Chapter 6
“Rocky, it’s Jo. I’ve been going over your notes.” She cradled the phone between her chin and shoulder as she rolled her bike out of the diner’s rear door. “I have questions. Are you free tonight?”
“Sure, tonight works,” he replied.
“I was thinking of sushi at the Rockin’ Roll. Do you know where that is?”
“I’ll find it.”
They decided on a time, and Jo pocketed her phone.
She pedaled home to Sunshine Avenue. In her bedroom, she pulled off her red-and-white striped Cuppa Jo’s shirt. She showered fast, washing off the smell of burgers and fries before changing into a casual cotton sundress and sandals.
Jo checked herself in the narrow mirror. Simple. Comfortable. Nothing that suggested this was anything other than a business conversation between two people who happened to like sushi.
She ran her fingers through her short damp curls and left.
The Rockin’ Roll sat at the far end of the beachfront, a flamingo pink original beach house that had been converted into one of Crown Island’s most popular eateries. Two open-air patios wrapped around the building, offering prime views of the ocean and a long stretch of sand.
The place had a buzzy, barefoot energy that attracted everyone from happy, sunburned families to couples and friends sharing platters of the island's freshest seafood.
Classic rock was emanating from speakers when Jo arrived. The energetic music drifted through the warm air, mixing with the crash of waves and spirited conversation.
The owner spotted her as she came in. Kaito was in his thirties, born and raised on Crown Island, with blue-streaked dark hair that matched what Deb called ocean blue and flamingo pink, the restaurant’s color scheme.
He ran the front of the house, while his uncle, a top sushi chef who’d trained in Tokyo, created the restaurant’s renowned tasting menus.
“Welcome, Jo.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Are you waiting for others?”
“Only two of us tonight.” Before he could ask if it was Blue, she added, “Just a friend.”
“There’s a table ready on the patio if you’d like.”
“Sure. He’s on his way, so I’ll wait there.”
“I’ll seat you now.” Kaito led her to a table overlooking the beach.
The last of the sunset streaked the sky in mesmerizing shades of tangerine and lavender. A few surfers were still out, dark silhouettes against the glowing sunset.
A server delivered menus and a small dish of edamame.
“You won’t need these,” Kaito said, handing the menus back to the server. “I know what you like. We’ll make it special for you.”
“I trust you,” Jo said, smiling.
Rocky arrived a few minutes later in a clean shirt and khakis. He looked around the restaurant with the appreciation of someone who understood the hospitality business.
“Great spot,” he said, sliding into the chair across from her. “I’ve walked past this place a few times.”
“You’ve been missing out. Kaito’s uncle will surprise us with a tasting menu. Is that okay with you?”
“I’m always up for an adventure.”
Kaito returned with a pot of green tea and a small container of sake. “This is my special sake for you,” he said, serving them.
“I’ll bet you say that to all your friends,” Jo said.
“You’re right. Only my friends get the good sake.” He laughed. “We only serve good sake here, but this is my favorite.”
After Kaito headed for the kitchen, she pulled Rocky's folder from her bag and opened it on the table between them.
“Looks like you did your homework,” Rocky said, noticing her red annotations.
“I always do.” Jo tapped the first page. “I might not have an MBA like you, but I have taken business classes.”
After buying Cuppa Jo’s, she’d quickly realized she knew hardly anything about the business side of owning a restaurant.
She needed to understand bookkeeping and marketing fast, so she enrolled at the local branch of a mainland community college.
Hugo had encouraged her, even though he was young.
Jo wanted him to be proud of his big sister.
“Before we get into that,” Rocky began, “I made some calls. One to a friend whose family used to own specialty Italian grocery stores back east.”
“What did they have to say?”
“Well, you can try to go direct to shops, but most buy from specialty distributors, so you’ll want to contact one of them.
Then, expect to give every store a case of product.
They call these free fills, so they can test the shelf appeal.
Also be prepared to give them marketing money to promote your product. ”
Rocky named a range of costs.
Jo chewed the inside of her lip, listening. She hadn’t known about these extra costs. “That’s going to add up in a hurry.”
Rocky nodded. “You need to be prepared for these upfront expenses, but we’ll get to that part.”
They reviewed Rocky’s calculations on the project cost and revenue that Jo had penciled out for him. He’d turned it into a spreadsheet that gave her a lot more clarity—and opened more questions.
She tapped her fingers on the table. “So I’m going to need more cash to get this side of the business going.”
“I’m afraid so. You could take out a working capital loan with a bank. Or bring in a partner—”
“No, not that.” Jo liked taking charge of her business and her life. Her mother had taught her that. Unwittingly, of course.
Jo glanced at her notes. She’d overheard some customers talking about their business one day. People ignored servers, but Jo was always listening. She’d learned a lot that way.
“What do you know about crowdfunding?”
Rocky leaned forward. “Personally, not much, but I can do some research. Those campaigns are all about kickstarting projects with preorders, so it might work well for this.”
Jo didn’t know anything about it. “I’ve presold some coffee sets, and a lot more than I expected. People are also signing up on my website to be notified when the coffee comes in. It’s just that paying for it all upfront is costly.”
Rocky’s face brightened. “That’s a good sign of interest. I can help you make sure the pricing and packing are on point. You’ll need to build in an advertising budget, too.”
“I appreciate that.” Jo knew her diner's revenue and ad costs, but this project would be a little different.
“You have a catchy concept,” Rocky said thoughtfully. “Have you ever thought of opening other locations?”
“No way I could afford that,” she replied. “I’m more comfortable with my coffee idea. It should be faster, too.”
“What made you want to do this project?” Rocky asked, focusing on her with interest.
She took a moment to arrange her thoughts, not wanting to sound like a victim or a saint.
“Our parents haven’t really been there for Hugo and me,” she finally replied.
“I’ve done okay, but Hugo is smart, and he deserves a chance to be whatever he wants.
Universities are expensive, and I don’t want to see him overburdened with loans.
So I’ve been thinking of other ways to bring in more money to help him.
He’s earned it, too. He worked a lot of afternoons and weekends for burgers and fries when I first got the place and couldn’t afford much help. And he was only a kid.”
Rocky gave her a warm smile at that. “That’s admirable, and I understand. You really need the additional income.”
Averting her eyes, Jo cast her gaze toward the sea.
“It’s not easy to talk about money, even with friends.
I didn’t grow up like the Bay family. My mom had to manage two kids on her own.
With my grandmother’s help, she managed to keep a roof over our heads, but she didn’t like to ask for anything, and there wasn’t much left over from what she made.
When I was younger, I was often embarrassed about how we lived. ”
With eyes full of empathy, Rocky touched her arm.
“When my brothers and sisters were young, our father was just starting his construction business. We had our share of lean times with five little kids in a two-bedroom place. Mom and Dad slept on a fold-out couch in the living room for a little while. Even after Dad’s business got underway, my sister Poppy and I still went to university on scholarships, grants, and some loans.
So I understand your situation. I want to help, Jo.
It’s not only about padding my resume. I admire what you’re doing. I admire you.”
Rocky’s hand was warm on her arm, and she liked it, much to her surprise. This was a different side to him, one she’d never seen. He was usually so cheerful and upbeat, as if nothing ever fazed him. He seemed untouched by trouble. Yet he’d known struggle, too.
“Thanks,” she said. “I feel better that you know and understand. I don’t really talk about my life outside of the diner except with one or two friends.”
Mostly Junie, but even she didn’t know everything that had happened with Jo’s mother. And Blue. They’d shared their miserable stories. But now, Jo wanted to put all that behind her. She had created a good life for herself, and she wanted Hugo to have that chance, too.
Rocky stroked his chin in thought. “Given what you’ve said, we could look into a crowdfunding campaign.”
“I’m not asking for charity.”
“That’s not what I mean. One where you’d presell your coffee and other products or experiences to raise funds for production to kickstart the project.”
Jo sipped her green tea, now that it had cooled a little. “I’m not sure how that works, but I’d want the campaign to fund the production run and some of my planned marketing and advertising.”
“You might not make much of a profit, but you could probably cover costs to keep going. Have you thought about what you could offer?”
“That’s where I need Junie and Maileah,” Jo replied.
“Junie has been through the custom product process with her Crown Island Princess brand. She has talked about bundling gift boxes. I could offer my new premium coffees in gift sets with special mugs. And Maileah is the marketing brain. She can build the campaign and get the word out.”
“Sounds like you already have the team.”
“Sort of. Maileah designed the new Cuppa Jo’s logo for me.”