An Hour And A Half For A Latte??? (Happily)
May 02
There’s one big reason that I love my job. People. People from all walks of life, all socio-economic backgrounds, business owners, minimum wage workers – you name it! It is all of these people that weave the fabric of our communities, determining what the “culture” of a town might look like.
Imagine you are Bryan and Gail of Fly-In’ Bean Espresso. After years of owning a successful business, you sell it and open a new location, on the other side of town. However, it’s rainy, nobody knows where you are yet, and you’re lucky to serve one latte an hour… How would your spirits be?
Now, imagine a friendly face shows up at the window, as horns start honking from around the block as a line of cars full of your loyal locals appear to support your business! (Hint: It was a pretty emotional day for everyone…)
For 20 years I’ve driven through little Longview, WA on my way from Oregon up to Seattle without giving it much thought. All I knew of the area was a closed nuclear plant and the huge lumber mills. What you can’t see from the freeway is the spirit of the amazing people who make up the community and drive the ethos of the next generation. People like Jon and Christine – who drive the RelyLocal campaign in their area – looking for innovative ways to help business leaders rebuild their community from the ground up – with a healthy economy. Even it it means putting on a ridiculous costume!
When I got a call from Jon asking if we’d be interested in helping run the city’s first “cash mob”, I jumped at the chance. We gassed up the RelyLocal tour rig, installed some lights and sirens, had some t-shirts made – and hit the road to help bring a little joy to a struggling businesses. What I found was a community full of love, support, and resilience.
As I am sure you can see with the photo of Bryan above, it was a pretty emotional day for everyone. (Yet, I was able to hold back my happy tear for a few hours until we were on the road again…)
I had a chance to chat with the last person in line who waited patiently for over an hour and a half for her latte. She said it was the best drink she ever had…
I loved reading this story! I love Bryan and Gail from the Fly n’ Bean Espresso. They are the most caring and giving people you will ever meet! May God Bless their business!