Our First Day as Coffee Shop Owners

Well… we did it.

After months, maybe years of dreaming, planning, building, and occasionally wondering if we were completely out of our minds, The River Runs Through Farmhouse Store & Coffee Shop officially opened its door (yup, one single door).

We woke early, added more to our stocked the shelves, fired up the espresso machine, and felt reasonably prepared for our grand debut.

Then we had our first realization of the day:

There were no customers.

After a while of waiting for the rush that never came, Rob decided to use the time productively and went to mow the lawn. Because nothing says “we own a coffee shop now” like your barista disappearing on a tractor.

Which left me in charge of the espresso machine.

A machine I confidently did not yet know how to use.

Eventually, one adult did arrive (plus two dependents). A very important milestone. A soft opening, if you will—just… very soft.

Luckily, our one customer did not order coffee. The universe was clearly easing us in gently.

Later, our son and daughter-in-law arrived and became unwilling (but highly effective) coffee trainers. By the end of the day, I could actually make coffee without guessing, panicking, or negotiating with the machine.

A win.

The baked goods—banana bread, vegan breakfast bars, and my experimental biscotti (still under personal review)—mostly became gifts for family and those two little dependents (who I profusely thank for coming with their mom : )). The garden beds, meanwhile, remain in a committed long-distance relationship with us.

Somewhere between leveling concrete, sheetrocking, painting, wallpapering, painting drums, building rattles, stocking shelves, baking everything in sight, and learning commercial coffee equipment, we may have missed one small step:

Telling people we were open.

As it turns out, spending months creating a coffee shop does not automatically notify the public that a coffee shop exists.

Still, we’re calling it a success.

We opened.

We learned.

No espresso machines were harmed.

And on Thursday, we try again—slightly more caffeinated and slightly more informed.