The last Blog post may have been in February, but Cafe Getaway has been rolling along without stop...well, almost without stop. There was a short break in June for Don to get arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. That went so smoothly, though, the break was hardly needed. He enjoyed the time off, however!
Our weekday routes have been our primary activity during the summer. Florida doesn't stop just because the snowbirds have gone away! The people who live and work here are mighty glad to see Cafe Getaway's cool blue truck roll in, and our smoothies, frappes, and iced drinks have clearly been the mainstay.
A highlight of the summer season has been the monthly Music on the Beach concerts, held (usually) the last Thursday of the month on Tarpon Springs' lovely Sunset Beach. The beach's new bandstand was opened in April, and the music is mostly smooth summertime rock and roll. There may be no other event that suits these retired sailors' psyches so well as sunset music events on a gorgeous beach. For info on remaining concerts this season, be sure to check our Cafe Getaway Facebook Page
Otherwise, we've been taking the weekends pretty easy, doing lots of family visiting. All that will change very soon with a jam-packed Fall calendar. More on that soon.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
We Now Take Credit Cards!
It's a big step, but we have finally taken it! Yes, Cafe Getaway now accepts THE BIG FOUR: Visa, Mastercard, AmEx and Discover!
Although customers at the weekend special events and farmers' markets usually come ready with cash, customers on our weekday routes working in shops and offices or watching their kids at soccer practice quite simply don't. On our very first day with the machine, 20% of our business came from credit card use!
Although customers at the weekend special events and farmers' markets usually come ready with cash, customers on our weekday routes working in shops and offices or watching their kids at soccer practice quite simply don't. On our very first day with the machine, 20% of our business came from credit card use!
Friday, February 5, 2010
New! A Weekday Route
In mid January we at Cafe Getaway launched a whole new phase of our business: a weekday route to service businesses in northern Pinellas County! We got a great start with several companies and small businesses along the picturesque highway Alternate 19 between Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs. And we are now expanding our range to service "Big 19" from Dunedin to New Port Richey in southern Pasco county.
It's been a big mental leap to switch from the full-day or multi-day set-up of most of the special events we have been doing, to the more lean and efficient arrangement required to maximize the in-and-out nature of the truly mobile service. For example, for the route we dispense with the easels and the big display menus, the condiment tray set-up, the awning as well as the trash can (since customers take their purchases indoors with them!)
Additionally, trying to build and balance the schedule is a challenge. For example, one customer has a company-wide break time, so we need to be on site promptly for that 15 minute window. The employees of another take staggered breaks, so the receptionist sends out an email blast to the employees when we arrive out front, and we stay for a half hour to accommodate them. In a third we pick up (or receive by phone) a pre-assembled order, whereupon we deliver the drinks to the reception area, while in small storefronts, we rely mostly on the the businesses seeing us drive in.
Additionally, while some clients would like to see us once or even twice daily, others prefer that our visit be a once-a-week special event. And of course everyone would like us to there at the same peak times, during the mid-morning and mid-afternoon slumps! Almost makes you wish you had more than one truck! almost...
We could not do this without the participation of Don's daughter Tiffany Eberhart, whose organizing skills and years of restaurant experience have really whipped us into shape. Between the three of us, we are able to divide up the week's work so that we each get some time off. It's an ideal situation, especially for Tiffany whose demands as a mom require a flexible schedule.
Anyone reading this who might like to add their business to our route as it takes shape should call Don on the mobile number 727-366-5261.
It's been a big mental leap to switch from the full-day or multi-day set-up of most of the special events we have been doing, to the more lean and efficient arrangement required to maximize the in-and-out nature of the truly mobile service. For example, for the route we dispense with the easels and the big display menus, the condiment tray set-up, the awning as well as the trash can (since customers take their purchases indoors with them!)
Additionally, trying to build and balance the schedule is a challenge. For example, one customer has a company-wide break time, so we need to be on site promptly for that 15 minute window. The employees of another take staggered breaks, so the receptionist sends out an email blast to the employees when we arrive out front, and we stay for a half hour to accommodate them. In a third we pick up (or receive by phone) a pre-assembled order, whereupon we deliver the drinks to the reception area, while in small storefronts, we rely mostly on the the businesses seeing us drive in.
Additionally, while some clients would like to see us once or even twice daily, others prefer that our visit be a once-a-week special event. And of course everyone would like us to there at the same peak times, during the mid-morning and mid-afternoon slumps! Almost makes you wish you had more than one truck! almost...
We could not do this without the participation of Don's daughter Tiffany Eberhart, whose organizing skills and years of restaurant experience have really whipped us into shape. Between the three of us, we are able to divide up the week's work so that we each get some time off. It's an ideal situation, especially for Tiffany whose demands as a mom require a flexible schedule.
Anyone reading this who might like to add their business to our route as it takes shape should call Don on the mobile number 727-366-5261.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Cafe Getaway at North Pinellas County Farmers' Markets
As the 2010 Florida winter season gets underway, Cafe Getaway can be found participating in three of Pinellas County's weekly Farmers' Markets:
* The Sunday Morning Farmers Market in Tarpon Springs, corner of Pinellas & Tarpon Avenues (Alt 19), Tarpon Springs; Sundays, 9am-2pm (contact Gerry McLaughlin of the Tarpon Springs Business Alliance at 727-938-0078);
* The Oldsmar Downtown Fresh Market, next to City Hall on State Street, Oldsmar; Wednesdays, 9am-1:30pm. (contact: Laura Mataluni, 813-749-1260)
* The Largo Harvest Marketplace, Ulmer Park, 301 West Bay Drive, Largo; Thursdays, 9am-1pm. (contact: Tanya Fazekas, 727-587-6740 x 5015)
Just this past weekend (Jan 3), we were pleased to be included in the inaugural Tarpon Springs Market, and, given the most un-Florida like temperatures (30s-40s), I think most of the people who attended were glad we were there with our large selection of HOT beverages!
The new Tarpon Farmers Market features a great selection of vendors, including, of course, sellers of fresh produce, a local grower of organic greens (I loved my fresh kale picked just that morning), our favorite fishmonger (they probably don't call them that anymore, but it's too cool a word not to use!), and vendors of local honey, cheeses of the world, specialty breads, and bakery treats.
But filling your grocery bag is not the only reason to come to the Tarpon Farmers Market! Bring the whole family and plan to have your Sunday breakfast there or perhaps your after-church brunch! Or both! The Tarpon Market has drawn an unusually interesting selection of food vendors! Choices ran from pierogies, empanadas, and wood-fired pizza, to Belgian waffles and (my personal favorite) French crepes from the charming La Petite France.
Despite trying to keep to a New Year's diet, Don and I managed to sample them all! 
For lighter snacking there was kettle corn and our valiant friend Bruce of Penguin Ice selling Italian ices! (What's that saying,... "a good salesman can sell ice to an Eskimo!"?)
Market organizers set up tables and chairs so that shoppers didn't have to eat on their feet, and great music was provided by the band The Urban Gypsies. The good news for us at Cafe Getaway is that all of this goes down well with a steaming hot cup of coffee, tea, chai or hot chocolate!
(To view a larger selection of photos from the Tarpon Market, please go to Cafe Getaway's album on Facebook.)
In addition to good foods and entertainment, the Tarpon Farmers Market also had several crafters, plant growers, and other booths about healthy living and the local community.
Farmers Markets like these are, in general, a great way to get outdoors and feel a part of your community. We hope to see you at one of the three markets we at Cafe Getaway attend, but if none are convenient, check out the following link to Farmers Markets in the the Tampa Bay area. The list doesn't seem to be completely up-to-date, but it'll be a great starting point.
http://www.tampa-real-estate-blog.com/2009/03/28/tampa-bay-farmers-markets/
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