Welcome back for another update on the Coffeehouse project! I am so glad you are here to follow along and see what we're up to in order to bring this six-year vision that we've had to life. It's proven to be an insanely large task, as we're doing the work "in-house" with Trevor & Chris leading the way between coffee roasting/production days and getting the various locations we supply stocked up. (We'll create a comprehensive list of those locations and businesses very soon for our website!)
Christina and I brought our four kids over briefly to get the first pieces of siding put up with their own hammers. They loved it, and hopefully remember it for years to come. Family-owned & operated!
Good news ...We're officially in the "rebuild" phase! We tore apart so much more than we planned, but that's because we really want to do the best with what we have. Some aspects of the building are just what they are, like the old wavy barnwood siding with holes and cracks, and that's okay. We'll work with it. However, much of the building was too far gone, it had to go. Rot, mold, structural failure, the list goes on.
It's been two months since our last real update here, so I will go through some of the various tasks we've tackled at this point. Also good to note, other things are going on inside that we're not sharing in detail yet...because it's a surprise!
On the outside...
Deck, stairs, and ramp Removal
Without us having the apartment upstairs moving forward and due to zoning/property line issues, we decided to remove the stairs. This was actually planned since day 1, we just could not do it right away for a variety of reasons. We took it down in a few sections safely and it really started to make the first major changes to the outside. This opened up the space to remove siding, repair the foundation, and get rid of the second-story door that would no longer be needed. The future use of this second-story will be space for the coffeehouse!
Foundation repair and facade improvement.
We're essentially dealing with a 168 year-old barn here, so the foundation is...well...a lot of work. We revealed some nasty surprises and addressed things as needed. After the structure was ready to go, we beefed up with sheathing and waterproofed with moisture/water resistant cement board, flashing, and a parge coat for a nice solid facade that really creates a nice appeal. Well, better than the plywood anyway.
Siding Removal, repair, and beginnings of new siding.
We've peeled back siding to reveal old windows, door cavities, and so much more(yikes!). A huge thank you to Steady Work, who gathered a crew of young workers to assist in the siding dismantling. We framed out several old window cavities that were previously covered up with siding, doors that we removed to the first and second stories, and replaced a couple of windows. We will be replacing more within the next few weeks. The building is well over 150 years old and the structure has some goofy things to work around, so things like vinyl siding won't be perfect, but it will be mostly maintenance free for, hopefully, years to come and won't retain moisture like the old siding.
Exhaust fan replacement for the kitchen hood
The exhaust fan that was on the building had been broken badly at one point. It was still operable, but was noisy and the bearings were spilling grease. It had to go. We ordered a custom exhaust fan, waited a few weeks, and installed it as soon as we could! It has enough power to exhaust far more than necessary, and looks beautiful on the building. We cannot wait to use it!
There are so many more projects going on inside. We won't get into too many specifics in order to keep some surprises, but here's a general list of the things were working on inside:
- New stair case to access the second-story from the downstairs coffeehouse area. The second story will be used for seating, a break room, family bathroom, storage, and an office!
- Demo the walk-in cooler further in order to rebuild the framing and install new refrigeration.
- Wiring organization in the second story to. prepare for drywall and sub flooring
- New doors, drywall repair & replacement, lighting, and so much more!!
We're giving 100% to make this thing happen in a timely manner. We sure hope we can get the building open for everyone to enjoy very soon, full of great people and stellar coffee. Until then, be sure to continue to follow along and watch the progress, and say hello to the baristas in Sodus and Sodus Point to grab a coffee or hop online to order a bag for home. Every purchase goes directly into funding this project, to bring this coffeehouse to life in Sodus, NY.
With so much love & gratitude,
Trevor Leach
Owner/Roaster/Project manager