Pennyard Bistro & Winery
The Place to Wine & Dine
Well when we thought things could not get any worse, it did. The plumbers needed more money to complete the first phase of the job, in additional to that they had to purchase another grease trap. April was already here and we had less than two months to get things done before the expected grand opening in June. Nothing else could get done until the plumber completed his portion of the project, and it didn’t look as if they were going to be finish anytime soon. The plumbers needed to put the new grease trap in with a cover, and make the appointment with the inspectors to come back and re-inspect.
As always I was optimistic and Goran was not, he was starting to panic because he knew they would not be finished for our grand opening, furthermore his fear was our three months of free rent was just about over, and we were not even close to opening. The thought of not opening on time was weighing greatly on my mind, I had a lot of work to do, but most all I needed to keep everything going and stay positive and hope for the best, but like Goran, I was beginning to have some real big concerns. But I kept telling myself to be patient, stay positive and most of all, have faith.
We met some very interesting people while getting the Bistro up and running, some that do not warrant mentioning by name, but Fleming was not one those people. Fleming owns a restaurant supply store uptown; he sells used and new restaurant equipment, but mostly used equipment. Fleming is a slick taker and a real southern gentleman. I was looking for a hood and Fleming had what I needed.
It’s kind of funny, you never think about all the equipment that goes into a commercial kitchen, we know from the beginning we would have to find a hood, but trying to find a used hood was a tough order. Fleming has been in the restaurant equipment business according to him, for forever, he was very helpful and was a tremendous help to us. I found him very charming and funny, but bottom line he knew people and I needed a hood installed and Fleming was the man for the job, and better than that, he had a used hood sitting tight there in his store.
Now negotiating with Fleming was another story, he was worst than a used car salesman, he wore us down, until we agreed on a price including the installation, after negotiating with Fleming, I was completely worn out, but out of all the promises that were made involving the upfit of the Bistro, this southern gentleman kept his word and delivered. However, there was a lot to be said about the two characters he hired to install the hood, but I guess I can’t get everything.
The hood took about three weeks to completely get installed, and in those three weeks, those two guys kept us laughing, they were hilarious and we actually needed some humor, because the plumbers were getting on my last nerve. The latest fiasco was the grease trap, yet again, this time the plumber’s wife called and boy was she a pain in the butt. Apparently they located the correct size grease trap, but it was priced more than they had allocated in their budget, and they wanted us to pay half, Goran went ballistic, and I was so taken aback by the suggestion that we pay half, I really didn’t know what to say.
To make matters worse, the company needed a credit card before they would ship the order to the plumbers, but the plumbers did not have a credit card. What company doesn’t have line of credit or credit card, I could not believe it, and to complicate matters, the plumber’s wife was a difficult person to deal with.
Goran was totally against paying for the grease trap that was the beginning of our arguments that would last until the day the Bistro open. I finally got him to understand that time was not on our side, and if we turned back now, we would lose our entire investment, so he agreed to pay for the grease trap and deduct it from their balance.
We both agreed we should not have to pay for half of the grease trap and reminded the plumbers, they were obligated to complete the job according to the specifications, which included the correct size grease trap, and if they didn’t comply we would take them to court and sue, all the time I’m thinking, you got to be kidding me, what happen to the promise of doing a great job! There was dirt piled five feet high, concrete all over the place, the plumbers were really getting on my nerves. I didn’t think we would ever get rid of all that dirt and concrete.
Finally the grease trap arrived and was installed, but true to form, once again they did not complete the job. The inspectors arrived and the project failed again, this time it was because the grease trap needed a cover. Can you believe this, again the plumbers refused to get a cover for the grease trap, who in the hell installs a grease trap without a cover????
It’s now mid May and we were not even close to finished. I’m always the optimist in our family, I’m always optimistic about everything, but at that moment I realized I had made a serious mistake in hiring them and I was now in full panic mode. I called our general contractor and asked him to get involved, but even that did not make a difference, I was sinking fast.
In order to get the inspector to re-inspect and pass the work that was already done, so the project could move to the next phase, we had to order and pay for a cover. I will not comment on the inspectors, just in case the next place I open, I need to get the
In the meantime, my family saw my anxiety and kicked right in gear, my sister Sharon, my brother Reggie, and my nephew and nieces all came to the rescue, they sanded tables and chairs, stained them, pulled up old carpet, they helped haul the concrete to the dump that the plumber left in the back, and pretty much kept me sane. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without them. But I would soon realized the Bistro would be as important to them as it was to me and many special and memorable occasions would happen at the bistro.