Banana Dang: Primer Mes

Hello friends and family, we miss you all and hope everyone is enjoying their holiday. It's been a while since our last update but we've been busy with Banana Dang in its first month of infancy.

It's been very hard work; no sugar coating here. We see it in our hands—calluses and all—as we put in 15 hour days with 2 hours of cleaning every night. But what a good month it's been. Working at Banana Dang is a bit like working at "Cheers." It feels like we've opened our home to all walks of life: some stay for 2-3 hours, others take their drinks to go. Regardless, we've met so many people from locals, tourists, to other business owners/workers and can even call a few "regulars" friends (Spike, Patty, John, David...)!

One of our very first customers, Spike, visited us at least twice a day in our first month. Spike is an "old school" surfer whose style is relaxed, controlled yet radical. Check out his moves in the photo as he surfed "Steps" about 5 minutes away from us. He is a big inspiration and we look forward to seeing him again.

In our first month, we've noticed that our best seller is the Vietnamese Iced Coffee, followed by PC use and Lattes, French Press Coffee, "Eggspresso" (eggs steamed with the espresso wand, served on a toasted bagel Panini-style) and "Dang Berry" smoothie (strawberries, banana, vanilla + honey blended with soy). The organic teas, Thai Iced Tea and Chai Latte have also been HITS!

Marketing-wise, we joined the Tourism Association of Rincon and placed an ad in local paper El Coqui. Our Banana Dang T-shirts have also been selling well so we will soon open a CafePress store to push other merchandise.

Life here is rich and rewarding. There are no stop lights in Rincon and horses ride by every day. It's a life not driven by material goods, but by the sheer joy of serving a good cup of coffee and surfing beautiful waves. We can only take one day off a week to surf and recoop, but that day is fully enjoyed.

Hopefully, we can write more often.
Feliz Navidad, Mario + T2

Abierto!

The lights are on and we are home! The first few months were intense, but Mario and I are proud to say: “Banana Dang is officially OPEN” (first day of business was Monday, Nov. 19).

Already we’ve had a steady flow of curious onlookers—mostly internationals (from Germany, Italy, France), New Yorkers and local American ex-pats—enjoying some espressos and Dang-styled coffees and smoothies. The most exciting part was a few ordered straight shots...and you know how much Mario loves dialing in our La Marzocco! I had Vietnamese Coffee requests already and served it both hot and iced. The smoothies that seems to be getting the most attention are the "Green Tea Dang" and the "Nutty Dang." Our organic teas have also peaked the interest of a few locals, especially the appropriately titled “Chocolate Monkey."

The initial big draw seems to be our Internet offerings (not just WiFi—but actual PC computers for people to get on and check their Email).

Living on the island has also enabled us to offer the best Puerto Rican coffees—mostly mild in taste with chocolate undertones and caramel like flavor. Don’t be fooled with coffee beans grown in third world countries! We proudly carry our house coffee Encantos de Puerto Rico along with Hacienda San Pedro, Yauco Selecto and Cafe Rico Seleccion Especial.

Following the “Espresso Vivace” method—our goal with each cup is to reach the ideal 18-25 second-timed double-shots. But aside from our obsession with espresso, we do have a soft spot for our favorite brewing method—the French Press. We feel it offers a better coffee experience than an over-the-counter brewer (we don't own a Bunn Brewer—how "Third Wave" of us). For iced coffees, we soak fresh grounds overnight, pour it through a filter in the AM and then swirl it with condensed milk. Our customers say it’s beautifully sweet!

Our online and guerilla marketing will launch in a few weeks. Your advice and ideas are gratefully accepted. Please keep them coming and visit us soon...

Con Amor, Mario y T2

Rincon is #1

We just got exciting news from the Puerto Rico Tourism Association that in the December 2007 issue of TransWorld SURF magazine, Rincon, PR was named the #1 "Surf Mecca" in the world!

December edition highlights "10 Surf Meccas"—the top ten places that every surfer would love to "live and shred." Rincon beat out exotic locales like Kuta Beach, Bali, Costa Rica, San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua and Santa Cruz, California.

Each dream surf town is rated on everything from cost of living to wave consistency and nightlife. Check out today's 8-10 ft swell...Obviously, too small for us! :) Now...back to work!

Banana Dang, Inc.

FINALLY. We planned our business for 3 years before making the move so we knew this had to happen and there’s no turning back. It has not been easy but the PR gov't ARPE finally gave us our Permiso de Uso (permission to do business)! We are completely exhausted getting all the paperwork and permits together but ARPE gave us the green light after denying us twice for limited parking (they require 9 spaces—we have 4).

Thanks to the good folks at Lazy Parrot (a beautiful hotel 2 doors from us)—we can now open. Our 5 extra parking spaces are on loan from them so we’ll have to offer the official “Lazy Parrot” drink in honor of our neighbors. On top of that, we’ve heard it could take up to 3 years to get an ARPE permit—Getting ours in 2 months is “record time” for PR (say the locals).

What you need to open a food biz in PR (besides tons of patience):

Certificado de Salud (Health certificate)
Cuerpo De Bomberos (Fire certificate)
Endoso de Municipio (Municipality permit)
Permiso de Uso (ARPE government permit)
Patente (patent)
Certificado de Registro de Comerciante (merchant license)
Certificado de Exencion (merchant tax exemption)

…And before each application, you have to pay for a voucher.

Also, there is finally SURF in Rincon after several months. It picked up to 2-4 ft. (“fun size”). For those unfamiliar with PR terrain– some advice:

- It’s a reef bottom, beware of rocks, coral + sea urchins
- Beware of “sea lice" (they bite like mosquitoes)
- Like all oceans, there’s jelly fish
- Surf has push on the inside, but there’s a channel
- Water is as warm as the air: 75-80 degrees
- Locals are nice but feel it out before dropping in

Life here is rewarding. Fingers crossed as we plan to open in 2-3 weeks! Working 10-15 hour days never felt sooo good…

Con Amor, Mario y T2

Diary of a Startup

Click here for more pictures of ADVENTURES IN PR

We are now “Rinconeros.” It’s still so surreal. We work from dawn to dusk—scurrying to make ends meet with the government, health and fire inspectors, vendors, insurance agents, banks and car registration personnel. The good news is we got the temporary approval from the Puerto Rico government ARPE to jumpstart our business. Our carpenter is nearly finished with the barista bar and we're anxiously waiting for our La Marzocco espresso machine to arrive. Also, it took 6 weeks to get the car but our trusty Scion XB finally made it, flat tire and all.

The busy tourist season is nearing quickly and we have less than a month to open Banana Dang—that means we have less than 2 weeks to clean the upstairs and move in, dust the downstairs, bomb the bugs, landscape, paint the exterior, get the sign ready for business, finalize the menu, install appliances and furniture, get DSL and perhaps...sleep!

It’s been quite the change to go from corpo world to urban refugee land. The roads have no name, the streets are narrow (built for horse and buggy) and defensive driving is a must—as Mario says: “Drive like they’re out to get you!”

If you want directions, you’ll get an answer that goes something like this: “Go up the hill, when you see the white tire, turn left then you’ll see the crazy dog, turn right and go to the gas station, make a left and then call me…I’ll give you the rest of the directions then...better yet—just follow me!”

Puerto Rican Culture 101:

• Honk only if you want to say “hello.”
• Don’t talk negative about anyone—they’re probably related to the person you’re gossiping to.
• If you’re a woman, you must be totally dolled up before even going to the supermarket.
• For men: Plucking your eyebrows is considered “clean,” NOT gay.
• If you’re 15, you can marry legally (many parents consent)!
• Patience is a virtue and must be practiced daily.
• Being an hour (or two) late for meetings is considered normal.
• In fact, meetings don't have a specific time, just a general one ("I'll be there in the morning.")
• Mosquitoes are part of the culture. Stay indoors during sunrise and sunset.
• Your word is GOLD. Here...reputation is everything.

Greatest thing about Puerto Rico is it’s “organic” by default. The import tax is so high on most things that you are forced to buy local, eat organic and even drink coffee the traditional way. You will never find a 24-oz triple hazelnut caramel macchiato no whip in Rincon. It’s the 6-oz cappuccino or 4-oz café con leche that sells.

Con amor, T2 + Mario

Bienvenidos a Rincon

Well, we wanted a big change and we got it. Rincon's bright blue sky, rich green foliage and crystal clear oceans is the perfect muse for any poet. You will experience all the colors of the earth here. What's most interesting is between 2-4 pm, it pours like clockwork everyday. We've settled at John and Yolanda (Mario’s cousin)’s guesthouse, Dos Angeles Del Mar. They've been so wonderful to us—cooking for us, driving us around the island, giving us room and board downstairs by the pool, which I fully take advantage of! Although Mario and I both caught a cold upon arrival, we're motivated to get Banana Dang up and running by November.

It’s been a month, but it feels like several. I have to admit that I miss my comfortable old life in SoCal but I do know I would’ve had many regrets if I didn’t leave to pursue a lifelong dream of opening my own coffeehouse very close to the beach—especially with Mario. My favorite new quote: “Every oak tree began with a couple of nuts who firmly stood their ground.”

However, a month in PR and I haven’t even touched the ocean! It’s been flat as a pancake or too big (at least for me) to surf. We’re also keeping busy readying up the biz: dusting, priming, painting, re-painting, raking, washing, chopping bananas—YES, we have two BANANA plants in our backyard!—all this in 85 percent humidity.

Our place is starting to come alive: A/C unit's been installed, driveway’s been paved, downstairs' interiors got color and we even picked out some cool modern furniture. We will soon make a trip to San Juan to get our La Marzocco espresso machine. We also met the Mayor of Rincon at his new building downtown where the municipality gave us the endorsement for our business. Next, the government has to sign off—then we have to get a blood test (required to serve food), took a health class and up next: get our patent! On the downside, the contractor who promised he’d finish our remodeling work before we arrived (plumbing + electricity) is a month late on the job. This is normal pace for PR. The locals “work to live—not live to work.”

Still, my only regret in moving is that I never learned Spanish although I'm picking up a little everyday. A majority of the residents do speak English, but whether they want to or not is another story. For a primarily English-only speaking citizen, it is fairly easy, however, to get by in Rincon (means “corner”). A lot of pro surfers and international travelers frequent this area and Americans from the mainland have opened several restaurants and shops in town.

Contrary to popular belief, Puerto Rico is no desert island. The Commonwealth of PR is a self-governing part of the U.S. where its citizens have the same control over their internal affairs as do the 50 U.S. states. However, they do not vote in national elections, only in national primaries. No federal income tax collected here, but as part of the U.S. legal system, most federal laws do apply. In Rincon you will find: Home Depot, Sam’s, Quizno's, Denny’s—even Pier 1. Surprisingly, NO Starbucks! Yes, the "big green" is nowhere to be seen in this part of the island.

We are getting a major lifestyle change: adjusting to a new culture, building a new business, and (for me) learning a new language. In mid-October we move upstairs into our home and in 2 weeks our personal belongings and trusty Scion will be arriving. It will feel nice to experience freedom on wheels again!

We hope this blog finds everyone well.
Con Amor, T2 + Mario

On the road to Puerto Rico...

CLICK HERE for more pictures from the road

Hello family and friends. We're alive, happy and well.

Leaving Los Angeles—and mainland USA—was a very hard thing to do because we have so much love for everyone in our lives. In so many ways, L.A. will always be home.

It's been 8 days on the road as we drive on the 10 Fwy to Orlando to ship our beloved Scion, which—by the way, has not let us down. Thank you, Toyota! We've stayed at some pretty moldy and stinky hotels that cost less than $50, but also some nicer ones with big pools and workout rooms. After all, you've got to have balance in life—even on a budget.

We wanted to "recon" as many coffeehouses as possible and stopped at various cafes along our route—averaging 300 miles (approx 5 hours) daily. Unfortunately, we don't have an MP3 player so our only entertainment was bad radio reception!

There were some highlights, including:

San Dimas, CA—Coffee Klatch is the home of Heather Perry, 2007 U.S. Barista Champion (she also won in 2003) and placed 2nd in the 2007 World Barista Championship. Unfortunately, she wasn't there but her trophies were as well as banners and pictures of her winnings. The cafe was comfortable, homey and quiet. Cappuccino was 16oz and tasted more like a latte but was decent. We'd come back just for you, Heather!

Tucson, AZ—Cafe Passé is a cute little coffeehouse located on a very hip street (with a natural food market, bookstore and fashion boutiques). Sabine runs the joint and she did a great job given the moderate store traffic and large space. The menu had "The Bruce Lee"—2 shots of espresso with condensed milk...my kind of coffee.

Junction, TX—Sunshine Cafe + Bakery has the BEST BANANA CREAM PIE we've ever tasted. "I cook food," says the chef, "the way food is supposed to taste." The salad was HUGE and so were the drinks. The "regular" lemonade clocked in at 42oz. Everything is BIG in TEXAS. C'est vrai.

Beaumont, TX—Frank's restaurant has been in business for over 40 years. Need we say more?

Gulfport, MS—No coffeehouse here but we just had to mention that two years after Hurricane Katrina this city is still in the dumps! Shattered and moldy buildings with roof tops blown off everywhere. It looked like a war-torn Third World country. We were SHOCKED. Is this America????

Tallahassee, FL—Bad Ass Coffee was one of the best-branded coffee chains we've ever been too. Their logo was EVERYWHERE in the store—from the ass himself (donkey mascot) to cups, stickers, T-shirts that read, "I love my Bad Ass attitude," and so forth.

Tomorrow we head to Orlando and fly one-way to Rincon, PR. We're anxious, excited and nervous, but most of all—motivated!

Adios muchachos,
T2 + Mario