Sometimes saying, "It's not personal, it's business.", is the biggest pile of crap you can say. When you're married or it's family related, it's personal, no matter what. Today, my husband caught me completely off guard. I can sympathize with his point of view, but I'm not sure I can swallow it.
My new cafe is just barely in its eigth week. We've had many ups and downs during this time and naturally, our fair share of stupid mistakes. I'm directly responsible for a handful of them, but indirectly responsible for all of them, considering it's my business. There are a number of issues I've addressed numerous times that my staff, particularly the cook, continuously forget, which causes the kind of mistakes later on down the road that makes me look like an incompetent fool.
It's frustrating, to say the least, and incredibly embarassing and humiliating to mess up or potentially ruin a customer's experience. As much as I 'know' about customer service or how things are supposed to operate in the restaurant, the fact is that people's reactions are completely unpredictable. Things you expect to be a problem, aren't, and things that wouldn't even register as a blip on my radar become explosive disasters.
Everything started off well today, but as usual, there's always that one table where if one thing can go wrong, then why not everything? Long story short, at the end of the day, my husband delivered one of the most devastating blows to my ego I've experienced in years.
He told me that going forward, he would not continue to recommend to his friends to visit my cafe because it was making him look bad and lose credibility. He's used to being able to offer advice, suggestions, and tips and having people hold him at his word. Therefore, in order to salvage that reputation, he could not continue inviting his friends to the cafe (the catering operation is ok, though) because he was concerned that they wouldn't have a good experience.
He was prepared for my wrath, but I wasn't angry. It was heart breaking. How do you respond to that? Sure we've made mistakes, but geez, really?! You're willing to deny me the opportunity to put a plate on a table in order to put a plate on our table? My goal is to serve every customer that walks through my door or places an order in excellence, but the growing pains were impossible to learn from a text book at culinary school. It's a harsh realization, but no matter how you phrase it, it is personal. It's very personal.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Humble Pie
Although it feels like my husband is attacking my character, in reality, the pain I'm feeling are the stabs my ego has taken over the past week. Nothing is as humbling than being angered because I've been wronged only to find that I'm guilty of the same offense, regardless of the ways I've found to justify my actions.
On March 11th, my husband left my car to be washed at the market at my request. At the end of the day when we went to pick up the car, it turned out that one of the kids working at the car wash had lost my key. It upset me, but the car wash owner, Bob, assured me that he would replace it. So I promptly sent him an estimate from Mitsubishi to replace the key with its remote, which amounted to $285.
Needless to say, Bob's eyes bulged out of their sockets when he saw it, but he said he'd take care of it. Seven weeks later, not only have we been given the run around, but we had it out. Bob even had the audacity to blame my husband for this incident reasoning that CP should not have given the key to the kid who came to pick it up in the first place. Mind blowing, huh? In conclusion, Bob said that if I want my key, we'll have to sue him. Meanwhile, the market's management has proven to be useless in assisting us with this matter. Given that there have been many other complaints besides this incident, there's no doubt this matter could be easily resolved by giving Bob an ultimatum: pay for the loss or damages or leave the market. End of story. Perhaps my methods are a bit dictatorial, but the fact is that someone needs to be an authority and the market's management has the most leverage.
Anyway, frustration, disgust, and disappointment set aside, this morning my husband pointed out that I'm no better than Bob when it comes to evading my debt collectors. Just as I finished complaining that Bob should be in integrity and honor his agreement by replacing the key he said he would pay for, my husband said that Sallie Mae provided me with a student loan that I have yet to pay for, despite the fact that I agreed to pay it back. I retorted that I have never not honored a personal loan or agreement with anyone and with the exception of my student loan, I have paid all my debts and past collections (Hey, we've all been through tough times). Although this is true, I'm still not feeling any better.
The fact is that I'm a hypocrite. My intentions have always been to pay back my student loan, it's just that it's such an intimidating amount that I don't even know how to begin making a dent in it. Each time I think about it, all I envision is Mt. Everest, throw my hands up in the air, and send the phone calls to voice mail. So now I'm questioning myself. Do I get to be upset that Bob is giving me the run around on a pending debt when I'm doing the same thing to Sallie Mae?
I feel ashamed and disappointed with myself even though I know that I'm right in the eyes of the law in the matter concerning my keys. We still intend to proceed with a small claims suit, but I suppose that I shouldn't be upset when Sallie Mae files one against me.
On March 11th, my husband left my car to be washed at the market at my request. At the end of the day when we went to pick up the car, it turned out that one of the kids working at the car wash had lost my key. It upset me, but the car wash owner, Bob, assured me that he would replace it. So I promptly sent him an estimate from Mitsubishi to replace the key with its remote, which amounted to $285.
Needless to say, Bob's eyes bulged out of their sockets when he saw it, but he said he'd take care of it. Seven weeks later, not only have we been given the run around, but we had it out. Bob even had the audacity to blame my husband for this incident reasoning that CP should not have given the key to the kid who came to pick it up in the first place. Mind blowing, huh? In conclusion, Bob said that if I want my key, we'll have to sue him. Meanwhile, the market's management has proven to be useless in assisting us with this matter. Given that there have been many other complaints besides this incident, there's no doubt this matter could be easily resolved by giving Bob an ultimatum: pay for the loss or damages or leave the market. End of story. Perhaps my methods are a bit dictatorial, but the fact is that someone needs to be an authority and the market's management has the most leverage.
Anyway, frustration, disgust, and disappointment set aside, this morning my husband pointed out that I'm no better than Bob when it comes to evading my debt collectors. Just as I finished complaining that Bob should be in integrity and honor his agreement by replacing the key he said he would pay for, my husband said that Sallie Mae provided me with a student loan that I have yet to pay for, despite the fact that I agreed to pay it back. I retorted that I have never not honored a personal loan or agreement with anyone and with the exception of my student loan, I have paid all my debts and past collections (Hey, we've all been through tough times). Although this is true, I'm still not feeling any better.
The fact is that I'm a hypocrite. My intentions have always been to pay back my student loan, it's just that it's such an intimidating amount that I don't even know how to begin making a dent in it. Each time I think about it, all I envision is Mt. Everest, throw my hands up in the air, and send the phone calls to voice mail. So now I'm questioning myself. Do I get to be upset that Bob is giving me the run around on a pending debt when I'm doing the same thing to Sallie Mae?
I feel ashamed and disappointed with myself even though I know that I'm right in the eyes of the law in the matter concerning my keys. We still intend to proceed with a small claims suit, but I suppose that I shouldn't be upset when Sallie Mae files one against me.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
The Eighth Commandment
When you live in South Florida, you begin to accept certain things as normal. Some normal occurrences include rude people, lousy drivers, annual French Canadian invasions, and cheaters. Lots and lots of cheaters... and senior citizens are often the worst offenders.
Given that most of them were probably present when God presented Moses with the ten commandments, one would think they'd remember the eighth commandment: Thou shall not steal. As a business owner, it's difficult to express how much it upsets me when I see people trying to be slick and cheat businesses out of their opportunity to charge for their products and services.
Tonight I was at a local buffet restaurant where they offer different colored cups depending on whether you paid for a beverage or asked for tap water. The water glasses are blue and the beverage glasses are clear. Pretty simple, right? Apparently not. Sure enough, I saw several seniors, as well as one younger patron, with blue cups filled with sodas. There were a couple instances when the busser took a few double takes, but he didn't say anything.
Quite frankly, had I been the manager, I would have walked up to the table, presented a check for the price of the drink, and waited to be paid for it. Where do people get off thinking that it's OK to steal? It's even worse when the thieves are disguised as fragile little old people. You may be old, but we know you're not stupid. There's a saying in Spanish that states, "Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo". In English, that means that the devil knows more because he's old than because he's the devil. At this point in their lives, these folks know better than to scam their way out of paying $1.50 for a soda, especially when they can afford it.
This incident is an example of how disrespectful people have become in this society. So many people think they're entitled to freebies, special treatment, or services simply because they woke up that morning. The fact is that someone had to work in order to obtain that thing that someone else feels they're entitled to steal. If enough people cheat a restaurant out of a $1.50 beverage, eventually those losses could result in someone losing their job. It may not seem like much, but it adds up.
So for those who think they're slick, just remember the eighth commandment. If you're old and trying to be slick, just remember that you're that much closer to meeting the author, so you better be extra good... or else. BWAhahahahahaaaa....
Given that most of them were probably present when God presented Moses with the ten commandments, one would think they'd remember the eighth commandment: Thou shall not steal. As a business owner, it's difficult to express how much it upsets me when I see people trying to be slick and cheat businesses out of their opportunity to charge for their products and services.
Tonight I was at a local buffet restaurant where they offer different colored cups depending on whether you paid for a beverage or asked for tap water. The water glasses are blue and the beverage glasses are clear. Pretty simple, right? Apparently not. Sure enough, I saw several seniors, as well as one younger patron, with blue cups filled with sodas. There were a couple instances when the busser took a few double takes, but he didn't say anything.
Quite frankly, had I been the manager, I would have walked up to the table, presented a check for the price of the drink, and waited to be paid for it. Where do people get off thinking that it's OK to steal? It's even worse when the thieves are disguised as fragile little old people. You may be old, but we know you're not stupid. There's a saying in Spanish that states, "Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo". In English, that means that the devil knows more because he's old than because he's the devil. At this point in their lives, these folks know better than to scam their way out of paying $1.50 for a soda, especially when they can afford it.
This incident is an example of how disrespectful people have become in this society. So many people think they're entitled to freebies, special treatment, or services simply because they woke up that morning. The fact is that someone had to work in order to obtain that thing that someone else feels they're entitled to steal. If enough people cheat a restaurant out of a $1.50 beverage, eventually those losses could result in someone losing their job. It may not seem like much, but it adds up.
So for those who think they're slick, just remember the eighth commandment. If you're old and trying to be slick, just remember that you're that much closer to meeting the author, so you better be extra good... or else. BWAhahahahahaaaa....
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Mediocrity and Stupidity... BFF's?
"Only the mediocre are always at their best." --Jean Giraudoux, French writer and diplomat
Well, isn't that the truth? If there's one thing that's consistent it's that mediocre people always complain about what anyone with more perceived success is doing, saying, dreaming, and planning. Their laziness, whether physical or intellectual, hinders their ability to do anything even when it benefits them. They resent progress and improvement especially when it disproves their theory that whatever was done simply couldn't be done.
I am not by any means the most ambitious, diligent, driven, or disciplined person out there. On the contrary, I battle with my own laziness more often than I'd like to admit, but at least I know when I'm feeling and behaving like a bum. There's no one to blame for my failures and I can only hold myself accountable for them. With that being said, at least I have goals that I've set out to accomplish and have thought about how to make them happen. Even more importantly, I've put some of those plans into action. Taking action is key. You can dream all you want about what you'd do if you win the lotto, but if you never buy a ticket, you shouldn't be bewildered when you never win.
Mediocrity is like a highly infectious plague that spreads quickly and kills your desire to excel at anything. It creates contempt for success breeding stupidity and resentment towards those who have attempted to rise above their own mediocrity to do something meaningful and purposeful with their lives. Some people have mediocrity so deeply ingrained in their psyche that even when great opportunities to rise above their current station in life are presented to them, they find excuses to put it down or unconsciously find ways to destroy it to accomodate their own mediocrity and prove that they were in fact right about it to begin with.... and of course, it's never their own fault that they failed miserably.
The fact is that our society encourages mediocrity. If this wasn't true, then it wouldn't be tolerated and celebrated the way it is today. The best part is that the movers and shakers who make things happen are labeled as over-achievers, unreasonable, and unfair because they have expectations that simply don't jive well with the mediocre desire to sit around at home smoking weed and drinking beer while playing Call of Duty all day.
Here's the bottom line: if you're not willing to get your ass off the couch and make an effort to make good things happen in your life, then nothing will happen. I have learned an incredibly valuable lesson from observing mediocre people close to my life and understand now that attempting to reach out to assist someone with a garbage mentality will do nothing more than frustrate me and waste my valuable time. I will never offer business opportunities again to people who can't appreciate the work and sacrifices required to build a reputation and a brand and I will refrain from offering advice to people who are too lazy to even use common sense. Mediocre people deserve to be where they are in life and will never see any improvements until they choose to change their attitude, which is something they'll have to do all by themselves.
Well, isn't that the truth? If there's one thing that's consistent it's that mediocre people always complain about what anyone with more perceived success is doing, saying, dreaming, and planning. Their laziness, whether physical or intellectual, hinders their ability to do anything even when it benefits them. They resent progress and improvement especially when it disproves their theory that whatever was done simply couldn't be done.
I am not by any means the most ambitious, diligent, driven, or disciplined person out there. On the contrary, I battle with my own laziness more often than I'd like to admit, but at least I know when I'm feeling and behaving like a bum. There's no one to blame for my failures and I can only hold myself accountable for them. With that being said, at least I have goals that I've set out to accomplish and have thought about how to make them happen. Even more importantly, I've put some of those plans into action. Taking action is key. You can dream all you want about what you'd do if you win the lotto, but if you never buy a ticket, you shouldn't be bewildered when you never win.
Mediocrity is like a highly infectious plague that spreads quickly and kills your desire to excel at anything. It creates contempt for success breeding stupidity and resentment towards those who have attempted to rise above their own mediocrity to do something meaningful and purposeful with their lives. Some people have mediocrity so deeply ingrained in their psyche that even when great opportunities to rise above their current station in life are presented to them, they find excuses to put it down or unconsciously find ways to destroy it to accomodate their own mediocrity and prove that they were in fact right about it to begin with.... and of course, it's never their own fault that they failed miserably.
The fact is that our society encourages mediocrity. If this wasn't true, then it wouldn't be tolerated and celebrated the way it is today. The best part is that the movers and shakers who make things happen are labeled as over-achievers, unreasonable, and unfair because they have expectations that simply don't jive well with the mediocre desire to sit around at home smoking weed and drinking beer while playing Call of Duty all day.
Here's the bottom line: if you're not willing to get your ass off the couch and make an effort to make good things happen in your life, then nothing will happen. I have learned an incredibly valuable lesson from observing mediocre people close to my life and understand now that attempting to reach out to assist someone with a garbage mentality will do nothing more than frustrate me and waste my valuable time. I will never offer business opportunities again to people who can't appreciate the work and sacrifices required to build a reputation and a brand and I will refrain from offering advice to people who are too lazy to even use common sense. Mediocre people deserve to be where they are in life and will never see any improvements until they choose to change their attitude, which is something they'll have to do all by themselves.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Warning: Criminal Pursuit
This post is not intended to be funny. Instead, it's a brief opportunity to vent some frustration. Once again I have the same inspector pursuing me. In case I ever had any doubts that it was personal, she managed to find a way to track me down via Facebook at 10 pm on a Saturday night. As a government worker, I would bet on her life that she's not on the clock right now and may the Lord strike her down at this instant if I'm mistaken. (Hey... you vent your way, I vent mine).
After looking at her 'likes', it turns out that she hates Governor Rick Scott and would love nothing more than having him impeached or fired. Perhaps I should tell him that he made a huge mistake when he began making cuts at the teacher, police department, and fire fighter levels, and instead should have started with the dept. of agriculture. Now that's a department full of fat cats if I've seen one, perhaps without monetary wealth, but a wealth of power, instead. I'll admit, even though it wouldn't change my situation, it sure would be cool if she was fired for bad mouthing her boss. tee hee...
I'm thankful for having received a warning from a fellow vendor about impending inspections, and although I'm doing whatever possible to avoid a problem, the fact is that problems sneak up on you when you least expect them. It's exhausting skulking around like a damn criminal over bureaucratic bullshit, but it appears that I don't have another choice in the matter if I want to continue selling my sauces. I'm just sick of it. Sick of it, I tell you.
After looking at her 'likes', it turns out that she hates Governor Rick Scott and would love nothing more than having him impeached or fired. Perhaps I should tell him that he made a huge mistake when he began making cuts at the teacher, police department, and fire fighter levels, and instead should have started with the dept. of agriculture. Now that's a department full of fat cats if I've seen one, perhaps without monetary wealth, but a wealth of power, instead. I'll admit, even though it wouldn't change my situation, it sure would be cool if she was fired for bad mouthing her boss. tee hee...
I'm thankful for having received a warning from a fellow vendor about impending inspections, and although I'm doing whatever possible to avoid a problem, the fact is that problems sneak up on you when you least expect them. It's exhausting skulking around like a damn criminal over bureaucratic bullshit, but it appears that I don't have another choice in the matter if I want to continue selling my sauces. I'm just sick of it. Sick of it, I tell you.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Great Expectations
My husband, CP, insists that it's impossible to take me anywhere to eat where I won't find something to complain about. He's wrong and has a tendency to exaggerate, but on this occasion he was right. Look, the fact is that I eat, breathe, sleep, and live food 24/7. I can't help but notice when things aren't right and tonight wasn't an exception.
Like many families, we're currently on a bit of a tight budget, so a lot of these specials being offered by chain restaurants are pretty enticing. Tonight we went to Chili's to take advantage of their 2 for $20 deal, which includes an appetizer and two entrees. Not too shabby.
We've been there several times, so I know what to expect. Something I've always hated at Chili's is their rice and beans. Seriously, how is it even possible to mess that up? Anyhoo, I digress. As I was saying, I know what to expect: crappy beans and mediocre rice. However, on this occasion, I received crappy beans and crappy rice. That's simply unacceptable.
When the server came by to check on us, I told him the honest truth, "I'm sorry, but this rice tastes like shit". I let him know that I expected the beans to suck, but the rice blind sided me. He said he appreciated my honesty and that it was refreshing (See? Kudos to me). They forgot to do to the rice what they always fail to achieve with the beans: season it. The rice had no salt and it was simply awful. Normally, I can at least mask the crappy beans by mixing it with the mediocre rice, but what am I supposed to do when I get a double portion of crap? No amount of salsa in the world can fix that.
Our server offered me a different side item, which I happily accepted, but just as soon as he left our table, I overheard him gleefully recounting the incident with someone in the hallway. Within a minute, we had a manager at the table. He did his thing and asked about my complaint. I pointed out it was horrible and suggested that he go to the kitchen and taste it for himself, at which point he mentioned that my husband was joyfully scraping his plate clean, which had had rice and beans on it at some point. I explained that CP will eat anything, even an old shoe if it was on the plate, so his opinion doesn't count. I know it sounds harsh, but CP is known to eat Chef Boyardee right out of the can for breakfast and ask for seconds. Clearly, his taste buds are broken.
I told the manager that we had come to Chili's plenty of times and knew to expect the beans to be bad, but had never experienced the rice this way. I told him that the beans tasted as though they were poured directly from the can, as usual, but that not even the rice could save it this time. He promptly defended the corporate beans that arrived directly from the Chili's mother ship ready to be heated and served, but admitted that the rice appeared to be off color. Long story short, our server confirmed that the manager went to the kitchen, tasted the rice, and indeed did agree with me.
Now that I've walked you through our dinner experience at Chili's, I can finally get to my point. Notice how on both occasions, I told the restaurant staff that I expected the beans to be bad. I couldn't help but mull it over and I came to the conclusion that nobody should go to any restaurant expecting something to be bad. A few days ago, CP and I went to Burger King, which I rarely eat at, but was starving. I ordered a Whopper combo since it was cheaper than ordering the burger with the drink alone. When considering whether to order the fries or onion rings, my process of elimination involved deciding out of the two sucky side items, which one sucked less. Why??!
How is it possible that we've allowed ourselves to accept such blatant mediocrity and then go as far as to pay for it? Have we been brainwashed or have we really become that complacent? As for restaurants, would it kill you to serve good food? It's really not that difficult. In some cases, all you need to do is add some salt. I say we should no longer go places with low expectations. Instead, we must dine out with great expectations! Instead of lowering our standards to meet theirs, they should have to raise their standards to meet ours! We can not continue to accept mediocrity. Keep in mind that each time they're lowering their standards, they're not dropping their prices to reflect it, so don't take it anymore!
So make sure to add this to your 2012 New Year's Resolutions: Do not accept mediocrity from anyone, especially if you're expected to pay for it.
Like many families, we're currently on a bit of a tight budget, so a lot of these specials being offered by chain restaurants are pretty enticing. Tonight we went to Chili's to take advantage of their 2 for $20 deal, which includes an appetizer and two entrees. Not too shabby.
We've been there several times, so I know what to expect. Something I've always hated at Chili's is their rice and beans. Seriously, how is it even possible to mess that up? Anyhoo, I digress. As I was saying, I know what to expect: crappy beans and mediocre rice. However, on this occasion, I received crappy beans and crappy rice. That's simply unacceptable.
When the server came by to check on us, I told him the honest truth, "I'm sorry, but this rice tastes like shit". I let him know that I expected the beans to suck, but the rice blind sided me. He said he appreciated my honesty and that it was refreshing (See? Kudos to me). They forgot to do to the rice what they always fail to achieve with the beans: season it. The rice had no salt and it was simply awful. Normally, I can at least mask the crappy beans by mixing it with the mediocre rice, but what am I supposed to do when I get a double portion of crap? No amount of salsa in the world can fix that.
Our server offered me a different side item, which I happily accepted, but just as soon as he left our table, I overheard him gleefully recounting the incident with someone in the hallway. Within a minute, we had a manager at the table. He did his thing and asked about my complaint. I pointed out it was horrible and suggested that he go to the kitchen and taste it for himself, at which point he mentioned that my husband was joyfully scraping his plate clean, which had had rice and beans on it at some point. I explained that CP will eat anything, even an old shoe if it was on the plate, so his opinion doesn't count. I know it sounds harsh, but CP is known to eat Chef Boyardee right out of the can for breakfast and ask for seconds. Clearly, his taste buds are broken.
I told the manager that we had come to Chili's plenty of times and knew to expect the beans to be bad, but had never experienced the rice this way. I told him that the beans tasted as though they were poured directly from the can, as usual, but that not even the rice could save it this time. He promptly defended the corporate beans that arrived directly from the Chili's mother ship ready to be heated and served, but admitted that the rice appeared to be off color. Long story short, our server confirmed that the manager went to the kitchen, tasted the rice, and indeed did agree with me.
Now that I've walked you through our dinner experience at Chili's, I can finally get to my point. Notice how on both occasions, I told the restaurant staff that I expected the beans to be bad. I couldn't help but mull it over and I came to the conclusion that nobody should go to any restaurant expecting something to be bad. A few days ago, CP and I went to Burger King, which I rarely eat at, but was starving. I ordered a Whopper combo since it was cheaper than ordering the burger with the drink alone. When considering whether to order the fries or onion rings, my process of elimination involved deciding out of the two sucky side items, which one sucked less. Why??!
How is it possible that we've allowed ourselves to accept such blatant mediocrity and then go as far as to pay for it? Have we been brainwashed or have we really become that complacent? As for restaurants, would it kill you to serve good food? It's really not that difficult. In some cases, all you need to do is add some salt. I say we should no longer go places with low expectations. Instead, we must dine out with great expectations! Instead of lowering our standards to meet theirs, they should have to raise their standards to meet ours! We can not continue to accept mediocrity. Keep in mind that each time they're lowering their standards, they're not dropping their prices to reflect it, so don't take it anymore!
So make sure to add this to your 2012 New Year's Resolutions: Do not accept mediocrity from anyone, especially if you're expected to pay for it.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Keeping the Faith
As of this moment, my business has ceased to exist as I knew it. Everything has been flipped upside down and I'm doing my best to make sense of this mess. After watching my panini stand consistently decline in Rob's care, it was decided that deal or no deal, I was shutting it down. Each weekend he and his girlfriend spent there resulted in the further trailer trashing of my concept. I expected the menu to change, but I also expected my standards to upheld and sadly, they were not.
The final straw came last weekend when my husband and I were out of town for a wedding. I received a phone call from the inspector from the state inquiring about my process for canning my pasta sauces. I walked her through it and she told me she'd consult with her supervisor and get back to me. Five minutes later she called me back with the most devastating news I could have received at this time. I had to stop selling my sauces immediately and they all had to be removed from the shelf. Apparently, the complaint came from an inspector from the dept. of agriculture, who wanted to know about my canning process siting botulism as a potential hazard. Oh sure. Botulism, huh? My sauces have been on the shelves for over a year and my space has been subject to at least 4 inspections, but noooow we're concerned about botulism? Whatever.
The fact is that Grouchy, the dept. of agriculture inspector, has had it out for me from the beginning. After refusing to license me under her department, which would have cost a quarter of the price of the one I had to obtain from DBPR, she allowed some of her buddies at the market do what I do under her permit. No uber expensive additional permits required. She's been eyeballing my sauces since I brought them to the market and has made several snide remarks about them, so I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised. OH! But the timing! She put me out of business beginning Black Friday weekend! And in order to comply with the department of agriculture's requirement, it's going to be a long process that's going to cost me a lot of money I don't have, which kind of sucks considering that the dept. of agriculture has essentially laid me off.
I have spent this entire past week researching what to do next and making phone calls between sobs and snot. My husband, CP, made a determination that come this weekend, our booth at the market would be an empty spot. I guess he wants to make a statement. After so many problems and circumstances that have relentlessly chiseled away at my bottom line, CP had enough. So we packed up the booth and got it all into a storage facility today. So no market booth and no sauces. At least I still have my meatballs, right?
So what's the plan? Well, we're going to start by sending the first group of samples to the labs for chemical analysis and to determine whether they are shelf stable. In addition to sending the samples, I am required to forward complete recipes (nooooooo) measured by weight with specific procedures for them to determine that my ingredients and processes are appropriate. Afterwards, we have to have HACCP (hazard analysis & critical control points) plans completed for each sauce. Once that is completed, we need to prepare a certified kitchen somewhere somehow solely for the purpose of production, and then we have to have the facility inspected by none other than Grouchy herself.
Are you tempted to go out and play in traffic yet? I think I'd be less gnarly and run over if I did. So the bottom line is that either I play by their rules or I don't get to play. But if I play by their rules and master it, my product will actually have a fighting chance of getting onto the shelves of some great local gourmet stores. Anything's possible, right?
Let me tell you something and listen (or read) carefully. Anyone who can make it through the muck with a clear conscience and an honest day's work and still be successful, deserves to be successful. This may be the land of opportunity, but the opportunities are not easy to get and sometimes you'll have to jump through hoops like a circus poodle to get anywhere. If you have a dream, go for it, but be prepared for monkey wrenches, disillusionment, disappointment, exhaustion, and frustration. But more importantly, whatever happens, never give up hope. It may be the only thing that will keep you going when you're ready to throw your hands in the air and quit.
The final straw came last weekend when my husband and I were out of town for a wedding. I received a phone call from the inspector from the state inquiring about my process for canning my pasta sauces. I walked her through it and she told me she'd consult with her supervisor and get back to me. Five minutes later she called me back with the most devastating news I could have received at this time. I had to stop selling my sauces immediately and they all had to be removed from the shelf. Apparently, the complaint came from an inspector from the dept. of agriculture, who wanted to know about my canning process siting botulism as a potential hazard. Oh sure. Botulism, huh? My sauces have been on the shelves for over a year and my space has been subject to at least 4 inspections, but noooow we're concerned about botulism? Whatever.
The fact is that Grouchy, the dept. of agriculture inspector, has had it out for me from the beginning. After refusing to license me under her department, which would have cost a quarter of the price of the one I had to obtain from DBPR, she allowed some of her buddies at the market do what I do under her permit. No uber expensive additional permits required. She's been eyeballing my sauces since I brought them to the market and has made several snide remarks about them, so I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised. OH! But the timing! She put me out of business beginning Black Friday weekend! And in order to comply with the department of agriculture's requirement, it's going to be a long process that's going to cost me a lot of money I don't have, which kind of sucks considering that the dept. of agriculture has essentially laid me off.
I have spent this entire past week researching what to do next and making phone calls between sobs and snot. My husband, CP, made a determination that come this weekend, our booth at the market would be an empty spot. I guess he wants to make a statement. After so many problems and circumstances that have relentlessly chiseled away at my bottom line, CP had enough. So we packed up the booth and got it all into a storage facility today. So no market booth and no sauces. At least I still have my meatballs, right?
So what's the plan? Well, we're going to start by sending the first group of samples to the labs for chemical analysis and to determine whether they are shelf stable. In addition to sending the samples, I am required to forward complete recipes (nooooooo) measured by weight with specific procedures for them to determine that my ingredients and processes are appropriate. Afterwards, we have to have HACCP (hazard analysis & critical control points) plans completed for each sauce. Once that is completed, we need to prepare a certified kitchen somewhere somehow solely for the purpose of production, and then we have to have the facility inspected by none other than Grouchy herself.
Are you tempted to go out and play in traffic yet? I think I'd be less gnarly and run over if I did. So the bottom line is that either I play by their rules or I don't get to play. But if I play by their rules and master it, my product will actually have a fighting chance of getting onto the shelves of some great local gourmet stores. Anything's possible, right?
Let me tell you something and listen (or read) carefully. Anyone who can make it through the muck with a clear conscience and an honest day's work and still be successful, deserves to be successful. This may be the land of opportunity, but the opportunities are not easy to get and sometimes you'll have to jump through hoops like a circus poodle to get anywhere. If you have a dream, go for it, but be prepared for monkey wrenches, disillusionment, disappointment, exhaustion, and frustration. But more importantly, whatever happens, never give up hope. It may be the only thing that will keep you going when you're ready to throw your hands in the air and quit.
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