Focus Group Fun!

On Thursday February 19th and Friday February 20, we had 160 women as guests to participate in a "focus group". We wanted their opinions and ideas to help us perfect the tea room. They tasted a variety of teas, sampled lunch items, and toured our creation. Afterwards they filled out an opinion form. We asked them to be brutally honest. Thursdays critiques were different than Fridays, because we fixed everything they didn't like after Tursdays group. Fridays group were 99.9% positive. They found little to critique. We enjoyed our guests. They were so helpful. Women have wonderful opinions and great ideas. Having these 160 lovely women help us put us way ahead of the game.

Bookings for spring and summer are beginning to roll in. I'm surprised at the number of people that have gone to a great deal of trouble to find my number to book in advance.

When we ordered the china and teapots for the tea room. It all came in three huge boxes and arrived on Christmas eve. I didn't open it, because wedidn't need it yet, and it seemed safer to leave it packed. On Tuesday before the Focus group, I opened the china to take it all to the tea room. To my complete horror, we were 24 cups short, and 20 tea pots short. I called the company and reported the problem. They said no problem....we'll ship it today. You'll have it Thursday at 8:30. Then they called back and said..."by the way, the cost of shipping 92 pounds overnight is $893.00. I said not no, but H... No!" .....so needless to say, I shopped locally and found what I needed here in Birmingham.

The fresh flowers for the tables is being designed and provided by "Shirley's Florist" in centerpoint. Wonderful talent and great pricing! I highly recommend everyone check her out. You'll get twice the value for your money.

Focus Group Fun!

Obviously the idea, that we could accomplish everything in two weeks, was overly ambitious. We failed to account for the landlords' slow and untalented work crew.

We were promised smooth paintable walls and ceilings, a working furnace, replaced chair railing and crown moulding, a new kitchen floor, a re-worked deck, installed french doors, and graveled parking lot. They also guaranteed the power to be up to commercial code for 2009.

After we accomplished all our tasks, we've had to jump in and do all the landlords!

Our opening date was to be the 29th of January. Because the landlord didn't get their work done in a timely fashion, we are now at March 1st, and are still not open.

Four Months and one week!!

Getting it all together!

The Spiced Pear Teaoom has been in the planning stages for about seven years. When Christina's closed in Mountainbrook village it became even more of an urgent necessity. Women need a place to get together to eat pretty, feminine food and do it in a women's environment. It is fun to call a friend and say "Let's do lunch!" There really hasn't been a place that serves the quality of food and has the correct surroundings that I enjoy.

China, Crystal, Scones, Savories, Fruit, Amazing blends of loose tea brewed perfectly...how fun! The plans are submitted to the health department, the shopping has been fun! We've been crawling through dusty antique shops looking for just the perfect china cups and teapots. I'm so excited about the decor. Creating the backround is almost as fun as creating the recipes for me. Putting together successful restaurant projects is something I am really good at. I can't think of anything more fun to me than creating a concept or theme and watching it unfold successfully.

The next step is for the health department to approve my drawings and say "get started"...Construction should only take about two weeks. If I can start painting by November 1st, then I could very well be open by December 1st! I'm planning a pre-opening party to invite just the right women to come have a tasty look see.