It always seems to take a few extra weeks to recover from the holidays.  I have the best intentions to have my Christmas decorations put away right on January 6 but here we are on the 21 and we are still finding different pieces to put away!  And, I will make the same statement - NEXT YEAR, I WILL HAVE MY ACT TOGETHER!
     But here we are - the end of January and it's time to restart dinners.  Thursday Night Dinners, however will be changing to reflect our need to support this amazing community that has supported us so well.  Our dinners will now feature a menu that reflects the diverse opportunities to showcase all local vendors.  If we have the chance to purchase local meat, we will do so.  If we can source locally grown vegetables, that is what we will do.  It will be the same with dairy, bread and baked goods.  Every menu item will list from where we purchased the ingredients so you know whom you will be supporting.  We will also return to full, sit-down format and our staff is ready to give you the night off and let you relax in a welcoming atmosphere!  Lastly, our menu will now feature custom-crafted cocktails designed to accompany our all-new menu, again featuring as many locally-sourced ingredients as possible.
     Not able to make it in?  We can always prepare a to-go bag if you give us a call.  Not everyone has the time to hang out with us but needs the night off from cooking so we can take care of dinner and you can cross this off your list.  And, to better serve you, our dinner hours will be 5-9:00.
     Beyond dinners, we have so many exciting events coming up.  In February, we are hosting a cookie class for Valentine's Day by Cakes by Amanda.  At the end of March, we are starting to plan our Easter Brunch.  In May, we will again host our Mother's Day brunch.  We are starting to schedule several private events such as bridal showers and baby showers so if you need a space for an event, we are ready to help.  Or as always, if you need a catering platter to bring in to work or to bring to a party, we would love to help make you the hero of the day!
     2023 ended and I am once again extremely grateful for everything we see happen around us in this wonderful community and for this amazing staff.  I have said it before but the coffeehouse has been and continues to be my dream, and I love it as much today as the moment the dream took root in my mind back in 2017.  This amazing staff works tirelessly to keep the dream alive while serving our wonderful customers, and I know you appreciate them as much as I do.  So many of their ideas are alive in the coffeehouse as well as yours so feel free to share your ideas and we will do our best to incorporate what we can to better serve.
     I know some of us are already saying how sick we are of winter (like me) but we are prepared to warm you up with a hot bowl of soup and a nice steaming cup of coffee and are hoping you can make time to stop in and say hi while you are out running errands because it's always a beautiful day on the Hardwick Common!
     

     There's almost too much to report and there has been so much that has happened this year that I hardly know where to start.  Most everyone has probably heard that we had one of those catastrophic water leaks that forced an almost-4 month shutdown - boooo.  But we got an almost brand new kitchen - yeah!
     I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to thank a few folks who not only saved my sanity but also saved the coffeehouse, quite literally.  First, if it had not been for the quick thinking and incredibly knowledgeable Adam Moulton who sprang in to action as soon as we called, I dare not think where we would be.  Don't laugh but I really thought that after a few days of drying out that we should be good to go.  I know you're laughing and I'm so much wiser now but Adam had the restoration folks with their big fans at the coffeehouse within 24 hours of my call and it took almost 2 weeks just to dry it out.  (So not a few days!)  It was Adam who coordinated all the payments and even ensured that my amazing staff remained paid during our shutdown.  When I despaired at the amount of time passing by, he calmed me down.  When I was frustrated, he answered my questions and made me understand the process.  Adam made it easier for me to endure the long months of shutdown.
     Next came the work of putting us back together - no small feat as you can imagine.  Dave Mazeika of DAM Plumbing & Heating was there immediately to stem the leak and complete the repairs in between his other work.  Think about the supply issues happening right now.   We needed a whole new furnace, along with everything else, and he somehow made it happen on schedule!  
     For all the kitchen repairs, you will see from the pictures there were many.  We needed a whole new ceiling, all new counters, a new platform for the 2 commercial fridges, complete floor refinishing, all the walls repainted and all the work coordinated on schedule.  I knew who I had wanted to ask to handle the renovation but I knew how incredibly busy they were.   They had done such amazing work on the original buildout of the coffeehouse that they were the perfect group to do it again.   I finally mustered the courage to ask Matt Keddy and couldn't believe it when he said he would do his best to fit me in to their schedule.  The Keddy's are the best, and I was willing to wait for them to fit me in.  They did everything right on time and with delivery of all my new appliances and equipment, it all came together like a perfectly choreographed ballet.
     I am so grateful to have this group to have gotten us back on our feet but where would I have been without my Emily. She has been my rock through COVID and its shutdown and then the Pipes and its shutdown, and now it's time to say goodbye.  I've been so lucky to have had such amazing women at the helm of the coffeehouse these last 5 years, and Emily was special.  She has such a head for business and she started her own successful flower business that is really taking off.  I have so enjoyed watching her these last few years really blossom (I couldn't resist) and grow into this amazing person.  She is fearless in ways I wish I were.  She knows things naturally that would take me years to learn and while she isn't going far, I wish her every success and can't wait to see what she does next because it will be amazing!  I hope you stop in and support her.
     The beauty of Emily is that she is generous with her knowledge and Megan Jolin is our new General Manager, and has been working with Emily for almost 2 years.  Meg ran the fair last summer almost single-handedly.  She has some awesome ideas and is ready to take the coffeehouse in amazing new directions.  Stop in and say hello.  Try a new drink because she loves to experiment with new flavor combinations.  
     We are so happy to open again.  Stop in and see the new kitchen.  We missed you while we were closed

     I can hardly believe that, as we welcome June, we can also start to welcome all the smiling faces that we have missed!  Hopefully, you read the Facebook notice we posted this morning stating that the Governor has lifted the mask requirement, thereby making masks optional.  We look forward to this next phase and the infinite possibilities it will bring.
     Spring is the perfect time to get outside and take advantage of the sunshine and warmer weather.  Here at the Coffeehouse, Emily has been hard at work creating the kind of outdoor spaces everyone loves to enjoy.    She and her amazing team have been enthusiastically setting up the back patio and planting our gardens.  The pergola is ready to enjoy, and we invite you to keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for any upcoming events.  If you have any ideas, we'd love to hear them.
     I would be remiss if I did not offer my heartfelt thanks to Caitlin McGuiness who left us in March to pursue other opportunities.  While she left us in the very capable hands of Emily, I believe we are as strong as we are today because of all the hard work Caitlin put in for the 2 years as manager as well as the 2 years before with the Coffeehouse.  I have been so lucky to have had such amazing women at the helm of the Coffeehouse, so to Stephanie, Caitlin and Emily, you have my enduring thanks for keeping our ship afloat.  We should all be so lucky to know such strong leaders!
     It is said that life does not get easier or more forgiving but that we get stronger and more resilient.  I would like to think that the last 16 months has also taught us wisdom.  As we look forward with a renewed sense of purpose, we are excited at the opportunities here at the Coffeehouse.  While we work to build a schedule for the upcoming summer, we look forward to welcoming everyone back.  If you've got some time to sit and chat, we'd love to catch up.  We've missed you!  See you on the Common!

     If someone had told me a year ago today what our world would look like, I'm sure I would have not believed it.  Masks, empty airports, empty classrooms and plenty of uncertainty to go around, and it's anyone's guess when it will all end.  I have to think that we have learned something valuable this year in that no matter what our beliefs or backgrounds, there is more that binds us, more we have in common, and we are stronger together.  And so this is our working motto as we continue to limp towards 2021.  Without our outdoor space to provide additional seating, we continue to lean on the support of the community around us, and are grateful for such great support.
     As always, Caitlin and Emily are hard at work coming up with new ideas and with the holidays looming, are already planning exciting and fun things to give everybody an excuse to take a break from working at home and home-schooling.  My hat goes off to all the parents with kids at home working through the school work.  My kids would not have made it easy for me, and I would have considered running away every single day.  So home school parents, great job for sticking with it!!
     Shop Small Business Saturday is coming up on November 28, so stay tuned for coffeehouse news to help kick off your holiday shopping.  Do you have other ideas that where we can try to help?  We are game to try just about anything so give us a shout and let's see how we can help each other out!  Want a platter of muffins for Thanksgiving guests?  We can do that!  Want coffee and pastries to bring in to work to be that office hero?  We can make you look so good!  Need an afternoon pick-me-up before starting the afternoon marathon of meetings, call ahead and we can have lunch ready for you!
     Ok, Hardwick, let's help each out!  Give us a shout and let us know how we can be here for you.  I think 2021 is going to be amazing and that keeps us going.  Stop in say hello, message us and say hi, drop us a line and most of all, keep us in your thoughts because you are always on our minds!  Stay safe.

     These are strange times indeed!  And our hearts go out to everyone personally affected by the COVID-19 crisis.  Today, as with every day, we wanted to extend our sincere thanks to this beautiful community for all you give to us as we all navigate life together.   Uncertainty can breed fear and fear can lead to the kind of anxiety that would serve to separate us, one from another.  As we have previously said, we are going to continue to do what we can for those that need us, and through all this, we will not lose sight of what led us to start this business - this wonderful community.  First, let me say again that our commitment to serving the community  is our driving purpose, and while things have certainly changed, we continue in our unfailing devotion to being good stewards of the trust you place in us.
     Caitlin and Emily continue to brainstorm ways to ease the burden so if you have an idea, we are ready to do what we can.  We will remain open as long as we can.  Our dining room may have closed, but we are still here with the same great menu so if you need a break from cooking or a delicious latte, give us a call!  These 2 amazing women are the glue holding everything together and I again offer them my profound thanks for keeping all these plates spinning!  I should have been there twice since all this started, and I have complete faith that they are well-prepared to handle whatever comes up!  Insert virtual hugs here!!
     Tired of dinner planning?  Tuesday and Thursday are our dinner pick up nights.  We are offering a rotating menu of prepared, family-style dinners to take this one thing off your plates (and replace with something yummy!).  Check in to see what is being offered next!
     We have exciting news to share.  We heard the many requests to retail milk here in the coffeehouse and starting next week, we will have milk from Mapleline Farm in Hadley available for pick up!  As we continue to evolve, what else would help you?  Let's hear it!
     To mirror Horton Hears a Who, WE ARE HERE, WE ARE HERE, WE ARE HERE!  Check in to say hi and know we are thinking of you!

      Blink, and life changes so much!  In the 4 months since I have posted, we have had so much change that it's hard to keep up!  Since then, trees have budded and blossomed, our grass has turned green, and schools have released our kids to the fun of summer!  Here at the coffeehouse, we have seen our fair share of changes as well.
     Our amazing Steph has moved on to her next challenge, and I cannot put in to words how grateful I am to everything she has done.  She poured her time and energy into growing this business, and there is no way we would still be here without her boundless efforts and diligent hard work.  She hasn't gone far, and we hope she comes to visit often.  This is a good move for Steph, and she will be missed!
     But as with all change, time marches on and I feel so lucky to have been able to see Caitlin step seamlessly in to Steph's role.  Caitlin is energized and ready to take on all of life's challenges in the coffeehouse, and her enthusiasm is contagious!  I cannot help but feel excited about the future!
     With all this change inside, we hope you will stop by to check out all the changes happening outside as we put in our accessible ramp to the back patio and install a gazebo to make our beautiful backyard even more inviting.  What fun events we can plan to include our firepit, patio, gazebo and beer gardens for all.  What could be better than cornhole alongside our running brook with room for the kids to play!
   And, what would summer be without our amazing fair.  Everyone has been so enthusiastic in sharing their ideas for what could work for us, so keep those thoughts coming in.  We'd love to improve on last year and plan just what everyone wants.
     Where did the last 2 years go?  We are so grateful for your support of our small business, and we look forward to many years of partnering with this beautiful town.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you for all the good thoughts we feel every single day and know that we feel so lucky to be apart of your lives.  Come see us on the Common!