What is happening is strange and holy.
Its been six months since we took ownership of the coffee shop. People ask me all the time, howâs it going, how are you liking it, howâs business? Hereâs a long answer I havenât given any of you: A few years ago, my wife and I met Mary and Eric (co-owners). They lived up the street and we would put our daughter to bed in their back room and drink wine late into the night talking about theology, parenting, community, or politics. Normally Eric would make us baked NOM NOMs (if youâve ever eating his ganache, you know what Iâm talking about). One night, we were over at their house with some friends and âHomeâ by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros came on. We began to dance around the kitchen with one another singing, sometimes crying. It seemed natural. Intimacy danced with us.  What happened was strange and holy. This is the foundation of our coffee shop. Our âbusiness modelâ is relational. Today a customer told me they loved coming to the shop because its fun. I got to know a missionary a few months ago who became a temporary regular. He told me he felt like family when he walked inâeven the first few times. The other day, I may have attempted to breakdance to âTurn Down for Whatâ as Carl threw a piece of cardboard on the ground for my totally awesome dance movesâwhile I was working. I overheard someone say, âThis is why I come to the Old Factory.â What is happening is strange and holy. We are trying to create a space for our community to be intimate together. We are trying to cultivate an environment of fun. Weâre a collection of goofy, thoughtful, sensitive human beings. Weâre not robotic cogs here to perfect the coffee making machine. Weâre not interested in making mounds of cash. We donât care if you like Starbucks. We donât care if you donât know what a cappuccino really is. We care that you feel loved. We care that you feel welcome. We care that you have fun. So if you want to know how its been going: Itâs been the most rewarding job Iâve ever had. Thank you.
