Well folks, it’s crunch time over here. And I don’t mean the fun kind of crunch time involving pickles (although we are working towards that). I mean the crunch time that involves many emails back and forth and calls to the safety and permits department. The crunch time that is inducing anxiety because I may have been too proactive timing-wise in applying for my liquor license?? The crunch time that now has me taking magnesium and zinc every night before I go to sleep. We’re a little over a month out from when I would like to be able to open our doors, and if I’ve learned anything in the past few months since starting this process, a month goes by QUICKLY.

In general, things are looking good, I think. The space looks more like a restaurant every day. My friend Joelle started doing some painting in the space, which I am EXTREMELY excited about. It is so beautiful. I can’t wait for you to see. We’re still in an endless cycle of cleaning. I’ve also traveled very far up a decision tree regarding my oven situation, which I’m too far up now to be able to see the right way to climb back down. I think there’s a way I might only have to spend a handful of hundreds of more dollars to have a usable oven (big shout out to Aaron of Drift Inn Diner for coming through with the oven knowledge and research and possible solution), but, there is also still a chance I have to spring for a new oven that will cost me $4000. Stay tuned. Every day is a grand adventure of finding out what new thing will emerge that costs so much money.

Amidst the stress of trying to get so much done, there are also delightful and fun moments like getting to try many Slovenian and Goergian and Croatian wines (thank you Nick!). Folks in the neighborhood have been popping their heads in to say hello and offer help and assurance of future patronage - which has been so wonderful. I went to Houston’s with my friend Zoe and we mused about all the things that makes Houston’s and other restaurants so great over a perfect shrimp cocktail and a devastatingly delicious french dip sandwich (business meeting).

So, yeah, I almost didn’t think I had this newsletter in me but here we are, a bunch of words and one picture of shrimp later. Life is like that sometimes.

Anyhow, I can’t wait to eat so many pickles with ya’ll by the beginning of October, hopefully! The kind of crunch time I’m trying to have all the time! I’m working on getting inspections done in the next two weeks, so keep me in your thoughts and prayers and blood moon sacrifices. We’ll also be doing a little merch pre-sale to raise some additional opening booster funds in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned for that!

Ok, bye for now!

Katya