09/16/2026
I’ll preface this with… yeah, I know I’ve been posting a lot lately—and this is also very long. I try to keep this page strictly café-related and not like a personal blog, but I’ve had a realization recently.
Since opening, I’ve spent so much time trying to be a people-pleaser—worrying about 1-star reviews, obsessing over making everything perfect, and (gasp) stressing over the possibility of sending out a less-than-stellar drink. Being in the service industry puts you right out in the open, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in protecting your brand.
As you’ve probably learned by now, my brain spins at a million miles an hour. I’m a total weirdo, and if I’m not constantly creating something, I get anxious AF. But I’ve been throttling a lot of that energy just to maintain this “perfect” little coffee shop image. Trying to make every single thing perfect is exhaustinggggg.
So lately, I’ve just been letting more of my actual weird self show through. More of the punk and heavy metal inspired art. Less pleasing and apologizing. I’m making the drinks and pastries that genuinely fit our vibe, and running our marketing the way we like it. I’ve been wound so tight that I haven’t even stuck any of our new stickers on my laptop yet (doing that the second I hit post).
With all this, I really just want us to feel like an old-school coffee shop. Like the ones from the ’90s—where it’s just fun, the drinks taste good, and it’s not all about the views, likes, or performance.
Here are a few random ideas I’ve always wanted to try. We’re actually doing them now, so get ready:
• 1st Ever Haiku Contest: Get your 5-7-5s ready. (If you use AI, you will be banished. Lol.)
• Paper Airplane Contest: Self-explanatory. Let’s see who has the best aerodynamics.
• Egg Drop Contest: I’ve literally wanted to do this my whole life. Build your contraptions and join us!!
• Adventurous Food & Drink Club: If you’re already an elite “Aardvark Club” member, you know what’s up. If you want in... the next special is already planned.
Thanks for reading this stream-of-consciousness novel. Next time I’ll keep it sho…
❤️— Jay
