Restaurant owner may seem like an odd career for a
mom who craves more time with her child. But that is the career
single mom Jessica Lenzen chose in order to spend more time with her
son, Gabe, 6. The duo arrive at the cafe and coffee bar most
mornings at 6:30. Some days, Gabe lugs ice up the stairs, stocks
shelves and takes down chairs; other times he focuses on his school
work, studying words and practicing the violin. Gabe also serves as
ambassador to the under-5 set, showing the littlest customers toys
and sharing crayons.
"As a business owner I'm fighting a lot for time, but
I feel like we're really blessed to have these hours together," said
Lenzen as she brewed coffee and Gabe did a word search puzzle. "Most
families do school work and hang out in the evening. We're too tired
to do those things at the end of the day so we do them now."
Why would you pick this work?
I quit my corporate job because one day Gabe called
the babysitter "mom." At that point, I thought, "You know, this
isn't worth it." We had a nice little house in Kirkwood. It was
still just me and him, but it seemed like we were living large with
a nice salary. But it was not working for us as a family. That's
when I decided to quit and moved into my parents' basement. I got to
stay home with him every day as we planned this business. It really
works because his school (the Soulard School, a private early
childhood and elementary school) is nearby so I can drop him in the
mornings. I remember my parents always working sort of far away and
waiting forever in the infirmary if I had the flu or something. It's
really important to me that we're close.
What has Gabe gained by the mornings at the cafe?
Is he a great cook?
Well, a kitchen can be a really dangerous place, so
he's not allowed back there. But his social skills have changed a
lot. He used to not talk to anyone. But since he's been coming here,
he has really opened up. And there are parents who expect him to be
here so they'll bring in their kids in the morning. It can be very
homey here. It's homey to us because it feels like we live here.
Are there some mornings when you feel bad taking
him to work?
Yes, like this morning. He did not want to get up. At
first we weren't on a very good schedule but now he is in bed,
tucked in, by 7:30. That way he gets a good night sleep, and he
always has a great breakfast. He loves turkey sausage, loaded
potatoes and fruit.
Do you find this work satisfying?
John (co-owner John Caton) and I have been friends
since high school. We worked at the same pizza place. He always
wanted a restaurant; I never did. But I was miserable. We lived in
Kirkwood, the babysitter was in Arnold and work was downtown. There
was this expectation for how long you would be there so you'd get
home at 6:30, 7 o'clock, scramble to get something to eat and then
it was time for bed. It was not only hard on us, it was not very
much fun for me. It was time to make a choice. My choices were get a
master's, go to law school or say the hell with it and start a
business. I think I made the right choice.
Last updated:
Saturday, January 17, 2009
