Food Cart Fever

So it's official folks. I have jumped into the food cart scene with both feet. While creating a business plan for one of my management classes, I realized the reality of the concept. I would like to purchase the cart within a week or two and be open as a business by the first week of September. Let me lay it out for you, give me some feed back. I NEED YOUR HELP!!!!

So the idea is a build your own mac n cheese. The customer would choose:

Sample Menu:

Noodle:   Classic (elbow) - or - Noodle of the Day (spiral, shell, etc.)
Sauce:     Cheddar - or - Parmesan - or - Pesto
Topping:
         Meats:   Sausage - Burger - Hot Dog - Chicken - Ham - Bacon
         Veg:      Spinach - Jalepeno - Peas - Corn - Broccoli - Roasted Red Peppers - Caramelized Onions

The customer would pick one noodle, one sauce, and up to 3 toppings for a base price of (and im hoping to get close to this) $4 for a small and $6 for a large. Each additional topping would range from $.50 for veg to $1 for meats. I would also offer sodas and water.

I'm open to all suggestions. I'm really excited about this and I don't want the excitement to blur the reality that this might not be a profitable business. The idea is to park it by Grant High School Monday - Friday from about 10am to 1pm ish. I have a decent knowledge of the kids and even a slight following. A large amount of the students come to Starbucks for lunch, I've been taken surveys.

I would park it down by 48th and Hawthorne Wednesday - Saturday about 5pm - 1am ish. That location is near all the hipster bars.

Names so far:

    Mad Mac

    Mighty Mac

    Mac Attack

    Mac Daddies

    Stack-a-Mac

    Mac-Man

Your mission: HELP ME CHOOSE A NAME.

You have no choice but to accept it. Quick, hit comment and give me your ideas/opinions/comments. GO!

Cafe Du Berry

Tonight was the start of a greatly unexpected relationship. As you all know I'm currently employed by a coffee shop and, as is the norm in this biz, I have a number of "regulars" every morning. I have had the opportunity to grow close enough to one customer, Kathy, that tonight it took the next step. No, not that step, I only love Jess in that way. I'm talking about hanging out outside of the customer vs. guy who has messy hair and gives me coffee in the too early of the morning next step. She took Jess and I out for dinner.

Kathy had started down the path toward friendship some time back. She comes in every Wednesday morning. I had informed her that I was in culinary school and she presented me with homemade pickled green beans. BOOM. It worked its way up to an exchange of email addresses, christmas presents (the best home canned tuna ever, ANOTHER BOOM), and finally phone numbers, BOOM AGAIN. Tonight she took Jess and I to her favorite little spot in town, Cafe Du Berry.

Holding maybe a maximum of 15 people at one time, this gem has been open for 28 years. People find it by invitation only (and by reading this, you've been invited, BOOM). It's rumored that a load of the Blazers, including Clyde the Glide, eat here. It is simple, loving and very personal, not to mention some of the best food I've had in a while. I tried the Chicken Dijon, Jess had the Porc au Normandy, and Kathy had the Spaghetti Prawns done "her" way with butter and garlic, no tomatoes. If you wanna check it out, and you do, let me know.

Anyways, Kathy treated us to an incredible meal, great conversation and the belief that customers can be friends without it being weird. Thank you Kathy.

Buy this album. now.

I don't want this blog to turn into one of those all things music blogs, however, I have been recently reminded that I am surrounded by people with incredible talents.

That being said, check out my good friend NATALIE CLOSNER. Her first EP was released tonight (and you can get it on itunes). I had the opportunity to get an invite to the release party that was nothing short of breath taking. The party took place in a  super chic little spot downtown Portland and was packed with about 120 people.

If I was forced to describe Natalie to someone without itunes (get with the freakin program already if that someone is you), I would say that I'm about 110% sure that she is the unspoken goddess child of Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareillis. Natalie's voice is captivating. She is a wonderful gal that you NEED to support now. GO!

Animal R&R - The Accidental

My good friend Nicky is in an excellent band. Animal R&R is one of the coolest, down to earth, most excellent group of guys that just happen to make fantastic music. Nicky made this video today in 2 hours. If you have a phobia of left handed people then don't watch this. If, however, you have a love for great music; you like supporting nice people; you have a spare 4:29 minutes; you recently had your heart broken; you have read this post to this point; you NEED to watch this. Hope you enjoy.

Legendary Loads

This a repost of the first blog I ever wrote...


Welp, this is my first real blog....ever. I understand that it is 2008, I understand that the Internet has been around as long as Al Gore could breath, and I understand that I should "get with the freakin' program," therefore, here ya go.

I thought I would start out telling you about one of my most prized accomplishments, a tale of truth and humility, a story about taking adeuce.....on the highway.

In the summer of 2003 I became a legend. I had just finished annihilating kids with awesomeness at a leadership camp. I of course was eighteen years old and a junior counselor. For a celebration, the other camp staff and I went to the Mexican restaurant in a near by town. Of course I ate too much, but in my defense, it doesn't take much when eating Mexican food to cause thecatastrophe that was about to unfold.

The next day I left that camp, car packed, radio cranked, and pedal to the floor. After a stop in Ellensburg, I was ready for the second leg of the journey. If you don't know anything about Eastern Washington, you're not missing much. A desert waste land, place of misery and boredom, and a place that will forever be the bearer of one of my burdens.

I was approaching the mid way point between Eburg and Spokane when the bubble guts (BG's) started a brewin'. I did the same thing everyone else does in this situation, grip the the wheel and squeeze. This technique can fend off and potential mess for at least 12 minutes, but I still had at good hour and a half left to travel. I knew what had to be done.

Lucky, being the good camp counselor that I was, I had taken a personally supply of 2 ply TP, which was conveniently the last packed item in my trunk. I let out all gas with caution. I quickly, however, had reached the bottom of my gas barrel, and was ready to enter phase two. Phase two begins with a cautious fart and ends with almost unloading the whole load in your pants. It's almost as if your turd has a fist, and it punches your hole just after you release its swinging. In a split second I have the cold sweats. My butt is now off the seat, as I am trying to stand in the car while driving. Getting your body out the sitting position is key.

Let me get one thing straight, in a do or die situation, I do. I think quick, check the rear view, and toss on the blinker. IT'S GO TIME. I forty-five that car on the shoulder and get to the trunk. I'm moving like my butt is on fire, praying that my muscles don't give out. I grab the roll and open the passengers door. With my back against the front fender and holding out my pants to prevent any potential projectile issues, I leave a legacy right there on the highway.

As I drove away, sweating from relief, I couldn't help not to look in the rear view and be filled with a since of pride. It's not every day, let alone, every life time that someone gets to unleash a fury of uncontrolled bowel movement on 106 degree highway pavement. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this blog, and look forward to many more.