A (Long Lost) Summer 2017 Update
Trying to open up a business can sometimes feel like you're juggling, and depending on how it's going in the moment it can feel like you're juggling balls or knives! So I just had to laugh when I found this update that I meant to post last summer. It's a lovely little look back into 2017's summer, and how interesting to see what stage the market was at then. I'm posting it now so I can look back years from now and sigh over all the baby steps our lovely market took before we opened the doors!
Summer 2017:
Hello! We want to keep you all in the loop of what’s going on down at Penngrove Market because we know so many of you are dying to know what the status of everything is! We had such a wonderful time at the parade for 4th of July- we even won a trophy for our parade truck! It was incredible opening our doors so the community could come in and check out the interior of the store- we got to meet so many people just waiting for the store to open! The connections we made with old friends and new was amazing, and everyone had such positive comments on how the store is so open, light, beautiful, big. We’re pretty sure everyone loved the free ice cream we sampled that day too, from Mariposa Ice Creamery. It’s made in Petaluma, and we’re the only market that this special ice cream will be available in!
So, on to the update. We’re waiting on permits especially- building permits have been submitted, and who knows when those will be approved? We’ve received our health permit, and are in the process of obtaining our alcohol license for wine and beer. In the mean time we’ve finished our website so please look us up at www.penngrovemarket.com! We’ve also been making lots of connections with local farmers and vendors so we can fill our store once the permits are done and the work in the kitchen has been finished! Speaking of the kitchen- our wood fired oven is being made right now up in Healdsburg. Chef Joe has been eagerly awaiting it, although we can’t install it until the rest of the kitchen is done. We’ve been looking for other kitchen equipment as well, and working out the details of all the refrigeration we’re going to need for the market.
Local artist Marla Pederson painted the awesome mural you can see right from the front doors of the store, and another local artist and business owner Brien Simmons has done an incredible job of revitalizing and renewing the signage on the outside of the building. We’ve been painting too- a few walls, the bathroom, and tubs for our front garden planters- aren’t they gorgeous with all those beautiful flowers in them? Beverly Kavanaugh is our rockstar gardener and we’re so thankful for her help!
We aren’t quite at the place where we can start hiring general staff members yet, but we’re getting closer. We’ve been working at setting up all of our behind the scene stuff- like benefits for employees, and job descriptions for the different roles we’ll need to fill in the store.
We’re just going to finish up by assuring everyone that we are working on opening Penngrove Market as soon as we possibly can, even if you don’t see a lot going on inside the store as you pass by. We’re working on a myriad of stuff, a lot of it behind the scenes as we wait on those permits. If you do see us in the store, we encourage you to stop in a say hello! And please keep following and checking on our social media pages for news!