However, we sure did make the most of it. At the end of 2023, a plastic Christmas tree went up in flames in the middle of the church lobby at our Norman campus, causing a logistical nightmare as we prepared for the Christmas season. We were unable to use our building and lost a lot of equipment/product due to the soot and smoke. Many churches would see this fire as a devastating loss, one that would take months to recover from. At VFC, we saw it as an opportunity to reevaluate everything we do, including our coffee shop.
In years past we have served a decent cup of coffee using a superautomatic espresso machine. Now, I won’t bore you with the differences of a superautomatic, automatic and semiautomatic machine, you’ll just have to take my word that the superautomatic is not a great machine because it doesn’t allow you to have a lot of control in how your coffee is made. With the espresso machine being ruined by the fire we thought to ourselves… What if this is an opportunity to “Make It Better” (a VFC staff value). So we set some things in motion to purchase a semi automatic espresso machine along with two great exceptional grinders and boy did it work. Three months after the fire the new equipment finally arrived and we got straight to work on training the coffee shop volunteers. Our volunteers have found the new espresso machine life giving, while our customers have found our new coffee tasting better than ever before.
It’s funny how a bad situation can turn into an unexpected upgrade. But, that is what we do here at VFC. We constantly evaluate how to make things better even in the midst of a disaster.