Seal of Approval

Let’s start with an important note of housekeeping: Thanksgiving pre-orders will close next Monday, November 15th at 6 pm. We are starting to hover around the 2,000 mark and GULP, that’s a PJP record. My guesstimate is that we will end up around 2,750 by the time the dust settles.

And if you wonder how I’m not falling apart after that Thanksgiving discussion, it’s because PJP West End has me distracted and there’s only so much anxiety a girl can take. So late this afternoon, I did what any average person would do: I took my dog Hudson (he’s an Old English Sheepdog) over there to bring some good juju to the space. He’s an affable, laid back guy, plus not much bothers him except his own reflection in our front door. (And well, olives and the UPS truck.). I needed someone else to stand there with me and just be fine, plus I needed them to not ask me any questions about the how/where/when/why of the next few weeks. As it turns out, a dog is a solid pick for this someone.

But anyway, we went over after the construction crew left so that I could just stand and think while Hudson explored. (And before anyone panics, the store is very much an active construction site and resembles nothing of a bakery, so no worries that my dog was curled up next to our flour and sugar.). Rare is it that I’ve been in the space without at least 15 electricians/plumbers/painters/carpenters and so this visit was a DELIGHT.

I’ve been so focused on the paint, the equipment, the table layout, and the work flow that all the small to-dos have been piling up. So I ordered the hours sign for the front door and the logo decal and the address vinyl that will go above the entrance. And then I thought about all the things the city will require for us to open, like a sign on the front and back door that specifically says “this door shall remain open during business hours”…which seems obvious and not in my aesthetic, but not optional. I also ordered a “staff only” sign for our back kitchen door, a restroom sign, and three signs reminding employees they are required to wash their hands before returning to work. Because we have three handwashing sinks, ensuring no one can go more than 10 feet without access to a soap and towels. Who would expect any less?

For whatever it’s worth, sinks or not, Hudson approves.