 |
Almost the entire Medici family at the time we took over Metro (2008). I get weepy considering all the amazing people we have had the honor of working with. And many that still call Medici their home. Seriously, how did we get so fortunate?
|
 |
Demolition or rebuild? I can't even tell. All I know is that it was a hell of a lot of work. Hard work that was done by Michael and a few multi-functional baristas and executed in a shockingly short time.
|
 |
| (rain)water slide. |
At the Guad location we hoped to create continuity of the Medici atmosphere without masking the unique character of the building. We got pretty close. Wood tones balanced out the industrial edge and a big splash of the West Lynn red brought color and warmth to the space. It came together in a distinct and fresh expression of Medici in all ways but one: we were unable to replace the heinous metal furniture. But oh well. One thing at a time.
 |
| Documenting the leaks. |
One malfunction at a time is another way to say it, but since we prefer to stay positive we will call the next series of events in the life of the Guad Store "challenges." Not long after opening the doors, the roof crapped out. Here you can see the effects and how we MacGyvered our way through it.
The other challenges we faced in the initial years do not deserve visual representation. We just hope that if you have ever been to the Guad Store it was
NOT one of the times the a/c was down. Or when a mysterious odor skunked up the place. Or that you encountered the bloody invincible spawn-out-of-thin-air flies that plagued the store. Plagued I tell you. Come to think of it...it's really not worth recalling.
What is fun to remember are all the ways we began to experiment with the building's potential. Many endeavors were inspired by employees looking for outlets to express their creative passion. For instance, Guad had a kitchen and we had a few baristas who loved food. So we opened our own baking operation. When that ran its course, we started making in-house sandwiches. At one point we were even serving hot breakfast (much to the owners' delight).
But the creative reservoir within the Medici family was not limited to just food and drink. We also attracted an incredibly talented lot of artists and musicians into the barista world. Releasing their creative energy into the space always produced something exciting. For a while we had weekly concerts in the shop. Over several seasons we partnered with one of our long-time employees to create a media business, which among other things promoted the shop through video and animated commercials. Our current manager is an artist and curates the space as a gallery for other local artists.
Over these first five years, some experiments worked and some didn't, but we had fun with each endeavor and increased our understanding of what Medici on the Drag could hold. One thing it does quite well are large events--everything from SXSW concerts, to craft fairs, to birthdays and even weddings.
 |
| Stoney playing in 2009 for SXSW |
 |
| First wedding hosted at Caffe Medici on the Drag. |
 |
| Dear friends Doug and Meg Kuehn christened our shop with matrimonial bliss. |
 |
| Medici hosted several craft fairs organized by local artist Han Stoney. |
 |
Packed full of sellers and shoppers and study-ers.
|
 |
| Medici Christmas party. Told you we have a lot of musicians. |
 |
| Birthday parties do well here... |
 |
| ...especially when they're mine. Yes, it was that fun!!! |
 |
| And we've been known to host a few dance parties. |
There is a world of potential at this store, and it feels like we have not even begun to tap into it. The already-adventurous start is a small taste of what's to come. But oh the process of realizing potential!! It is wrought with tension. We see the grand possibilities of this store but making them a reality is an entire journey. It requires total belief in the goodness of what we have offer and total willingness to walk through every manner of bullshit so that others can receive it.
Most days, we are up for it. Perhaps you've seen Michael sporting his favorite (non-white) t-shirt that says: Impossible Possibilities. That's his approach to life and business, and it's a good one. But to be honest there several points at which we have wanted to walk away. There have been setbacks so big that it was only prudent to consider the value (and cost) of our continued presence on the Drag. But each time a hardship threatened our resolve, some miracle would happen.
And this last one has been the best so far...
