Hällo Everyone
Today is happy Friday and my thought for today is to love each other. Respect each other. Take care of each other. Treat yourself to something nice. Enjoy the air for a few moments. You never know when you will see it again. Don't forget to keep spreading Java Love.

Today is a good day
well well well. As i write to you today all of my favorite customers came in today and as usual i pick someone to give a special treat to. That went well. They really enjoyed the sample smoothie. It was wildberry with whipped creme. Tonight we will be having open mic night. Should be interesting. Go to www.welcomecafe.com for info...... Make love and have a great day......

Todays customer of the week
there are 2 actually. These ladies are strong and have knowledge. They make me laugh and think that i can do anything. They give me inspiration and let me know it is O.K. to be me. Even if i have allot of work to do on myself, i know i am a good person. Thanks so much for making my life a little easier.

a wok in Progress
Well today was a great day. All my favorite customers came in today and it got me to thinking. I love my job. I love people. Even if we are all messed up it is in a good way. love the way they always put me in my place and remind me that i'm not perfect but a wok in progress. That is called a caring environment. That is why I like to give to people.

today's Customer of the day was a man i known for 2 years now. He has made a bet with another customer that he can go 14 days without alcohol. The other customer accepted the bet and whoever wins gets a free ticket anywhere in the U.S.A. I am rooting for no one. I think they will both be at the bar by Thursday. The both drnk allot so this will be something to see. I guess i'll make more money on coffee now.

Here's Christina:



Friends have been telling me for years that I should have my own talk show to give women (and men, too) advice. I have been dishing out advice for years to my friends and family. I am one of those people that they ask for advice all the time but they never seem to take it. As it turns out I am always right. So guess what, I am looking for a more receptive audience.

I am raw. I am in your face. If you don't want to know the truth, don't ask me. I always put myself in their position and then I think of my own experiences and then give them advice based on that. I am not perfect. I have made a thousand and one mistakes. That's why I am so good at giving advice!

What would you like to know?
The following is an interview by Alice and Lizet (two of my frequent customers)

Q. How did you come to own and operate Welcome Cafe here in Redondo Beach, California?

A. I worked for StarB$#*& for five long, miserable years. They used to call me the 'StarB$#*& Ho' because I would work any store from Sherman Oaks to Manhattan Beach. I even worked Magic Johnson's StarB$#*& where the coffee was fast and loose. I started as a barista, then the shift lead, then an assistant manager. I became a certified bean specialist and a learning coach to a bunch of drug addicts and alcoholics. Working for StarB$#*& was a true experience. It was then that I realized I could do this much better on my own.

Q. So you had the knowledge, how did you translate that into actually having a real operating cafe?

A. I pimped out my husband. I convinced him to take the money we were saving for a house and put it into this business instead.

Q. How long has Welcome Cafe been open?

A. Two years and growing.

Q. How did you find this location?

A. Girl, it was a nightmare. We originally had a spot picked out in Santa Monica but that fell through so I started hunting for a new location. Every location I liked there was always was a problem. So I called this commercial real estate guy and told him to find me a place preferably by the beach.

Q. What was it about this location that drew you to it?

A. It had a real European feel and I am Swedish-American and my husband is Swiss-American. So we liked the chance to put outdoor cafe furniture in front and bring a bit of Europe to Redondo Beach.

Q. So you're taking your life's savings and starting this venture up--what was the next hurdle?

A. Working with the contractors. They just want to rip you off. Luckily my husband and I knew something about construction. We actually ended up doing the last bit of work ourselves.

Q. From the time you signed your lease how long until opening day?

A. It took us seven months to open.

Q. Talk a little about how you decided to offer free Wi-Fi?

A. That was a natural. We knew that from the beginning. My husband is an engineer and he used to work for Intel.

Q. What is your vision for Welcome Cafe?

A. As a musician I felt that some folks should have a place to go to perform and not have to pay to play. And have some good coffee. So we started Open Mic nights on Wednesday and then Acoustic Nights on Saturday. We had a Jazz Night going that we stopped but now it looks like due to popular demand we'll be bringing it back. We want to add a poetry night and would like to add a book club night. I really would like this to be a true community cafe. I have recently been approached about starting a podcast from this location and plan to use that as a forum to share my advice.

Q. For someone who has never visited Welcome Cafe what would you like to tell them?

A. Free Wi-Fi, great location with tons of free parking, coffee made with love and friendly folks who love to share. At Welcome Cafe you get 'sugar' with your coffee no matter what. Come see what you're missing.

Thank you, Christina for sharing a bit of yourself. We look forward to reading your blog.