This piece was recorded and posted on-line here, by KTOO-Public Media on April 14, 2020.
Every Friday for the past year, our cafe’s pastry chef Stephanie has crafted triple-risen brioche donuts, with flavors like sugared plum glaze, raspberry pistachio and the Elvis. These pillowy delights have developed a sort-of cult following. But are donuts essential? Should we maintain this tradition, in light of current events?
This pandemic could easily destroy our family business. At first, I was so overwhelmed by this possibility that I froze. I was unable to make decisions, however small, even as events happened faster and faster. Since then, we’ve painfully had to lay off one part-time worker, and reduce hours of the rest of our small staff. With take-out and curbside delivery only, we’ve added take-and-bake dinners to our menu. Each week, we’ve augmented our safety practices, closely following CDC guidelines.
Perhaps the biggest decision my wife and I have had to face is whether or not to stay open. The government has declared us and other take out and delivery restaurants as essential. But are we really?
Frankly, we’ve been on the fence. Our Friday donuts are surely not a staple, like rice and beans. Hand-crafted ice cream isn’t a survival food. But then, a customer posted all the things she was grateful for that week. She listed our cafe first, describing the donut she had for dinner with a glass of wine.
Now we have an on-line system for donut orders and pickups, to prevent crowds. The reaction has been gratifying, especially seeing the pictures posted of our customers sharing their rare treat with others. One thanked us for making Friday sweet and delicious, in spite of it all.
Our mission has always been to make people happy by offering delicious, handmade products with Alaskan hospitality. No longer a gathering spot, though, our cafe feels hollowed out. We mourn not seeing our regulars and we light up greeting the remaining few, like our Coastie friends. So far, it feels like we can still achieve our mission. Thanks to donut and dinner sales and gift cards thoughtfully bought by our community of supporters, we’ve been able to make payroll and pay our rent, so far. Our business model might look a little different, but we can still bring a little happiness, and brighten the days of many.
So as long as we can operate safely for our employees and our customers, we’ve decided to stay open. We’ll be there for the workers who are still going into the office or driving the bus every day. We’ll be there for the double-duty parents who may need a little help putting dinner on the table. And we’ll be there every Friday making something you can’t get anywhere else. Because in these troubling times, don’t we all need something to look forward to?
