{"id":878,"date":"2002-07-17T22:33:05","date_gmt":"2002-07-18T03:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/?p=878"},"modified":"2011-08-23T12:41:38","modified_gmt":"2011-08-23T17:41:38","slug":"878","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/?p=878","title":{"rendered":"Puffins Gourmet Cafe Opens in Foxboro"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>by Robert Gillis
\nPublished in the Foxboro Reporter, 2\/2002<\/em><\/p>\n

Note: My wife ran her caf\u00e9 for two years and it was very well received in Foxboro\u2026 Here is the story of how it came to be\u2026 <\/em><\/p>\n

Once upon a time, right here in Foxboro, a bucket truck pulled up to the site of a closed pizza gallery on School Street, and the bucket platform extended into the sky, allowing two guys to install signs proclaiming a brand new business, \u201cPuffins Gourmet Caf\u00e9.\u201d The windows of the old pizza gallery were then neatly stenciled with bright \u201cOPENING SOON\u201d lettering. Over the next few weeks, equipment was moved in.<\/p>\n

Then, for some time, nothing.<\/p>\n

This is a story of a dream come true \u2013 it just gives new meaning to the word, \u201cSoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dream belonged to my wife, Susan. She wanted to do something special for Foxboro.<\/p>\n

She has always been very active in the community. The Grange\u2019s 1998 Citizen of the Year is well known for her work in the Jaycees, her work in fundraisers to help build the senior center, her work with the food pantry and discretionary fund, her great love for the seniors, and especially for running the \u201cCommon Dog\u201d hot dog cart on Foxboro Common six years.<\/p>\n

Susan always loved doing the cart, saying that it gave her a way to reach so many people and put a smile on their face. It was there, she says, she began to see how much of a need there was in Foxboro<\/em> for a really good place to have an exceptional cup of coffee or a gourmet drink. People in town also wanted a good bakery and a place to go for a good sandwich that was not a common sub or pizza.<\/p>\n

It was based on all this that the idea of Puffins was born.<\/p>\n

But there was an unusually long gestation period for the small miracle known as Puffins. There were challenges and hurdles \u2013 things best kept private — that took time and money to resolve.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t thrilled about the length of the gestation period \u2013 that\u2019s putting it mildly \u2013 but neither was Susan. During that time, Puffins was still nurtured. There was the night at Logan to pick up the extremely heavy espresso machine. There were plumbers and electricians and contractors. There was buying equipment, floor plans, and designing.<\/p>\n

For me, there was heavy lifting (including the aforementioned espresso machine), cleaning, painting, idea sessions, and lots of graphics design. Any puffin on the Internet became fair game. Any morsel of Puffin trivia was downloaded and absorbed.<\/p>\n

As the caf\u00e9 came together, Sue explained that she wanted the place to be more than just a coffee shop \u2013 she wanted it to be an experience from the moment a customer walked into the door. She wanted to please all of the senses.<\/p>\n

She began to do extensive research. She spent a good deal of time studying all about coffees, espresso and teas of Seattle, where the best coffee in America is found.<\/p>\n

When we went to Italy, she spent some time studying the exact method to prepare an espresso, and talked to the barristers in the coffee bars. She watched their techniques closely. She observed the layout of their shops.<\/p>\n

She researched everything from coffee bean 101 to how to choose the best products to how to prepare the best coffee and espresso. She learned about froth, temperature ranges, tamping, crema, and the history and production of coffee beans. It\u2019s much more complicated than you might imagine.<\/p>\n

She traveled to coffee expositions and talked to other business owners and operators. She learned how to make a croissant, how to bake bread, how to become a barrister and how to make a perfect espresso.<\/p>\n

Over time, she did similar research for all of the other products that she wanted to sell. No matter what else she was doing, she was going to Caf\u00e9 School.<\/p>\n

Susan also busied herself with the business of business. State and local authorities and board of health codes certified her. She took care of the multitude of tasks associated with opening a brand new enterprise.<\/p>\n

The name for the place came easily; she wanted a theme and loved the little Puffin bird from Bar Harbor. Puffins it would be. Over many trips to Bar Harbor, she purchased unique Puffin items. If it had a Puffins logo, she probably bought one.<\/p>\n

Susan was adamant that the look of the caf\u00e9 would be unique \u2013there is a lot of love in the place. You can see it in the details \u2013 For the caf\u00e9 style seating, Susan handed painted each of the caf\u00e9 chairs and tables, and accented the entire place with a pleasing color scheme \u2013 next time you\u2019re there, notice how the curtains, fabrics, walls, and even the light bulbs on the track lighting are in sync.<\/p>\n

Nothing in the decoration is accidental, from the mirrors to the Puffin lore and graphics to the puffin and coffee trivia found on every table. There are even puffin electric socket covers and puffin clocks. The music is lively — reggae, Caribbean, Latin, jazz.<\/p>\n

There were other touches as well \u2013 the four time zone clocks on the walls, each with a story, the news about Project Puffin, the puffin water fountain, the unique glass sculptures and sports team flags purchased in Italy, the puffin souvenirs, mirrors, and Patriots memorabilia \u2013 everything she added made Puffins unique.<\/p>\n

Despite setbacks, Puffins became Susan\u2019s passion. Many friends knew about this passion, particularly Lorraine Garland. Susan remembers the day Lorraine stopped by our door. She and her husband Stanley had been vacationing in Maine, and they\u2019d purchased a beautiful hand drawn Puffin scene for Susan. That picture hangs in the caf\u00e9, and Susan lovingly dedicated Puffins to Lorraine and Stanley\u2019s memory.<\/p>\n

In late 2001, opening the caf\u00e9 became Susan\u2019s full time activity. She worked around the clock finalizing the myriad of details. The vendors were lined up. Display cases were stocked. Menus were designed. The cash register was programmed. Pretty white lights were hung in the window and on an unusual gold tree in the corner. Coffee Club cards were designed. The final layout for all the products was selected. The shelves were stocked.<\/p>\n

On a rainy Friday night last December, we scraped the \u201cING SOON\u201d off the \u201cOPENING SOON\u201d letters and affixed the new Puffins sign over the window.<\/p>\n

Then the next day — Saturday December 15, 2001 \u2013 dawned. Sunny. Brisk. Day One!<\/p>\n

We opened the blinds and let the daylight into Puffins Gourmet Caf\u00e9, Susan\u2019s dream. Puffins \u2013 open for business, at last!<\/p>\n

As the sunshine poured in, I heard Susan saying hello \u2013 someone had already walked into the cafe. Our friends Deacon John Dugan and his wife Carol had stopped in to wish us well. We thought this a wonderful omen \u2013the very first person to walk into Puffins was a recently ordained Deacon.<\/p>\n

We asked John to say a prayer, and we joined hands as John said a heartfelt prayer. \u201cLord, come upon Puffins,\u201d John began, \u201cMake it a place of love\u2026\u201d His prayer was thoughtful and perfect.<\/p>\n

Then the people started coming in. The response was 100% positive and overwhelming. It\u2019s never stopped being wonderful.<\/p>\n

Since then, more and more people have discovered Puffins and the gourmet coffees and teas, espresso bar drinks, as well as the mouth-watering assortment of gourmet pastries, cakes, pies and tarts, and cookies.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s still a dreamlike quality of entering Puffins and seeing so many people there; a line at the register, and people at tables enjoying the gourmet goodies. It\u2019s wonderful to see people reading the trivia, complimenting the drinks, or just telling Susan how great Puffins is. I can see it in Susan\u2019s eyes \u2013 it means so much.<\/p>\n

Susan is a very hard worker \u2013 the sleepy wake-up-time of 5:00 has to be painful, and often she\u2019s at the caf\u00e9 late into the night. Running the caf\u00e9 is not easy \u2013 that\u2019s an understatement \u2013 and is probably the hardest thing she\u2019s ever done.<\/p>\n

Puffins, from, the start, has belonged to Susan. She dreamed it; she created it, and nurtured it. The odyssey of getting the caf\u00e9 open has not been the smoothest of roads, but Susan made her dream came true.<\/p>\n

Susan, I want you to know that I am so very proud of you for what you have accomplished, and what you continue to accomplish, at Puffins Gourmet Caf\u00e9. People love your new enterprise, and you have brought something very special to Foxboro. As your business card says, it is indeed a, \u201crare taste of excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Robert Gillis Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 2\/2002 Note: My wife ran her caf\u00e9 for two years and it was very well received in Foxboro\u2026 Here is the story of how it came to be\u2026 Once upon a time, right here in Foxboro, a bucket truck pulled up to the site of a closed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=878"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/878\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}