Martha Stamps' Bergamot Cafe
Donation protected
I want to open a little cafe. Nothing much, just a very few tables inside, some seating on the patio, and maybe a sofa in the "tea lounge."
I'm almost there. If you've driven down White Bridge Rd., you may have noticed a transformation to a little blue house with a sign in front that still says, "Pig and Pie." The house is now crisp and gray, with bright green flower boxes packed with herbs, but so much more has happened inside. Deep inside - like wiring, plumbing, a new motor for my hood (that's the ventilation over the stove). I have a brand-spanking new grease trap (exciting, I know). I've been inspected by more agencies than I ever knew existed. I AM OPENING THIS PLACE IN A WEEK AND 2 DAYS!!!
And I still have things to do. I get doors to the kitchen, build a counter top from which you may order, recover the cushions for the booths, refinish the booths, cut table tops to size and cover those with oilcloth, buy some bowls for my delicious green gazpacho, menus, also a refrigerated display case for the counter, a small refrigerator for behind the counter, frames for some lovely vintage prints, shelving, trash cans, a paper towel holder and soap dispenser, a splashguard for a handsink, and last but not least...a new sign to replace the Pig and Pie.
I would also like to pay my employees, pay for the security system, the pest control contract, a plumber named George, Rocky the painter, and an electrician named Z. They would all like that, too.
It's a strange time in my life to be starting something new. Many of my friends are retiring or slowing down, writing books about the lives they have lead. So why am I compelled to start again, again?
Well, there are those three adorable children whom I would like to send to college, but truth be told, it's not just them. This is the space, the food, the vibe that I have been yearning to create for oh-so very long.
I've had a big restaurant, and I have catered a T-O-N, but this modest little spot has always been my dream. I love my customers. I love seeing you, talking to you, pouring you tea. The food I cook for you is food I want to eat myself. Bergamot will be a place where I I would like to go to grab a stuffed biscuit and coffee on my way into town, share avocado toast, quinoa salad, and iced Lavender Earl Grey tea for lunch, or pick up moussaka or a great quart of soup on my way home from work. I want to keep it simple, and lovely, and full of grace. Just a tiny little spot to call our very own.
It's very hard for me to ask for help, but a little help is what I need. I would be so incredibly, deeply, intensely thankful - tingling and glowing through every cell of being with gratitude for anything that you would be comfortable giving. And I promise you that all of that goodness will be reflected back to you in everything that I cook.
I'm almost there. If you've driven down White Bridge Rd., you may have noticed a transformation to a little blue house with a sign in front that still says, "Pig and Pie." The house is now crisp and gray, with bright green flower boxes packed with herbs, but so much more has happened inside. Deep inside - like wiring, plumbing, a new motor for my hood (that's the ventilation over the stove). I have a brand-spanking new grease trap (exciting, I know). I've been inspected by more agencies than I ever knew existed. I AM OPENING THIS PLACE IN A WEEK AND 2 DAYS!!!
And I still have things to do. I get doors to the kitchen, build a counter top from which you may order, recover the cushions for the booths, refinish the booths, cut table tops to size and cover those with oilcloth, buy some bowls for my delicious green gazpacho, menus, also a refrigerated display case for the counter, a small refrigerator for behind the counter, frames for some lovely vintage prints, shelving, trash cans, a paper towel holder and soap dispenser, a splashguard for a handsink, and last but not least...a new sign to replace the Pig and Pie.
I would also like to pay my employees, pay for the security system, the pest control contract, a plumber named George, Rocky the painter, and an electrician named Z. They would all like that, too.
It's a strange time in my life to be starting something new. Many of my friends are retiring or slowing down, writing books about the lives they have lead. So why am I compelled to start again, again?
Well, there are those three adorable children whom I would like to send to college, but truth be told, it's not just them. This is the space, the food, the vibe that I have been yearning to create for oh-so very long.
I've had a big restaurant, and I have catered a T-O-N, but this modest little spot has always been my dream. I love my customers. I love seeing you, talking to you, pouring you tea. The food I cook for you is food I want to eat myself. Bergamot will be a place where I I would like to go to grab a stuffed biscuit and coffee on my way into town, share avocado toast, quinoa salad, and iced Lavender Earl Grey tea for lunch, or pick up moussaka or a great quart of soup on my way home from work. I want to keep it simple, and lovely, and full of grace. Just a tiny little spot to call our very own.
It's very hard for me to ask for help, but a little help is what I need. I would be so incredibly, deeply, intensely thankful - tingling and glowing through every cell of being with gratitude for anything that you would be comfortable giving. And I promise you that all of that goodness will be reflected back to you in everything that I cook.
Organiser
Martha Stamps
Organiser
Nashville, TN