10/13/2020
.....looking back
We closed on the Wheelhouse property (completed the purchase) on or around September 6, 2019. We sold our acreage around that same time and began the process of moving. We completed the move the first part of October 2019. Our initial plan was to focus solely on getting our house built, spend time getting to know the community, work on the equipment in the restaurant (much work was needed), and then open the restaurant in a year or so. After being here a short while, it became evident based on feedback from all the folks we met that people really wanted the restaurant to open as soon as possible. So, we switched gears, put the house on hold, and diverted our energy and financial resources to the goal of opening the restaurant as soon as possible. We started the permit process in January 2020. One thing I think people might not understand is that we did not purchase a business. The Wheelhouse was closed. There was no business to purchase. This means we had to start from scratch with permits. To make a long story shorter, Covid 19 hit and the permit process slowed to a crawl. We weren't issued the necessary permits until May 2020. Again, we started the process in January. I was looking back through the documentation we produced as part of the permit process. Here is a snippet from our business plan submitted in early February:
"COMPANY OVERVIEW
Bootleggers Beanery is a restaurant serving Deshler NE and surrounding communities. Our primary mission is to provide high quality food and beverage options to our local communities. We also provide meeting and event space for various organizations like the local Lions Clubs International Chapter, Deshler Chamber of Commerce and Reinke Manufacturing.
We offer a family atmosphere. To that end, our primary business function is to operate as a restaurant that serves alcohol as opposed to a bar that serves food.
While entertainment is not our primary mission (day to day operation), we do intend to offer various forms of entertainment and/or special events. Some examples would include live music, karaoke, holiday celebrations, dances.
We anticipate operating a minimum of five (5) days per week. We intend to offer breakfast on a limited number of days. We intend on serving lunch and dinner on all operating days. We intend on offering entertainment events on a limited schedule as requested or facilitated by holidays or local events like fairs, or other city oriented or localized celebrations.
We intend for our normal operating hours to be Wednesday through Sunday. We anticipate a normal business closing time of 10 pm with extended hours during special events. We would note that operating hours and days may be adjusted based on demand."
...what a difference a couple of months meant for those plans and intentions
