...official blog of Cafe Evoke Catering - Oklahoma's premier specialty coffee catering company...
About Cafe Evoke Catering
Café Evoke Catering is Oklahoma's premier specialty coffee catering company.
Complete menus and information kits are available for download at CafeEvoke.com. Please feel free to email us through our website or call 405-606-2200 if you have any questions about incorporating a full service specialty coffee bar for your next special event or for your office.
Thank you for choosing a Fair Trade coffee catering company. We look forward to a long friendship.
This is a multi-part series discussing the history of Cafe Evoke -- from the time I started this blog to today. The posts are rather long which is why I am breaking them up into several parts. Let's continue with the history of Cafe Evoke. You can find Part 1 here.
During the month of October, we began getting ready for our future by talking with the SBA about funding. We had (and still have for that matter) private financing that will work for the start-up period but thought it would be good to give the SBA a go. It ended up not being any better than what the bank was offering as far as rates and terms.
We got our S-corp organized as Conversations, Inc. doing business as Cafe Evoke which was an exciting step. We now had a "real" business name. This was about the time that we begin to run into some turbulence with the lease and our newest future home. What made this even worse was the fact that my wife and I were trying to get this all worked out before heading to Portland and Seattle -- a two week trip for some coffee education. I was excited about the trip but knew it would be difficult closing the lease deal from a hotel room.
The day before we hit the road for Portland, the lease was agreed upon and was on its way to Oklahoma City to be signed by our financial backer who would overnight it to us in Portland to sign and get back to the leasing agents. It was a great day and a great start to our 2 week vacation.
One the 25th of October, we signed the lease! After 10 long months of planning and sweating, we were going to go back to Bozeman with a location in hand. It was a great feeling. We did not have time to sit around and enjoy it however. We had deals to make on equipment and furniture and also needed to start getting the floor plans finalized and the build-out planned. We planned to make as many deals as we could at the trade show and wanted to have it all going by the first of November when we would be heading back to Bozeman.
The first 3 days (1, 2, 3) of November might have been the toughest we have faced so far in our journey towards our dreams. The lease fell through and we were put up against the problem of budgets and finding a new location. By the 15th, the lease had officially been broken. The company tried to say it was because we changed our menu but really it was for Starbucks. Go figure..
By the end of November, we had a nice little surprise in the publicity column. We were featured in US News and World Report. That was a bit of a pick me up to the end of my toughest month since I began planning the business months before. We still had some tough decisions that needed to be made but I knew that with patience, we would get to our goal.
This is a multi-part series discussing the history of Cafe Evoke -- from the time I started this blog to today. The posts are rather long which is why I am breaking them up into several parts.
Many of you joined me back in January of 2005 as I set out to document our journey and planning of Cafe Evoke -- an art and coffee house. Over the course of a year and seven months, we have had our ups, downs, and turnarounds but have come out stronger each time with more information and experience which help us make better decisions the next time around. I want to give a history of Cafe Evoke with this post. From the very beginning to today -- what we have gone through and what we have in front of us. I hope this helps those of you who are new readers to A Thought Over Coffee. Here we go...
This blog began on January 28th, 2005 in Nashville TN. I was a student of entrepreneurship at Belmont University. This was 4 months from the end of school and the time that I began to first put thought -- dreams really -- to paper. I as anxious and excited all at the same time. My professor kept telling us that this was our chance to fail on paper before starting our businesses. I did not want to fail.
By February 10th, 2005, we had our mission statement. This was a big step for us as we finally had something to write about. Yes, it took a few weeks to get that down and I think we are in need of a revision of sorts but that is a different post for a different day.
On Thursday, March 3rd, 2005, I turned in the rough draft of the business plan and headed to Bozeman for our first market research trip. The idea here was to get more information to help us revise our plans when we returned. We received the first draft back on March 18th, 2005 in better shape than I could have thought.
I turned in my final business plan on April 18th, 2005 and presented it on 25th. It went great.
I graduated on May 14th, 2005 and prepared myself for the big move to Bozeman. From here on out, I knew everything would be "for real."
We had our first meeting with a building owner on May 27th, 2005. This was a space that we had our eye on from Nashville -- right on campus and what we thought might be a great location. This meeting was promising and got us off on the right foot in seemed. After several months of ups and downs, we had to move on and cleared all of our boards in the office in early August of 2005 to regroup and prepare to find a new location.
On August 19th, we found a new possible location that we really thought would work for us. We took a lot of the things we learned from the first attempt to lease a space into this one and felt we had a nice position on the negotiations.
By September 28th, we had signed the agreed upon terms and the agents were drawing up all the legal documents needed for both parties to make it official. This was exciting for us as we finally had a location -- or so it seemed.
I started this blog, A Thought Over Coffee, at the end of January 2005 with this post about holding your nose to jump. While this blog has come a long way - across the country and back again in fact - it has changed from the original concept of why I started it in the first place. I am not in any way hinting that I am shutting the blog down again or that I have been unhappy with the content I have been presenting over the past year or two. Really, what I am saying is that we need more. We need more of what it was in the past.
So what does all this mean? First, I want to start by telling new readers (and ones that have been with me and Cafe Evoke since day one) why I started this in the first place. This blog was born to document and ups and downs of a start up business. A business being dreamed up by a college student with real life glances into what I was going through day to day. Open, honest, sincere, and to the point.
I got the idea for this blog from my dear friend and professor Dr. Cornwall of Belmont University and his business blog The Entrepreneurial Mind. This was early in the years of blogging - really before everyone had a blog and before it could be heard in every day conversation. This was my business journal - a place where I would go and talk about everything Evoke.
Over the years, the blog has changed. For many reasons. To get into all of them would take a complete history of Conversations, Inc (the parenting body of Cafe Evoke and Cafe Evoke Catering). Starting today, I will begin to present that complete history - from inception to our current journey in Oklahoma City. I can tell you, we have come a long way to end up so close to home.
I will start with a series of posts with track back links to old things I have written. Once that is complete, we will fill you in on our thoughts, aspirations, and ideas for the all new Cafe Evoke and Cafe Evoke Catering - Oklahoma's premier specialty coffee group.
I invite readers back to this blog to join in the dissuasion. As I once said "this blog is a day by day monologue or, if you would be so kind, a dialogue."
Specialty Coffee was flowing while Cafe Evoke Catering hung out downtown on Thursday night for the grand opening and ribbon cutting festivities at Block 42. Block 42...
"is a new Downtown residential project consisting of 20 town homes and 22 elevator accessed flats. Block 42 is adjacent to the central business district, Bricktown and the Oklahoma Health Center on NE 4th Street and Central. North- and south-bound I-235 is immediately accessible from Block 42, providing easy access to every part of the city.
All ‘for sale’ units will be customized to the owner’s finish selections with wood floors, stone counter tops and stainless steel appliances. Each condo has a private balcony or rooftop deck as well as a private garage. The entire project will be pre-wired for high-speed internet and state-of-the-art telecommunications.
Block 42 is the first official ‘green’ project in downtown Oklahoma City. By attaining LEED certification (for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), Block 42 has met the sustainability standards of the U.S. Green Building Council. This attention to eco-friendly design translates to a better quality of life for all residents, better indoor air quality and lower monthly utilities expense."
The event was great and we had a chance to take a look at the units that had been completed at the end. NewsOK.com blogger Steve Lackmeyer took some great shots from the event.
This all happened last Thursday. We have been watching progress of Block 42 for some time now and think that it is a good start for urban living in Oklahoma City. There are so many projects going on right now in the area and we believe that it is just a matter of time before urban Oklahoma City becomes the hot spot for central Oklahoma - if not our entire region when taking into account the new NBA team, Devon's new building, the OKC riverfront, Bricktown and everything else.
Cafe Evoke Catering was happy to be a part of this landmark event. We can't think of a better way to celebrate a grand opening - great food from de la Famille, great coffee and espresso drinks from Cafe Evoke Catering, and ice cold beer, wine, and pastries.
I love OKCTalk.com for more than one reason but one of the main reasons is that I always find out about great events through this online forum. If you are interested in joining, contact me via a comment below and I will send you in invite.
The most recent great event I heard about? The 2008 Ride of Silence to happen today, May 21st. Here is a quick public service announcement I found on their site:
Here is a bit about the Ride of Silence straight from their website:
On May 21, 2008, at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence? will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.
In 2003, Chris Phelan organized the first Ride Of Silence in Dallas after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and was killed.
The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There is no brochure, no sponsors, no registration fees and no t-shirt. The ride, which is held during Bike Safety month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured.
Here is all the information you need to be a part of this great event. I mean, really. You are going to get out and ride tonight anyway. This will be quick and easy stroll that will be for a great cause. I think about this when I am riding all the time. We are all literally a few pedal strokes away from getting hit each and every time we set out on a ride. While I do not lay blame to motorists in full, I feel that most drivers have no idea what to do when coming across a cyclist. This type of event is great for all - riders, drivers, etc - and looks like it is really taking off across the country.
The Oklahoma City Event information is as follows:
Contact: Tom Kilpatrick
Distance: 4.8 miles
Notes: Start/Finish from Oklahoma State Capitol, south plaza. If driving, park in south parking lot. Please arrive by 6:30 p.m. Ceremony begins at 6:45 p.m., and we will roll promptly at 7:00 p.m. Route: South on Lincoln Boulevard to Sheridan Avenue, west on Sheridan to Broadway, north on Broadway to 13th Street, east on 13th to Lincoln, and then north on Lincoln to the capitol. Route map here.
I checked the map of locations today and it looks like there are only two states that do not have events posted yet. That is pretty impressive. When I looked on Monday, there were still a handful that were not registered yet. Great news!
It is crazy but it feels like I have a Monday at least once a week - odd. At any rate, it is Monday again and another beginning to the work week for us at Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering. We are really trying to get our stuff together now - business planning, reporting, marketing strategies - you name it and we are doing it. The goal and desired outcome? A bigger, better Cafe Evoke Coffee Catering and the all new Cafe Evoke (the coffee house).
Does this picture look familiar? If you scroll down a bit you will see that it is the exact same as it was the last time I posted about it. This is the hole that took 2 weeks to dig and that was supposed to be covered up by our friends at Plumb Crazy on Friday morning (last Friday to be specific). Turns out, it is hard for an employee (who by the way promised to have it done by last Friday) to cover up a hole when he is not even on the schedule for that day!
So, maybe they will come today, maybe they won't. They don't call them Plumb Crazy for nothing! On a different note, I do like when a company's names really go with the business they are in. This one fits perfectly! Maybe they will call us with an updated this time.
Monday it is. Back to the board on planning and creation for all of Cafe Evoke.
Update: I did want to mention that our friends at Plumb Crazy did get our plumbing all working in tip top shape (so it seems so far) dispite their inability to keep us informed or to communicate on a level higher than a pre-schooler) It just doesn't make since that they have no idea what their employees are doing each day. Still waiting to find out where the guy is that was supposed to be here on Friday.
The 2008 Miller in May Home and Garden Tour is happening this Saturday from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm.
The Miller Neighborhood is bounded by Villa and May (East and West) and 10th and 16th (North and South). The area is one of Oklahoma City's Centennial Neighborhoods - beginning in 1907. This is the 10th Annual Home and Garden Tour and a time when the Miller Neighborhood Association will be celebrating 25 years!
The mansion was once home to the George and Nellie Miller family, for whom the Miller neighborhood was named. It is one of 10 homes that will be open May 19 to celebrate the Miller Centennial Ninth Annual Home and Garden Tour.
As part of the celebration, the neighborhood also is holding its Third Annual "Art on the Boulevard” with area artists displaying their works in the median of Miller Boulevard.
The 160-acre farm now known as the Miller neighborhood was first purchased by Luke Ellison in 1890 for $200.
It changed hands several times before George and Nellie Miller bought it in 1901.
In 1905, Miller started platting the area, which now is bounded by NW 10 and NW 16, May Avenue and Villa Avenue.
The final platting was completed in 1907, just months before Oklahoma statehood.
Miller donated two strips of land for the use of the Oklahoma Railway, which connected the neighborhood to virtually all parts of the growing Oklahoma City metropolitan area.
The Linwood streetcar line ran in the middle of the median of NW 12 all the way through the neighborhood. Its location meant no resident of Miller was more than three blocks from transportation.
The article goes on and is worth the read. This is a great event to attend and will give you a chance to see some of the heart of Oklahoma City living.
You can purchase tickets at the following locations:
Garden Gate Antiques
23rd Street Antique Mall
Western Avenue Antiques
Mockingbird Antiques
French Cowgirl
or at any of the featured homes/gardens the day of the tour. Tickets are $8.00 in advance and $10.00 on tour day. If you would like more information, you can contact one of us at Cafe Evoke Catering and we can get you more information.
We look forward to seeing everyone on May 17th for teh 10th Annual Miller in May Home and Garden Tour.
See that?? That is progress. Notice that in the picture you have no sense of the rank, stale water smell that goes along with large holes to the sewer main. I have never been so happy to smell that stuff in my entire life!
Let me tell you something - our house was built in 1920 and we still had clay pipes down there! So, that god like machine that is going to fix it broke the old pipes away and they are going to put in nice, new PVC pipes. I have no idea of the "green" nature of using such pipes but at this point, I just want to feel like my house in in 2008 - not back in the 20th (earlier I'm sure) with no running water!
The only drawback to the giant dirt mounds in our back yard is that our house will be one of 8 featured in the 2008 Miller in May Home Tour that is happening this Saturday. Think anyone will mind if we tell them our story? I mean, surely they will understand that after 2 weeks with no drainage of any kind, we just had to do it!
So, now that this is fixed - getting fixed I should say - what to do about my broken MacBook monitor? This old school monstrosity on my desk is not going to cut it..
So, Jenni and I were in Dallas, Texas last weekend for a friends wedding - it was a great time. I got to see two great friends marry each other, spend some time with my wife, sip some Texas coffee, and watch all the action from the SCAA show via live feed. It was great.
Well, during Sunday's USBC, I decided to try and hook up my new MacBook to the TV in our room. It was an awesome TV and I thought that it would be great to kick back and watch it on something other than the computer screen. Unfortunately, I could not get it to work and when unhooking the video cord, the computer slipped and caught the edge of the TV stand (one of those metal frames that hold the flat screen) and it cracked the top left corner of the screen sending black skid marks all across it. Bad news..
I am heading over to the local MAC store to have them tell me the damage. I was looking online last night and saw that several people paid upwards of $700.00 for a new screen for their laptop - something I cannot afford to do. I mean, really, it is only my business computer! So, for the time being, I think I will have to figure out a way to run the screen off my older PowerBook. That is something that I will have to learn today at the MAC store. I will keep you updated.
Thanks to writer Joy Richardson, Cafe Evoke Catering had the opportunity to be written about in this Friday's edition of Friday News!
You can subscribe to Friday News for only a few dollars and have it delivered to your home each Friday. I'm sure you can also pick it up at stands around their Oklahoma City area.
Please let us know what you think about the article! We would love to hear from you.
World Fair Trade Day, May 10, 2008, is an international celebration and promotion of Fair Trade. Celebrations are spread throughout 70 countries worldwide. IFAT member organizations, along with Fair Trade shops and networks, host events - including Fair Trade food tastings, talks, music concerts, fashion shows and much more - to promote Fair Trade and campaign for justice in trade. Many communities are celebrating World Fair Trade Day over a period of two weeks, from May 3 to May 18, America’s Fair Trade Fortnight. With you, we hope to involve more churches, synagogues, schools, villages, towns, and cities in Fair Trade than ever before.
This year, groups are trying to set the record for the biggest coffee break in history. During this time, people from all over the world will "get together" to sip some Fair Trade coffee, tea or other beverage at the same time - May 10th at 3:00 pm Eastern / Noon Pacific.
This would be a great time to bring some Fair Trade Certified coffee or tea with you to work, school or wherever you happen to find yourself and make some for your friends and family.
You can get all the information you need right here - tool kits, what to do, how to report your event, and so much more. So, if you are interested in being a part of this record, head on over to the site (the "right here" link above) and check it out.
You can also leave a comment on this blog and I will get your questions answered.
Fair Trade is a good thing and needs as much support as possible to make the program even better. So, join in! I will have more information coming soon about where you can come if you are in the Oklahoma City area and want to have coffee. I am trying to get in touch with local coffee companies and Fair Traders in the area and will also try to see if Evoke can get something together as well. So, stay tuned for that. If you are not in Oklahoma City, check online for more happenings in your area.
This time, Oklahoma is in Executive Traveler! In an article suitably titled Oklahoma (Better Than) OK, author Libba Young talks about the great things the all new Oklahoma is presenting our country.
Oklahoma City’s revival cannot really be referred to as a “Renaissance” per se. If there’s a word for a city that’s making a comeback when there is really nothing to come back from, this is the word to describe what’s going on in Oklahoma City today. The city is celebrating it’s centennial by luring sports teams, building river and canal systems, and hosting Olympic qualifying events. What a pleasant surprise to find world-class museums, exquisite dining, luxury hotel accommodations, and a thriving nightlife in a city that lives in the country’s history books for the Great Land Run of 1889, and in its memory as the site of the 1995 terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Happily, Oklahoma City looks forward.
This is a great article to find out some of the hot places and activities that Oklahoma City has been working on over the past several years. What gets me excited is that people other than Oklahomans are noticing these attractions and are giving them the props they deserve.
The article picked out great attractions like Pops, our new water taxi's (although their link goes to the Fr. Launderdale version) that run along the Bricktown Canal, a few area restaurant hotspots, museums, and other great things.
It was a positive article from a "a luxury travel magazine for the business traveler focusing on corporate retreats, client entertainment, and luxury destinations"
I think OKC is going somewhere and I believe that it will end up being a great place for people to come and enjoy themselves, a great place to be, and a great place to live.
Thanks to Jenni and to OKC Talk for bring this article to my attention. Here are a few other places where you can find Oklahoma being in the world spotlight:
Let's continue with the history of Cafe Evoke. You can find Part 1 here.
