A couple weeks ago our daughter-in-law Debbie called. Progress on her new restaurant was coming along and she had a couple of ideas she wanted to share with me. We've been so excited to hear of her new plans and following long distance.
Debbie and her friend Tim purchased an empty restaurant building. It needed gutting and new everything. The previous owners went out of their way to destroy whatever they couldn't remove.
They've spent every spare moment, when not at their jobs, working on wiring, plumbing, drywall, and new outside siding. Only in the past week or so has Debbie finally left her job at the Deli she owns with her sister in Chehalis.
This phone call was an invitation. Debbie shared they were going to have the interior of their restaurant depicting several hobbies and lots of antiques. Debbie asked if I would come over and help with the interior decorating. She wanted an eclectic look without too much clutter. I was flattered. Debbie purchased a ticket to work with my schedule and the planning went forward.
Last Friday night I flew to Portland and was met by our oldest granddaughter Andi. We drove to Centralia and spent the rest of the evening, into the wee morning hours at the restaurant.
Saturday we spent another long day working. I refurbished some old light sconces into a new life. After the employee orientation, I took the paperwork and created spreadsheets and a database of employee information as well as some publications to entertain her younger visitors.
We cleared the dining area of tools and equipment for the carpet and vinyl installation. We moved boxes out of the kitchen for the installation of the kitchen equipment. The FRP was installed on the walls of the bathroom after the tiles went down and the windows were trimmed with the rough-finished boards to compliment the rough hewn cedar poles in the dining area.
This restaurant will be a little of both of them. We will use fire equipment for the entry way (both Tim and my stepson Rex were firefighters). One corner of the restaurant will share Tim's love for skydiving. There are Harley Davidson prints. Tim has a collection of farm implements used to decorate around the 'yard'. The barstools at the counter are made of saddles. There is memorabilia from the local town and many antiques to finish off the bare spots. Debbie and Tim have 12 bee hives. There will be a corner of the waiting area called "The Honey Hut" where Debbie will share beekeeping books, hive supplies, brochures and fun bee decor.
Honestly, when I arrived Friday night I could not imagine the restaurant being ready for the opening on July 10th. The progress, just during the two days I was visiting, was amazing this weekend. It's all coming together. The kitchen equipment is being installed this week as well as FRP on the kitchen walls. The walls in the dining area will be trimmed out with more cedar planks. Soon the booths and refinished tables will be delivered too.
I am so confident the opening will be a huge success. We are looking forward to our first meal when we come to town on our way to the coast the following week. We are so proud of them all!
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