In my previous post, “You are good to go” – Part 1, I gave a partial history describing how we got started in specialty coffee. I hope you found it entertaining enough to come back and see what followed. I think we were about to start a road-trip.
That Thursday night, we loaded up the Swagger Wagon, aka the mini van, and headed off to The Windy City. The passenger list included myself, my pregnant wife, our two daughters, my wife’s cousin, and the cousin’s boyfriend. Needless to say, the van was packed with people and their stuff. According to the satellite navigation system, Chicago was 700 miles away. We were in for a long trip. Anyone that has traveled a good distance with kids can attest to the value of an in-vehicle DVD system as they help quell the endless, “Are we soon there?” questions. And they help keep the kid vs kid fights to a minimum too. I’d rather listen to the dialog of Alice in Wonderland for 700 miles than the bickering of two bored kids. Even though our kids were content with movies, the drive took forever because a pregnant lady has to er, let’s just say we had to stop a lot. Friday afternoon’s arrival at the hotel was met with cheers from the backseat passengers. After checking in, we all crashed for an hour before cleaning up and heading out for dinner. We found a nice little Italian place and enjoyed a quiet dinner discussing our plans for seeing the city. With full bellies, we went back to the hotel for some much needed sleep.
The next morning we awoke to a saturated surprise. We were just in time for Chicago’s 1000 year monsoon! Unbeknown to us, while sleeping, a storm front had decided to dump inches of rain on the surrounding area. The road in front of the hotel and the parking lot were under six inches of standing water. We didn’t drive all that way to let a little water deter us, so after breakfast we sloshed out to the van and set sail for the warehouse where the coffee roaster was housed. The warehouse was only a few miles away but the flooding caused a few detours along the way.
As we pulled up to the warehouse we saw that the building was on higher ground and looked dry. A moment later our British friend arrived and greeted all of us individually with Japanese customary bows. We were all caught off guard and felt silly not knowing how to respond, but his charm quickly made us all feel welcome. He explained that the custom had stuck with him from time he spent in Japan.
Inside, he introduced us to “The Queen”, which was his Diedrich IR-12 coffee roaster that he so affectionately named. The roaster was immaculate and I could tell he took great care of it. We spent a few hours talking about the roaster and going over all it’s details. We even fired it up and I roasted 25 lbs of Sumatra Mandheling coffee. The aroma filled the warehouse; it was wonderful and I felt like a kid on Christmas day playing with a new toy. I knew then, the roaster would be coming to Myerstown.
We spent the remaining weekend in downtown Chicago. We toured the city in a double-decker bus with a colorful character of a guide. We also cruised the Chicago River on an architectural boat tour. That guide was a native with a dry sense of humor who laughed at his own jokes. Not everyone was amused with his wit however. We hung out by the Crown Fountain in Millennium Park while the girls played in the water. We spent a few hours on the Navy Pier riding the rides, eating the food, and wandering through the stained glass exhibit. The Transformers 3 movie was being filmed and we were able to walk through the set and see all the props. I was amazed at how real it all looked. For the remaining weekend, our conversation would return to the time we spent with our charming friend. He left quite an impression on us all.
On Monday morning we loaded the van and set out for home. The trip back to Myerstown pretty much mirrored the drive out. Uncountable stops for the pregnant lady while “Off with her head!” could be heard from the back. We talked about coffee, the roaster, and our new friend. We were all excited to try the fresh roasted Sumatra coffee.
After returning home, I had to figure out how I was going to transport a 1000 lb. coffee roaster to Myerstown. I made the mistake of contacting an internet trucking broker about rates. Within minutes I was bombarded with emails and phone calls from every trucking company under the sun. They left me repeated voice mails for days; my phone rang non-stop. I weighed the options between a moving company, a trucking company, and going out myself to retrieve the roaster. I worried that the movers and the truckers wouldn’t be as careful as I would. Thankfully, my good neighbor, who knew of my plight, offered to help. Time for another road-trip.
A few weeks went by before we were ready to go. Instead of our van, we acquired a diesel pick-up and trailer. It was a real “man” truck; the kind “Tim The Toolman Taylor” would grunt over. The trip was all business, so we left that Friday night at 6:00 pm and arrived in Chicago the following morning around 5:00 am; stopping only for fuel and tolls. We waited at a Denny’s as our meeting with “The Queen” was scheduled for 6:00 am. After breakfast we drove to the warehouse and started the work of packing up and loading the coffee roaster. By noon all the equipment was loaded and strapped down. Once again we exchanged bows and hugs before leaving for Myerstown. We arrived home Sunday morning at 2 am mentally and physically exhausted from the past 32 hours.
The next few weeks allowed us to hook up the roaster with propane and to install the exhaust. Then it was time to cut through the remaining red tape. Copious phone calls and emails to the local and state authorities ensued. The Pa Department of Agriculture wanted to come for an inspection. I was dreading it. I feared the inspector. This could be the end of my crazy dream I surmised. All the time, effort, and money rests in the hands of a bureaucrat. In the end, my fears were for naught, as our inspector was wonderful. She was helpful and very enthusiastic about our coffee venture. She said “You are good to go. You can start operations anytime.” Which leads me right back to the beginning, “Now what.”
Well, if you want to see, stick around.
Featured image courtesy of Nimesh Madhaven.