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Assuming our ploy worked, I should have a line before the doors opened on Saturday. A shot of anticipation burned in my gut. What would Ben think when he found out? Would he see it as a cheap gimmick or the move of a savvy businesswoman? I never wanted to lose his respect by fighting dirty.
I texted Abby to see if she was available, and she responded immediately. “Abby’s working the grand opening.”
“She won’t have any time to stop by here first?” Hailey asked.
“She said the grand opening is at nine.”
“We could offer free coffee starting at eight-thirty. Early enough that they can’t just run from your place to his, and you can get a picture before his event starts,” Hailey said thoughtfully.
Something about it didn’t feel quite right.
Hailey’s eyes narrowed on me. “You aren’t growing a conscience all of a sudden, are you? You need to protect your business.”
“It’s not that.” It was exactly that. I felt guilty, like I was sabotaging his grand opening. Shouldn’t I be supporting him, not looking for ways to undermine his success?
“You said yourself Abby will be there taking pictures, and Gia’s handling the party. There’s zero chance they won’t submit it to the paper, hoping they’ll publish the story on Sunday.”
Opening a new store was big news.
Hailey leaned forward in her chair. “The paper might want a comment from you. Won’t it be great to give it to them? Show the picture of your line and say you have nothing to be worried about. People are loyal to you.”
I could picture it. The image of the grand opening sign matched by one with my customers lined out the door for free drinks. It was a little gimmicky, but it was stronger than my vision of an empty store come Saturday. “I like it.”
My body was humming with excitement and the thrill of competition. Ben was back, and so was I. I’d been complacent the last few years, most likely because I didn’t have any real competition.
The opening of Bean Rush was good for me. It prompted me to assess my current business model and explore other possibilities.
And if I was being honest with myself, being around Ben had always been good for me. He pushed me to work harder, to be a better version of myself. Our current situation was no different.
“I’m happy that’s settled. I got a few quotes for contractors to convert this to a wine market slash coffee shop.” Hailey pulled out papers from a folder lining them up in front of me. “Morrison Brothers Construction was the middle-of-the-road quote. They have a great reputation. I’d call them in and talk about it more.
I owed it to myself to at least consider the option. “Isn’t Morrison Brothers Construction the one that handled Bean Rush’s renovation?”
“I think Cade said something about that.”
I remembered hearing somewhere that Morrison Brothers Construction was run by two brothers. Cade must have been one of the owners. “Schedule an appointment.”
I couldn’t do nothing. I had to consider every angle. The familiar thrum of a challenge burned through me, energizing me.
I posted the advertisement on social media and put flyers around town,Free Coffee, this Saturday.I avoided Bean Rush, positive that Ben wouldn’t appreciate the flyer showing up on his bulletin board. Though, it would’ve been satisfying to pin one there without him knowing.
There were a few customers who’d seen it and asked if I was worried about the competition. I smiled confidently and said no. The energy I brought to the situation was telling. If I acted like it was no big deal, then my customers would feel the same.
I woke up early on Saturday morning, energized to start the day. As soon as I rounded the street for Java Coffee, there was a line. Feeling pleased, I picked up my pace, calling out greetings to the familiar faces. I’d made the right decision to call in every employee, even the ones who usually only worked part time, holidays, and summers.
I’d carefully avoided Ben. Abby hadn’t needed me to take Hunter to baseball practice all week. If I saw him, I might feel bad and back out, and there was no room for that energy.
I wasn’t supporting Ben. I was actively challenging him. It was like old times, except things had changed in some discernible way. He’d shown me a different side, one I sympathized with. I tried to tell myself he was just a dad on my nephew’s baseball team as I pushed him and his daughter out of my head so I could do what I needed to do for my business. I needed to show up and give it my best effort. Whether that was selling coffee or something else.
As soon as I opened the doors at eight-thirty, I smiled wide, welcoming back old customers and carefully brushing off any comments about free coffee coming on the same day as Ben’s grand opening. I told them I just wanted to thank my loyal customers.
It was the truth. We wanted to thank them and remind them why they came to Java Coffee for their caffeine addiction each morning. It was the ambiance and my smiling face.
It barely registered when Abby showed up to take photographs and then murmured she had to get to Bean Rush before they opened. I tried not to think about how Ben was doing.
I just smiled at one customer after another, asking about their day and their families. It was the same as any other Saturday, except the stakes were much higher.
At the back of my mind, worry set in. What if a large swath of customers defected to Bean Rush? What if Ben’s place offered them more of what they wanted? I could switch things up, but I had no idea if I could afford to renovate the space and rebrand my business. It was a huge risk.
