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Category: Projects
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Published on Monday, 19 December 2011 20:12
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Written by Admin
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Hits: 335
Since we are approaching business without going into debt, we won't have our dream coffee house right away. We have our location picked out, which will be at 707 S. Charles G. Seivers Blvd.; Clinton, TN. It's a cute brick home and our theme is "A home away from home."
As much as we would like to have a finished coffee house with our big picture dream, it is impracticable (and unwise) to go into debt. So, we are working slowly at building our dream. We raise the capital first, then we add a new feature to our coffee house.
Here is our projected development plan for our "Big Picture":
PLANNING
We began planning the coffee house in 2008. It took until December, 2011, for us to get property to locate the coffee house! Talk about a slow process to go into business. We have identified our core projects as follows:
COFFEE HOUSE:
- About: It's the dream burning a hole in Wesley's and Colleen's hearts.
- Documentation Blog: Kudzu Jungle - A Coffee House Documentary
- Status: Raising Capital! "One Cupcake at a Time!"
- Notes: We have the domain registered, the business plan ready to be finalized and we have launched our "One Cupcake at a Time" campaign to raise funds.
NEWSPAPER:
- About: Kudzu Jungle is the "voice" of the coffee house. We are launching this project before building the coffee house because it is the least expensive project of the coffee house and it will help us network with our community, market the coffee house project and raise more capital for Phase 2: Build the coffee house.
- Status: The online portion is open (kudzujungle.com). We are working on the printed newspaper and hope to have the first issue published in March, 2012, or February if we can everything ready by then.
ART GALLERY:
- About: Colleen is an artist (see the art project page for samples of her work), and a coffee house is the perfect place to set up a gallery for Tennessee artists!
- Documentation Blog: Not open yet
- Status: Planning
- Notes: The art gallery will be included when we add the main dining room to Our Little Coffee House. Right now, we have a small dining room and limited space. When we add on, the current dining room will become the gift store.
MUSIC:
- About: Wesley and Colleen have a passion for learning music, so, it goes hand in hand with a coffee house, doesn't it? Wesley plays drums and is learning to play guitar. Colleen writes music, but is learning to sing, play keyboard, play drums and she also wants to learn to play a Native American flute. Our coffee house will feature local artists and we hope to bring in Christian musicians you hear on the radio...we hope...we can hope, can't we?
- Documentation Blog: Not open yet
- Status: Planning
- Notes: When we open in Spring of 2012, every Friday, Wesley and Colleen will be training for praise and worship music. If you are a musician in training and would like to participate, please let us know. We don't have a band yet and are only learning the songs and instruments.
ENTREPRENEUR MENTOR PROGRAM:
- About: Our coffee house will have an incubator program for new businesses that cannot afford standard business venues. Part of our profits will be used to help entrepreneurs. We know what it's like to have a dream with no resources to move forward.
- Documentation Blog: Not open yet
- Status: Planning
- Notes: This blog will be opened when the main blog is completed.
COMMUNITY HOMESTEAD:
- About: One of the key subjects of our newspaper has to do with homesteading and sustainable living. Our coffee house will purchase as many locally grown products as possible; as well as feature local businesses, artists, musicians, crafts and other things we can incorporate into our coffee house that will support our community.
- Documentation Blog: Not open yet
- Status: Planning, and setting up a micro homestead so we can learn. Our Little Coffee House is located on 2/3 an acre, so, beginning in Spring of 2012, we will be setting up a mini homestead, using aquaponics and square foot gardening techniques, before we bring in the greenhouse.
- Notes: This blog will be opened when the main blog is completed.
AQUAPONICS GREENHOUSE:
- About: Its a solar powered greenhouse utilizing growing towers and aquaponics techniques to grow all the greens for our coffee house salads. Extra greens and other products will be sold to greenhouse co-op members.
- Documentation Blog: Not open yet
- Status: Planning
- Notes: This blog will be opened when the planning is finished.
TOWN HALL:
- About: Town Hall is the name given to our coffee house's community projects. Wait until you see what we are hoping to bring to Anderson County! Right now, it's a secret.
- Documentation Blog: Not open yet
- Status: Idea stage (you know...notes on a napkin...)
- Notes: This blog will be opened when the planning is finished.
PHASE 1: RENOVATIONS & TRAINING
Starting in February, 2012, we will begin getting the property ready. We have to raise the money as we go. Project list includes:
- Widen driveway to allow two-way traffic.
- Add parking spaces.
- Trim trees and shrubs.
- Paint white trim on the outside.
- Clean and paint inside walls.
- Resurface wood floor.
- Set up bakery kitchen.
- Set up dining room.
- Build wheelchair ramp.
PHASE 2: PUBLISH THE NEWSPAPER & OPEN THE BAKERY
Our first edition will introduce the coffee house to the public.
This is the launch of our campaign: "Building a coffee house one cupcake at a time."
We will offer a limited menu at this time:
Muffins:
Cupcakes:
- Tropical Pineapple
- Carrot Caramel
- Tradition Carrot Cake
- Chocolate Torte
- Vanilla Whirlwind
- Red Velvet
- Blue Velvet (raising money for Anderson County emergency services)
Soups:
- Chili (available every day)
- Soup of the Day
Beverages:
- Various bottled beverages until we raise capital to fund the coffee bar
PHASE 3: OPEN THE COFFEE BAR
A full service, genuine coffee bar complete with a three-group espresso machine, locally roasted coffee beans, fruit smoothies, and all the trimmings and specialty drinks you would find in a coffee house.
PHASE 4: OPEN THE DELI
We will have our full breakfast and lunch menu when we open the deli. In addition to the bakery items we already serve, we will also open for breakfast and lunch. We'll release our menu as we get closer to adding the deli.
PHASE 5: BUILD THE NEW COFFEE HOUSE & HOMESTEAD
An energy-efficient coffee house that includes a nice dining room, an art gallery, a music/radio station studio and offices.
A double greenhouse that will house a beautiful dining area with an indoor/outdoor koi pond; growing towers and a food storehouse for locally grown organic produce and other products.
PHASE 6: ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM
Train facility, offices/work space for entrepreneurs, seed money.
