How did you come up with Fenster? Part Three. Practical

Well, as you already know, I have already sold my first coffee shop, withdrew from the project of the second coffee shop, in fact, without doing anything of what I had planned. Thus, I found myself in what is called “tabula rasa”. But it is not quite so.

Going through the door of the Closet, I already knew where the other door was waiting for me. For now, a door. I mean, I had already come up with my new format in general (two previous issues). It remained to find where it all should be.

During the search, I decided to “suspend” my entrepreneurial activity, registering it in the appropriate organization, so as not to pay unnecessary fees.

I was walking down one street to the office of this organization, but for some reason I turned to another. I often do this to see more interesting “corners” of Vienna, just out of curiosity.

So, I was walking along this “new road” to this office, and suddenly I had a thought: “oh, and on the same street, one of my friends “X” wanted to sell (or rather “rewrite” the lease, for a fee) us her premises for the Wardrobe. So, while she is looking for someone, I will try to open a coffee shop there for my idea. And maybe there I’ll raise some money for the payment.” That’s what I thought.

It should be noted that in the room itself there are several nooks and crannies where you can build my equipment and make coffee. I expected to “strengthen” to such a corner.

I go to her and ask: “how are you” and so on. I told her about my idea and asked, “How do you look at it? I see her eyes light up and she says to me: “I have a warehouse with a window to the street, I think your idea would be better suited there”. I liked the idea of opening a coffee shop a little separately from her shop right away. But I also immediately doubted whether it would be successful.

So we agreed that I would take either a corner in the store or a warehouse with a window in any case and we would take a time out until the end of the year (3-4 weeks) and then decide where and how. Actually, I was very glad that it happened, because I had already decided what and where, there were only small things to do.

I spent these few weeks to make a decision – where exactly. Every minute I thought about all the factors, weighed all the little things, went to the room and just looked at the street, people and thought.

There was a lot to think about: the street was small, dark, opposite a well-known restaurant, people in the city are not used to buying on the street, especially coffee. How to heat in winter? There is no toilet, nothing at all. And most importantly, what to do on cold and rainy days – people walk little and quickly on business.

In the end, after reconsidering everything, I decided to do this: we will start in the window, and if nothing happens, I will move inside. Moreover, we will start in the spring, and I will have time to promote it before winter, so that regular visitors would come in winter. Naive. I had no idea what would happen next. But more about that later.

When I finally decided what I wanted and had to do, we met again, made an oral agreement that I would take a warehouse with a window and the opportunity to take over the premises when I was ready for it. We agreed to draw up all the documents and start acting.

Actually, at that moment everything was done for the history of Fenster to begin.

It’s strange how the chain of coincidences and accidents so “connected” itself with my ideas and plans, but it happened exactly as I could only dream. And, interestingly, this is exactly how I imagined my future life when I realized that I was taking my first step out of the Closet.

It so happened that a significant part of my life, including my personal life, remained in the Closet. But it had to happen, I guess. And I started Fenster as a 100% “clean” and free person in everything. Perhaps these conditions made it possible to bring Fenster to its success?

I’m going for a delicious coffee! 🙂