Will That Be One or Two Slices?

What a busy week.

Over all, the first week at the Soup and Sandwich bar has been a great success. Each day I had more and more business. I am open from 8:00 AM till 4:00 pm Monday through Thursday and open from 8:00 AM to 9:30 ish on Fridays. The teachers and most of the staff have been wonderfully supportive and encouraging, the students have been very well behaved and fun to interact with. I already have a few regulars. There is Warren, my goal each day is to get him to crack a smile, he is just much too serious. Then there is Curtis, what a bundle of energy! I have a grade twelve student who comes in each morning for her toast and jam. There is one young man who comes in each afternoon wanting a freezie. I call him freezie man as he always comes back for a second and brings his friends. In one week I sold 125 jumbo freezies! It was tough keeping up with the freezie demand.

As much as business improved each day it also made it busy at home. I was prepping each night and trying to keep up with the paperwork. The husband had to make a shopping run one night.

On Thursday, I ordered pizzas and sold them by the slice. I ordered 170 slices worth of pizza. I was very excited about the lunch rush and also very nervous. The husband felt I ordered too many pizzas and encouraged me to reduce the numbers. But, I was confidant I would sell them all. I don't make much profit on the pizzas but I think it is important to offer variety so the customers don't get bored and are then tempted to order in or go off site.

Once the lunch rush started it was crazy busy. By the time it ended I had sold 60 slices. Through out the afternoon I sold another 10 slices but at a reduced price. And then at the end of the day I was selling whole pizzas for $10.00. I was hoping to at least break even. I sold one pizza and gave a few away. I came home with 6 whole pizzas :( . I guess in everything you live and learn. What was very nice was the owner of the pizza parlour called me in the evening to see how things went. Though I didn't have amazing news to report to him, I was very impressed that he thought enough to call. If I had not ordered so many pizzas it would have been a great day business wise. So, I guess the husband was right and I did order too many, but I now have a baseline to work with and will know for the future.

I have been fortunate to be able to borrow a professional meat slicer for the next few months. I have sent an email to Pillers meats asking questions about their deli meats and shelf life. But so far I haven't heard back from them. It would be great if I could buy whole hams, roast beef and turkey breast and then slice it myself. Firstly, it would save me money, running around, the quality would be consistent and the biggie for me, the concerns I have with Listeria would be greatly reduced by not buying already sliced meats.

Today everyone was out of the house and I had most of the day to myself. It was easier to get the weeks household and business grocery shopping done on my own. I also was able to spend a couple of hours doing book keeping uninterrupted. So as of this moment all the paper work is done and the groceries are bought for the coming week.

I am exhausted, but I think it is a good exhausted. I look forward to the time when I have a routine and not every waking hour is consumed with business.