Getting to know the CIG

 Happy New Year from the CIG. If you dont know about the CIG please let me get you caught up. Im Teresa the owner. This amazing restaurant started with a simple prayer, that was prayed daily for 1 year, and a phone call that was placed in September of 2007. I was a stay-at-home mom for 15 years, and I LOVED being with my boys. I was your typical mom, wore baseball caps everyday, no makeup, I was up to date on everything at school, laundry was always done, bills always paid and house always cleaned.My husband had a great business, and as I look back on it now, really no worries. In the fall of 2006 my youngest was starting his last year of elementary school, I was feeling a little lost, knowing that next year his schedule would change and I would be at home even longer during the day without my boys. I started a prayer journal...everyday I wrote "Lord give me something that I can make a difference in 1 persons life". It just became part of my daily routine. Ahh this is where the phone call comes in. In the fall of 2007, on a friday, my husband received a call from his younger brother, Shawn. Background on Shawn, he worked for a corporate resturant chain, he has been in this business for 20 years. He ask Shelby, my husband, "Remember the diner on K its closed and
up for rent, what do u think"? Shelby let him know real quick he had no interest in opening or owning a restaurant, but good luck. I asked what was going on, he relayed the conversation to me. Nothing else was said, but I could not get it out of my mind. On Saturday I ask Shelby to take me over to the closed old diner, with no questions asked he did. When we pulled up to the old office building, that had housed many diners and restaurant's for over 30 years, and now stood there closed, dirty and unwanted, I knew I was home, I cant explain it, but I knew this is what the Lord had for me.I called Shawn and ask if I could go on this journey with him. Me, with no restaurant experience, was asking Shawn, the one with a wealth of knowledge to take me on as a partner. We bought the CIG two days later. Thus began my journey as a restaurant owner. I had alot to learn, we sat the opening date for Oct 13, 2007 we had 4 weeks to get this place cleaned up, give our little business a name, make a menu, order food, hire employees and oh, train me.The mind is an amazing tool, at 38 I was changing my life, I was learning how to be an owner, doing payroll, paying taxes, ordering food, learning recipes.Everyone that knew me was SHOCKED at what I was doing, this was completely out of my comfort zone, and yet I was at peace.This journey that the Lord has put me on has been amazing. I became the sole owner of the CIG in the spring of '09. What a scary time for me. Shawn was ready to move on.. Oh the questions came," Can I do it on my own, am I good enough, smart enough", of course I'm never really on my own, I have an amzing staff the Lord has given to me, but any whoo back to my prayer, Im not sure if I have made a difference in people's lives, but I do know the CIG has made a huge difference in my life. The CIG has given me the amazing opportunity to be apart of a community. Over 3 years I have cried countless tears over the loss of a loved one. Prayed for an ailing guest, watched countless grieving spouses become whole again(yet different). Celebrate new life, new jobs, birthdays and anniversary's. The blessing are endless.With all of this does come sacrifice, Im no longer the mom on top of things, my boys, 18 and 15, are putting me to bed when I fall asleep at 7:00. They remind me of projects and dates, my life is no longer neat and tidy, instead it is full of chaos, craziness, noise and amazing people, that have allowed the CIG to become part of their lives. The CIG is special, we remember hundreds of names, you are greeted with a hug, there is always laughter and music. This blog is a journey of the Cast Iron Grill, there are days I think I cant get it right and  then days that a guest tells me they love this place and all that are in it and then I feel Im honoring what the Lord has for me and has given me. HAPPY 2011!!!!