Imagine… a place where people of all ages and
stripes regularly come together to get to know one another, develop the skills and
structures for collaboration, and cooperatively meet our basic needs. As a big step
toward such a reality, there is now an opportunity to get all the fixtures and equipment
for a small café for a small fraction of their value. Such a gathering place could
be the perfect starting point for a community coop. And it could provide a livelihood
for some, too.
A friend of
mine sold her small storefront café in Orange County well over a year ago. The
buyer took over, but never completed the purchase, so my friend still owns the
equipment, which has sat in the vacant storefront ever since. She has been ready
to walk away from her equipment because she has no use for it, has no place to
store and sell it, and frankly is not an effective businessperson. For a couple
of thousand dollars (or maybe less) to pay the former landlord for storage,
plus some small amount to my friend, we could get enough commercial equipment
and fixtures to open a coop café as an anchor for a more diverse community coop.
I have written a concept paper that I will share with anyone interested.
This
commercial equipment is nearly new and worth many thousands of dollars. I have
an inventory list and it includes an expensive espresso machine, other food and
drink machines, several refrigerators and freezers, display cases, tables and
chairs for customers, cash register, stainless steel prep tables, sinks, and portable
shelving units, and much more. Even a custom commercial water heater. Everything
necessary to run a small café for a tiny fraction of cost. I could pick it all up
and store it in my garage until it is needed, but we would need to get it
before the landlord finally auctions it off.
If anyone is
interested in exploring such a possibility, please reply or give me a call.
-Brad Smith
949-933-1983