06/09/2026
Well friends, today was one of those days that every small business owner hopes never happens.
One of our refrigerators quit overnight, and despite some items only being a few degrees outside of safe temperature ranges, we made the decision to do what was right and discard everything that could not be confidently served. That meant over $1,000 in food had to be discarded today.
For a small business, that's a tough hit.
Our team talked about closing tomorrow, but instead we rolled up our sleeves, adjusted the menu, made a plan, and started making last-minute grocery runs so we can continue serving our community.
We don't share this looking for sympathy or to complain. We share it because sometimes people only see the final price on a menu and don't see everything happening behind the scenes. They don't see the equipment failures, the rising food costs, the utility bills, the building repairs, the insurance, the payroll, or the unexpected expenses that seem to show up at the worst possible times.
The reality is that restaurant margins are often very small, especially in seasonal tourism communities. Some months are good. Some months are not. And sometimes a single refrigerator failure can wipe out a lot of hard-earned progress.
Many of you know that for our family, Tower Cafe has never been about getting rich. In fact, beyond the thousands of hours invested and personal resources we've poured into the business, every dollar we've made has gone right back into Tower Cafe—into our staff, building improvements, equipment, and creating a place where people can gather.
For our family, this has always been a labor of love and a way to invest in a community we care deeply about.
So why do we keep doing it?
Because we believe community and connection matter.
Every day our doors are open, our staff helps support their families. Friends meet over coffee. Visitors discover our town. Neighbors catch up. Conversations happen. Connections are made.
And the support comes in so many forms.
It's the family that chooses to have breakfast with us. It's the contractor who books one of our rooms. It's the traveler who trusts us with their Airbnb stay. It's the person who buys a Tower Cafe shirt, mug, sticker, hat, or sweatshirt because they want to take a little piece of Tower home with them. It's the folks who tell their friends about us, share our posts, leave a review, or simply stop in for coffee.
What many people may not realize is that those purchases don't just support Tower Cafe.
The shirts, mugs, stickers, hats, and other merchandise are purchased from other small businesses. The building improvements we've made over the past few years have been completed by local contractors and tradespeople. Our repairs, supplies, services, and day-to-day operations involve many other businesses and families throughout our region.
That's something we're incredibly proud of.
When we can hire a local contractor, buy from a local supplier, or partner with another small business, that's a win for all of us. Community isn't just what happens inside our dining room—it's the network of people, businesses, workers, entrepreneurs, and families who help each other succeed.
So when you choose to support Tower Cafe, your impact reaches much farther than our front door. It helps support our staff, their families, other local businesses, and the people who work hard every day to make this community a special place to live and visit.
And while today was disappointing, we're ending the day with gratitude.
Thank you to our amazing team for stepping up and helping find solutions.
Thank you to everyone who has eaten with us, stayed with us, purchased merchandise, shared our posts, recommended us to others, or simply cheered us on from the sidelines. We never take your trust for granted.
We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve this community and all those who visit it.
We'll see you tomorrow.
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P.S. Several people have asked how they can support Tower Cafe.
If you'd like to support us, we've included links in the comments to our Airbnb rooms, our online ordering page (where gift cards can also be purchased), and our online merchandise store with free shipping.
Whether you stop in for breakfast, book a stay, purchase a gift card, grab some merch, share a post, or simply tell a friend about us, we're grateful for your support.
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Hours
Monday - Tuesday Closed
Wednesday - Friday 7am to 1pm (7am to 1pm breakfast and lunch 10am - 1pm)
Saturday and Sundays 8am to noon (breakfast buffet with some breakfast menu item options)
