Tonight I was up chatting at a bar with a Irishman and a Frenchman until 1am.
This is already an unimaginable scenario for me.
But then imagine that I manage said bar.
And it’s in Malta.
The odds are astronomical.
Is this real life?
So much work has gone into making this night happen.
I can’t even begin to describe it all here.
I arrived with the café power off.
A large commercial refrigerator had failed and was filled with mold.
A deep freezer was full of spoiled food.
The place smelled like mold and other nasty unidentifiable things.
We spent days just cleaning, organizing, and figuring out how to run the place.
Banks of unlabeled switches, equipment to figure out, broken things to fix, suppliers to identify and contact.
A budget to create, accounting to start, no funds, no income, no bank account, rent due, VAT past due, loan debt, leaky roof, inventory, new menu, jet lag, persistent cough, very little sleep.
All in a new country where I didn’t know anyone before I arrived.
It seems like I’ve been here at least a month.
But when I checked, it’s only been a week.
So I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished in this short time.
The place looks good, smells pretty good, and most things are working.
The Happy Hive Café of Malta is open once again!
-D
Awesome! Wish you the very best on your new adventure. I think it will be incredible… and quite interesting! Looking forward to reading and seeing how everything goes.
That sounds great! Which town are you in? My wife and I are visiting my brother and his wife in Valletta this May. Will see if we can find you.
Come see us for sure! We’re in Marsaskala, and should have things running smoothly by then! ?
Ok brilliant, I shall make a note of that
Congratulations Dave. I wonder…better than shipping? Most likely for sure.
Kailey? er, sorry, had to ask :).
There are a lot of similarities with shipping. Especially an online service. Opening the doors is only the beginning. Then the real challenges begin. ? Kailey doesn’t speak to me any more since shortly after I arrived in Malta. So… I don’t know.