One of the perks of having, or opening, a business is that people try to sell you stuff. In case of a restaurant the stuff is often food or beverages. We had not one, but two vendors stop by today, one for beer, and one for meat products. We ended up with sample bottles of different beers, and sample packages of different sausages.
Meat and beer, it's what's for dinner ... ;-)
We did some work today, shocking as it may sound. E! (hopefully) finished staining the wood cover for the beer hall (she hates the fumes, but she is a trooper - somebody have an olympic gold medal to spare?). She also helped me hang some drywall in the dish station. Oh, and we had another metal dude come by, which took a good hour out of my day. Do I sound like making excuses for not having anything big to report of? Maybe. But on some days not much, or at least not much noteworthy happens. How are you all doing?
Dirk
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
When It Rains, It Pours ...
I don't know what was in the air today, but our house was swarming with contractors.
Mike (our electrician) was here, working on our dish washer (switching it from single phase back to three phase), and connecting various outlets and lights. We love Mike.
On short notice our propane man stopped by today to install the propane pipe for the kitchen line. E! can't wait to get her appliances hooked up, neither can I, and a few other 100 people who constantly ask us when we'll open. The short answer is: When we're done!
Another metal fabrication contractor stopped by to look at our bar project (I should post pictures about that sometimes, so that you get an idea what it's all about).
As you can see, we had a good day with respect to contractors. It was a pretty day, which led me to do some outside work. Remember the ditch I had dug last year for our parking lot electric service panel? After having been buried under snow all winter long, I finally closed it today. Fortunately I had covered the soil with plastic, which made it stay dry and loose, and made my job much easier than having to shovel wet and compacted soil.
Not sure what will happen tomorrow, but it will happen.
Dirk
Mike (our electrician) was here, working on our dish washer (switching it from single phase back to three phase), and connecting various outlets and lights. We love Mike.
On short notice our propane man stopped by today to install the propane pipe for the kitchen line. E! can't wait to get her appliances hooked up, neither can I, and a few other 100 people who constantly ask us when we'll open. The short answer is: When we're done!
Another metal fabrication contractor stopped by to look at our bar project (I should post pictures about that sometimes, so that you get an idea what it's all about).
As you can see, we had a good day with respect to contractors. It was a pretty day, which led me to do some outside work. Remember the ditch I had dug last year for our parking lot electric service panel? After having been buried under snow all winter long, I finally closed it today. Fortunately I had covered the soil with plastic, which made it stay dry and loose, and made my job much easier than having to shovel wet and compacted soil.
Not sure what will happen tomorrow, but it will happen.
Dirk
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Heavy Metal ...
I was stuck in first gear all day, never got anywhere. I started preparing for the wood cover in the beer hall roof ridge. E! still has to stain the wood, but by the end of the week we may start installing it.
We had a steel fabricator stop by today to give us a quote for removing the steel I-beam in the bar, and replacing a broken wooden beam with a steel I-beam. Surprisingly, the labor was less than the material. I'm going to get some more quotes from other contractors.
Dirk
We had a steel fabricator stop by today to give us a quote for removing the steel I-beam in the bar, and replacing a broken wooden beam with a steel I-beam. Surprisingly, the labor was less than the material. I'm going to get some more quotes from other contractors.
Dirk
Monday, March 9, 2009
Welcome Back ...
In case you were wondering, which I am certain you do, because there hasn't been a blog post for the last four days, we weren't working, so there was nothing to report. E! and I had traveled to Michigan for a long weekend to celebrate her Dad's 70th birthday.
We had a very good time (thank you Pat and Tom). But as you may have suspected, we can't go anywhere without thinking about work and Gunk Haus. On Saturday we went to Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan for those of you who care, and Zingerman's, which is what we were interested in.
Zingerman's started out as a deli, and over the years expanded to have a bakery, a creamery, a restaurant, and a coffee house. This kind of vertical business model is something we aspire to in the long run. Now, I say we, but I have to clarify something: The mastermind behind Gunk Haus is, and will always be, my beloved wife Elizabeth. She has a great sense for business, which I am completely devoid of.
Aside from an admirable business model, Zingerman's also has a great attitude towards customer service. Walk into any of their stores, and you will be amazed by the friendliness and helpfulness of their staff. At the deli we had no problem getting ahold of a manager, talking extensively to one of their sales staff about cheese (including free samples), beer, business, and more. At the bakery we got to talk to one of their bakers, quizzing him about pretzel tips and tricks. At the creamery we talked more cheese and business with one of their very knowledgeable sales staff.
As I said, it was a great trip, and now we're back at Gunk Haus, getting it ready for business.
Dirk
We had a very good time (thank you Pat and Tom). But as you may have suspected, we can't go anywhere without thinking about work and Gunk Haus. On Saturday we went to Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan for those of you who care, and Zingerman's, which is what we were interested in.
Zingerman's started out as a deli, and over the years expanded to have a bakery, a creamery, a restaurant, and a coffee house. This kind of vertical business model is something we aspire to in the long run. Now, I say we, but I have to clarify something: The mastermind behind Gunk Haus is, and will always be, my beloved wife Elizabeth. She has a great sense for business, which I am completely devoid of.
Aside from an admirable business model, Zingerman's also has a great attitude towards customer service. Walk into any of their stores, and you will be amazed by the friendliness and helpfulness of their staff. At the deli we had no problem getting ahold of a manager, talking extensively to one of their sales staff about cheese (including free samples), beer, business, and more. At the bakery we got to talk to one of their bakers, quizzing him about pretzel tips and tricks. At the creamery we talked more cheese and business with one of their very knowledgeable sales staff.
As I said, it was a great trip, and now we're back at Gunk Haus, getting it ready for business.
Dirk
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Monkey Wrenches ...
We put up the last pieces of drywall on the kitchen ceiling today. I know, I make it sound like that is a big accomplishment, but we like to recognize progress, even the little ones, that keeps us moving forward.
And we need these little pats on the shoulder for days like today, when we have setbacks. Lou, our trusty engineer, stopped by today to look at our septic system. To make it short, it is not adequate for the number of seats we envision our restaurant to have.
He's going to think about how to layout the leech field, septic tank, and well, so that we can open a restaurant with a capacity that makes financial sense. That's what's great about Lou, he tries to make things work for us.
But as you may sense, that is another expense, which we would have wanted to avoid, at least in the short term. But we'll know better once Lou gets back to us with our options.
Dirk
And we need these little pats on the shoulder for days like today, when we have setbacks. Lou, our trusty engineer, stopped by today to look at our septic system. To make it short, it is not adequate for the number of seats we envision our restaurant to have.
He's going to think about how to layout the leech field, septic tank, and well, so that we can open a restaurant with a capacity that makes financial sense. That's what's great about Lou, he tries to make things work for us.
But as you may sense, that is another expense, which we would have wanted to avoid, at least in the short term. But we'll know better once Lou gets back to us with our options.
Dirk
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Brrrrrrrrrr ...
Honestly, it is March 3rd, does it really need to be that cold?! Granted, it has been much colder this Winter, and maybe it was just the wind, which made it feel colder, but I am ready for warmer weather, because the cold is putting a damper on my mood, and I don't get much done.
Yesterday it was particularly windy, and subsequently cold, so we ended up not accomplishing anything but driving around, and getting materials for upcoming projects.
Today was better, and I installed duct work for the kitchen and wait station, and closed the kitchen ceiling with drywall (at least the first layer; as this is a commercial kitchen with open fire we are required to cover the kitchen ceiling with two layers of fire rated drywall, and that's what we'll do tomorrow).
While I was busy with the ducts, E! went and got more (furry) wood, which we'll use to cover the ridge in the beer hall ceiling, and the posts that hold it up.
Dirk
Yesterday it was particularly windy, and subsequently cold, so we ended up not accomplishing anything but driving around, and getting materials for upcoming projects.
Today was better, and I installed duct work for the kitchen and wait station, and closed the kitchen ceiling with drywall (at least the first layer; as this is a commercial kitchen with open fire we are required to cover the kitchen ceiling with two layers of fire rated drywall, and that's what we'll do tomorrow).
While I was busy with the ducts, E! went and got more (furry) wood, which we'll use to cover the ridge in the beer hall ceiling, and the posts that hold it up.
Dirk
Sunday, March 1, 2009
All Done ...
I bet you didn't see that coming, but we finished something today, the ceiling cover in the beer hall, on the west side, towards the bottom. This may sound like feel-goodering to you, and you are absolutely right, but in a project like ours it is important to notice progress, recognize that things are moving forward, and actually are getting done. Else you might as well lie down in bed, and wait until they carry you away (to wherever they carry people, who lie in bed waiting to be carried away).
PICTURES!!!
Posing for the camera ...
... and all done. Told ya ... ;-)
Dirk
PICTURES!!!
Posing for the camera ...
... and all done. Told ya ... ;-)
Dirk
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