Beginnings- New and Old

Since the decision has been made to import our own beans and work towards roasting our own I have totally immersed myself into the coffee bean world. The balance of culinary arts, connecting with new people groups, and entrepreneurial social work that is a natural to this side of the business has spiked all of my passions and flooded me with dreams of what could be. But there is much foundation to be built. The motto at the moment is to start small and dream big. Start with how much we can do with excellence and add on as we can- purposefully and strategically.

Within this new beginning I am educating myself on the history and generallities of the coffee bean business. It has been awesome as I learn where/how coffee originated and the affects it had on cultures as it was adopted into their daily routines. It is amazing how coffee seems to have naturally done many of the same things we hope to do through Nexus. I wanted to share a few of the quotes from one of the books I am reading:

"The coffee in your cup is an immediate, tangible connection with the rural poor in some of the most destitute parts of the planet. It is a physical link across space and cultures from one end of the human experience to the other". -Gregory Dicum and Nina Luttinger

I love this point because this tangible connection they speak of in the bean is the exact one we hope to build in Nexus- indeed that is even the meaning of Nexus- a point or means of connection. So to think that we are both connecting with Clevelanders, and through our beans are connecting (and working with to better the lives of) some people of the greatest need on the planet makes my soul sing! And to know that through that we get to the be the medium that connects these two points together is even more exciting! And to take it even further- to introduce all these to the Father that made and loves us all is truly spectacular! The picture of a diverse family all working together for the benefit of each other and all of mankind gives me goosebumps! And to read that others believe coffee has been doing this from the beginning, at least in part- spectacular!

"One of the most interesting facts in the history of the coffee drink is that wherever is has been introduced it has spelled revolution. It has been the world's most radical drink in that its function has always been to make people think. And when people begin to think, they become dangerous to tyrants and to foes of liberty of thought and action."- William H Uker

That to me says it all- I need add no more and can only hope that we can facilitate the same.

As I travel down this path of new beginnings (isn't each day that really?) I am humbly reminded of an older beginning. It amazes me how moments in one's life can drastically alter one's direction. It is a simple story, but cool one.

I had been caring for a little church in Middleburg Heights- loving the people, but knowing my time there was growing short as God was moving me towards a new journey. I had already shared the dream of planting a church out of a coffee shop- and was starting to share that vision with friends and really gaining momentum in my life for a new and authentic mode of community, worship, and service.

One Sunday I shared the pulpit with this dude that worked with our association of churches. Afterward we met for lunch and I shared with him my passions and what I saw in the future, but trying to figure out a path to make that happen. The next day another pastor had a meeting with him and one of the questions this dude posed to the pastor was "What's next for your church?" The pastor's response was basically "To open a coffee house, but we don't have anyone in our church that has that skillset". Within a day or so I received an e-mail from that pastor simply stating we needed to talk.

Now I had never met that pastor, I'm not even sure I knew his name, but that night we talked on the phone for about an hour and half to two hours. He told me about his church, his family, and just a bunch of miscellaneous stuff (all with a screaming baby in the background, I felt horrible for him). I remember thinking to myself- "What is the point of this call? What does this dude want? Man can this guy talk!" We had talked for an hour or more with these quesion going through my head- because to this point there was no lead to why he had contacted me. I loved to hear what was happening in the church he led, but I kept waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop.

Finally Alex told me he felt the next step for Gateway was to open a coffeehouse. I remember stating with both relief and excitement (you can only guess at the purposes my imagination had drummed up for that call in the previous hour +) "Oh, that's what this is all about!!!". We met within the week and the rest is history!

It's been a wild journey, and I love that Alex and I have been doing it together. We don't always agree, and we can be drastically different stylistically- but we are bound together by a greater purpose and Person- and truth be told our differences make us each stronger! I am constistantly amazed at how two visionaries can work together when their purpose trumps their agenda.

One of many cool stories- I promise to share more back stories and new developments as they happen!

As one final note- thanks to those who gave this past week in my first attempt to begin raising my salary. It means allot to me that I have friends and family that are prepared to invest into this!

Blessings to all!

Yummy!

So much going on with Nexus right now- especially in the world of the beans as I began to share in an earlier post. In the next few days I will share some of the cool partnerships that are beginning to form and maybe even let you in on when you might be able to meet one of them! Such cool stuff it is absolutely ridiculous!

We are also beginning new partnerships within the city- we're working hard to make it easier for people to find ways to serve the city they love in manners that fit their talents and passions. So keep an eye out for that as well!

But for the moment I want to wet your appetite. When we first came up with Nexus one of the first things I worked through was a potential menu. I thought I would share that as well as some other ideas that popped up since. This is by no means a finished product as so many other factors will go into the menu- most notably the availability of local produce, meats, dairy, etc. (we have some killer cheese farmers- look out Melt!). And then there is seasonality as we seek to offer ingredients that fir the season we're in (who doesn't love pumpkin and cider in the fall!)

Let us know what you think!! And if you have tried some of these over the past few years tell us your favorite and be sure it makes the final menu cut!

Soup

Smoked Chicken and Wild Rice Chowder

Vegan Lentil

Salads

Crabcake Salad- fennel, granny smith apple, cherry tomatoes, celery seed dressing

House Poached Tuna Salad- grilled asparagus, capers, red bliss potato, Rosemary-Sherry vinaigrette

Beef Tenderloin Salad- potato croutons, roasted corn, poblano peppers, smoked cheddar cheese, border ranch dressing

Dried Fruit Salad- pecans, goat cheese, blackberry-hazelnut vinaigrette

Wild Mushroom Salad- grilled leeks, roasted red peppers, black walnuts, Rosemary-Sherry vinaigrette

Smoked Chicken Cobb Salad- bleu cheese, bacon, tomato, cucumber

Wheat berry Salad- Arugula, sharp provolone, cucumber, tomato, hazelnut vinaigrette

House Salad- Tomato, Red Onion, Cucumber, Roasted Garlic, Arugula, Basil, Sharp Provolone, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar

Wraps

Espresso Encrusted Pork Tenderloin- Roasted Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, Mixed Greens, Hazelnut vinaigrette

Chicken Salad- sharp provolone cheese

House Smoked Turkey- avocado, roasted peppers

Veggie- roasted tomato, fennel, grilled leek, wild mushroom, roasted red peppers, Rosemary-Sherry vinaigrette

Sandwiches- bread choice: cracked whole grain, Sourdough, Herbed Focaccia

Turkey Pesto Pannini- twin pestos, roasted red peppers, sharp provolone cheese

Crabcake- fennel salad, creole mayo

House Smoked Salmon Club- bacon, lettuce tomato, goat cheese, lemon-caper mayo

Tuna Salad- traditional house poached tuna salad with choice of cheese

Black Forest Ham Pannini- Havarti Cheese, Guinness mayo, Pumpernickel Bread

House Smoked Brisket Pannini- smoked cheddar cheese, Apple-butter BBQ, coleslaw

Grilled Flatbread Pizzas

Creamed Spinach- wild mushroom, asiago cheese, sun dried tomatoes

BBQ Chicken- house smoked chicken, apple-butter BBQ sauce, red onion, cheddar/ sharp provolone cheese, sour cream

Shrimp Pesto- basil pesto, goat cheese, roasted red peppers, pine nuts

Roasted Garlic Cannelloni Bean- Grilled Veggies, Balsamic Gastrique

Spicy Beef Tenderloin- Charred Tomato Sauce, Bleu Cheese

Sides

Sweet Potato Salad

Coleslaw

Fresh Vegetables- with rosemary yogurt dip

Pickled Vegetables

Parmesan Pomme Frittes

Pop Chips

AND SOME WINTER THOUGHTS:

Soup: White Vegetable Chili
Panini: Roasted Turkey with Cranberry Chutney and Cream Cheese
Panini: Duck Confit with Chipotle Sauce and Jack Cheese on a Smoked Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Roll
Panini: Chorizo Macaroni and Cheese (that's right, mac and cheese between bread!)
Wrap: Maple Cured Chicken with Roasted Apples, Caramelized Onions, and Jarlsberg Cheese
Grilled Flat Bread Pizza: Cured Italian Meat and Olive with Feta Cheese and Greek Dressing
Grilled Flat Bread Pizza: VA Cured Ham, Caramelized Root Vegetable Puree, Swiss Cheese, and Balsamic Gastrique.
Salad: Caramelized Squash Trio (Pumpkin, Acorn, Butternut), Pistachios, Maple Vinaigrette
Side: Sweet Potato Pomme Frittes with Spicy Cinnamon Sugar
Dessert: Pumpkin Rum Cheesecake (we'll have a ton of different cheesecakes, roasted rum banana may be my favorite)
Dessert: Marsala Poached Pear Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaise
Dessert: Creme Brulee Trio- Pumpkin (Pumpkin Seed Brittle with it), Cranberry, Orange Pistachio
Dessert Pizza: Cinnamon Sugar Dusted Grilled Pizza with Sweet Potato, Homemade Marshmallows, and Pecans

Coffee Beans

What an exciting week, and it's only Tuesday!!!

Thus far in the Nexus journey we have focused heavily on what it is going to take to open the doors, how we are going to serve Cleveland, the food we are going to offer (it's going to be great!)- but the last couple of days we have begun to really focus in on an area that has not been the center of attention for some time: our coffee beans.

From day 1 we had said that we wanted to not only make a difference in our own community but also be partnered with suppliers that are doing the same in theirs. In terms of coffee we wanted to have beans that were excellent in flavor- but even more excellent in their redemptive qualities in terms of what that business is doing to serve the people of the region.

This week we have decided we are going to take a proactive role in finding those growers- and the results from only a few days has been overwhelming. We are hearing of a church in the middle of Istanbul Turkey that began from the migrant workers that are part of the coffee bean trade. One of my favorites has been Bolaven Farms that uses coffee beans to give hope to people, and reproduces that hope! My prayer is that we can be part of those types of works throughout the world. And where it may not be the case- where injustice still reigns- maybe, just maybe we can learn from our partners and bring justice and redemption there simply through love and growing coffee.

How cool will it be when Nexus is open that we send a team to one of our own partners to help with a work. To work along side of the same people that provided us our morning joe just a week before. How cool will it be when we realize we are all in it together?!?!

So keep us in prayer- this week has opened a whole new world of possibilities- and as with the rest of Nexus has a TON of planning and preparation that is needed to do it with excellence. As with all great works that God calls us to it is humbling, exciting, scary, and overwhelming all at once.

A Front/Back Example of what a Nexus Calendar of event might look like. Anything you do not see on here you would like to see?

Sharing the Journey

So we are about three years into this journey called Nexus and I have decided to begin keeping a blog! Why? Because there a so many people that are on this journey with us in partnerships, prayers, and friendships I thought it would be a good thing to provide some regular updates on the joys and struggles that come with starting anything new like this.

Since some reading this may be new to this whole Nexus concept I am going to go back and share how it all started, why, and where we are now. As time progresses I will share some of the back stories as well as the new things to share.

Feel free to post encouraging words, challenges, and whatever else in response to each post. I love hearing from everyone as we trek ahead on this endeavor.

Backstory:

Where did Nexus come from?

Where this began is a great question. There are a 1000 answers, but since this is my blog I am going to stick with how I specifically was led to this.

So let’s go back even more first:

I had spent most of my adult life as a chef. I am not going to claim to be Michael Symon, but I had done well for myself- and I truly loved what I did. My food was (and is) enjoyed by people, and I enjoy being able to provide it and the hospitality that comes with it. While I loved the business (highlights being chef at Vaccaro’s and opening of Saucy Bistro) I was also heading down a dark road that I created for myself more than anything. In one of those darkest of times I found that the claims of Jesus I had known from PSR class as a kid were not only true- but they were true to me today and Jesus wasn’t just a dude in a book or an idea to be prayed to- He was the Son of a loving God, indeed God himself, and He actually wanted a relationship with me. Life changed- all for the better.

At one point I had to make choice. I had begun living by faith in Jesus- He had radically changed my life- saved me from more things than even this blog could contain. I had a passion to share that with others and to teach as many I could about the beauty and grace that I had found- and quickly found myself doing youth ministry. I was able to do both for a short time but the trouble was that both required nights and weekends- so Jesus won. I devoted myself to sharing Him.

Trouble was I was also denying a part of who I was. I was a chef and a man who loved hospitality. Not only that- I saw a huge percentage of the believers I knew not quite sure how their faith applied in a Monday-Friday role. There was a huge disconnect in me and it simply looked as if I was not alone in that. Over the course of a year I began to see how it could be different- how faith and life could not only intersect during certain points (mainly religious experiences) but be totally interweaved together- and that by doing so we might just be able to change the world.

So the idea of Nexus began for me as a way that I could stop segmenting my life. A way that my passion for hospitality (food actually wasn’t in the first concept), a wholistic spiritual approach, and my passion to lead and mentor people to impact their world could be done all together.

Enter Alex Ennes and Gateway Church. Through a cool series of “coincidences” (a story I will share another day on this blog) Alex and I connected and found that our passions, visions, and purposes were heavily overlapped. So begins Nexus Café and Coffeehouse as we know it today- where it continues on in the initial vision and purpose I had dreamed, yet taken on so many more deep needs of our city that I am overwhelmed by what God is assembling. Something tells me Alex feels the same……..

So what is that Nexus will do besides serve food and coffee?

Again- it is so large it is hard to put this all in one summary- so I will hit the highlights.

• Nexus will be not only active, but a leader in the community when it comes to serving the needs of our city. Followers of Christ are taught that true religion is caring for those less fortunate- at Nexus that is taken very seriously. Through as many entry points as possible Nexus will search to connect Clevelanders of all backgrounds to that service. Ultimately we would love to see people use the passions and talents they already posses to help meet the needs of others. We will mostly do this through our partnerships with organization that have already made an impact in their mode of service.
• Profits from Nexus will go into investing in our city. Money will be distributed to our partners, but also into reproducing ourselves through other works throughout the city from church planting to the funding of other social entrepreneurships. (not just profits- we will be searching for vendors such as coffee growers that will be seeking to make the same impact in their area)
• We will aim to build an authentic community of people- guests and employees alike. I would love for Nexus to be a place where people love to hang out. Where it is not uncommon to meet a new friend. Ultimately I would love that this environment help lead people to community with Jesus as well- but regardless of their decision on this I can guarantee people will know they can find support, friendship and community at Nexus.

So where are we now?

Nexus has raised a significant amount of funding through partnerships and friends. We are not quite all the way there, but are much closer than ever before. It is both awesome and challenging that we are seeking to open this whole endeavors with virtually no level of commercial funding. (some equipment leases may be the only exception to this)

There are three needs Nexus currently needs to launch:

1) A location. Until a final location is found many of our opening estimates are only that, estimates.

2) Depending on #1 as much as $50,000 in additional funding. With the right location this could be significantly less/more. We have looked at much, negotiated a few- but feel strongly we should be able to pull the trigger this year.

3) Funding for my salary. We feel we are close enough now that this part needs to become a priority. While we fully expect that Nexus could support a salary for me there are a few reasons we are seeking to do this:

a. My salary has to begin before we ever open the doors. That is a large expense to a business that does not yet have an income.

b. You never know what can happen. Sure we have a great business plan and the talents and support of some of the best talent Cleveland has to offer, but as in starting any new business there is no guarantee. The more help we can give the financials the first year the better our chances of success.

c. Assuming everything goes as planned that is that much more money Nexus can pour back into the community.

So I think that is about it. I will be posing more in the coming days and weeks and look forward to celebrating the beginning of a new and exciting journey as we open Nexus’ doors together!