So close

And yet so far away. All the heavy equipment is in the kitchen. Today a plumber was there, looking as if the sinks might get hooked up. The range hood is almost done; one duct remains unconnected and will until the guys return Monday to put on the hood shroud. The fire suppression system guy is coming Friday and I am assured that the hood not being done will not impede his progress.

The bathrooms are due to be fitted out tomorrow. Then more inspections will ensue. So you can see, I will not be opening Monday or even in there practice cooking yet. I am remaining calm.

We've picked out some laminate sample for the countertops (kitchen and front service). Tomorrow that will be ordered, when the front counter is being built. I hear the kitchen counter is also under construction.

The front is in pretty good shape. Just waiting on the contractor to put on the overall coat of Sherwin Williams's Whole Wheat so we can go in and do the top one quarter of the walls in Chamois, with the wall behind the counter being Bengal Grass. Then a rail will be hung where those two colors meet on the walls so that we can hang art from the rail for display.

I've had a bunch of spatulas and bowls and towels and aprons and peelers and knives etc. delivered from Equippers.com. I've got a table waiting to be picked up at the Maumee antique mall and a stainless steel table in Lindsey. Peg and Joe found 10 chairs out along the curb (or so they say) that they brought out.

I attended a ribbon cutting at El Patron restaurant to see how those work. The staff made us a delicious lunch buffet but the Chamber of Commerce director told me I didn't have to do that kind of spread when I have mine. Hopefully about mid-May.

I donated three $5 gift certificates to the adult egg scramble that the BG Parks folks run. I'm ready to swoop in on advertising on Cook's Corner in the Sentinel and on a local morning radio show, as soon as I'm open. And I'll be leafletting ceaselessly and taking sample to offices I've dealt with. I'm trying to figure out some Facebook apps to use with Timeline.

I think I have all the small stuff I need except a couple of kitchen mats I can get at Home Depot. My car is full of boxes of tinfoil containers. Just need to order food at the last minute.

There are just more details than I can even remember. Be glad I'm not reporting them all. Sheesh.

Hurry up and wait

That's the phase we're in right now. Electric is pulled, waiting on inspection. Waiting on the hood people to get the building code approval, then waiting on them to install. I'm going to be two weeks behind schedule but I'm maintaining a calm demeanor about it. Plumbing was approved so why aren't those bathrooms done yet?

On the other hand, I got my sign approved by the city and I got my C2 liquor license, which means I can sell unopened bottles of wine for takeout. Contacted the Toft's ice cream folks to sell their stuff and Chocolove, my favorite bars of deliciousness.

Tomorrow I'm going to a restaurant auction, hoping to pick up some kitchen stuff and maybe some chairs and other things. If not, then I'm ordering soon from equippers.com.

Have filled out tons more forms for employee hiring and workers' comp and unemployment.

I've amassed quite a trove of stainless steel pots and pans and bowls from friends. Thank you.

Talked to Heartland Payment Systems for my merchant (credit card swiper) account. Did you know every time you swipe your card a vendor is paying a fee? I didn't.

Have my menus done but not printed as well as gift certificates.

Dacor is pulling my wires for phone and internet. Need to buy some phones. Staples? Radio Shack? Dacor?

Downloaded the Nola Pro accounting software. Which is, coincidentally, made in Fostoria. Will load it onto a laptop soon so I can get a handle of finances.

Concocted an employee handbook. So far my employees are some friends and a woman who now works at the donut shop next door. Sent one employee to the ServSafe training so there's someone in charge if I'm not there.

Got my business cards from Vistaprint.

So, while not one meatloaf has been prepared yet, things are moving along.

Thank you all again.

So bizzy!

I've ordered a six-burner stove, a big convection oven, three sinks, a fridge and a freezer, and a warming cabinet. I bought a used fridge from a Toledo restaurant that went out of business and it got moved in last week.

I contracted for the stove/oven hood which may hold up the April 2 opening a bit, as first drawings have to be made by an engineer, then those plans get approval from the building code people, then there's installation and testing and more approval. This week though I found out that the plans will probably all be OK'd by Friday and serious building out will begin.

I submitted my plans to the Health Dept for their scrutiny. I got back a five-page letter of "changes," although they're all minor. I was informed I had to take the two-day ServSafe food manager course and luckily it was offered last week and I took that and the test. Hoping I pass.

I bought business insurance last week. Today I printed out about 10 pages of forms to apply for a wine-only-in-unopened-bottles liquor license and tomorrow I'm getting fingerprinted for part of that process. I'm meeting with an attorney Monday who will sign those forms.

I was notified last week that I got a low-interest loan from Bowling Green's economic development fund which completes my funding. The loan closes next Weds.

Many, many other details are being attended to. I've met with one food wholesaler, with another meeting later with another. I ordered checks and they've arrived.

Need to start looking for employees, finalize the cost of food and menu prices and buy takeout containers. I did mock up some preliminary menus this week with actual prices. And have a lead on a possible employee.

Talked to Dave Horger who does the 6-9 a.m. radio show on WBGU-FM about advertising on his show. Friday I meet with the Chamber of Commerce director.

The name now is officially Good To Go. Got an estimate for a sign from one vendor, waiting on another's price.

Got a phone number which will be forwarded to my cell until the kitchen actually opens. So now I can get business cards and other printed materials with a phone number on them.

Bought the domain name GoodToGoBG.com from Network Solutions and am having that point to DaddysGirlEats.com which I already had bought and am having hosted at NS. They have been very helpful.

Need to buy pots and pans and other kitchen items, and takeout containers. Checking prices at Equippers.com, who look to be the lowest. Need to firm up a cash register/credit card swiper.
_____________________________

What's going on?!?!

And well you may ask as I have not posted since Jan. 29, the day BEFORE my Kickstarter campaign ended successfully. Thanks to 37 wonderful folks, I made my goal and that money has already hit my business checking account.

The studs are up for the dividing wall between my space and the donut shop. Yesterday, crews were sawing concrete, as it is said, to prepare for plumbing installation. The layout has changed several times but at last, it seems to be finalized and the architect can make the drawing that will be approved by the building code folks and the health dept.

The name debate continue unto this day and by golly, I need to make a decision so I can get Doug Black to do a logo. THIS WEEK. Most recently, we're thinking Delish as a possible name. Thoughts? dweiserbg@gmail.com

I have many official documents including an EIN, a vendor's license, an LLC certificate, an EFTPS account, and have met with one tax accountant with another scheduled for this afternoon.

The city's loan fund people were supposed to meet about my application last Friday, but the meeting had to be postponed and now they're trying to reschedule for this Thursday or early next week.

I've been working on the website. Today I'll be trying to finalize my menu wording and the prices so I can post that to the website.

March will be a blur....

Many details

It was a good week last week when I met with the bank and an equipment guy and a prospective employee and corresponded with many suppliers and finished my corporate espionage by sampling some local takeout dinners.

I completed my ServSafe food safety course from the OSU Extension folks.

I got quotes on the range/oven hood which came in a little lower than I had budgeted which is good as the construction costs for the wiring and plumbing and wall materials are a little higher than I thought they'd be.

Please let me know if there's anything you'd like to buy for a takeout dinner that I may not be thinking of. Here's what I have so far:

Meatloaf

Mac n cheese

Lasagna (meat and veg)

Chicken pasta

Stuffed red peppers

Specials

Chicken pot pie turnovers

Stuffed acorn squash

Roast pork

Pulled pork

Chicken breast rollups

Chicken pot pie

Ham steak

Salmon

Quiche

Pot roast

Ribs

Baked ziti

Ovenfried chicken

Pasta with sausage and veg

The first 4 I'll have everyday, with the others offered as specials in a rotation that I'll post to Facebook daily.

The name debate

This last week, the topic arose of the unsuitability of the name Daddy's Girl for my venture. Some felt it didn't give an indication of the nature of the business, while others felt it has a less-than-savory connotation. I polled my Kickstarter backers and put it up for discussion on Facebook. In the end, opinion was split about 50-50. With this in mind, I'm now entertaining the name Good To Go for the food operation, possibly with by Daddy's Girl appended in small letters in the logo design. Thoughts? Email me at dweiserbg@gmail.com

I have obtained more pieces of the required documentation (who knew??) and got one insurance quote. Tomorrow an equipment vendor is meeting me out at the shop to assess my proposed kitchen layout. After that, I'll set up meetings with the architects who both have my current drawing.

I feel as if I'm behind schedule but I can rein that in with a couple days of buckling down. Thanks again for all your support.

Moving along

I was delighted to find out that I can get a good chunk of change out of my Roth IRA that even my financial guy said was a good idea as it's already taxed money that's not making a boatload of investment income. So with that and Kickstarter, I'm good for about $18,000. Plus I am this | | close to having my loan application for the BG econ dev folks ready. And I have two architects looking at my layout drawing.

Yesterday I talked with an ad rep from the Sentinel (BG's newspaper) about online advertising and sponsoring Cook's Corner in the printed paper and being in the Cook's Corner free cookbook that they hand out at the county fair.

Also I called banks about business checking accounts and have the names of 2 tax people that I will call tomorrow. The state has approved my LLC application and I should be getting that document in the mail tomorrow. By the end of January, I should have all financing in place. Also, I called Doug Black about logos.

The timeline has February being focused on food: making it in quantity, costing it out for real, talking with wholesale vendors, choosing takeout containers.

In March, I will sign the lease and start moving equipment in. And work on the front construction and interior design.

So opening the beginning of April is looking like a reality. Thanks to everyone for their input, financial and otherwise.

Save your marriage. Let Daddy's Girl cook.