..because as it turns out, opening an independent shop on your local high street isn't for the faint hearted!
Us, most days for the last 8 months:
Friend: How's the shop going Jen?
Me, (pursed lips): Yep..*nods*..fine ta.
Friend: You ok?
Me: Yep. Fine thanks. You?
Another friend: How's the shop going Laura?
Laura (sidewards glance): Yep, yep, fine thanks..
Said Friend: You ok?
Laura: Yep, fine thanks. You?
Our friends may have noticed that we both stopped talking about the shop some months ago, because it got awkwardslashembarrassing providing the same rubbish answers about our seeming lack of progress! Between the estate agents, the solicitors and the various other parties involved in the process of securing this 5x3m piece of Prime Budleigh Salterton Real Estate, the honest truth is we had it squeezed out of us. It was a long wait, (did I mention? 8 months?) for reasons beyond our control, and 1 week before we picked up the keys, we had a final crisis summit at Brook Kitchen to decide whether we had it in us to continue waiting for these people to pull their proverbial fingers out.
HOWEVER. We're finally IN. And it's GLORIOUS!
We allowed ourselves 2 weeks to turn it around. We picked the keys up on a Thursday afternoon, and two weeks later, Fri 21st October 2022, we opened our doors to our first customers! Our very own independent gift and homeware store, who knew?!
It's been a busy few weeks, for sure, wielding rollers and paintbrushes, whilst our families lived largely on convenience foods...but I think Laura and I are both so delighted with how our first fortnight has gone, that it really has been worth it. We've been made to feel so welcome by the other indie businesses on the High St. too, ( Snob, Pebble, Niaski, Budleigh Unwrapped, Finlay Wines, OB's, Cloudforest Plants, too many to mention - check out our High St., ). We just can't wait to get going with all our plans - watch this space!
Comments