning as I walked down the stairs to the lingering smell of fried chicken and bacon from the night before, fear again would grip me. I worried about the store being a success and that we were dragging Gus and Krysten down an insecure road. We had a year's severance, but they did not. Would this store be able to support them? I would have to fight back the tears and pray for the Lord's guidance and for Him to give me more faith.
We immediately began hosting taste tests in our home every Thursday night. The four of us invited friends and neighbors in to taste our recipes and rate our food. We did this for several weeks as we perfected the menu. We worked through the biscuit recipe first. Then the chicken. Then moved through the rest of the sandwiches and sides on the menu. Every Friday morning as I walked down the stairs to the lingering smell of fried chicken and bacon from the night before, fear again would grip me. I worried about the store being a success and that we were dragging Gus and Krysten down an insecure road. We had a year's severance, but they did not. Would this store be able to support them? I would have to fight back the tears and pray for the Lord's guidance and for Him to give me more faith.
That faith I prayed for would soon be tested again when it was time to sign the lease on the first location of Maple Street. The guys had found a spot and invited Krysten and myself to come see it. We walked through trying to envision the space as a biscuit shop instead of a burrito place like it had previously been. She and I talked about different ways we could make the decor rustic, and it was actually fun for a brief moment. The planning and decorating of the spaces has been my favorite part of the business from the start. But I looked over and I saw that the guys were sitting at one of the tables with the landlord. What were they doing? Krysten told me they were signing the lease. Signing the lease? Wait! I'm not ready! There it was again, that gripping fear. As we drove home, Scott reminded me to trust the Lord, and to trust him. He assured me he would not put us or Gus and Krysten in financial jeopardy. At this point, with the lease signed, I had no choice but to try to do just that, to leave it in the Lord's hands. There was no turning back now.
We worked like crazy people getting the store ready to open. The guys got the equipment, worked on the build out, hired a few employees, finished a myriad of details. Krysten and I finished the last of the recipes, stained walls and tables, painted the entire space for what seemed like endless hours. Finally, it was the night before the store was to open. We were all exhausted. It had been a very fast 5 week transformation, but also because we did most of the work ourselves, it seemed like it had taken ages. One last trip to the office supply place to get register tape. REGISTER TAPE! A seemingly simple task, but as I stood in the isle of the store, I became paralyzed by my fear once again. A wave came over me and it took everything I could do to keep from crying. I knew because of my fatigue, if I started, I probably wouldn't be able to stop. I left the store with no tape. I went back to Maple Street where Scott greeted me. He could tell I was struggling and said, "Come with me." We got back in the car and he took my hand and said, "It's going to be alright." I nodded. And even though I was still fearful, I knew I could believe his words. It WOULD be alright. God had always been faithful, and He would remain faithful. Scott took me to the office supply store and we bought the register tape together. It was comforting to know even as busy as we were that day, Scott cared about me and understood my anxiety and took the time to help me to think rightly about it all. We drove back to Maple Street and joined the others in getting the store and food ready for the next day's opening. Once again, God had given me the strength to trust Him and move forward.
The opening day was crazy, scary, exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time. I remember minutes before the store was to open, I was standing at the sandwich making station next to Chelsea, one of our original hires, who would eventually become one of our Community Leaders. I felt the electricity that was in the air as we counted down the minutes for the door to be unlocked to let those first customers in, but at that moment I looked over the sandwiches on the menu. The very ones that we had come up with on our throw downs in my kitchen. But I suddenly realized that making them one or two at a time for friends in our home was a far cry from making them on the line in a restaurant. I hadn't been trained on how we would go through the process on the line because while they were training, I was staining tables and doing the finishing touches on the shop. The only time I had been in the kitchen was to paint it! Fear again came over me. I was saying to myself, "I have no idea what I'm doing!" Chelsea, unaware of my little meltdown I was having in my mind, leaned over to me and said, "I am so envious of you right now! My dream is to open a restaurant." Right then, I couldn't imagine this being a dream to anyone! I'm on the verge of an anxiety attack and she's excited for me! But I was very thankful she had such a love for the restaurant business, because her excitement was my inspiration to get through the day. Every time I got overwhelmed and felt lost in the sea of tickets, she would say, "It's OK Mrs. Robyn. You're doing great! You've got this". Thank the Lord for little Chelsea! She sweetly took me under her experienced wing and helped me stay on task all day long.
And then there was Krysten. Krysten is a vegetarian. She told the guys she was willing to help with anything, but didn't want to touch the chicken. But what did she end up having to do? Fry chicken! But she didn't even hesitate. She fried chicken like a pro all day long!
Gus was the biscuit boy. The final recipe was his. He had perfected it, and he took ownership of it. I'm sure after opening day, he could make biscuits in his sleep!
Stephen, our part time music director at church was also a team member. He was our "ambassador" as Scott calls it. He greeted people, walked them through the menu and took their orders. With his positive attitude, he was a natural at the ambassador position.
We had a part-time employee, Maxwell who also had some restaurant experience. She worked the grill opening day, and did a great job keeping up with frying eggs, making the hash-ups and the other items on the grill.
Scott was definitely the captain of the ship. He steered us all in the right direction and kept us afloat all day. He jumped in and helped in any of the stations as needed. His sense of calm helped to keep us all on an even keel. He now admits he only appeared to be calm. He was as scared as I was on the inside! Wondering if his idea would work.
In addition to these few associates, we had a myriad of volunteers. Family and friends who came to serve us that first several days. People helping with dishes, wiping tables, brewing coffee. Our daughter Bethany was getting people's soft drinks. Our son Blake had come the night before to help set up tables. We could not have made it through those first several days without all their help. Our mission was to "help people by serving others and being a part of the community". But these precious souls were serving us, and being a part of the community by doing so. They too were graciously living out our mission!
The opening day was crazy, scary, exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time. I remember minutes before the store was to open, I was standing at the sandwich making station next to Chelsea, one of our original hires, who would eventually become one of our Community Leaders. I felt the electricity that was in the air as we counted down the minutes for the door to be unlocked to let those first customers in, but at that moment I looked over the sandwiches on the menu. The very ones that we had come up with on our throw downs in my kitchen. But I suddenly realized that making them one or two at a time for friends in our home was a far cry from making them on the line in a restaurant. I hadn't been trained on how we would go through the process on the line because while they were training, I was staining tables and doing the finishing touches on the shop. The only time I had been in the kitchen was to paint it! Fear again came over me. I was saying to myself, "I have no idea what I'm doing!" Chelsea, unaware of my little meltdown I was having in my mind, leaned over to me and said, "I am so envious of you right now! My dream is to open a restaurant." Right then, I couldn't imagine this being a dream to anyone! I'm on the verge of an anxiety attack and she's excited for me! But I was very thankful she had such a love for the restaurant business, because her excitement was my inspiration to get through the day. Every time I got overwhelmed and felt lost in the sea of tickets, she would say, "It's OK Mrs. Robyn. You're doing great! You've got this". Thank the Lord for little Chelsea! She sweetly took me under her experienced wing and helped me stay on task all day long.
And then there was Krysten. Krysten is a vegetarian. She told the guys she was willing to help with anything, but didn't want to touch the chicken. But what did she end up having to do? Fry chicken! But she didn't even hesitate. She fried chicken like a pro all day long!
Gus was the biscuit boy. The final recipe was his. He had perfected it, and he took ownership of it. I'm sure after opening day, he could make biscuits in his sleep!
Stephen, our part time music director at church was also a team member. He was our "ambassador" as Scott calls it. He greeted people, walked them through the menu and took their orders. With his positive attitude, he was a natural at the ambassador position.
We had a part-time employee, Maxwell who also had some restaurant experience. She worked the grill opening day, and did a great job keeping up with frying eggs, making the hash-ups and the other items on the grill.
Scott was definitely the captain of the ship. He steered us all in the right direction and kept us afloat all day. He jumped in and helped in any of the stations as needed. His sense of calm helped to keep us all on an even keel. He now admits he only appeared to be calm. He was as scared as I was on the inside! Wondering if his idea would work.
In addition to these few associates, we had a myriad of volunteers. Family and friends who came to serve us that first several days. People helping with dishes, wiping tables, brewing coffee. Our daughter Bethany was getting people's soft drinks. Our son Blake had come the night before to help set up tables. We could not have made it through those first several days without all their help. Our mission was to "help people by serving others and being a part of the community". But these precious souls were serving us, and being a part of the community by doing so. They too were graciously living out our mission!
It didn't take more than a couple days for Scott to figure out my strengths would be better used back in the kitchen. I became the main gravy maker and dishwasher. And I was totally OK with that! I was a lot more comfortable behind the scenes than I was making sandwiches. Within a couple months Krysten and I were both able to be out of the store and our role was support from home. Krysten continued to make the pepper jelly in her home until the demand became too great and the store had to take over making it. I made the mini pecan pies for a couple years, then trained the stores to start making their own. The Lord answered my prayer in allowing Krysten to be a stay at home mom with her boys and I enjoy supporting and serving Scott on the home front.
When the lease was signed on the second location the following June, I gladly resumed my role of helping in the design and buildout of the new location. This part of the process is a lot of fun to me. I love seeing a place being transformed into a Maple Street. And while these days they have grown to the point where they don't need me in the build out process like they did in the first few stores, I certainly don't mind picking up a paintbrush if need be on the final days before an opening, if something needs to be finished.
There were times shortly after Krysten and I were no longer in the store where we would be called on to come in and help. After we had been open a few months, there was a festival in the community of San Marco where our store was located. It was huge, and the impact on the restaurant was as well. We had no idea how much impact it would have until the day of the festival. I got the SOS call from Scott that the store needed help, and I headed there as soon as I could. What I found when I got there was customers lined up out the door, a restaurant full of happy guests and team members, not being stressed out by the demand, but a team running like a well oiled machine, happily working together. Even singing while they threw sandwiches together. If they needed something on the line, a member would yell out the need, and someone in the back would yell out "Heard!" which meant, "I hear you and I will take it upon myself to drop what I am doing to get that need met for you." Servant leadership in action. It was such a sweet thing for me to observe. I was thrilled that my husband's vision for this place to "help people by serving others..." was being lived out and had started behind the counter. It was obvious the team members loved their job, loved being there and loved each other. I walked out of the shop that day so thankful and blessed to see Scott's mission coming to fruition in the lives of the community and the lives of the team. He WAS making an impact. His desire to show grace not only to the guests, but to the team was happening. It was clearly a place where people were happy to serve. Not just the customers, but one another! I think that was the day I really saw Scott's vision for the first time. It wasn't just a restaurant. It was a ministry. We were serving more than food. It was a place to show the grace of God and live out the gospel to one another and to others.
Fast forward 5 years. Here we are with 14 stores (working on stores 15, 16 and 17). Has this journey changed me? Do I still have struggles with fear? Surely I've got this thing figured out by now, right? Yes, this journey has changed me, but not how I would have guessed. Although I don't have a battle with fear each time we sign a lease agreement like I did in the beginning, I certainly can not say I have been transformed into this uber strong person who can handle anything that comes her way on her own. Bottom line, I have learned that I don't have it within myself to trust. I don't have it within myself to not have fear. It all has to come from the Lord. Every ounce of faith I have is a gift of grace from God above. And if this journey has taught me anything so far, it is how frail I am and how great God is. More than ever, I see that I need God's grace every hour of every day as I trust Him with my story.
God is still teaching me I can't control my life, and that is OK because I am learning I can trust the story He has for me. I can let go of my past, knowing God was in it and orchestrated it, and entrust my present and my future to Him. The beauty of that is, when I choose to trust God's story instead of trying to write my own, I have the freedom to trust Scott too. I can appreciate the story God is writing for him, and see the strengths that God has given this amazing man being used for the glory of God as he works the mission God has placed on his heart. And in turn, that mission also becomes my own. To help people by serving others and being a part of the community.
And I can trust that God will continue to lead and guide that husband of mine while he continues on his adventures, because I know they are the adventures God has given him.
This picture was taken on a trip we took to Seattle a couple years later. We went back to just enjoy the west coast!
You can find details of this trip on my blog, Planes, Trains and Automobiles (and buses and boats)
