Some answers to questions that are frequently asked…
Q. What is this website for?
A. To fundraise for the start-up costs of a business that will then fundraise for Juneau’s charity projects.
Q. Can you please sum the business up?
A. Halcyon Cafe will be raising money for Juneau’s charity projects with delish food, drink, and great entertainment in a super-cozy cafe.
Q. Where will this be located?
A. I will lease and remodel a space in Downtown Juneau.
Q. What will your hours be?
A. 10am-late night. Yeah…somewhere to go besides a bar after 8pm!
Q. Besides the charity, classes, and events-how is this different from other cafes and restaurants?
A. The ambiance. The bar will be scallop-shaped, so that you will face your friends or other patrons instead of a wall. There will be a long table (think European) echoing the scalloped shape behind it, encouraging patrons to meet one another. There will be booths on the other side, that are actually small comfy living room set-ups. There will be lots of great-smelling plants and flowers, magazines, board games, free books, vintage decor, a photo booth, and window seats with super soft pillows. No TV’s or neon signs. Do you kinda wish you were there now?
Q. This is a lot of stuff-can you do it all?
A. Nope. A full-time manager will be hired to be responsible for day-to-day operations, café inventory and ordering, staff supervision and scheduling. This person will also be in charge of the Entree and Soup of the Day and assisting with on-going menu development. In addition to cafe staff and teachers; there will also be a part-time accountant to ensure we are donating an amount of money that we can afford.
Q. What will be your responsibilities?
A. Marketing and event planning, updating website, scheduling of The Other Room, fundraising organization, non-profit connection organization, ordering merchandise, book program, and assisting in staff management-especially hiring. I will also be responsible for all day-to-day accounting aspects using the Point of Sale system, including payroll. Of course “other” will be under my scope of responsibility as well.
Q. That sounds like a lot of overhead, just in payroll. Will you make enough to be profitable, and be able to donate?
A. Yes! This cafe has multiple streams of revenue. The combined income from food, beer/wine, espresso and other NA drinks, classes (yoga/kid’s classes only in the model), and merchandise makes for a very strong financial model. At the end of year three, using conservative sales estimates, I am predicting a $225,769 net income. After profit sharing for my employees, and setting aside money for the business to grow-that is still a lot of money for charity(!!). Please go here for more details.
Q. There’s already two yoga centers in town-is there need in the market for a third?
A. I love those centers! They can’t cover all schedules though-there are no classes available for those who get out of work later than usual, and I’ll also offer 1/2 hour classes mid-day. You’ll be able to order your lunch on the way in (remember, we also specialize in salads)-and grab it on your way out!
Q. Don’t we have enough classes, lectures, and community events?
A. Uhm, never… I do see why people ask this, as Juneau has a lot of amazing community-oriented events. I will keep an eye on them to make sure we aren’t being redundant or overfilling the calendar. I will also be offering unique events like; Q&A’s with locals who’ve done impressive things, mini-courses (ex: Phil101-Super Brief), and I hope to have classes like capoeira, or massage.
Q. What experience do you have, relevant to this business?
A. My background is in marketing, event planning, and working in the restaurant industry. I will be accompanied by a General Manager who will have extensive restaurant management experience, and an accountant to round out the management team.
Please feel free to shoot me any further questions at owner@juneaucharitycafe.com!
