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.