When we put in our submission to the National Hardware Show for the opportunity to receive a $100k grant to grow our business, our plans were a bit different than where we are today.
In our initial planning we were going to add 900 sq.ft. to the back of our store to house the Cafe. As we continued to refine the cost of building the addition, it became clear that the budget was not large enough to handle the building and the necessary restaurant equipment and accessories.
So after several iterations of designs, layouts and planning, we settled on constructing a 1275 sq.ft. building that we have come to call “the Barn.” Our plan is to build it on top of an area that once had storage sheds. They were torn down several years ago because of disrepair. Once we clean the remaining broken concrete pad out of the way, we will be able to start building the Barn. Our plan is to stock items that do not need climate control and that Customers generally ask for by name – feed, fencing, lumber, concrete, insulation, pipe, nails, rope, etc.
Our design inspiration for the Barn is the following building:
Ours will differ in that we will be using a mono sloped roof for maximizing the distribution of rain and snow. We will utilize a parapet across the front to make it appear as a flat roof. The original Gagon’s Lumber, the business that we have built upon, opened in 1903 with a parapet look from the road. We are excited to be able utilize that design element. We will utilize galvanized corrugated paneling for the walls, though we will run them horizontal instead of the traditional vertical.
The porch on the front is a close match to what we will do. This will give us an area to store mulch, soil, compost and fertilizer outdoors but undercover. We will also use Suntuf polycarbonate panels to allow light into the area.
The Barn is the first phase of the project. Upon completion we will be able to move merchandise into that building. Once that is done, we will re-lay out almost our entire store. Only tools and nuts and bolts will be spared a move. We haven’t finalized all of the locations for each of our departments, but the major ones like Paint and Seasonal are set. Others will be somewhat fluid as we work through the process.
Once the store is reset, we will be able to begin work on the Cafe and its kitchen. The floor will need to be cut to run water and sewer into the kitchen. We will then construct walls to separate the cleaning and storage areas from the cooking and food prep areas. We intend to keep them as low as possible to make the space feel open. So what was once Paint, Housewares, Sporting Goods and Outdoor Cooking will soon become the home of our Cafe.
By shifting to building the Barn instead of the addition in the store, we estimate that we will save approximately $25k. While every project has some unknowns to contend with, we are optimistic that we have looked at the variables and have come up with a good plan to stay on budget and deliver an exciting venue for people to enjoy.