21st Century Renaissance

Normally (if there is a “normal” for Taking the Plunge), an individual is interviewed. Renaissance is not an individual but a place, a café actually that offers great coffees and teas and therapeutic massages. 

          I was drawn to Renaissance because it’s one of the few places in town that brews loose leaf tea and when I requested a black blend to match my favorite Irish tea, the staff filled my request and created the newly named “Redshaw Blend". Renaissance may not bring the notoriety of a star-named Pastrami on Rye from the Carnegie Deli, but it inclusion on the menu sparks great affection from this frequent visitor.

         There are many people involved with Renaissance; however, the heart and soul of this endeavor overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca is embodied by the owner, Lynn Keenan. Challenged to answer questions as a “place”, I think she has risen to the occasion. 

         

R2: 1. Who are you? List 5 nouns that define you! 

Lynn’s answers go far beyond the “5” nouns! I derived the following “5” from her descriptive list.

Café-Massage-Business-Staff- View

Lynn Keenan: Just 5 nouns!? Impossible!  Renaissance is too magical, too complex, too much for 5 little nouns!  Basically, Renaissance is an embarrassment of riches.

• 100 Mile Café

• Center for Massage—with an impressive staff of experienced massage therapists!

• Triple Bottom Line Business

• Tightly-knit staff that is sharing that affection and respect with customers and clients

• Killer View

R2: What have you done that you’re most proud of?

LK: In the café we’ve developed a creative menu that offers food produced within the 100 miles surrounding Port Angeles. Approximately 90% of what goes into our meals grows or is made right here in our area.

To us that means we’re reinvesting in the local economy—a pivotal reason for our being: to strengthen our local community, as well as the people, who come to Renaissance. Most importantly, the food – the beers, the veggies and fruits, the cheeses, the breads, the bacon, the fish, all taste fantastic! As one customer said, “We’ve a freakin’ luscious cornucopia here!”

I’m proud of this because the challenge to stay local was brought by a staff member who cares deeply about the local foods movement and sustainable communities. She showed us how the local foods movement is a vital aspect of community building and community development and we’ve worked hard to operationalize our values around this. I get a charge, a deep satisfaction, really, from walking the talk. And here, we’re strong.

R2: If you could change one thing in your past, what would it be?

LK: Every now and then I ask myself this question because it’s been a formidable challenge to start and maintain a new business during the Recession. Nothing, NOTHING I’ve done in the past has come close to demanding the creativity, perseverance, or sacrifice. Along the way, especially as I’ve watched countless businesses in our little town close, I’ve asked myself if I would begin Renaissance knowing what I know now. 

Try as I might, though, I can’t imagine life without Renaissance, without the brilliance of the relationships here, the service provided, the good work, the healing and vibrant health expanded, and the good will created and passed along.

Though there have certainly been days when I’ve longed to return to being someone else’s employee, being a job creator during the Recession has been a rush.

Though I’ve missed, no… yearned for, the paychecks I used to take for granted, the steady, slow retiring of all of Renaissance’s start-up (and stay alive) debt, and finally, in Year #7, being able to pay myself for my own massage work here is a feeling that is unparalleled. In retrospect, I wouldn’t have things any other way.

R2: On a personal/client level, what drives you crazy? What gives you joy?

LK: Hmmmm, so far I don’t think a client/customer has come into Renaissance that has driven any of us crazy. We have something of an organizational culture of positive regard. Maybe people sense that and don’t have to act crazy?  Once a raccoon tried to come in through the back door, but that’s about as repugnant a guest as we’ve had, and even she was cute.

One of the balances that we have to deal with at Renaissance is co-location of a massage center and a café. We often worry that the café is too loud for massage. But one day early on in the growth of the café I was providing a massage when a loud burst of laughter came from a group lunching together and rolled through the café into the massage room. I was worried that my client would be disturbed by the noise, but before I could apologize, the client said, “Isn’t that one of the most beautiful sounds in the world? Thanks for arranging the “joy” therapy along with the massage, Lynn”. 

Since then, I’ve heard similar stories from other massage therapists on staff. I know we may lose some possible business because our massage rooms don’t completely restrict the sound from the café but even so, I agree with my client—there’s nothing like the sound of laughter and conversation shared among friends.

R2: Given no restrictions (i.e. money/physical capabilities) –

what would you most like to do?    

LK: Easy. We’d build up to our 3 story limit, giving us more room for yoga and other classes and events that would benefit from this fantastic view and warm, competent staff. Not to mention a water outlook office for the owner!

http://www.renaissance-pa.com/

“Like” Taking the Plunge and Renaissance on Facebook

Owner Lynn Keenan with Christian Miller.

Overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca