Inching Closer

This image of the snail sums up how I have felt about 2025 and the progress we are making -  in any area! 

Due to circumstances beyond our control (no luck finding a line cook, delays in the barista bar buildout), the early September cafe launch goal came and went. - But we have made progress; the barista bar is nearly complete; a line cook has agreed to join us mid-October. Once she starts and we have time to integrate her into the team, teach her the menu,  and receive our coffee mugs, we should be ready with a public-facing launch. The new estimated launch is early November. Until then, our barista, who has been itching to brew, will be able to do soft sales to those coming in and out of the building in the daily routine. 

It has been a long journey to get staff who are the right fit. There have been times when I have felt desperate to hire someone, anyone, and on the brink of saying yes just to have a body in place. I have been reminded to slow down and get the right people in the right seats; it will be better in the long run. Yes, it impedes progress now, but in the long run and in the sake of all the individuals involved it is better. Skills of the job we can teach, but the matters of the heart are much harder and slower to learn. 

We made several offers for the line cook position, and had two people accept the position, only to renege or flake out afterward. It was clear, for different reasons, they were not the ones for Lamprini. While on paper, and in the interviews, they looked promising; they had the right credentials, skills, came in with excitement and ideas to how we could grow, yet at the end of the day, they weren’t ready for the hard work of leading and building a team. 

Some people are equipped to walk into a place where there are existing systems and processes, and others are equipped to build the system as they go. As a small start-up, I need a team of people who are the latter. Who are up to the task of building, leading, and growing as a team. This is core to who Lamprini is - we are equippers and empowers. 

I need people who see the potential in others, who are willing to expend the energy in building others up, and who do not expect a team of polished professionals around them. I need people who catch the vision of Lamprini. We can teach someone how to use the point of sales software, and we can create systems for doing inventory, but it is much harder to teach someone to see the diamond in the rough. 

The woman who will join us as a line cook has the heart and commitment to the job; she seems to be humble and teachable, and she is confident in working alongside the ladies and filling in gaps in their repertoire. When we were considering her, I was reminded that she might not have a resume that includes experience at five-star hotels, but she has heart. She commits to her places of employment and will take her job as a serious responsibility and not just a stepping stone to the next best thing. 

While I am excited and hopeful for her to join, given recent experiences we had with candidates, I am holding this loosely. I will only feel settled once I see if she arrives on the 15th! 

In the area of granola, we have worked with a consultant and have some strategic plans for getting into grocery stores, and once the cafe is launched and running, we will be able to resume focusing on that aspect of the business.