Happy New Year. The Time is Now.

We could sit around waiting for the perfect time. We could spend another year saying "someday." We could come up with a dozen reasons not to do the big, wild, slightly ridiculous thing we can't stop thinking about.

But we opened a hot dog and pepperoni roll shop instead.

In a few weeks, the doors swing open at Coal Valley Bun Works. And it still doesn’t feel real. This idea has been in Kevin's head for a long time; written on bar napkins, scribbled in notebooks, sauce recipes traded back and forth like a secret. We thought about it for so long it started to feel like a maybe. Then last year, we decided maybe was over. Time to do it. An unexpected "no" from another venture catapulted us exactly where we were meant to be. Isn't it funny how that works out sometimes?

So here we are. It's January. The shop is getting final touches. We're learning everything we didn't know we didn't know. And most days feel like a mix of adrenaline, joy, chaos & tiny pieces of 30 year old wallpaper scraps.

But this is the year we go all in.

Whatever's been sitting in the back of your head, that thing you've talked about a thousand times but never said out loud like you meant it, this is the year to say it out loud. This is the year to make the plan. Take the leap. Build the thing. Mess it up. Fix it. Laugh about it. Keep going.

The time is never right. And also, it kind of is. Because it's right now.

We're opening the shop because we love this place and our community. We love the idea of customers becoming friends. We love having a big idea and then figuring out how to actually make it happen. We want to build something that curbs your hunger, makes you laugh. Makes you feel welcome. Makes you want to stay a little longer.

Whatever you're chasing in 2026, we're cheering for it. Big dreams, small steps, wild pivots. Make it happen. We hope to see you soon. We'll be the ones slinging wieners and pepperoni buns at Coal Valley Bun Works and rooting for you to follow your dreams, too.

Happy New Year.