July 9, 2009
Dear brothers and sisters,
I write to you tonight with a very heavy heart. Over the last 4 ½ years we (myself, Michele, Shea, my family and my marriage) have sacrificed a great deal to honor a calling to provide an outwardly covert Christian coffee house in the midst of very non-Christian business world. The losses we have endured personally, emotionally and physically have been unfathomable for most who know our story. The great news is our awesome God has carried us through all those times. It never has been about money or what we have done for others but to clearly honor our God. God has called us to be His servants and to use the coffee house for that purpose.
Today we received a notice for back rent for Frenz that accrued from this past rough winter. We have until the end of July to come up with the balance. If we do not then we have another 30 days to vacate the premises and Frenz will be gone. We stand to lose everything. At this point, none of this is public notice. We have been very frugal in running the business but as you know, the economy has taken a hit on everyone. However and I repeat however we believe in God’s economy and we will survive if this is His will and not ours or anyone else’s.
While at this point we are numb and deeply hurt, God has provided much peace and comfort. The hurt is deep because we have seen people’s lives changed and miracles that have happened before our eyes. Frenz Coffee House is God’s house. His Spirit tells me to take a stand and gather His people. I am planning a benefit or fund raiser in the next 2 weeks maybe the 24th or if I can get an extension from the landlord for another 30 days, then maybe July 31. I was told not to underestimate the impact we have had within the community and how many friends support us. We do what we do because we want to and not because we expect. We’ll see where we stand after the event.
Thank you for all your love and prayers.
Rich, Michele & Shea Zeck
http://www.frenzcoffeehouse.com/
www.myspace.com/frenzcoffee
About Us
- Frenz Coffee House
- Rockford, Michigan, United States
- 1 great locaation where you can sit and relax in a comfortable environment between the Rogue River and White Pine Trail. Family friendly Christian coffee house serving fresh soups,wraps, gelato, bakery, and whole beans.
1 comment:
As a long time resident of the city of Rockford, I often make Frenz my “coffee house of choice”, but I have a different, (and probably unpopular),view on this current situation.
Both Frenz, as the tenant, and the landlord are trying to stay solvent in difficult times.
The problem of lower than projected sales and profitability may be no one’s fault – just a sign of the times, but is is at least partially the result of business decisions made by the Frenz management.
One thing is certain – the problems that Frenz faces are not the fault of the landlord. He is simply following through on the terms of a rental agreement that both parties entered into willingly.
Throughout the time that led to this point The Frenz management were the only ones who knew what was happening and the only ones who had any control over what could be done to avoid the circumstances they are now facing. The landlord probably didn’t know exactly what pressures were mounting, and the Frenz customers surely didn’t. It is not the responsibility of the landlord or of Frenz customers to solve the problem.
Many businesses and individuals have faced serious problems as a result of changing economic conditions. Many of the affected businesses, (restaurants being among the most active), have chosen to counter the problem by marketing themselves more aggressively through the use of ads and special offers, the likes of which consumers have not seen before. I haven’t noticed any comparably aggressive effort on the part of Frenz.
The responsibility for this matter lies squarely in the hands of the Frenz management and ownership – nowhere else.
I wish the folks at Frenz much success. I will miss the Rockford location if it is forced to close, but I feel strongly that they need to accept responsibility and find the solutions they seek on their own. Expecting customers to do this for them is unfortunate and irresponsible.
I am all in favor of helping victims of the current economy, but that support is better placed in organizations like The Salvation Army or our own North Kent Service Center which aid families who find themselves out of work and losing homes through no fault of their own.
It seems less appropriate and less “Christian” to lend that helping hand to a single business that faces problems that are, at least partially, its own fault.
In fact, I think that true Christians should be embarrassed to think that any business should be held to lesser standards of performance, responsibility, and accountability just because they are “Christian”, as has been suggested.
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