If The Building Collapses On Top Of You, You Can Be A Pop-Up!

Our coffee place has a new boss/owner. He’s a decent boss overall. He thinks the place is looking tired and old, and so wants to get in an interior designer to update the look of the place. Since I’ve expressed an interest in managing the place, he’s letting me take point in planning the project.

The previous week, he told me about an interior designer he knew and liked their work.

Boss: “So, did you get a chance to talk to that designer I told you about?”

Me: “Yeah, I spoke to them. Honestly… I don’t think they’re the right fit.”

Boss: “Why not? They’ve got a great portfolio.”

Me: “Because the first thing they said when I showed them our shop was that the big concrete pillar in the corner was an ‘eyesore’ and should be removed.”

Boss: “You mean… the support pillar?”

Me: “Yep. The support pillar holding up the fifty-five floors of office space and luxury apartments above us.”

Boss: “And what did they say when you told them that?”

Me: “That they’re sure the building could afford to lose one, since there are plenty more.”

Boss: “…”

Me: “So, unless you want to be serving lattes under fifty-five stories of rubble, maybe we can find a designer who understands basic architecture.”

Boss: “But their portfolio was so nice. Maybe just get them to talk about the soft furnishings and not the renovation?”

Me: “I tried that, but they kept going back to the pillar, and I had to remind them that I absolutely, a hundred percent, prefer my coffee shops with a roof.”

He accepted my reasoning and moved on. We did eventually get someone in who both understood our brief AND architecture, and the place came out amazing!