Keep a Skeptical, Yet Open Mind

"I got a spot that might be perfect for you guys," Robert told Kate over the phone.  "It's on Newport & it has a gas hookup.  I can show it to you on Saturday."

"Yes, we want to see it.  We have a morning market but can meet you there around three," Kate told him.

He gave us the address & Kate spent some time on her phone while we we at Scripps Ranch looking at photos of the place.  It was the $2 Thrill Thrift Shop, a small yet deep rectangle of a unit that I'd been in a few times as a customer to buy used vinyl.

"That's a good size for us- not too big.  And he said they have gas?" I asked Kate.

"Yep.  It's next door to OB Hardware & close to the Cable [Street] light."

It definitely had potential & we couldn't wait to pack up & go take a look at it.  The early weeks at Scripps Ranch could make you want to quit farmers markets altogether & sign the first available lease for a storefront.  But, we both knew we had to look at each place with a skeptical, yet open mind.

Robert was already there when we arrived & the first thing I noticed was the large bare front windows.  I walk & ride my beach cruiser down Newport Avenue quite a bit, but I would have noticed this empty storefront.

"Wow, they're completely outta here then, huh?  That was quick," I said.  

All that was left was a few large DVD & VHS shelves on the right wall, three changing room walls with curtains still on their rods on the back wall & a dusty chandelier still hanging from the royal blue painted ceiling. 

"Yeah, within a couple of days they had everything out.  There was some kind of a family emergency," Robert said.

"Oh, whoa.  Damn," Kate said.  "So, when did you say that it's available?"

"September 1st.  But, Eli may be flexible on that," Robert said.

I opened a door to a room off of the back wall & flipped the light on.  It also had the same high maybe twelve foot ceiling, forming a big cube of a room.  I imagined a large walk in cooler or maybe a half bathroom, half office setup.  There was another door to the right.  I turned the knob & it opened up into a hallway full of ladders & other yard tools.

"That goes to the hardware store," Robert said.  "And the shared bathroom, in here."

"So there's no alley access?" Kate asked.

"No, well you'd have to cut through OB hardware, through that door."  He pointed down at the end of the hall.

"Where does this door go?" I tried the hallway knob at the right in the direction of the alley, but it was locked.

"So there's a unit behind this one.  There entrance is off the back alley." Robert said.  "Here, I'll show ya."

We followed him through the rear entrance of the hardware store to a small three car parking lot off the alley.  There was in fact a little door back there with a small window.  "Green Collective Consulting" was painted in green with a leaf logo on the white ceramic brick wall.

"It's a little studio they rent from us for an office," he said & moved a blue recycling bin aside.  "Here's the gas hookups back here.  They still look like they're in good shape, but you'd still want somebody to inspect them."

"Yeah, definitely.  I'm sure we can find somebody to do that," I said.

"Well, that's about it.  What'd you guys think?" Robert asked.

"I like it, but how much is the rent?"

"He said this one would be $2,884 a month & the deposit would be the same."

Two-thousand, eight hundred eighty-four.  It was a big number, but it was only a number & it reminded me of when I first tried to get Mad Munch going in San Diego.  

That number was $1,840.  My goal of money needed to get started at the markets.  Somehow this new number was only about one and a half times greater, but it didn't feel nearly as intimidating.