New Chapter

 

Since the last time I updated this a lot has changed.

We made the hard, but for-the-best, decision to close the restaurant. Just about four hours after we officially decided to close, I got the call that the job I wanted ( I'd been interviewing for it for weeks and weeks) was mine. I had described it to family and friends as the job of my dreams and now that I'm about eight months into it I still agree with that. It's been incredible.

Z is excelling in his new role as a full-time stay-at-home dad. This has been such a benefit to us as I am getting settled into my new position. Previously he and I were taking turns during the weekdays to be home with Little A and then he headed to the pizza shop every night and all weekend. Every weekend. Looking back at it now it really was just too much for us in every way.

And, so far, we're welcoming such exciting plot twists as--for the first time in our lives together--weekends at home (all of us! under the same roof! all weekend!), evening dinner together (all of us! at the same table! every night!) and the ability to make plans for previously unthinkable things like vacations.

There are still some unknowns as we figure out what's in store for us but we're looking forward to the next part of our story.



The lovely photo above is "Vintage Books," a print available for purchase, from butterflyfood on etsy. 
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Paint today, pizza tomorrow... Or maybe in a few weeks

The new restaurant space is getting closer to being finished. Zach and I are both really excited about being in this new building. It definitely has more of the neighborhood/mom & pop feel we've been wanting. And now that we're officially a mom & pop ourselves we thought the timing for our move was perfect. The fact we're combining a pizza shop & coffee house is a little unusual but we think the two will make an ideal couple.

We're getting ready for paint and so the hunt for the decor is on. I've put together this mood board to help set the tone as we pick out paint, furniture and other items. Our plan is to go with more neutral paint (and if you know me, you know what a hard decision this was) and then accent with more lively colors.

Hopefully it won't be too much longer until Z is in the kitchen baking up some fresh pies...click on the image above for a larger version

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Our newest new addition

If you're like me and occasionally catch something on TV, or maybe saw on a blog you're stalking, about some person who has prepared for months (Maybe years? I have no idea about these sorts of things), sacrificing food cravings, committing to daily, hours-long, grueling athletic training, turning their body into a perfect machine in order to complete an exhausting triathlon, mountain climb or some other extraordinary physical feat, and you thought to yourself "Why would anyone want to make their life SO HARD?"

I'm afraid that Z & I are those kind of people (only with fewer rippling muscles, a lot less discipline and higher junk food intake. Um, much higher junk food intake.).

Right smack in the middle of our house remodel, an international vacation (thanks, SkyMiles & Maegan's Bed & Breakfast) and oh, a little thing called PREPARING TO BIRTH, HOUSE AND CARE FOR A BABY, we decided it was a great idea to buy a building that we will remodel and then into which we will move our restaurant.

This is exactly the kind of decision that is typical of us. We always do things the hard way, I'm not sure why. The first year we were married we lived in a charming little apartment (it was smack in the middle of an industrial area, but I thought it was still charming). I was working at my first real job out of college and Zach was working three jobs (we're still not sure why he did this, there really wasn't a reason for such madness): UPS, Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Rock Creek Pizza.

When his friend decided to sell Rock Creek, we bought the equipment and put it in storage for a couple years until we could find a location and get funding for Z's restaurant.

In the meantime, we bought not just one dilapidated old, run-down house (which caused my grandmother to cry out of sadness--real tears!--when she set her beautiful brown eyes upon it), we bought TWO dilapidated, old, run-down houses. The reason we were able to buy two of these beauties is because they were so old and neglected that they, together, cost less than one normal house.

We decided to renovate them and become landlords while living in one and renting out the other. So we lived without a fridge for a few months, with cut-up plastic garbage bags--and the free ones that the city provides for leaf collection, no less!--on our windows in place of curtains and without a real front door for longer than I care to admit. But we were happy in our (once-) sad little house.

This craziness we're now throwing ourselves into should help the restaurant gain the more neighborhood-focused feel we've been looking for. But it's also kind of insane. We're going to do some remodeling on the building that currently houses Highland Perk Coffee. And, we're keeping Highland Perk running through the construction (or at least during most of it).

Which means Zach is currently running two businesses. Which is a lot of work.

Which means he's home less than usual. Which is a lot of work. For me.

But, once summer rolls around and we have our new pizzeria/coffee house and we're sitting on the little patio, taking in the geraniums (don't you think this place is just begging for some geraniums?) and chatting with the wonderful neighborhood customers, I think it should be worth it.

At least I hope so.

Since we're joining the two businesses, Z Pizzeria and Highland Perk, we need a new name. Ideally, we want to keep the name "Z Pizzeria & [SOMETHING HERE] but are unsure of the 'something here' part.

Any suggestions?


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