"fee-ka"

This is a brief update of were things are at.  We have a tentative timeline that follows like this: Business Plan December 15th,  Build out and raise capital January - March,  Get equipment and set it up April,  Roasting by May and start selling at end of May. I'm very thankful for how things have progressed so far, and at the same time little overwhelmed with all that is going into this. I have finished the Executive Summary of the Business Plan which basically tells who Fika is, what we plan to do, who are customer is and just basic info. I would be willing to let any of you read it if you like, just email me.

Below is segment from the Summary that tells what Fika means and why I went with the name.

Fika Coffee Overview

Fika is a Swedish term meaning “coffee break.”  The word means much more than grabbing a cup of coffee. Fika literally means to take a break, to gather with friends or family, to take a respite.  It is both noun and a verb, and is in essence, as much about the social connection that happens durning the coffee break as it is the coffee.  It is in this spirit that Fika Coffee will roast its beans: with an emphasis on quality coffee and an appreciation for the connection and community that occurs over a well-prepared coffee drink.

I do

Well, last month I had the great pleasure of being in two different weddings. First my sister got married and I was able to walk her down the aisle with our mom. Secondly, our good friends, Wood and Rachael Seim, got married and I stood up as a groomsman. At both of these weddings, I was able to "test the metal" and do a little coffee catering. These were two very different receptions, my sister's was very small (40 people) and intimate on  a very warm, almost hot day. The Seim's reception was for around 150-200 folks on a nice, but rather windy/little-chilly evening. For my sister's I did it all myself it was not problem was able to brew up some great coffee, meet new people, talk to old friends, and share Fika. For Seim's I brought in reinforcement by way of a good friend Matthew Kunkle (who also is helping this Fika venture from afar). Matthew drove up from the Minneapolis to help brew some coffee. For both weddings we were brewing up Counter Culture Coffee with the Concepcion Huista from Huehuetenango Guatemala, by far being my favorite. Matthew and I got a little late set up than we had hoped for, but when we started brewing, we did not stop. We were doing 1.5 liter french presses and we had a line for the next two and half hours of people waiting for a cup. This was truly a Fika experience, as we had time to talk and share with people while they waited and sometimes they would even keep chatting after they got their coffee. These were great times for me to do what I love and share it with people. How is your Fika Time?

man to man or zone?

Last week I stopped by to talk with the city administrator to inquire about city codes for coffee roasters, such as, will I need an afterburner. Well I found out that, no, I will not need an afterburner. Although I did find out that downtown Grand Marais is not zoned for wholesale business, and the building I'm looking at is in downtown. So after talking to the city administrator he asked me to write the city a letter stating what it is that I would exactly be doing. I think this zoning policy is to keep out large industrial companies from coming right downtown and doing their thing. So I'm hoping for favor from the city now, that they will review this letter and approve of Fika Coffee Roasters coming to town. I will let you all know more when I know more.

Take a look its in a book . . .

I love to read, am a big reader. I'm also kind of a slow reader too, I have started many-a-book and read all but the last chapter or two (there's nothing good in the last couple chapters, anyways). I would like to share a book with you that some one loaned me to read; it is a business minded book. It is a very easy read, and I think even if you aren't in business it would still be a insightful and practical read.

The Book is... "The E Myth, Why Most Small Business Don't Work and What to Do About it" by Michael E. Gerber. If you are an avid reader, I would suggest you pick up this light read and you will have it done in no time. I would love to get some feedback if anyone does by chance read this book. I want to leave you with a quote-quote. In this book, the author quotes Carlos Castaneda:

"the difference between a warrior and an ordinary man is that a warrior sees everthing as a challenge, while an ordinary man sees everything as either a blessing or a curse"

here goes nothing, hope it's Something

 "here goes nothing hope its something" is what a friend and I would usually say before we launched into some crazy boyhood adventure. That same feeling I kinda have now, as I sit on the cusp of making a 7 year old dream become a reality. This time though I have a pretty clear vision of what I want, but it is the unkown that brings back this old childhood feeling.

My family (wife Stephanie, Claire 4, Sophia 3 and Leif 4months) and I just moved back to the North Shore of Lake Superior to Grand Marais, Minnesota to start our own small business.  This is truly going to be an adventure, something that is much larger then me. A quest into the unkown.

Simply put I love and have a passion for coffee and it's affects. So I want to share that with everyone I can, and I plan on sharing that by roasting coffee. So let me introduce you to "Fika Coffee". (now go and find out what Fika means)

"The simple things, the true things, the silent men who do things---then listen to the wild, it's calling you"