someday, my cafe
I'm a firm believer in following one's dreams. After all, that is what brought me here to LA 8 years ago; my dreams of living in a large city, having a boyfriend and being in a band. In fact, I've wanted to be in a band probably since I was around 12 and first fell in love with the Thompson Twins. But, that's a story that's been told a few times. My other dream, and one that is perhaps well less know, goes back even further.
As a child, sometimes I would get hungry and prepare myself a snack in the kitchen. For as long as I can remember, being in a kitchen has always inspired me to pretend that I'm a cook in my own cafe. I would lovingly prepare peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, imagining that someone other than myself would be eating them shortly. As I've aged, I find myself thinking more and more about that distant day in the future when I will, in fact, operate my own cafe or diner. And in these fantasies, the cafe is located in my hometown of Paradise, Kansas: population about 50. Not exactly the most financially viable place to locate a cafe, as the recently defunct Downtown Diner seems to have proven. But my obsession with running a cafe here stems back to my earliest memories.
I remember being a very, very young child and going to the cafe in Paradise that was located on the west side of main street, in what is now and has been for most of my life, a city-owned garage just north of Post Insurance Agency. The only thing I can recall from this memory is my aunt Sharon (who I think worked there) and hamburgers. Later, I remember the other cafe, which was across the street in the building on the corner. This building would later house "His Place", a religious bookstore ran by the Nazarene preacher where I once ate microwaved Red Baron pizza which he served on paper plates; Angel Hair which was my aunt Sharon's beauty salon; and most recently the Downtown Diner as mentioned previously. I can't recall if those early memories are in fact real or just fabricated years later. The only thing I remember about the second location when I was very young was that it seemed the whole town was there on a weekend night, and that there was a wood burning fireplace (which was not there by the time my aunt set up shop).
Anyway, the dream of having my own cafe sort of comes and goes from the forefront of my daydreams. Anytime I try a new recipe or get a new cookbook, I'll inevitably begin thinking about it in terms of menu items. I've already given a lot of thought to what I would serve and how I would advertise.
A few years ago I came up with a concept (which I'm actually hesitant to blog about for fear of having my idea stolen) that would focus on down-home traditional types of Kansas food, but also incorporate some international flair. I would also want to do catering and delivery, and specialize in wedding and event planning as part of our catering services. I'm sure there is a market for weddings in Paradise that has gone relatively untapped. I guess I shouldn't give away too many more of my ideas, though!
Of course I realize the actual reality of operating a restaurant in what is basically a ghost town in the middle of nowhere is pretty illogical. It definitely wouldn't make money and I'd be lucky to break even. I do predict the opposite of urban flight happening sometime in the future, but I'm not sure when and I don't know how it would affect Paradise. I don't think it's too far out of the realm of possibility that at some point Hays would grow larger and Paradise would be almost a distant suburb. I have thought of creating some cheap housing in an effort to start an artists' enclave there, and have a daily shuttle that would go to Hays and back for convenience and to entice college students. But all that would take a lot of money so I have to make my fortune out here in California first. And, if I did make a fortune, would I ever really want to return to Kansas and run a cafe? It's sort of a catch 22.
Perhaps the good news, is that really I think if I am truly meant to own a cafe, I would be open to letting it happen wherever fate takes me. Maybe it will be here in LA. Maybe it will be in some quaint town on the east coast. Perhaps it would even be in Kansas City - I know that would make my parents happy!
So until the day I'm ready to settle down a little bit and stop chasing dreams of fame and fortune (if that is in fact what I'm doing now), I'll enjoy exploring different types of food and keeping mental notes on what I'd like to serve in my cafe and what I want it to look and feel like. It's always good to have something to look forward to, especially something as realistic running a small restaurant.
Oh, and make sure to e-mail me any good recipes you come across!
As a child, sometimes I would get hungry and prepare myself a snack in the kitchen. For as long as I can remember, being in a kitchen has always inspired me to pretend that I'm a cook in my own cafe. I would lovingly prepare peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, imagining that someone other than myself would be eating them shortly. As I've aged, I find myself thinking more and more about that distant day in the future when I will, in fact, operate my own cafe or diner. And in these fantasies, the cafe is located in my hometown of Paradise, Kansas: population about 50. Not exactly the most financially viable place to locate a cafe, as the recently defunct Downtown Diner seems to have proven. But my obsession with running a cafe here stems back to my earliest memories.
I remember being a very, very young child and going to the cafe in Paradise that was located on the west side of main street, in what is now and has been for most of my life, a city-owned garage just north of Post Insurance Agency. The only thing I can recall from this memory is my aunt Sharon (who I think worked there) and hamburgers. Later, I remember the other cafe, which was across the street in the building on the corner. This building would later house "His Place", a religious bookstore ran by the Nazarene preacher where I once ate microwaved Red Baron pizza which he served on paper plates; Angel Hair which was my aunt Sharon's beauty salon; and most recently the Downtown Diner as mentioned previously. I can't recall if those early memories are in fact real or just fabricated years later. The only thing I remember about the second location when I was very young was that it seemed the whole town was there on a weekend night, and that there was a wood burning fireplace (which was not there by the time my aunt set up shop).
Anyway, the dream of having my own cafe sort of comes and goes from the forefront of my daydreams. Anytime I try a new recipe or get a new cookbook, I'll inevitably begin thinking about it in terms of menu items. I've already given a lot of thought to what I would serve and how I would advertise.
A few years ago I came up with a concept (which I'm actually hesitant to blog about for fear of having my idea stolen) that would focus on down-home traditional types of Kansas food, but also incorporate some international flair. I would also want to do catering and delivery, and specialize in wedding and event planning as part of our catering services. I'm sure there is a market for weddings in Paradise that has gone relatively untapped. I guess I shouldn't give away too many more of my ideas, though!
Of course I realize the actual reality of operating a restaurant in what is basically a ghost town in the middle of nowhere is pretty illogical. It definitely wouldn't make money and I'd be lucky to break even. I do predict the opposite of urban flight happening sometime in the future, but I'm not sure when and I don't know how it would affect Paradise. I don't think it's too far out of the realm of possibility that at some point Hays would grow larger and Paradise would be almost a distant suburb. I have thought of creating some cheap housing in an effort to start an artists' enclave there, and have a daily shuttle that would go to Hays and back for convenience and to entice college students. But all that would take a lot of money so I have to make my fortune out here in California first. And, if I did make a fortune, would I ever really want to return to Kansas and run a cafe? It's sort of a catch 22.
Perhaps the good news, is that really I think if I am truly meant to own a cafe, I would be open to letting it happen wherever fate takes me. Maybe it will be here in LA. Maybe it will be in some quaint town on the east coast. Perhaps it would even be in Kansas City - I know that would make my parents happy!
So until the day I'm ready to settle down a little bit and stop chasing dreams of fame and fortune (if that is in fact what I'm doing now), I'll enjoy exploring different types of food and keeping mental notes on what I'd like to serve in my cafe and what I want it to look and feel like. It's always good to have something to look forward to, especially something as realistic running a small restaurant.
Oh, and make sure to e-mail me any good recipes you come across!
Comments
It is wierd that you remember Sharon working at that first restaurant! There was probably a church event, or something like that, and you are actually remembering that. Everything else is pretty accurate. I don't remember the wood stove, but we had plenty of dances, haircuts and meals in that cafe. Remember, your grandpa Hendershott was supposedly born in that building, too. Edith Dwinelle told me that. So it has even more significant history for our family.
Keep cooking, and you may even look into chef school, or a similar program, wouldn't that be fun! Good luck, and thanks for sharing!