The Rush

Since signing a lease, I'm now in a rush to get everything put together so I can get open before I have to start paying rent. Here's what I'm in the process of doing:

- Putting together plans for the contractor, as well as for city, health department, and fire department approval (apparently I can submit over the counter, which is a huge time saver)
- Getting a city business license (contingent on other approvals such as health, fire, water district, air district, sanitation district)
- ABC approval (I have an appointment next Thursday to submit the application, trying to get one sooner)
- TTB approval
- Ordering new equipment (brite beer tank, glycol cooler, keg washer, Gamajet cleaning system)
- Retrieving equipment already purchased (brewhouse, fermenters, platform, mill, spent grain dispense system)
- Scheduling the contractor to cut do the tenant improvement work
- Liability insurance
- Getting switched over to my wife's employers health insurance

I'm sure there's stuff I'm forgetting, but there's so much that needs to be done. If I don't do it now, it'll delay me later, so it's somewhat of a stressful time. I'm relieved to have a place, but now my focus is on getting open as soon as possible. It's starting to happen, and fast, so this is a good time for me.

The biggest surprise so far was when I called Edison to turn on the power yesterday. They told me I'd need the city to check the panel since the power had been turned off for at least 30 days. So I called the city, and they told me I could turn on the power once I'd received all of my approvals, meaning I had received an occupancy permit through them (after everything has been completed), my ABC license had been issued, and so on. I couldn't believe it. If I had called a few days before, there wouldn't have been any problem, but now all of the work I have to do in the space has to be done by generator. It'll add a bit of expense to the construction, which isn't that big of a deal, I just don't understand the reasoning behind some policies. I'm guessing this isn't the first one I'll be surprised by. Now, if I need a permit for that generator, I'll go apeshit.