Category: business

The Art of ‘WichCraft, Pt.2: From Wence Came The ‘Wich?

Just think of all the things you can do without letting hunger stop you. You can hike, you can fish, you can even gamble if you wish.

“Sandwiches are wonderful. You don’t need a spoon or a plate” -Paul Lynde 

Before I get too deep or find myself, sandwiched between my thoughts from which I cannot escape, I would like to give thanks where thanks are due.

To whom do I thank for such a practical and delicious creation? There is often a debate on who invented the sandwich, but the consensus gives credit to the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu in 1762. Well then, John, your nobleness, thank you for your contribution to the culinary world.

I am quite sure that many civilisations prior to the time of our noble earl of Sandwich used a breadlike vehicle or two to eat their food but our friend John Montagu gets the credit.

The story has it that our nobleman was quite the profligate and gambler; I like him already. This story excites me more than an ancient tribe in loin cloth consuming the spoils of their hunt between two starchy, carby ancient grainy type things. So, it is said that our gambler was on a twenty four hour run at the table and became hungry. Understandable, that’s a long time to do anything without food. Our 4th Earl asked the cook to prepare food he could eat that would not hinder his gambling. What was presented was two pieces of toast with sliced meat in between. Genius!

That really begs the questions, did John really invent the sandwich or did the cook? For the sake of diplomacy, I will thank them both – Thank John Montagu and the nameless cook that satisfieth his hunger.

Just think of all the things you can do without letting hunger stop you. You can hike, you can fish, you can even gamble if you wish. You make your own and drive straight through, or grab one from the drive-through. Whatever it is you want to do, you can do it better with a sandwich or two.

So, to whomever invented the sandwich I am eternally grateful. If they never did, who knows what I would have walked in on my dad and uncle making for a midnight snack that fateful night. The bite that started it all could have been a disgusting bowl of porridge! My dad was known to enjoy a bowl of that too.  For now, I will thank you Earl of Sandwich John Montagu, for your gambling addiction that eventually led to my love for one the greatest foods of all, and the spark that lit the fire that would eventually ignite my passion to cook.

Talk Soon,
Kevin
@coldfire_kev
@coldfire.coffee
@coldfire_hotsauce
kevin@coldfirecoffee.com

The End Part 21: Last Dance

“Her face is cracked from smiling, all the fears that she’s been hiding,
And it seems pretty soon everybody’s gonna know.
And her voice is sore from shouting, cheering winners who are losing,
And she worries if their days are few and soon they’ll have to go.

My, my, my, I’m so happy, I’m gonna join the band,
We are gonna dance and sing in celebration, We are in the promised land.”

– Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin

It’s time to dust off the old dancing shoes and get back on the floor because after almost a year of silence a prospect has surfaced for Go-Go Babyz…

That was in reference to early 2024-ish when communication began with who is now the current owner of Go-Go Babyz. Why did I wait so long to resurface and share the news? If you have followed me for a while you might be able to venture a pretty good guess. I am fairly positive the answer is hidden in plain sight somewhere on this blog, quite possibly in this series.

Again, my guess consists of two answers. The first being rooted in fear. Isn’t that always the root somehow? Everything seems to lead back to fear when we really drill down and peel off all the layers. In this case, it was the fear of failure once again. Fear that the current deal would once again crumble and tumble as did the previous one. You would think I would now be full of confidence and trust with all the experience and lessons I have acquired over the years.  That is true, I do have a lot of confidence. The exception in this particular deal is how easy the entire process was. It became a case of “this is too good to be true” as the process presented very little points of contention between both sides. As a matter of fact, the only real difficulties were a result of some technical issues faced when trying to produce documentation for the buyer. Once that bump was overcome, it was smooth sailing. 

The second is a recurring theme through my life and career; procrastination. I let too much time lapse before I tackled this that it became difficult to garner the inspiration to sit down at the desk and start typing. The cob webs were tough to clear away so I continued to procrastinate. Running the restaurant didn’t help provide the needed time either. There have been some major changes on that front allowing me to take this time on a Friday morning to work on this. The sharing of that is for another time in the near future. 

For the time being, I will focus on the final dance that took place nearly one year ago. The ink has dried, the lights are no longer shining on the dance floor. I have successfully sold the remaining assets of Go-Go Babyz Corp, the business that brought so much to our family and provided so much to my growth as an entrepreneur. 

The entire journey of Go-Go Babyz has been quite a dance. Sometimes I led, sometimes I followed, and others I sat out and watched from the darkest corner of the room waiting for the right moment to jump back in and build the confidence to take the lead again and say what I wanted to say.

What a dance indeed. I have stumbled, fallen, twirled, and tripped, but in the end it was quite a success. What a ride and what a dance it has been. The question is, are my dancing days over? Is it time to hang up and retire my shoes? The answer; I am much too young to stop dancing, life would be much too boring. 

I will happily report that this last dance is only with Go-Go Babyz. There has indeed been more since, and I just might be dancing as I write this. You will just have to hang tight from the side to see what this Celebration Day is all about.

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator