I'm "spilling the beans"!

JerBear · Post by **JerBear** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 00:56

Just checked it out (linked over from FB). Looks great! Love the chalkboard look and especially like the additional information given with the menu items! Congratulations!

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 01:30

Verrrrrry nice. I got a preview last week. Perhaps we can persuade Jason to post a photo of the storefront in Washington DC. It looks just great... and... he's discovered an ancient gold and silver mine in the basement too!

This outfit will succeed... I can feel it in my bones!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

story28 · Post by **story28** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 14:43

Thanks a lot for the nice words guys.

. And that goldmine in the basement. We unburied enough colonial antiques to buy a doorknob

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 15:39

It is a very ambitious and comprehensive menu that you show. Will you be able to have all of those items on opening day? I ask because many of them require months to prepare. Do you also plan to offer vacuum packaged frozen entres?
Last week I gave friends a loaf of fresh bread and 3 stuffed bell peppers and received a note from them yesterday thanking me and praising the peppers.

story28 · Post by **story28** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 16:12

ssorllih wrote:It is a very ambitious and comprehensive menu that you show. Will you be able to have all of those items on opening day? I ask because many of them require months to prepare. Do you also plan to offer vacuum packaged frozen entres?
Last week I gave friends a loaf of fresh bread and 3 stuffed bell peppers and received a note from them yesterday thanking me and praising the peppers.

Hey there Ross. Thanks for the nice words

. I can't really tell you if that is the size menu we will be offering on any given day. I imagine that it will be scaled down to 25, but even that will be dictated by what our display case will hold and the flow of customers. I cant see us going below 20 items though. I am going to start a dry-aging program and start selling aged steaks, prepared roasts, stuffed quail, ect as we get busier, but the perishability rate is very high on those type of items.

You are right about the salumi end of things with the time it takes. That is the first thing I am going to start making once we get our inspection. I am going to start with smaller diameter salamis and dry cured items such as pancetta, and guanciale that have a shorter maturation period. We are going to operate quietly for friends and family for about two weeks until we fine tune our production and service before opening the flood gates.

We might have a few things frozen such as demi-glace, stocks or bones but I am going to limit freezer food only because we are getting such beautiful whole animals in to work with. It would be shame to have to freeze that type of quality product. Nothing wrong with it, it just doesn't really fit in with the concept of fresh food, ya know? It does have its place though

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 17:30

I think that you are planning very well. Stay flexible. Several of the farmers here direct market their meat products. It makes for a slower cash flow but substantially better prices. They vacuum pack and freeze everything.
I moved to Harford county 40 years ago and we had nine butcher shops with killing floors. We are down to just one now. They sell dry aged beef and they know what their products are worth. They also sell some Polish type sausage but I don't believe that they make them. They don't have a smokehouse.

Bubba · Post by **Bubba** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 18:08

I also just checked out the website, looks awesome! or as JerBear called it the "chalkboard" look.
And the menu items sound very delicious, when looking at the toppings or ingredients, the combination will be very tasty.
Good luck with your venture, and when ever I am in Washington, I will definitely stop by.

story28 · Post by **story28** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 20:21

Thanks a lot for the encouragement and support guys

. I'll keep you posted as we move ahead.

story28 · Post by **story28** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 16:44

Well, after one full year spent developing a concept and five months building it, we are almost ready to open our shop. We have final inspection with the DCRA on Monday and I have an interview with the health department later that day to make a few small revisions to our HACCP plan.

If the DCRA likes what they see Monday, then we can call for health inspection for Friday. If they like what they see, then we can FINALLY get started.

Just the formulation of this idea has been one hell of a ride full of lessons. If anyone finds themselves trying to open something up and needs a hand, let me know and I will help however I can.

We have taken a few photos along the way that we have posted on Americas #1 social media network. If you'd like to check them out, here is a link.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Three-Li ... 0593634840

We should have pictures of the finished work in no less than two weeks.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 17:09

Here's hoping that the inspectors are honest and do their jobs without bias.
I am pleased to know that you have spent the time planning that you have. Far to many shops open on a lot of enthusiam and little or no planning and many of them don't last a year.
I was talking to the man that owns the wine shop where I buy. He has just finished his tenth year in business. I asked him if he had known going in just how hard it would be would he still have made the jump. He said that for the first year he was scared to death that he had made a huge mistake. Today he just smiles and shakes his head..

Make friends with a local soup kitchen. If you have product that times out for the sell-by date you can donate it to the kitchen and take full value for the donation. If you call they will be standing at your back door with a truck at closing time.

jbk101 · Post by **jbk101** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 20:13

story28,
Just made some time to check out Web Site and Facebook pics.

Great job and Good Luck to you and you Wife on your life ventures and new business. I will have to make a point of stopping in when me and my lady decide to take a trip to Washington and enjoy some of the great products I believe that you are going to produce.

What part of Michigan did you grow up in? I am from Detroit area originally (Hamtramck to be exact)

Gook Luck
John

Keymaster · Post by **Keymaster** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 00:13

Story28,
You've been a busy guy, I am impressed at all the hard work you have endeavored to the goal of your new business. Its nice to see a couple work hard at a goal and see it come to fruition. I wish you and your wife the best of luck on your journey and by the looks of your hard work you will be very succesfull!!! Don't forget to take atleast 4 days off a month

Aaron

story28 · Post by **story28** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 03:53

Thanks for all the nice words guys. We have been busting our tails. I hope to see you all at one point or another if/when you are able to visit D.C.

I grew up in Milford, which is where chef Brian Polcyn had his restaurant. It is so ironic to think that as a teenager his restaurant was walking distance from my house but never meant a think to me then. I took a date to Five Lakes Grill when I was 17, but that was only to impress the girl. I had no idea what all the fancy stuff on the menu was. Anyways, about 5 years later I returned from cooking in St. Lucia and began working at Five Lakes and became sous chef under chef Brian. He definitely doesn't pull any punches. But that is where I got a lot of my mental training and learned accountability and not making excuses. I guess being periodically sworn at in an open kitchen is what works best for some people. But he was tough in a way that makes sense. Some chefs swear and yell but can't back it up with talent.

Anyways, another thanks for all the support. It is truly appreciated.

vagreys · Post by **vagreys** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 23:13

Congrats on the Certificate of Occupancy! Good luck with the Health Inspectors, next week. You're almost there! You can sleep next year.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 00:48

He can't sleep. He's going to Poland with me in August for the 3 day convention and festivities! Anyone else game?