A bottle of red by headlamp
Lots of people think about opening a restaurant, some even attempt it and a rare few find success. With odds like that it can be difficult to try but last fall my incredibly brave husband took a leap of faith and quit his job to become a restaurateur...without an actual restaurant, or even a building. We had looked casually for years for a place, we even put in a few offers but there's something about that level of commitment that really motivates a person and it was only a few weeks before we found our spot, Jeff put in an offer on an old building in downtown Muskegon, they told us that it was uninhabitable and would likely have to come down but we knew it was right where we wanted to be, in the heart of the resurgence of the city. So we bought it without ever stepping inside. The first time I saw it, we took a few close friends in headlamps and winter coats along with a bottle of Refosco that we'd brought home from Italy and were saving for a special occasion. The building did not disappoint, it was every bit the disaster inside that we were promised. In the basement the foundation had cracked and sunken so badly that the support posts were hanging from the ceiling which was pulling the first floor down and creating an actual pool-about 3 inches of water since the roof leaked and was covered in mold. But in this moment as we opened a beautiful bottle of red wine and toasted to what would be I felt incredibly blessed. We have this wild and wonderful journey in front of us and friends that are willing to spend a Friday night in a building without heat or electricity in the dead of winter to celebrate with us and be part of our dream. We know that this project will be thrilling, trying, scary and emotional but knowing that we have so much love and support behind us encouraging. So while Jeff takes on the everyday ins and outs I'll attempt to keep you all up to date on what's happening and how the project is going. Hopefully we'll be toasting together soon, CinCin!
