Being part of a new venture is both exciting and concerning. I am anxious for it to be a great success right off the bat, but the development of a cafe culture takes time. As well, while updating is important, I want this cafe to retain the elements that imparted a great sense of soul to its mother shop. It's almost sacrilege to try to recreate something so unique, so I'm glad that the new shops don't pretend to do so. The ones in New York and the newest one in Philly are sleek, streamlined, and modern, yet they retain elements of the old-- the assembly line, the Deruta ceramics, the hallmark mirror behind the bar, the lack of wifi, sizes, and soy. The discussion of what defines the soul of the place is an interesting one. It is, on the surface, the above-listed characteristics. Below the surface, it is the people on either side of the bar, the connections made, the human spirit. In any novel, it is the people that give it story, and La Colombe, above all is a great 17-year-old story with a most interesting array of characters on set. From day one, I felt this sense of story about the place.
I spent the greater part of my first 6-hour shift at the new shop trying to figure out the best way to maintain the flow of the espresso bar. I kept thinking "when it gets busy", "once we start getting swamped", etc. because I was planning for the future and assumed the future was going to be a success. For now, especially just after Memorial Day weekend when people from the Residencies and the office buildings around City Hall are returning from vacationing in the Hamptons and wherever else rich people go to relax, it is so very slow. However, day by day, I am witness to its growth, and am amazed by it. I feel lucky to be part and parcel of this new story from its infancy, to be a part of the crew that gets to make the first connections with the new customers, some who will be customers for life, and thus a part of the next great story.
I spent the greater part of my first 6-hour shift at the new shop trying to figure out the best way to maintain the flow of the espresso bar. I kept thinking "when it gets busy", "once we start getting swamped", etc. because I was planning for the future and assumed the future was going to be a success. For now, especially just after Memorial Day weekend when people from the Residencies and the office buildings around City Hall are returning from vacationing in the Hamptons and wherever else rich people go to relax, it is so very slow. However, day by day, I am witness to its growth, and am amazed by it. I feel lucky to be part and parcel of this new story from its infancy, to be a part of the crew that gets to make the first connections with the new customers, some who will be customers for life, and thus a part of the next great story.
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