credo coffee blog

Lots of interesting tidbits in the last few weeks so let’s run through the transition from construction to opening…

What have we done? – The final piece of the construction puzzle was put into place with the installation of the quartz countertop.  Add some artwork, tables and chairs and, lo and behold, a café is born.  In so many ways this was the moment of truth – would this be “the place?” Not “the place” as in the coolest, newest, trendiest place in town, but “the place” as we intended it to be when we started this process over a year ago.  Clearly, for us, it is a resounding yes! Stepping inside Credo is like taking a step into our minds – it is what we hoped it would be.  We have “our place.”

Day One! - Saturday – Farmers Market – are we crazy?  No sense hanging back – trial by fire, baby.  A couple of anxious, Nervous Nellie’s showed up for work (after a long night of celebration the previous evening) and opened the doors to a steady stream of customers.  Charlene and James rocked and the café’s layout proved to be the efficient layout we had hoped and planned for.  Collapsing at home later that evening my mind jumped back forth from some famous Oscar quotes, ranging from “We are the kings of the world,” to “They like us, they really like us!”  Sleep came easy that night!

Reality sets in! – Of course I knew this wasn’t going to be handed to me.  We have some long hours and a tough road ahead.  A few slow times through the week reminded me that, while we have a fantastic group of people who have supported us throughout this opening process, we have to patiently wait for (or seek) the general population of café patrons and be prepared to wow them when they do stop in.  Charlene, Andrew, Donna, James, and Chris are doing their part – I’m overwhelmed and honoured by the commitment to learning, serving and support each of them have brought to our café.  There’s no way we could do this alone.

U2 vs. Coldplay! – Much is made of the rivalry between Coldplay and U2 as to who is the “greatest band in the world.”  But one of the more interesting moments at Coldplay’s show happened in the lead-up to the start of the concert.  Coldplay chose a song by U2 to lead them onstage.  Recognition? Cheekiness? Of course there are going to be comparisons to that other great café in town…the one that all of Credo has either worked at or visited regularly.  The comparisons are valid and keep us all committed to improving what we do. Fortunately, there is no competition – we are both providing Edmonton with the coffee experience this city truly deserves - and the collaboration has been fantastic. Credo is not in competition with Transcend – we are working together to offer the highest quality and improve the café landscape.  We encourage our customers to visit them – we go there ourselves! But, we are different, and the beauty is in the knowledge that there can be more than one “greatest” in any endeavour.