And so it begins - starting Flipside

Chris got possession of her cafe space just before New Years and I spent a few days there this week helping with the initial stage - clearing it out.

The panoramic shot, above, was taken when we first went in and were sorting stuff to be junked (by the demo team), on the left and stuff to be kept, or sold on kijiji, on the right.
The entrance wall (where I am standing) has 2 small windows and 2 wooden doors. It has been painted white but looks badly whitewashed. Chris has just learned that she cannot take it back to the original brick without using a very expensive "waxing" technique. It should not have been painted in the first place so she also cannot freshen up the paint. So it will stay as is.
The ceiling is huge exposed wooden beams as it is the bottom floor of a 3 story, old industrial building. The metal pillars have been painted white and sit on large stone bases. Behind the counter is an exposed red brick wall and the rest of the walls are painted drywall.
Since this photo was taken, we have moved all the saleable items to Chris and Jason's garage (5 trips in my SUV and 1 in their car) and they are up on kijiji. The expresso machine has gone to be refurbished. The demo crew has come in and gutted the serving area, counters in the kitchen (it is to the right of the serving area) and the little closet to the left. Chris has had meetings with contractors and electricians about rebuilding the serving area with some walls and half walls and building benches along the entrance wall (these will also hide some rather crumbly stone work).
The painted floors are being ground down and polished this weekend.
There are plans in the works to make a "living wall" of hanging plants and herbs (to be used for the savory donuts) on the right hand end wall and perhaps an etched mirror of her logo on the left hand end wall. Decisions are being made on the fly as she wants to be open the first week in February.
It is a lovely space, about 1000sq ft, not too big (feels cosy) and not too small (she doesn't plan on seating for much more than 24 at first, although she is licensed for 44).
It is both exciting and terrifying and Chris and her team (a chef and an organizational assistant) are working hard and adjusting to each of the "hiccups" along the way.