Things are Rolling

Things were inching along and then, BOOM, they just started to roll!  The pace of things is hard to get used to but exciting nonetheless. Here are some great updates. 

• Food Plan Approved by Environmental Health Dept at the City of Mpls – This means our kitchen meets food safety standards.

• MPRB Plans Open House on Outdoor Seating -  Please Come! See details below.

• Permit Applications Submitted to City of Mpls – This will give us approval to begin construction.

We are hoping to start construction the first full week of March. This is close to on schedule for us so we are still hoping for our open date to hit the end of May.

The MPRB has been really excellent about coordinating and communicating with us. They have begun their process for the outdoor seating. But this is a long process. I have heard that we can expect our outdoor seating to be completed anywhere from 4^th of July to early August. We are working closely together to ensure temporary seating for the time between when we open and the seating is done.

One implication of this is that we will open without beer and wine. We cannot receive a license until the seating is complete. In Minneapolis, one of the beer/wine license requirements is tied to a minimum number of seating. We will begin the application process so that we can be ready when construction is completed.

All public support for the project will help it stay on track. You are welcome to attend the Open House where Locus Architecture (who works with both Sandcastle and the MPRB), a couple of us Sandcastle owners, MPRB staff and Commissioners, and the Community Advisory Committee members, will be available to share information about the outdoor seating design, plans and timeline. Your thoughts on the outdoor seating area are welcome also.

Sandcastle Open House

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2013

Time: 7-8pm

Location: Nokomis Community Center, 2401 East Minnehaha Pkwy

Why the restaurant business?

That’s what I was thinking when the Piccolo Sunday/Monday dishwasher changed jobs but didn’t tell anyone. The expense of a temp was high so my husband asked if I wanted to help. Considering I’d already quit my job, I thought, why not? I can put off re-learning knitting another night.

My previous job was in study abroad. For over ten years I worked in various ways helping college students earn credits toward their degree in other countries. The job I just left had me traveling around the Midwest working with partner universities. Over four years of being gone three weeks every month made me miss my husband, miss Minneapolis, and miss all that happens here. So now I will be on the other end of the extreme, staying in a few mile radius of my house working at the lake almost every day. 

Washing dishes turned out to be pretty fun. There is a certain zen to be found once you get your system in place and attack the dishes. It was pretty slow and everyone working that night was very helpful. It didn’t hurt that I knew it was a one night gig. And of course, I snacked all night on brownies that were on the dessert menu. It was manageable!

Dishwashing was easy enough, the real challenge was that my husband kept repeating how great this experience was for the work I will be doing at Sandcastle. It wasn’t my dream to leave higher education to become a dishwasher. He can’t really think that this is ‘training’ for me?

The Small Business
What the husband knew, after many years of owning his own businesses, is that you get to do everything as the owner. He didn’t imagine that my role would be the dishwasher, but he did imagine that the same scenario that had him calling on me to wash dishes, would happen to me at some point at Sandcastle.

In fact, that is one of the reasons I wanted to switch careers and open a business, you get to do a little bit of everything. Here are other great aspects that have me excited. 

• Small businesses are good ways to become part of a community by supporting neighbors and local initiatives. 

• You can create your own little community within your business. 

• I get to be the boss and implement any crazy idea I have (I swear some of them will work, if not I can blame one of the other two owners!).

Doug and Chele have lived and breathed restaurants most of their lives. They couldn’t live any other way. I have lived restaurants on the periphery for 12 years of marriage and am excited for all its challenges. Honestly, I’m even looking forward to being on my feet more. I hope to say the same after the first season at Sandcastle.

This particular endeavor with Sandcastle in the Minneapolis park system was appealing for even more reasons. I am overwhelmed at the thought that I get to be a part of people’s lives from planning a concession building that might last longer than me, to the possibility of becoming a memory for someone growing up, falling in love, or simply spending a night of their lives at Lake Nokomis.