What's cooking you ask? Well, it turns out a lot....like a ton!! Thanks to some much needed printed press (The Times Call, March 3rd by Clay Fong) we have a bunch of new customers coming to see us. A very happy but tired Keith and Teresa. This brings me to my point...doesn't anyone want a job?

I was recently at a meeting in which the unemployment rate was listed as 2.2% here in Boulder County. Thats outrageous and good for the economy but what about us small business owners? We've been advertising for partime help for over 6 months now, and not one applicant. This is where we envy those larger chains that can absorb these economic changes. We are too small to do that. Its a trade of making staff work longer than expected (and losing them) or owners working longer than the usual 75 hrs/week. Yuck. I understand why this industry is so difficult. All over our little town there are signs asking for help....I look on craigslist and almost every restaurant is advertising for help. Whats' a business owner to do?

And yet I see the significance of our position in the area. There's few places where you can go and get truly homemade biscuits and gravy or a green chili that we make ourselves. Its unusual and yet, its where we look to eat when we are traveling. I mean we make our own poptarts! Who doesn't want that?
So we keep on plugging away and hope that someday someone will see our ad and need a few hrs of work each week.

Perspective

Being your own boss has its ups and downs....and with a family business like ours, its important to keep perspective. Perspective: a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something. The first thing you see when you walk in to our diner....well, its on the door in fact. We are a family run diner

That said, its easy to get caught up scrambling eggs and lose perspective. I took some advice from my own childhood growing up....don't get so caught up making money, that you forget about making a life. Our oldest heads to high school in only a month and the other one is one year later....in a very short period of time, they will both be gone to college. So whats a Mom to do? Well, the same thing my own Mom did.....start saving!
13 months ago I presented the family with a cunning plan....save up our pennies, nickels and dimes and take a real vacation. Like actually fly over the pond and meet up with cousins, Aunts and Uncles in the UK....it was a formidable plan to say the least. The kids learned how to clock in and we buckled down on expenses....my brother in law was on hand to take over the reigns in the diner and we reached our monetary goal by Spring of this year. Our first family vacation in about 4 years....two whole weeks visiting Scotland, Wales and England....it was amazing. We enjoyed great weather and great food! We were tempted to try out the deep fried Mars bars, but declined and chose the fish and chips instead!
We came home tired (won't be flying United airlines EVER again, but that's another story) but ready to get back into the swing of summer. Our family run business is still doing well, and thanks to those who helped make it possible, our family is doing well too!

Ok, here's a little information for how good it is to give. When I say give, I really mean give....like for free. No strings attached...unless you count a silent prayer that one day they'll give you some business that you can charge for!
As a small business we get approached daily about donations and it not always possible but....we sure do try to make it happen. A few months ago we were asked by the Longmont Humane society about donating some appetizers to their biggest fundraiser of the year. We love animals and making some meatballs seemed doable....then they called back.
It turns out that they were expecting a big....well...turn out! They needed more than we could donate...like double-more. Gulp. Then it hit me that we have a great friend over at Frontiere Natural meats, Robert LaPoint and his has employees Richard and Jo Ann...so I gave them a call. Together we were able to make 300 Asian style meatballs with their Bison meat. It was a win for everyone and I think we were able to get the attendees a taste of something unusual and yet readily available. It was all for the animals and who is not a sucker for that line....speaking of lines....I had the best one all night! "Hi, my husband and I own Mac's Place diner, would you care for some Bison balls?"

Music and food, what a combination!

Day to day ownership of a diner is exhausting sometimes (ok, truth? my dogs are barkin almost everyday!) .....trying to make sure everything is running smoothly all the time. We want every customer to have a good experience when they come in to,get what they need. And for the most part, we accomplish this with some degree of success. However every once in a while, a customer comes in and there is simply nothing I can do right. Such was the case a few days ago with a gentleman who came in and was unhappy from the start....not the right creamer for him, possibly having to come up and get his own coffee refill if he wanted to (though he never did that as I was quick on the rounds that day) and having to wait until the large group that came in before him got their meals.....he simply wasn't happy. After he made a few pointed comments about going somewhere else next time to his companion, I cleared their table and wished them a good day.
Thankfully, this happens maybe once a month....and its human nature I guess. You can't please everyone.
Yesterday we kicked off our music series with our favorite husband/wife duo The Prairie Scholars....and boy did they bring in the crowd! They have the kindest following and the coolest tunes, so when the diner filled up, we got very busy! Now, I don't want to pretend to be an expert in this whole small business thing yet, but if you are looking to bring in more customers....start with some good local musicians. Here in Longmont, we have tons of them!!! Having grown up in a small town north of Nashville, I have a special place in my heart for those folks who know how to strum....We are privileged to be able to open up our patio and offer our customers an opportunity to see the local talent. We are grateful, and exhausted all at the same time....but its nothing a glass of wine won't cure!

Ok, so being a restaurant owner has its up and downs....I thought that before we started this diner. But the extent of those highs and lows reached new levels in the last few weeks.
Some of you may have actually been here in the diner when you witnessed me falling apart.....I got a call from my frantic mom....she or my Dad had lost our dog, Mac. In the tears and fears of her voice I couldn't quite make out what had happened but grabbed my jacket and ran out of the diner....apron and all!
He'd gone missing from my Dad's car in the Best Buy parking lot south of town.....2 hrs earlier! In only a few inches of snow I ran like a crazy lady around the entire shopping complex where he was last seen....screaming and crying that our beloved Mac was gone. I didn't look for long until I called Keith back in the diner and told him in no uncertain terms that he was to get out here and help me locate our little fur baby.  My brother in law Kenneth would just have to make it work in kitchen on his own....his love of animals made the argument really easy. It turns out that I'm quite recognizable in my dirty apron as many folks saw me and offered to help. Two very nice ladies, who were in Apricot Lane shopping, walked the entire shopping center and called out his name. One lady from our daughter's orthodontist saw me and pulled over to help. After about 1.5 hrs we got a call from a wonderful lady named Elizabeth who had gotten my number from the Longmont Humane society. She thought she had our Mac. To our great relief, it was him and we were reunited at her home. We offered all kinds of payment, including free breakfast but she would take nothing. God bless her and all those who helped us.
That's the low and the high all in one day.
Mac got microchipped along with his brother Duffy at Cambridge Animal hospital 4 days later!! Thank you Dr Natalie

Well, well....its already the first of February 2015 and what a year 2014 was for us at Mac's Place....A recap seems fitting and yet, I'm worried I will forget someone or some huge event that crossed our paths. While our menu has stayed pretty much the same, we've been able to introduce some tasty treats to our customers that they wouldn't find elsewhere...I mean...who else makes a schnitzel burger????Or where can you find a locally raised Bison burger??? The pan-fruit-muffins are still Teresa's fave to whip up in the breakfast hours and Keith's Reuben sandwich is quickly becoming a town favorite! Our teenage staff on the weekends continue to do great work and we are blessed to have them all with us!!! Speaking of weekends, Mark Vickland will be joining us on Saturdays and Sundays on the cookline.
Keith  and I are able to take a day off and catch up on bills, paperwork and of course, laundry!!! Kenneth is focusing his time off on his beloved dogs and new family over at the Longmont Humane Society, where he volunteers.
Our business continues to grow and we've seen a lot of return customers, especially with the catering side of the restaurant.
We are going to start booking musicians for the patio this Spring/Summer/Fall. There is plenty to choose from here in Longmont....so keep an eye out on our App for events getting posted in the next few months!

Well, its the season we enjoy all the comings and goings of our customers and tonight is going to be a lot of fun for everyone. We are going Italian for tonight's private party....its going to be amazing. A 5 course dinner that includes, minestrone, caprese salad, seared sea scallops with a Fra Diavolo sauce, sausage and Boursin cheese lasagna....and save room for dessert folks! Cannoli's on the dessert plate!
Each course is matched with its own wine/beer pairing and the diner will be decorated to reflect the season! I can't wait till our party gets going!
We've added some delicious Baklava to our counter and they are flying out of here....or am I eating them all??? Not sure about that. Janet and Alan Heath from Baklava Unlimited make these and distribute to some very popular grocery chains. They are in our neighborhood here and we are lucky to have them. They go really well with our coffee for something small and sweet. We want to wish all our customers and fellow small business owners a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!