Happy New Year to All! The journey continues..... Thanks for supporting the Cafe....
My journey and experiences....
Posts
* A God that loves me no matter what! *My Wife, Ella Mae for being my cheerleader & for loving me no matter what! *Lindsay, my Daughter for she is my shinning light & for whom I love, no matter what! * CJ, Daniele, Aden & Addison, my Grand Children, for helping keep life bright & fresh & for whom I love, no matter what! *Jeff, my (soon to be) Son-In-Law, for being good father & provider for whom I love no matter what! *Family & Friends, who have not forgotten that love & forgiveness is all we need! * My Church & Faith, for which help keep me grounded & accountable! *The Cafe, & its hard work & trials to keep me humble & not all 'puffed up'! *Customers who have become friends! *Having had 'folks' in my life who are now gone, but will always be remembered & loved for their positive affect on me & ultimately 'my journey'! Thank you Lord, for all these blessings & for all tho
So tomorrow is moving day! No not the Cafe (although some wish I would, to a more visible location. We are moving to a home to rent back in Cicero. It's a small ranch & will give us some privacy & more importantly get us closer to our Daughter & Grand Kids. The stress from the upcoming move & this down turn in business has taken its toll on me & Ella Mae. She has endured much in our 44 years together (43 as my wife). We have had & are still on a 'journey'. Now that we are almost to Medicare age I guess the wisdom kicks in & I for one begin to question some of my decisions through out our life. It was with EM, Lindsay, Jeff & our Grandchildren in mind that I took on the running of this Cafe. There are no 401's or company retirement plans for us, so I envisioned this Cafe picking up the slack from Social Security. EM has worked all her life & up until last Spring, two jobs @ once. There is not a more loyal, hard worki
Well the ups & downs of operating this Cafe continue. We had a couple of very good weeks and than a couple of not so good. You would think I would be able to deal with that yo yo affect after 2 years, but unfortunately I'm not quite there yet. I still continue the journey though & do not give up easily. Maybe I am stubborn, proud, won't be defeated, or just simply love what I do & will persevere until I can't physically & must call it a day. However, if God can keep me upright I won't stop until He gives me the word to. It's almost Halloween & 'folks' can't find enough ways to spend money. Now I am all for the 'kids' having fun, but as with everything we seem to do now a days, it has become another commercial economic engine & this one now takes us directly into Christmas. Oh, Thanksgiving is just a 'pit stop' or 'bump' in the road for which 'folks' who are in the retail trade c
Wow....The end of September & the weather is amazing. Goes to show us that predicting weather or any other of life's outcomes is better left alone. Only God has the whole plan in place from the start to the finish & He orchestrates it all & in His time. Kind of an odd way to begin a blog about this Cafe & my journey, but I needed to be reminded that God is in control, Period! I can boast all I want about how the Cafe this or the Cafe that & me this & me that but it is God who deserves the glory & praise, Always! Do I fall, fail & forget all the blessings? You bet, but at least I know He loves me/us unconditionally in spite of that. Thank you, Jesus for the gift of Grace..... As always thank you for your prayers & support for me & this Cafe...
110 Lunch Boxes delivered this past weekend to the base! Many thanks to the HHC 27th Combat Brigade. Many of these men & women have also become 'regulars' for lunch & breakfast here @ the Cafe and we are so grateful. The crisp fall weather is here & some new soups & comfort food specials will be in the offering soon to take that chill out. I am still hoping for a permanent Cafe sign to be placed in the front of the building to help announce our presence. Being inside does make it difficult for us to be noticed but we are not giving up the fight. As always thanks for all your support & prayers....
I changed up the tag line from the show 'The Pawn Stars' to fit the Cafe. We really don't know when someone is going to stop in, when, & what they will order! It can make for some interesting times in this business. You have to always be prepared for anything & have everything prepped up to boot! It kind of reminds me of my Army days when our line was "Hurry Up & Wait! Thanks to all who have come through our doors. We are so grateful for your choosing to do business with us. I hope we have served you well. My promise is to always be ready & eager to prepare a good meal @ a reasonable cost for you & yours. As always thanks for the prayers & for supporting this small business....
Well it's almost time for the 'Fair'. This is the 12 days that brings fear to all of us other businesses that are not @ the Fair. It can be a very slow time for food sales, etc. Than the hammer falls again because shopping for school cloths & supplies also begins in earnest! We have to be realistic as money can only go so far when it's being pulled in so many directions. Hopefully though we will hold our own & actually gain a little from last year. We do have a catered event coming up in mid September for the Army. Lunch bags for 50 on Saturday & a hot lunch for 50 on Sunday. Very thankful for the opportunity to serve those who serve. On October 5 we are catering a bagged lunch for between 80 - 100 for a Mennonite conference. As always thanks for allowing me to share & for all your prayers & support.....
We now have Pepsi fountain soft drinks available! This seems to be a more convienient way to dispense these drinks & it saves me from making trips bringing in soda each week. It is also an added bonus for our customers as is we will now offer one free refill for those dinning in on our 16 oz. size. We still offer many of our items to become a 'meal deal' & now it's with our new larger drink & french fries all for only an additional $1.99! I am really beginning to see an upswing in sales & a lot of new 'faces'. We also will be offering an insentive to new 'folks' by giving them a coupon good for a free beverage or 2 chocolate chip cookies after only a $5.00 purchase. If we can hold our own during August & September (always some tough sales months in this business), this could become our breakout year! Of course only time will tell & if we keep providing good food @ good prices with great service, it will happen.
Great week @ the Cafe. Sales were steady & a lot of new 'faces'. Friday was the best day & not just for how busy we were, but because of some of the 'folks' that stopped in. Bill & Rosemarie, Dick & Sandy, Cousin Anthony, Susan & Aunt Mary...Also Pastor Ken & Michele (who are Friday regulars) also Ronna, Sydney & a guest. Also so many good 'folks' thank you all.... We also catered a rehearsal dinner & the menu consisted of Ziti, meatballs, pulled pork, macaroni salad, potato salad, a fruit tray & a veggie tray. So as I began, I will end. We had a great week @ the Cafe & a super fun Friday for which I am so thankful. Thanks for all your support & prayers for our success. Thank you God for sustaining us all & He alone deserves our praise..... Please sing with me "How great is our God'. Check out this amazing video & you will be singing along for sure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zW
Our first week back@ the Cafe from our staycation and it was great! Everyone liked the new make over, menu & website. It was good to see lots of the regulars & even some new 'folks'. Our new tag line "You gotta come see Cosmo" was inspired by my neighbor, Mike and I must say, I like it. After all, I live & breathe this place & it will rise or fall by what I do. I am very proud to be beginning our third year of business & of course humbled by the support of all those who have helped us get to this point. I am very confident that this year will be our 'breakout' one! I am a believer that hard work & dedication will eventually reward you. I will never become wealthy from running this Cafe, but I never expected that. I only wanted to supplement our meager SS retirement payments & at the same time stay productive doing something I love. The love part is no problem & the other part is on going and still my goal.
Today (Wednesday) makes the 5th day of our staycation. EM & I have gone to see a musical, 'The Buddy Holly Story', the movie 'Heat', hit a few local restaurants & have hit the pool for some relaxation. In between we have made it over to the Cafe to set it back up after the new paint dried. Tomorrow it's another movie, a little cooking out & some more pool time if the weather cooperates. Good time to wish everyone a Happy 4th! I am looking forward to the next few days & to next Monday's re-opening of the Cafe. We have new updated website http://cosmoscafe2011.com Also a new redesigned menu...We hope to see all our 'regulars' & meet & make some new ones. As always thanks for allowing me to share & for all your prayers & support.
Well day 1 of the stay/cation & I'm exhausted all ready! lol. We went to 'The Wind Mill Market' in Penn Yan & it was a nice scenic drive & a great place to eat & shop. Paul, who is painting the Cafe, just called & said he would be finished by 7 pm tonight, so we are excited to see the new makeover. I now must introduce you to our next door neighbor here @ our apartment. Michael (as in the arch angel)! He has become a cherished friend to Ella Mae & I & all only in these short few weeks. You know it is right when the bond is so complete that quickly. He has taken an immediate interest in the Cafe & has designed a new website, which I hope to launch next week. His smile is contagious & he has a absolute want of helping people. He is a Mid-Westerner, from a town near Fargo, North Dakota & with that 'draw' to match. lol. Before my pre saved days, I used to think everything was by chance or possible only from my
Well, it is Thursday & only 1 more day until our staycation!. Folks here @ the Cafe have been choosing between the 3 paint colors & like I say," majority rules", "unless I don't like their choice".lol. Ella Mae & I are going to do some day trips & just, 'chill'. We actually can, if it's hot, because our new apartment complex has an awesome pool. I think the "Buddy Holly' musical in Cortland is a must do, the Windmill Market in Penn Yan, of course a movie in the afternoon & some dinning @ some local spots. Then on the weekend before we open back up we will set the Cafe up & maybe put up some new wall pics & then prep for Monday. The last week in July will begin our third year! I need to thank all our customers, friends & family for your support & prayers for our success. Also all those who have worked for me & with me these past 2 years. While some will say I am glad to be rid of
Vacation is coming up @ the Cafe....Monday July 1 to Sunday July 7 & we re-open Monday the 8th. Going to give the dining room a new paint job & re-decorate a little. This will be the start of our 3rd year! Sales are not where I had hoped they would be & our location inside this building is not helping because we are unseen by those who travel Molloy Rd. Trying to get some signage up, but not sure how to get through the Town of Dewitt zoning regulations just yet. Please don't think that this is all being negative. I do not quit easily & am just sharing my thoughts & yes sometimes frustrations of trying to run a small business in this land of 'Giants'! We are 'still standing' backache & all (lol) so I am extremely grateful to all who have become our customers & friends, & with a wife like Ella Mae who 'hangs' in with me how can I/we fail..... We now offer a Panini Pizza & Panini Sandwich Specials. Soup 'Cosmo M
This has been a sad week for EM & I as we have been told that our dear friend Bill has been stricken with cancer. Words will not describe the pain we feel for both Bill his wife Rosemarie. We were neighbors back in Baldwinsville a few years ago, but we have all continued a flourishing friendship. We love these 'guys' & are praying for complete healing according to God's will. Philippians 4:6-7...Vs 6 :Be careful for nothing; but in every thing and prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Vs 7 "And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus"Amen.... For all those who follow this blog & would like to pray for Bill, thank you. Thanks for allowing me to share & for all the support & prayers......
May @ the Cafe & the weather is beautiful. I even heard a rumor that the air conditioner would be up & running tomorrow! The 'heat is on' & not just from mother nature but from our new deep fryer! the old one was 'fried', literally....lol. So I ordered one online from a place that had an electric one but as luck would have it I needed a 240v not a 208v. So had to send that back & order another one, which after some fun phone calls to Fedex, I was able to pick it up in Liverpool yesterday afternoon. It is up & running & we can now fry away. This may not seem like a big deal to most but believe me after almost a $1000. outlay & some stressful dealings, this is major for me. if you have been following any of my posts you would know that business has been off some & that makes for a rough go when something like this happens. I know one thing you will love our fries & chicken tenders again! But I am smiling wide again so we just