Happy Birthday to you, Happy birthday to you...

Today is my one year anniversary. One year. It is such a small step when it gets down to it. After all, one is the loneliest number. It seems more like it actually feels when you break it down into actual days. 365. That's a lot of days. Out of those 365, I have been here for 345 of them. Out of an entire year, I have only had 20 days where I did not set foot in the cafe. Most of my days here have been great; not all of them, but most.

Let's face it, if I wanted to get rich I would not have started a restaurant. I'll never make a million dollars doing this, but I love it anyway. I have managed to take a business that was only open a couple days a week and turn it into a seven day a week operation. When I started I had a staff of 1 and a half and now I have 5 employees. As I said, I'm not setting the world on fire, but I am managing to turn a profit and in today's market there's a lot to be said for that.

Every penny that I have made has been reinvested to improve the cafe. I doubled our refrigerator space recently, which may not sound like a lot, but in a kitchen as small as ours every inch helps. I expanded the food menu and increased the number of local purveyors and farmers that we work with. The wine list has gone from 5 to 36. The beer list has gone from PBR and Bud Light to fine German crafted beers, microbrews, and imports-- 30 to be exact.

A lot of really good things have happened here since I opened. During our first week we more than doubled the biggest day that the previous restaurant had ever had. We have done that on several occasions since then. Also, we have become a venue. At this point, I don't even have to book bands anymore; they come to me. We have had people from all over the east coast play here as well as popular local acts and this summer we even have a group from Prague coming in. I have had 6 art openings, one of which was a sell out show. We have hosted bridal showers, baby showers, an engagement party, and the Blu launch party for about 200 people.

A couple of other pretty monumental things have happened in the year, too. I met Jack Morgan here shortly after I opened. He just happened to be in town from California to review plays and came here for some vegetarian grub. Little did the poor guy know that it was served with a side of sassy tea maiden. We carried on never ending transcontinental conversations and he ended up moving here in November. Since he's been here the entreprenual bug has bitten him as well and he has become one of the co founders of Blu Magazine, a local arts and culture monthly that launched to rave reviews.

It hasn't been easy and it won't get any easier. The more we expand and grow the harder it will get. I've learned that the hard way. But I am moving in the right direction. It might be at a a glaceral pace sometimes, but I'm moving nonetheless. So happy birthday to you Darjeeling Cafe. It's been a wonderful eye opening year. I hope to share many more with you. Now I'm going to close early and make a toast in your honor.