Chương 44: A Cup of Opportunity IX

Friday, March 12, 1971 3: 15 p. m. Evergreen Coffee & Tea Company (Preparing to Open) Near Pike Place Market — Seattle, Washington The black sedan came to a gentle stop along the curb. Richard Foster stepped out first before opening the rear passenger door. Enzo adjusted his suit jacket as he stepped onto the sidewalk. James followed, looking curiously toward the modest storefront. Anthony climbed out from the opposite side, carrying his leather briefcase. Across the street...

Three young men had already stepped outside the unfinished shop. They had clearly been watching for their arrival. For a few moments... Neither group moved. The cool Seattle breeze carried the distant cries of seagulls from the waterfront. A delivery truck rumbled somewhere behind the market. Finally... The tallest of the three young businessmen smiled and stepped forward. He wore a brown tweed sport coat over a pale blue shirt, his sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms.

There was sawdust still clinging to one sleeve. He extended his hand.

"Mr. Lombardi, I presume?" Enzo smiled warmly as he accepted the handshake.

"You presume correctly."

"I'm Enzo Lombardi."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you." The young man smiled.

"Jonathan Bradley."

"Thank you for coming all the way from New York."

"The pleasure is mine." Jonathan gestured toward the two men standing beside him.

"Allow me to introduce my partners." He turned first toward the man with neatly combed dark hair.

"This is Gregory Bowman." Gregory stepped forward and shook Enzo's hand firmly.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Lombardi."

"The honor is mine." Jonathan then indicated the third member of the group.

"And this is Steven Grant." Steven adjusted his round spectacles before extending his hand.

"We appreciate you making such a long journey." Enzo smiled.

"I felt your letter deserved a personal visit." That answer earned three appreciative smiles. Only then did Enzo turn slightly toward the two people standing beside him.

"And allow me to introduce the gentlemen who accompanied me." He placed a hand lightly on Anthony's shoulder.

"This is Anthony Russo."

"My legal adviser and one of my closest associates." Anthony stepped forward and shook each man's hand in turn.

"A pleasure to meet all three of you."

"The pleasure is ours," Jonathan replied sincerely. Enzo then looked toward James.

"And this..." A warm smile appeared on his face.

"... is my grandson, James." James stepped forward politely. He extended his hand exactly as Enzo had taught him years before.

"It's nice to meet you." Jonathan smiled as he shook the boy's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, James." Gregory chuckled.

"I don't think we've ever had such a young guest at a business meeting." Steven smiled.

"You're probably our youngest visitor." James smiled politely.

"I'll try not to slow anyone down." The remark drew a laugh from all five adults. Enzo smiled.

"I can assure you..."

"... he's usually quieter than the rest of us." James looked at his grandfather with a faint grin.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should." The lighthearted exchange immediately eased any remaining awkwardness. Jonathan gestured toward the storefront.

"Please..."

"We'd be delighted to show you around before we sit down." Enzo nodded.

"We'd like that very much." Together... The six entered the future home of Evergreen Coffee & Tea Company. 》》》》》》》》》《《《《《《《《《 Friday, March 12, 1971 3: 18 p. m. Evergreen Coffee & Tea Company (Preparing to Open) Near Pike Place Market — Seattle, Washington A small brass bell chimed softly as Jonathan pushed open the front door.

"After you, Mr. Lombardi." Enzo entered first, followed by James and Anthony. The three founders came in behind them. The interior was unfinished... Yet it already possessed a distinct personality. Sunlight streamed through the large display windows, illuminating rows of handcrafted wooden shelving that still stood mostly empty. Against the left wall rested dozens of burlap sacks neatly arranged on wooden pallets. Each bore stenciled markings identifying its origin. Colombia. Guatemala. Brazil. Ethiopia.

James slowed almost instinctively. His eyes lingered on the sacks. He recognized every producing nation. Not because of the labels... But because, decades later, their names would become familiar to millions of coffee drinkers around the world. He quietly reminded himself... Not yet. For now... This was simply a small business preparing to open its very first store. Jonathan noticed James looking toward the coffee sacks and smiled.

"Have you ever seen coffee imported like this before?" James looked toward his grandfather for a split second before answering.

"No, sir." This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"It's interesting." Jonathan smiled.

"It fascinated me the first time I saw it too." Steven joined the conversation.

"Most people only see coffee after it's already packaged."

"They never think about where it begins." James nodded politely.

"I guess not." Enzo silently appreciated the exchange. James had answered honestly... Without revealing anything more than the curiosity expected from a ten-year-old.

As they continued walking through the store... Gregory stopped beside one of the unfinished display cabinets.

"We finished assembling these yesterday." He gently rested a hand on the polished oak surface.

"A local carpenter built every one of them." Anthony leaned slightly closer to inspect the craftsmanship.

"The workmanship is excellent." Gregory smiled proudly.

"We wanted everything to feel warm."

"Natural."

"We're asking people to spend time here."

"Not simply buy something and leave." Enzo looked thoughtfully around the room.

"You've clearly given that considerable thought." Jonathan laughed softly.

"Probably too much."

"We've argued over the placement of nearly every shelf." Steven couldn't help smiling.

"Jonathan moved this display three different times."

"Four," Gregory corrected. Jonathan sighed dramatically.

"I was trying to find the right balance."

"It still isn't perfect." Enzo smiled.

"I doubt any business owner has ever believed his first store was perfect." That earned another round of laughter.

The group continued farther inside. Near the rear of the shop stood several unopened wooden crates. Anthony glanced toward them.

"More inventory?" Steven nodded.

"Our tea shipments."

"They arrived yesterday."

"We haven't had time to unpack everything." James quietly listened. Every answer... Every explanation... Helped him better understand the three men standing before him. They weren't chasing quick profits. They genuinely cared about what they were creating. That mattered. Very much.

Jonathan stopped near the staircase leading upstairs.

"I'm afraid our meeting room isn't particularly impressive."

"It's really just a small office." Enzo smiled warmly.

"I've never believed important conversations require impressive rooms." Jonathan laughed.

"I'm glad to hear that." The six climbed the narrow staircase together. The second floor overlooked the sales area below through a large interior window. The office itself was modest. An oak table stood in the center. Six chairs surrounded it. A chalkboard occupied one wall, still covered with handwritten calculations. Projected expenses. Opening inventory. Rent. Fixtures. Advertising. Estimated monthly sales. Anthony noticed them immediately but said nothing. Instead...

He quietly admired how thoroughly everything had been planned. On a nearby side table, we rested a silver coffee service beside a porcelain teapot and a tray of freshly baked pastries. Gregory smiled.

"We thought we'd begin with coffee." Enzo chuckled.

"I don't believe there could be a more appropriate place." Jonathan walked toward the coffee service.

"I'll pour." As he carefully filled the first cup... The rich aroma spread throughout the room. James quietly breathed it in. Even before tasting it... He could tell the quality was exceptional. Jonathan handed the first cup to Enzo.

"Thank you again for making this trip." Enzo accepted it with a grateful nod.

"My pleasure." Jonathan then served Anthony. Finally... He looked toward James.

"We also have hot chocolate." James smiled politely.

"I'd like that." Gregory laughed.

"I had a feeling coffee might be a little ambitious."

"It probably is," James admitted. Within moments... Everyone had taken their seats. For several seconds... There was no business. Only the quiet sounds of cups being placed upon saucers. Outside the office window... Workers continued making the final preparations downstairs. Jonathan finally set his cup down. He looked across the table toward Enzo.

"So..." A friendly smile crossed his face.

"... your letter certainly surprised us." Enzo returned the smile.

"I suspected it might." Jonathan folded his hands.

"I suppose the first question we all asked was..."

"... why would the chairman of a manufacturing company from New York travel across the country to meet three men preparing to open a small specialty coffee and tea business?" The room became comfortably quiet. Anthony glanced toward Enzo. James remained silent, exactly as planned. The conversation... The real conversation... It was finally about to begin. Silence settled over the table. It's not an uncomfortable silence... A thoughtful one. Enzo slowly placed his coffee cup back onto its saucer.

"I think that's a perfectly reasonable question." Across the table... Jonathan studied the older man carefully. He doesn't seem arrogant... That surprised him. When the letter from Thompson Manufacturing had first arrived in Seattle... He had imagined someone entirely different. A wealthy industrialist. Confident. Perhaps even intimidating. Instead... Enzo Lombardi carried himself with quiet composure. There wasn't the slightest hint of superiority in his voice. Jonathan found himself relaxing without realizing it.

Enzo folded his hands.

"Before I answer..."

"I'd rather hear about the three of you." Gregory blinked.

"Our story?" Enzo nodded.

"Yes."

"I've read your proposal."

"I've read your letter."

"But paper rarely tells me who people really are."

"I'd rather hear it from you." Steven exchanged a brief glance with Jonathan. That's... unexpected. He had spent the entire morning preparing financial figures. Projected expenses. Inventory costs. Sales estimates. Instead... The first question wasn't about money at all. It was about them. Jonathan smiled faintly.

"I think we can do that." He leaned back slightly.

"My name is Jonathan Bradley."

"I grew up here in Seattle."

"For years, I've loved good coffee..."

"... but I always felt Americans deserved to know more about it than whatever happened to be sitting on a grocery shelf." Steven couldn't help smiling. He had heard Jonathan tell this story dozens of times. Yet... Every time... The passion sounded genuine. Jonathan continued.

"I wanted a place where coffee wasn't simply another product."

"I wanted people to discover it."

"To appreciate where it came from."

"To understand that beans from one country could taste completely different from beans grown somewhere else." James listened quietly. Exactly... That vision... That philosophy... It was one of the reasons the company would eventually become successful. Not because it sold coffee. Because it taught people to love coffee. Gregory smiled before speaking next.

"I'm probably the dreamer of the three." Jonathan laughed.

"That's true." Gregory shrugged with a grin.

"I've always loved building brands."

"I wanted customers to walk into a store and immediately feel welcome."

"A place that felt warm."

"A place people wanted to return to." As Gregory spoke... His eyes wandered toward the unfinished sales floor visible through the office window. Will people actually feel that? He honestly didn't know. Sometimes... Late at night... After everyone had gone home... He would walk through the empty store alone. Looking at unfinished shelves. Bare walls. Stacks of crates. And wonder... What if no one comes? It was a frightening thought. One he had never shared with Jonathan or Steven. He smiled anyway.

"That's what I'm hoping we've built." Enzo noticed the brief hesitation. He didn't mention it. Not yet. Instead... He simply nodded with understanding. Then... His attention shifted toward Steven.

"And what about you, Mr. Grant?" Steven looked down into his coffee cup for a moment. Unlike Jonathan... Speaking came less naturally to him.

"I've always believed..." He paused.

"... that quality should come before growth." Anthony quietly raised an eyebrow. Interesting. Steven continued.

"If we're ever forced to choose..."

"I'd rather remain small..."

"... than sell something we aren't proud of." The room became quiet once more. James noticed Enzo's expression. A nearly invisible smile. His grandfather liked that answer. Very much. Enzo slowly nodded.

"I respect that." Steven met his eyes. For the first time since the meeting had begun... He felt the nervousness in his chest ease slightly. Maybe... Just maybe... This isn't going to be the meeting I feared. Enzo allowed the silence to linger. Not because he had run out of words... But because he had learned long ago that silence often encouraged honesty more effectively than another question. He looked at each of the three founders in turn. Jonathan. Gregory. Steven. Then... A warm smile crossed his face.

"I appreciate your candor."

"It's becoming rather rare." Gregory chuckled.

"I suppose that's one way of putting it." Enzo leaned back comfortably.

"During my years in business..."

"I've listened to countless presentations."

"Most begin with projections."

"Sales."

"Profits."

"Expansion." He gently tapped the table with one finger.

"The three of you..."

"... began by talking about people."

"The customer."

"The experience."

"The quality." He nodded approvingly.

"I find that encouraging." Across the table... Jonathan couldn't help but exchange another glance with Steven. He's listening... Really listening. This wasn't how Jonathan had imagined the meeting. He had expected questions about revenue. Collateral. Debt. Instead... Mr. Lombardi seemed more interested in why they wanted to build Evergreen than how much it might earn. It was strangely reassuring. Enzo reached for his coffee once more. He took a slow sip before continuing.

"Now..."

"I'd like to ask a few questions." Jonathan straightened slightly.

"Of course."

"The first one is simple."

"Why Seattle?" Gregory smiled.

"I think that's the easiest question you'll ask all afternoon." Steven laughed quietly. Jonathan nodded.

"It probably is." He folded his hands.

"Seattle is one of the largest ports on the West Coast."

"Coffee from Latin America and other producing regions arrives here regularly."

"We're close to importers."

"We're close to wholesalers."

"It reduces both transportation time and cost." Anthony nodded almost instinctively. That answer made perfect business sense. Jonathan continued.

"But that's only part of it." He glanced out the office window toward the cloudy afternoon sky.

"People here appreciate craftsmanship."

"They're willing to try something different."

"Independent bookstores."

"Small bakeries."

"Family businesses."

"Seattle has room for ideas that don't necessarily fit elsewhere." James quietly listened. Exactly... Seattle wasn't New York. It wasn't Los Angeles. It didn't need to be. Its culture was precisely what would allow Evergreen to grow naturally. Enzo smiled.

"A thoughtful answer." He waited a moment before asking his next question.

"And your customers?"

"Who do you imagine walking through that front door?" Gregory answered first this time.

"We're hoping for people who care." Anthony tilted his head.

"Care?" Gregory nodded.

"They don't have to know everything about coffee."

"They don't even have to drink it every day."

"But..." He smiled.

"... we'd like them to be curious." Steven continued the thought.

"The grocery store sells coffee."

"We want to teach people about coffee." Jonathan added,"If someone walks in knowing nothing..."

"... and leaves knowing a little more..."

"I'll consider that a success." A faint smile appeared on James's face. He lowered his eyes to his cup before anyone noticed. That's why they'll succeed. Not because of advertising. Not because of luck. Because their philosophy was genuine. Across the table... Steven noticed the boy smiling into his hot chocolate. For just an instant... He found himself wondering. He's only ten... Yet he listens more carefully than some businessmen I've met. The thought amused him. Enzo noticed it, too. He smiled.

"James enjoys observing."

"He doesn't always have something to say."

"But when he does..." Enzo looked affectionately toward his grandson.

"... it's usually worth hearing." James looked slightly embarrassed.

"I still have a lot to learn." Jonathan laughed warmly.

"Don't we all?" The room relaxed once more. Outside... A carpenter carried another wooden crate through the front entrance below. The muffled sound of hammering drifted upstairs before fading again. The store was still under construction. Its future... Still uncertain. Enzo rested both forearms lightly on the table. His expression became a touch more serious.

"Tell me..."

"What concerns you the most?" The question caught all three founders by surprise. Jonathan blinked. Gregory stopped reaching for another pastry. Even Anthony looked toward Enzo. It wasn't a question about profits. Or competition. Or financing. It was personal. Jonathan slowly exhaled.

"I think..." He glanced briefly at his partners.

"... if I'm being honest..." He smiled sheepishly.

"I'm afraid people simply won't understand what we're trying to build." Gregory nodded.

"I've had the same thought." Steven looked down at his coffee.

"My concern is different." Everyone turned toward him. He spoke quietly.

"I'm afraid..."

"... that if we ever become successful..."

"... we might lose sight of why we started." The office fell silent. James's eyes lifted to Steven. Those words... Carried far more weight than the young founder could possibly imagine. 》 For several long seconds... No one spoke. Even the sounds from the workshop below seemed distant. Enzo studied Steven carefully. The young man hadn't spoken dramatically. He hadn't been trying to impress anyone. If anything... He almost looked embarrassed after admitting it. As though he feared, his concern might sound foolish.

Instead... Enzo smiled.

"No." Steven looked up.

"It doesn't sound foolish at all."

"In fact..."

"I think it's one of the wisest things you've said this afternoon." Steven blinked. Jonathan and Gregory turned toward Enzo. The older man rested both hands around his coffee cup.

"When I was a young man..."

"I believed success solved problems." He chuckled softly.

"It doesn't."

"It simply replaces old problems with new ones." The three founders listened attentively.

"I've seen businesses fail because they never grew."

"I've also seen businesses fail because they grew too quickly." Anthony quietly nodded. He had witnessed both during his legal career. Enzo continued.

"The difficult part..."

"... is knowing what should never change." He looked directly at Steven.

"If quality is truly your foundation..."

"... then every future decision should protect it." Steven unconsciously straightened in his chair. Those words resonated with him. He understands... It was a strange feeling. He had expected to defend his philosophy. Instead... Someone with decades more business experience had validated it. Jonathan smiled faintly.

"I've always told Steven..."

"... he worries too much." Steven laughed.

"I do." Gregory joined in.

"He absolutely does."

"But..." Gregory's smile softened.

"... he usually worries about the right things." Everyone around the table laughed quietly. The tension that had lingered since the meeting began continued to melt away.

Enzo placed his coffee cup back onto its saucer.

"May I ask another question?" Jonathan nodded.

"Please."

"You've spoken about your vision."

"You've spoken about quality."

"But..." He folded his hands.

"... what do you believe your greatest challenge will be during your first year?" Jonathan answered almost immediately.

"Cash flow." Anthony raised an eyebrow.

"So direct?" Jonathan smiled.

"It has to be."

"We've invested nearly everything we have." Gregory nodded.

"The renovations..."

"The equipment..."

"The inventory..."

"They've all cost more than we originally estimated." Steven added,"We're comfortable opening."

"But..." He paused.

"There isn't much room for unexpected expenses." Anthony quietly made a note. They're realistic. That impressed him. Many young entrepreneurs exaggerated their strengths. These three openly acknowledged their weaknesses. Enzo leaned forward slightly.

"And if business is slower than expected?" Jonathan answered honestly.

"We'll adapt."

"We'll reduce expenses."

"We'll work longer hours." Gregory smiled.

"We've already become fairly good at that." Steven couldn't resist adding,"I don't remember the last time any of us had a full night's sleep." The room erupted into quiet laughter. Even James smiled.

As the laughter faded... Enzo's expression became thoughtful once more.

"I'd like to ask one final question before we discuss business." Jonathan nodded.

"Go ahead." Enzo slowly looked around the room. His gaze moved from Jonathan... To Gregory... To Steven. Then he asked quietly,"Why the three of you?" Another silence followed. This time... It wasn't because the question was difficult. It was because none of them had expected it. Jonathan finally smiled.

"I suppose..."

"... because none of us could have done this alone." Gregory looked toward Steven.

"I know almost nothing about sourcing coffee." Steven laughed.

"And I'd never design a welcoming store." Jonathan pointed at himself.

"And without these two..."

"I'd probably still be talking about opening a business instead of actually opening one." Gregory folded his arms.

"We argue." Steven nodded.

"Frequently." Jonathan grinned.

"Very frequently." Another round of laughter filled the office. Then Jonathan's smile gradually faded into something more sincere.

"But..." He looked first at Gregory... Then at Steven.

"... I've never once questioned whether they wanted this business to succeed."

"And I hope they've never questioned me." Gregory answered immediately.

"Never." Steven nodded.

"Not once." Enzo quietly observed the exchange. There it was. The answer he had been looking for since arriving in Seattle. It's not a business plan. It's not a financial projection. Trust. These three men trusted one another. That... Could not be purchased. Beside him... James remained silent. Yet inside... He felt a quiet satisfaction. Grandpa sees it, too. He hadn't needed to whisper a single suggestion. Enzo had reached the same conclusion on his own. The foundation wasn't the coffee. It wasn't the store.

It wasn't even the business idea. The true foundation... Was the partnership sitting across the table. And that foundation looked remarkably strong, at least for now.