Hello friends,
I hope this message finds you doing well and staying healthy! In my last newsletter, I had talked about how the slower pace of January allows us to reflect back on the past year and do some planning for the new one...and that's what we have been doing quite a bit of lately. I had also mentioned that we were going to be implementing some changes at the bakeshop which I wanted to share with you today and then we'll get right back into this coming Friday's event - Bread Bowl Night!
As we all know, COVID-19 has really thrown a big monkey wrench into pretty much all aspects of our lives for the last couple of years. And unfortunately, the end doesn't seem to be in sight. The wave of repercussions that this pandemic has produced is so wide and immeasurable...you can't ever really cover it all in a conversation. So I'll only speak to what I know and what we have been experiencing as a small business. Current global supply chain disruptions, historically high inflation rates, eye-popping price increases for raw goods, labor shortages, and rising wages are all creating a perfect storm that we have to brace ourselves against. For example, it has become increasingly difficult to find certain raw ingredients and costs on other things are becoming more and more prohibitive for us to use in our recipes. Or another example...if we find the containers for us to package to-go soups, then we can't find the fitting lids from anywhere. Frustratingly, once we find the lids, then the containers no longer are available.
I started really feeling the effects of this back in the fall but I didn't want to disrupt anything for our customers during the holidays and we did our best through the season to produce the same quality of goods with the same level of spirit & cheer that we strive for. I knew though that come 2022, we would have to start adjusting ourselves to the new reality. The camaraderie, dedication, and resourcefulness of C&C's team is what really allows us to be successful in these ongoing conditions and to provide the best service that we can to our community. In order to continue nurturing this type of environment for my employees (present & future), we must increase our prices starting in February. If we don't have some of your favorite flavors or can't bake the things we used to before, or our packaging is constantly changing, please know we are trying our best to source those items. We will also continue to require our customers to wear masks and enforce other safety protocols while on premises so that we can protect our staff's health & safety...it's hard to operate if no one is able to come to work. We are already short-staffed at the moment so another thing that we could really use your help with is to share with your friends and family that we are currently hiring! The details of the position and a job application that can be submitted online is on our website listed below.
So moving on...we are very excited to bring back our Bread Bowl Night for January's 3rd Friday event. As I always say, I love this particular event for its simplicity and for its goodness. There's nothing more comforting during the chilly winter months than soup and bread.
The preorder menu for Bread Bowl Night is now up on our website so you can find more pickup details there as well as place an order! We are planning to make Clam Chowder, Cream of Mushroom (vegetarian), and Chicken & Wild Rice soups this time around...all served inside a fresh sourdough bread bowl. If you haven't joined us for this event before, I hope you do :)
Here is the ordering/pickup info for the week and a link to our online shop:
DEADLINE to place online BREAD BOWL NIGHT orders is 1pm FRIDAY
After 1pm, we will take call-in/walk-in orders while supplies last.
Preorder pickups will be from 4pm-7:45pm
Please have your order # with you to expedite the call-in and pick-up process.
Thank you for reading, thank you for understanding, and as always, thank you so much for your ongoing support!
Jojo