In June, our MC was focused on preparing for the Fourth of July block party. We were getting the word out to the neighbors and planning the festivities for the day. It was probably the most labor/planning intensive thing we had ever done as an MC.
One day, Katy was looking around online and came across a property for sale. It was a fully functioning industrial kitchen with office spaces and two apartment buildings up above. Currently, it was being used by the catering company that owned it. The property was 3 blocks away from where she and Jon lived.
She posted the link to the property on Facebook and said, “Anyone want to dream a little with me? This is in our neighborhood and I would LOVE to buy it, rent out the apartments upstairs, and start a bakery in the bottom portion.” No one who knows Katy was at all taken aback by that status. The thing that took us by surprise was what happened next.
The post that started it all.
There was a man, Fred that we had started to build relationship with in our neighborhood. He owned a bakery that employed people in transition. They had a kitchen down the road called Bridge Bread and mostly sold bread to churches. Upon reading Katy’s post, Fred emailed Katy saying that a man in his church had just approached him about that exact property. This man, Doug, wanted to do a neighborhood bakery/deli in that building. He had the money but not the experience. He had asked Fred if he was interested in going in on it with him and expanding Bridge Bread in that way. Fred was not really looking to do that but as soon as he saw Katy’s post, he knew he needed to get Doug and Katy talking.
Doug and Katy quickly connected and started to realize their vision for the space was more than just compatible. Katy told Doug that Jarred would be a great General/Deli Manager because of his experience and she could run the bakery side with her experience. Doug was sold. He put a bid in on the property.
Over the next three weeks, there was lots of prayer from the handful of us that knew this project was in the making. It was an excruciatingly long three weeks. There were offers and counter offers just about every third day. By the end of the three weeks, Doug had the building. As soon as the inspections were finished, we would have 10 days to write up our business proposal. The catering company was going to rent the building from Doug through the fall and then we could start renovations in the winter with an extremely tentative opening in the spring of 2016, right in time for Katy to finish up her schooling.
Update: Currently, the catering company is going to continue to rent the space into next year. The apartments are ready to rent out. Katy, Jarred and Doug have been in constant communication from things about the name of the place to the menu. Katy and Jarred have quickly brushed up on writing business plans so they can be prepared when the time comes. Doug also bought a warehouse building in our neighborhood and 500 chairs and is asking Katy for ideas for the building. We have not formally said a church building, but we are all thinking it!
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