This
weekend will be the first anniversary of Dolly's Tea Room & Wine Bar.
We started quietly and have become noisier as the year has progressed.
Having spent the first few month worrying that no one knew we were here, we are
now delighted that people are still just discovering us. At times we have
been like an out of control giraffe on roller skates, but mostly we have
enjoyed the ride, and the giraffe is now able to skate in a more refined manner,
except for the occasional Triple Salchow. We have been given a lot
of advice and ideas over the year, the most successful being the cocktails in
teapots and the Prohibition and Blitz nights. The piano has added a
wonderful side to the bar and we love it when people have the nerve to play
it. Be it Mozart's Funeral March (thanks Emma) to The Smiths and The Cure
and of course our favourite - the theme from the Muppet Show!
We
have all of our original staff (except for Nicole who left to do a PhD in
cabbages, as you do), who have contributed so much to the success of the
business. Staff training is more fun than at most companies as it
involves drinking wine, gin and tea and eating scones and cakes. We have
had a lot of fun - exploding chestnuts at Christmas, the Thriller dance at New
Year, dancing on tables, rodding the drains - crazy times.
Obviously
is has also been incredibly tough too. Setting up a new business in a
recession is never easy and being in the centre of town is not the prime
position that a lot of people believe it to be. As Mary Portas says in
her report on how the revitalise the High Street, make business rates for work
the businesses, local authorities should use their discretionary powers to give
business rate concessions to new local businesses (and established ones for
that matter) and local areas should implement free controlled parking schemes
to entice more people back into the towns and not to the out of town
supermarkets and retail parks where the parking is free. If she had really
done her research she would also have mentioned that having a friendly yellow Labrador
wearing pearls on the premises would make people come back again and again.
Thanks
to everyone who has helped us make our first year so successful. Now for
the Oscar Speech thank you's moment.....Wendy (what can I say), The Hollys (scone makers
extraordinaire), Sarah, Nicole, safe hands Lillie and Vickie. Amelia (who sings
like an angel), Hannah, Maddy, Mariya, Naomi, Rosa and Sharon. Kev for
the cocktails in teapots (and Robbie for drinking them), Ron from the Falmouth
Bookseller for telling us what we should be doing (and Katie for keeping him
under control), Paul, everyone from Amos & Penny, Fran, Adie, Adrian &
Neil (wine quality control), Rupert and Adam (we haven't stopped laughing since
New Year), The Sellwood Clan, Nikki and Henrietta, Ruth (come back soon,
we miss you), everyone at the Wheelhouse, Rob at the Church Street Deli, Gail,
Clare and Jules (the bunting queen), and of course Hebe Dog who makes everyone
smile, and so many others who have supported us all the way. Here's
to making it through the next year
We
are now VAT registered which is causing Dolly to have heart palpitations and
she has taken to breathing into a brown paper bag, but on the upside this means
we have had a very successful first year but on the downside means the prices
at Dolly's have to reflect this.
Now
could someone please stop the rain - it is playing havoc with Gilbert the
Giraffe's roller skating!
;)
