Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | October 12, 2020 | Worcester Business Journal 33 changing my business overnight to online only, I had time to decide what I could do to make this a safe space. With so much turmoil in the world, it was important to me I made sure TQC was a place that is clean and welcoming when our customers could once again visit us in the store. So, one day, I had the crazy idea to completely switch our dining room and checkout area and create a cake decorating room for my cake decorators. If you know me, once I have an idea, I go full-fledged and do not stop until my vision is complete. Over the years, I have learned what it was like to coordinate projects in a build out – whether it be commercial or residential – and I love doing it. I have been lucky enough to work with amazing small businesses such as Paul Bergeron Jr. Contracting, Lyons Plumb- ing, ChromaPaint Works, Big Doe Woodworking, Mark the Floor Guy, Westerman's, TRJ Computer Services, Veronica Van Jura Art, Sparkle on Park, and Olive & Co. Designs to name a few. When I had the original idea, I ran it by my architect Nate Antaya from Gregory J. O'Connor & Associates, and my landlord Ed Murphy of Seven Hills Property Management. Both of them were on board, and Nate confirmed my plan was up to code. I obtained a build- ing permit from the City of Worcester and started to let my staff in on the change. We took a couple weeks to go through three years' worth of stuff that we had accumulated, which in a way was refreshing and gave the staff and I a feeling of a rebirth during an odd time. Even though our store hours seemed nonexistent, my staff was working harder than ever getting the online or- ders ready for customers. I decided to close for the week of Fourth of July to give them a break. During this time, we started the construction on the interior of the building. When we returned from vacation, we had a larger kitchen, new paint on the walls and beautiful new floors. e plumbers and electri- cians were here for days, and it seemed like a mad dash to get everything done for us to reopen to the public on July 21, with a new look and a new menu. I love our new space and the flow of the new layout, but I would be lying if I didn't mention it was difficult finan- cially and emotionally to rebuild an interior and a brand. When you re-en- ter your favorite places, keep in mind this was their experience, too. Patience and understanding in the service world will go a long way during this time. Pa- tience and understanding in the world will go even further. Renee Diaz is the owner of e Queen's Cups bakery in Worcester. I f you have been out to eat since Massachusetts started to allow restaurants to reopen, you might have noticed many of your favor- ite places in Worcester are dif- ferent. Hanging out at the Boynton bar ordering food, having a glass of Sangria while talking to your favorite bartenders at Bocado or getting together with a group larger than six people seems like a distant memory. Being crammed in the tiniest front of house space at e Queen's Cups, is now long gone, too. As business owners, we have had to make difficult decisions over the past few months of what to do with our "ba- bies." We have questioned when we can bring back our staff members, what the layout of our business should be to ad- here to the new COVID-19 guidelines, and when the time would be to allow customers back into our shop. With an apparent uncertainty of when things may resume back to a more normal sense, the restaurant industry has been hit really hard; hours have dwindled, permanent closures are a reality, and dreams have come to an end. I spent almost a year gathering ev- erything I needed to buy a building and open up a Café Dolce-inspired dessert spot in the city, only to come to the realization in such unpredictable times, I could not hang almost $1 million in debt over my family's head. is has been the third instance my dream of an- other location coming to an end, and it was a sign ultimately the decision could have been a nightmare. Although e Queen's Cups is not a restaurant, we are still a food establish- ment faced with many difficult decisions during the pandemic. e arrange- ment of our space would not allow for customers and my employees to safely be able to interact. While seemingly The Hustle is Real BY RENEE DIAZ e rebirth of my business started aer I let go of my dreams W

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