Let's Start With Some Art

I thought we should start this week's blog by looking at some art. Though this is just a glimpse, you will have to come down to 144 S. Mason to take a look for yourself. And the work of Deanne is much better live and in person. For you see her stuff is has a lot of depth to it. Little bits and pieces of beauty attached via nails and golf tees. As you can see I do not do a good job of explaining it, so just get down here and see for yourself. Better hurry though it will be gone at the end of the month.

The piece is called "Conversation" and is by Deanne Moulton. She can be contacted at deebo987@aol.com

And in other news... it is windy today. People do not want coffee on a windy day. Thursday is normally our busiest day of the week but today has been slow. That is always the case on a windy day. This might have something to do with the fact that most if not all people hate the wind. Why do you think so few people want to live in Wyoming?

After my last post about needing a new espresso machine I have been asked about donations. If your interested in donating to Everyday Joe's you can mail your donation to Timberline Church. We use Timberline for donations for accountability and book keeping purposes. Make the check out to them and put Everyday Joe's in the memo line. It is that simple. Here is the address:

Timberline Church
2908 S. Timberline Rd.
Fort Collins, CO 80525

So what am I missing? What do you dear reader want to know about Everyday Joe's? Fire away and I will do my best to answer.

Excuse Me Buddy, Can You Spare Ten Grand?

Everyday Joe's has a physical heart, we call it an espresso machine. That very special piece of machinary is key to what we do here. It is why people first start coming. It is the device by which we are able to create amazing espresso drinks.

When Joe's opened way back in 2003 the machine was donated to us by shop that had closed, Coffee Connection. The machine had seen many a morning of espresso pulling, we estimate it is around 15 or so years old. We sent it down to the shop and had it overhauled and tuned up. And it got us off the ground. Joe's was very thankful to have such a gift. But now we get to the phrase "nickel and dime to death."

The machine is begining to show its age. And we all fear the day that it just goes down. Hard to have a coffee shop without an espresso machine these days. So we have begun to talk about getting a new machine. Buying a new espresso machine is a lot like car shopping. Used vs. New, Top of the Line vs. Economy, etc etc. And if we decided to buy used it is very much "caveat empto" or buyer beware. Espresso machines are complex with many parts and buying used could come with any sort of hidden problem that the seller probably is not even aware of.

Buying new is always the best bet, except for price. A new quality espresso machine and the needed supplies to install it correctly will cost around $10,000. That is a lot of money. But when I think about how important the espresso machine is to Everyday Joe's, how key it is to keeping us open and keeping us in the community, I think that $10,000 is really not that much. And Everyday Joe's already has roughly $3,000 in the bank so we really only need $7,000 give or take a few hundred.

So thus begins my official quest to get Everyday Joe's a new espresso machine.

The Forgotten Trivia Questions

Amy pointed out that I have not been doing the trivia questions that I mentioned in past posts. Well in my last post, "A Sample For You," I made reference to a fine film. Be the first to name the film and win a free coffee drink (12oz) of your choosing.

Good luck contestants.

A Sample For You

Ok so here is a sample of the type of email I often get:

Hello,

I am in Pennsylvania and am wanting to start a non profit coffee house across the street from Faber College to impact the campus. I was wanting to get some more info on what you guys are doing or any tips in getting started.

John Blutarsky

To be honest I do not even know how to best reply to an email like that. That is a very big question they are asking. I have toyed with the idea of a form letter for these types of emails but then that seems a bit arogant. I do want to help other people and like the idea of more places like Joe's being created around the world. I suspect people do not realize what they are asking. And there is not a book to be found on starting a non profit coffee shop. (yet)

On to other news... The walls of Everyday Joe's are bare. They have been for 4 days now. And we who work here everyday all day hear about it constantly. "Where is the art?" people ask. People have grown to depend on it, to need it. I love it. The art here has become such a part of this place. It is noticed the instant it is gone.

Not to worry though. Art is on the way.