Whisking on Pens & Needles

I’m happy to report that there’s been a few steps forward in the road to getting the new Sweet Studio up & running

Last week I finally got to submit my architectural plans to the town building & health departments!!!  I know it seems like a very *tiny* step, but it was definitely an expensive step to get to! Now the plans sit in their hands for at least 21 more days (they have a total of 30 days to review) and hopefully I’ll get their approval to move forward with construction.  In the interim, I’ve been meeting with contractors to view the space and get some estimates written up to see exactly how much the build out is going to cost.

So far I’ve met with two general contractors & one electrician, and already one GC had to back out because he has a conflicting job.  *Sigh*.  Two early morning meetings – for naught.  Hopefully I’ll have everyone lined up for work when I’m given the go ahead from the town.

If only building a sweets studio was as easy as building cake…

On that note … gotta get back to work on tmw’s cake!

Alright, I’ll admit … I’ve been in a SERIOUS funk lately.  I’ve seen enough “building a restaurant” shows and read enough horror stories to know that the building of my cake studio would require a lot of patience & I had as much of a chance of winning the lottery as I did having everything go smoothly and ON TIME.  However, knowing what to expect and living it are two very different things.

At the end of July, I was supposed to have my architectural drawings done to submit to the building & health departments (who then has a month to review them), and as the end of August quickly approaches – I still don’t have them.  The last email from my architect says I should have them by the end of this week or early next week (*SEPTEMBER people!!!!*).  So let’s see … I’m already a month behind and I haven’t even gotten to the fun part of construction yet, where I thought all my delays would happen.

In the interim, I’m hesitant to really plan a big marketing push for the fall market, because who knows when the studio will actually be open and ready to go.  My personal guess is sometime in January 2010, although in my heart of hearts I really want it to be November 2009.  I really don’t want to be majorly putting myself out there when I am still working in a very small environment & don’t have the capacity to take a slew of orders.

I’ve tried to be productive & stay positive through these early delays, but it’s increasingly difficult when your entire life is kind of ON HOLD waiting for this cake studio to be born.  At least expectant moms know that they have a MAXIMUM of nine months before their kid is here.  Sigh.  (Total side-bar: Although, like expectant moms, I do find myself knitting like CRAZY to stay calm & not totally lose it – and NO, I do not knit cake ;p Let’s just say that my entire family & lots of friends will be warm this winter!)

I’m already behind on my goal of one cake a week until the studio opens … but I’m hoping to catch up in the next few weeks.  I have a paid order for this coming Saturday, and I’m hoping that being in the kitchen will help me stay out of the funkitude.  Maybe, I’ll even be inspired to squeeze in the two cake designs that I should have made in the last two weeks.

It’s a weird see-saw effect when it comes to the equation of making cakes for me … it’s goes a little like this:

1. Funkitude b/c of studio delays = avoid the kitchen & anything cake related as it is a reminder of how I need more SPACE!
2. Being in the kitchen & making cake (& or other savory food or sweets) = funkitude disappears & clients/friends/husband/me get to eat the rewards

I think I’ll be taking the kitchen path this week …

It’s official … I had my first official breakdown today.  I had a sneaking suspicion that the waiting & the pre-construction phase would be the hardest on me … and I was right.  The architectural & mechanical drawings that were supposed to be completed at the end of last month STILL aren’t done & I’m just now realizing that I’m going to need to find a G.C. before I submit these drawings (whenever I do get them) to the town building department because I need to submit the construction permit application with them, which requires a lot of information I won’t have until I know who my G.C. is going to be.  GAH!!!!

Initially I thought it might be the best (& most economical route) to act as my own G.C., but after speaking with Jay, I’m beginning to see that I might be better off hiring someone to schedule all the tradespeople (plumber, electrician, carpenter, etc.).

At least I have partially updated drawings from our architect & engineer to review with Jay tonight.  Maybe if I understand exactly what is going on in the space I’ll feel better.  This total lack of control & lack of knowledge is making me lose my sanity.

Tomorrow, after cupcake baking (something that truly brings me peace), I shall deal with the daunting task of trying to find a general contractor I can trust that won’t cost me a gazillion dollars to build out this teeny tiny cake studio.  I feel like I’m picking a needle out of a haystack blindfolded.  Biggest factor in selection = trust.  Second biggest factor = price.

Even though I’m still here at my day job for two more weeks, I am definitely feeling the shift to all things bakery related.  On the list this week:

• Talk budgets with the architects & try to bring their design/build quote within a reasonable & reachable fee
• Have an engineer go and check out the space to see if there are any major issues that may make me change my mind on taking the space, before I sign a lease
• Follow up with the owners on sending the lease out to me for review
• Continue developing new cake designs to keep the creative juices flowing and to keep my mind from going to a dark, nervous place that is worried about money
•  Make one portfolio cake

I had debated on whether to begin posting these building a bakery posts here or on the Sweet Element blog.  In the end, I think it is  more fitting to have the posts live here, since this blog is more about all the elements of my patchwork life, and this new bakery is going to be the newest & biggest section!  I’ve got a slew of new things planned for the Sweet Element blog coming soon … so if you’re following both – keep an eye out!