Exciting Challenges Lay Ahead - Hello, New Era! By Nancy Wilson

This article is about Creative Arts Café operations but before heading off in that direction, I want to pay homage to Keith Chester who retired on September 5th. Keith was instrumental in almost all of the positive programs, events and endeavors that made our community such a special one. His last and most formidable challenge was the creation of the Creative Arts Café Teen Program, restaurant and community center. With just $150,000 of grant money, he managed to assemble donations, people and ideas to create a full service restaurant and arts center housed in a beautiful 5,000 square foot building. The facility opened in 2007 and over the last four years it has become the hub of Lake Helen. So, I, for one, want to thank Keith for his tireless dedication to the project and for hanging in there when times were tough.

It’s no secret that the Café has not been consistently profitable. Upon Keith’s departure, the City decided to assign me the task of looking into the operation of the Café to find areas where improvements can be made.   I thought it would be a good idea to get input from my CAC co-workers and what I found was a pleasant surprise….the employees are very engaged in the restaurant. They are dedicated, professional and hard working. Phew! I was relieved because staff issues can be debilitating and with a little tweaking, my partners in this endeavor will be part of the solution. I’ve received invaluable input from them and look forward to forming a team.

Next, we started looking at the menu and how it can be improved.   We want to have every item that everybody wants but reality proves that impossible. With skyrocketing food costs, certain items may have to be removed from the menu while others may need repricing.   These adjustments, however, are coupled with superior products and many homemade items. We’re partnering with Brecht’s Meats to provide all our meat products and we’re moving away from packaged foods to fresh, homemade items. We’re also going to add several healthy choices for those looking for lower fat, lower calorie options. As it stands now, we’re going to have a separate breakfast menu and a streamlined lunch/dinner menu to make dining choices easier to make.
The more nitty gritty tasks such as reducing expenses via inventory control, creating realistic price points, controlling waste and reducing ancillary costs will be ongoing.

Also, ongoing will be generating more revenue by increasing business and testing creative ideas for other forms of income.   In upcoming weeks, you may notice some changes. Please tell your server any constructive comments or criticisms you have, and of course, praise is always welcome! Like Keith always said, this is your Café so come be a part of it and enjoy what Lake Helen has that so few other communities have – a facility that was created for you by a man who wanted the best for us.   I look forward to seeing all of our devoted customers in the coming months and years.