7 months ago, I was finally able to make my dream of running my own business come true. I took all of my savings and asked my parents for a $20,000 loan to open a small cafe in the neighborhood I lived in during college. We serve Starbucks type drinks and fare, plus a few hot dishes at lunch and dinner time. I even added small special touches like an in-house "library", art by local painters & sculptors, and two laptops that can be rented by the hour with internet connections. We even have singers and poets in the evening and an open-mike night once a week. I am not quite out of the red yet (business is slow in a university town during the summer), but I'm confident that things are going well.
The only problem is my neighbors. My cafe is in a mixed business/residential zone. All along the block there are businesses on the ground floor and apartments above. When I rented the space, I knew that there was a family living above, but I wasn't too concerned. After all, I lived above a clothing store for 2 years in college. I introduced myself to my new neighbors and invited them to come to the grand opening in a few weeks.They seemed really nice. A young man about 26 and his wife, a couple years younger. Plus a 3 year old girl and a baby boy who was about 9 mos. old. They were very excited about the cafe coming because they used to go everyday to the doughnut shop that was there before. Personally, I thought it was a little irresponsible to give your kid sugary stuff everyday, but hey not my business. And I figured that I could steer them toward healthy stuff like blueberry muffins and fruit kabobs, etc.
Sure enough, once I opened, they became regulars. Only not customers. In the morning, they come in, sit at table for a couple of hours, talking and playing with the kids, but don't actually buy anything! Once, the wife asked me for a cup of hot water --which she dumped 2 packets of sugar in and drank!! The little girl runs around bumping into me, my staff, and customers. Then the husband goes to work and his wife takes the kids upstairs. This happened every day! I can't say that I've lost any customers necessarily, but it was annoying to watching people struggle to find seating or take their orders to go while this family sits there.
One day, the wife changed the baby on a table!!!!!! I came over and asked her not to do that. (The health dept would have a fit!) The husband started defending her angrily, complaining that there was only one baby-changing table in the bathroom. I couldn't believe it so I said "You live right upstairs, change your kids shitty diapers on your own table."
Of course, they left and haven't come back. But now, we are getting complaints from them. Supposedly we are too loud in the morning and in the evening. However, we are within noise limits for a business and actually quieter in the evening than the bar 2 doors down. Plus, they say that cigarette smoke is coming into their apartment. It's not coming from inside the cafe though. I and my staff don't smoke and the cafe is non-smoking. Sometimes, people light up as soon as they leave, but I can't stop that --the sidewalk is public property. Meanwhile, we have smelled pot from their apartment more than once.
At the same time, they are leaving bags of their garbage right outside our door (as if it is our trash) and at least four times, the wife has parked in one of our three reserved spots outback rather than parking on the street. He said that she did it one time so that she could carry groceries inside while the kids slept in their car seats, but I know their car.
Our landlord says we need to settle it among ourselves. He said that they are good tenants and so am I. I found out that their lease is up and they are on a month to month. I am tempted to call the police the next time that I smell pot. Maybe I can get them kicked out.
The only problem is my neighbors. My cafe is in a mixed business/residential zone. All along the block there are businesses on the ground floor and apartments above. When I rented the space, I knew that there was a family living above, but I wasn't too concerned. After all, I lived above a clothing store for 2 years in college. I introduced myself to my new neighbors and invited them to come to the grand opening in a few weeks.They seemed really nice. A young man about 26 and his wife, a couple years younger. Plus a 3 year old girl and a baby boy who was about 9 mos. old. They were very excited about the cafe coming because they used to go everyday to the doughnut shop that was there before. Personally, I thought it was a little irresponsible to give your kid sugary stuff everyday, but hey not my business. And I figured that I could steer them toward healthy stuff like blueberry muffins and fruit kabobs, etc.
Sure enough, once I opened, they became regulars. Only not customers. In the morning, they come in, sit at table for a couple of hours, talking and playing with the kids, but don't actually buy anything! Once, the wife asked me for a cup of hot water --which she dumped 2 packets of sugar in and drank!! The little girl runs around bumping into me, my staff, and customers. Then the husband goes to work and his wife takes the kids upstairs. This happened every day! I can't say that I've lost any customers necessarily, but it was annoying to watching people struggle to find seating or take their orders to go while this family sits there.
One day, the wife changed the baby on a table!!!!!! I came over and asked her not to do that. (The health dept would have a fit!) The husband started defending her angrily, complaining that there was only one baby-changing table in the bathroom. I couldn't believe it so I said "You live right upstairs, change your kids shitty diapers on your own table."
Of course, they left and haven't come back. But now, we are getting complaints from them. Supposedly we are too loud in the morning and in the evening. However, we are within noise limits for a business and actually quieter in the evening than the bar 2 doors down. Plus, they say that cigarette smoke is coming into their apartment. It's not coming from inside the cafe though. I and my staff don't smoke and the cafe is non-smoking. Sometimes, people light up as soon as they leave, but I can't stop that --the sidewalk is public property. Meanwhile, we have smelled pot from their apartment more than once.
At the same time, they are leaving bags of their garbage right outside our door (as if it is our trash) and at least four times, the wife has parked in one of our three reserved spots outback rather than parking on the street. He said that she did it one time so that she could carry groceries inside while the kids slept in their car seats, but I know their car.
Our landlord says we need to settle it among ourselves. He said that they are good tenants and so am I. I found out that their lease is up and they are on a month to month. I am tempted to call the police the next time that I smell pot. Maybe I can get them kicked out.
