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It is a madhouse, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Our small town doesn’tneedtourism to survive, but it helps the residents and small businesses thrive. Aside from the tourists, residents from sister towns visit often. Enough that we consider them fellow townies and vice versa. We may not need them, but it is nice to see them. The uptick in business doesn’t hurt either. Every drink and food item sold gets me one step closer to the remodel.
“Welcome to Java and Teas Me,” I say as an unfamiliar woman enters.
Like most patrons who’ve yet to step into the café, she hangs back to study the menu. A menu with enough options to make someone dizzy.
Over the years, I questioned if minimizing the menu was smart. Staring at the board, I see how easy it is to get overwhelmed. But every time I give the idea merit, every time I sit down with the printed menu and a pen, ready to cross items off, the pen never touches the paper.
There isn’t one thing listed I don’t sell.
Most regulars order the same thing every visit. On occasion, they like to throw me for a loop. Order tea instead of coffee. Biscuits and gravy instead of a bagel. It keeps me on my toes but also keeps me from making changes.
As with most stores and restaurants, weekends are busier. Today is no exception. The current lull after the early risers is a mini breather until the real crowd enters. Which is why I stand front and center alongside Mandi to take orders.
The woman steps up to the counter, still a bit hesitant. She blinks a few times before meeting my gaze.
“What can I get started for you today?”
“Uh…” She nibbles on her upper lip. “An iced Heavy Hitter and the Sunny Day on a blueberry bagel.”
I enter her order. “Regular ice or coffee cubes?”
“Coffee, please.”
Once she pays for the order, I hand her a numbered table tent and tell her it will be out shortly. Mandi and I ring in a few more orders before the line ends.
“I should go tidy the tables,” I tell Mandi. “You good here while I straighten up?”
Mandi nods and tosses me a thumbs-up. “All good.”
By no means is Mandi new to the job. But manning the counter can go from dull to unbearable in minutes. Crunching numbers and signing checks aren’t my only jobs as the owner. It’s also my responsibility to make sure everyone is happy and as stress-free as possible. The café runs smoothly because we are a team, a family, and I aim to keep it that way.
I grab a cleaning towel and dunk it in the sanitizer tub, then wring out the excess. Weaving between tables, I toss out any debris left behind, wipe down tabletops, and straighten askew chairs. The tables with patrons, I approach with a smile, asking if there is anything I can get them and how their food and/or beverage tastes.
Owning a restaurant is no simple feat. It isn’t just taking orders and fulfilling them. Although Java and Teas Me is only open from six in the morning to two in the afternoon—three on weekends and during the season—I spend twelve-plus hours a day here. The hours come with the job.
During the first year, I clocked more than a hundred hours each week with no days off. Back then, it was me, August in the kitchen, and Mandi out front. I worked wherever I was needed. Whenever they had time, Mags and Lena pitched in. I saved every penny possible until profits allowed me to bring on more staff. It took a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and time, but Java and Teas Me became a staple in the community.
In a small town, where a healthy chunk of your income comes from regular patrons, becoming a prominent, vital business is quintessential. Not a day goes by when I don’t thank the business gods.
Java and Teas Me had been a dream for years before I got it off the ground.
When we were kids, Mom and Dad took me and Anderson—my baby brother—on annual vacations. Each quirky coffee shop and unique restaurant we set foot in, I fell in love more with the idea of having my own place one day.
Each place had its own personality, unlike the chains. Fun themes or art on the walls. Eccentric names for the menu items or crazy upbeat employees. Bopworthy music or tableside entertainment such as checkers and wooden pegboard games. I took bits and pieces from each one and made my own version for Java and Teas Me.
Anyone who enters the town of Lake Lavender knows or learns of Java and Teas Me. And I am damn proud of that fact.
First off, the name of the café grabs everyone’s attention. How could it not? Past patrons always recommend it as a must-see location in town. And that form of advertising tops any paid marketing I have done.
The exterior is far from flashy. It matches the same brick and wood exterior as most of the storefronts along Main Street. The town is adamant about maintaining the small-town vibe. Merchants may tweak the exterior of their shops, but the end result must stay within town guidelines. All exterior changes must get preapproved by the town council, which I am a proud member of.
But the interior… I have free rein.
Vibrant and eye-catching artwork fill the cream-painted walls. Oils and watercolor; pastels and charcoals; canvas coated with colorful patches of newspaper, intricately placed to form portraits. Enough art clings to the walls to hide most of the paint. Each piece created by a local artist and available for purchase.
Hardwood flooring spans the entire space; the rich mocha a nice accent to the lighter and brighter colors.
