Summer schedule and other important things May 29, 2016

Hello and happy Sunday!

I hope you have been enjoying this festive Summer-like weekend!

We are forever in this cycle of change. I have so much to say right now, but will spare you and only share the most important and relevant for this moment:)

1. We will be closed for one day Friday June 3rd. We had an unexpected staffing change and I have a long ago-planned weekend trip.
2. We will be open our usual hours through June, Tuesday-Friday 11am-4pm, possibly with 1-2 exceptions. I will be taking my son to sleepaway camp on June 15th, so depending on what my staffing situation is by then, we may be closed that day. We will also keep our regular hours for July, though we will likely close for a week or so sometime in the second half of July. I’ll announce closures here and on our voicemail, and will also post them on our front door as soon as I am aware of them, so please stay tuned in if you’d like to know what’s happening.
3. Some things have come up recently that have inspired me to take a new look at the most sustainable and best way to operate Julia’s Kitchen, and whether there is a sustainable way for me to operate Julia’s Kitchen. For now, I know that simplifying is part of the plan. It may be that we move to true counter service, it may be that we offer 2-3 options per day rather than the 7-8 we’ve been offering even with the new rotating menu, it may be more grab and go, it may be some combination of these things, and it may be something completely different! The one thing I know for sure is that our focus will remain on the integrity of the food we serve and that’s where I intend to put as much energy as possible. This week will be one of experimentation as I’ll be operating by myself, possibly with the help of some working interviewees. I’m going to be looking at other small niche restaurants to get some guidance; if you know of a place that might inspire some good ideas for Julia’s Kitchen, please let me know. FYI – I’ll be in New York City this weekend, so I plan to do some research there if you have any great places to suggest!
4. As many of you already know, we are now operating on a cash-only basis. There are many reasons for this decision. I’ll list a few:
   1. Credit card companies dictate what businesses who accept them can and cannot do and say. They have convinced everyone that they are a win-win for both customers and business and then forbidden conversation about it. I believe that, while convenient for sure, they are a lose-lose for the majority of their customers on either side of the counter.
   2. Some people intentionally use cash at small businesses because they understand the impact and complication of the fee structure. Because credit card companies won’t allow a surcharge for credit card use, those intentionally paying cash are effectively subsidizing the use of credit cards. I like things to be clear and straightforward; credit cards are not.
   3. If given a clear choice between handing your money to a hard working small individual who has offered you a product or a service and handing your money to a fortune 500 business that serves as a middleman facilitating that payment, I have a hard time believing that many would choose the fortune 500 company. But, nevertheless, with credit card usage, this is what happens every single day, probably millions of times. I don’t like anything that removes us from reality and credit cards certainly do in more ways that one.

I realize that the logistics and particulars of Julia’s Kitchen are forever-changing and that is uncomfortable for some people. I thank those of you who have been willing to ride the waves of change and who have helped me remember what’s important.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, wherever you are and whatever you are doing!

Julia