CLOSED

Dessert café opened · CLOSED after 1 yr 5 mo

Suzuki Takashi, 35 · 1 yr 5 mo

“Shelving my startup idea. Thank you, honestly.”

I closed after 1 year and 5 months. What remained was $65,689 in debt and 89 regulars.

On the last day, you sat in front of the register. Cash $1,672, debt $65,689, 0 employees, 893 customers. You did the last count alone and pulled down the shutter. The business failed, but that time did not disappear.

How it went

1. 2026 · preparing to openSuzuki Takashi, 34. You have decided to try starting a company in Chicago. No idea, no product yet. Savings $45,616, employed ($7,445 a month).
2. 4/2026: what now?Start a business: «Dessert café» — You are going with «Dessert café». Next: a location and people.
3. First, the right to stayGet an investor visa — It took three months, and two extra trips for one missing form. The day the residence card arrived, you finally felt like a business owner here.
4. Where to start, and with whatGround floor with foot traffic — It is a good spot. People walking by see the sign. The money going out every month got heavier.
5. Who opens the doors with you?Part-timers for the rush hours only — Two students took turns. Both told you their exam weeks in advance. You were grateful.
6. 2026 · year 1 beginsUS Rates Rose Again
7. 4/13 · The health inspector shows up unannouncedThey checked the temperature logs and labels one by one. Two findings, no fine. Half a day disappeared.
8. An insurance agent dropped byTake the full package — Signed, hoping you never need it.
9. Financing approvedBorrowing from family $20,000 · 0.0%/yr · 36 months
10. You are short of moneyBorrow from family — You brought it up with your family. The transfer was fast. The conversation stays. This money may cost more than bank interest. Borrowing from family $20,000 approved.
11. 5/5 · Equipment stoppedThe technician said a repair would cost nearly as much as a new one. You bought new.
12. 5/16 · Records requested by the tax officeIRS requested records for credit card sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
13. 6/27 · HeatwaveA heat warning. The air conditioning ran all day. The electricity bill is on your mind.
14. They need the loan back this monthCover it with a card loan — You told the family it’s all repaid. You read the card statements alone.
15. 7/24 · Down sickA sore throat and a fever. You got through the day in a mask.
16. 8/20 · Oil reached the cost baseBrent rose to $128 a barrel. Quotes for packaging and freight are not what they were last month. You redid the cost sheet.
17. 9/12 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 7%. You redid your prices.
18. 9/20 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. $1,427 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is $71,269.
19. You are short of moneyHold on — You closed the loan papers. Instead you cancelled subscriptions, cut what you could do without and pushed the next payment date. Holding on is also a decision.
20. 10/17 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
21. 11/4 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
22. 12/11 · Funding costs rose againThe US 10-year yield rose to 5.70%. The bank is taking another look at your loan terms.
23. How to handle the bad reviewsReport them to Google Maps / Yelp — Google Maps / Yelp removed some reviews. Not all of them. You saved screenshots and waited for the next one.
24. 1/7 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
25. 1/29 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
26. A gap opened in the rotaMake an urgent replacement hire — You hired the person who laughed most in the interview. Customers learned their name before you did.
27. 2/19 · A competitor made a moveThe shop directly opposite started 20% off. A few regulars went there.
28. Financing declinedThe SBA guaranteed loan application was declined.
29. You are short of moneyGuaranteed loan — You went to the SBA for a guarantee. It costs a fee and another review, but you can knock on the bank’s door without collateral. But underwriting declined it. Credit and cash flow need another look.
30. 3/9 · Oil reached the cost baseBrent rose to $128 a barrel. Quotes for packaging and freight are not what they were last month. You redid the cost sheet.
31. 3/27 · Hygiene inspection noticeWord went round that a shop on your street was fined at inspection. You redid the kitchen cleaning rota.
32. Cash ran outAsk the landlord to wait — The landlord said, "This once." Ask again next month and the answer will be different.
33. US Rates Rose AgainSignals of Fed tightening strengthened the dollar, and this country's funding rates followed. When the USD rate jumped, costing got complicated again for anyone buying imported ingredients or parts.
34. Year 1 closeRevenue $162,927, operating profit $33,337. Cash $2,287.
35. 2027 · year 2 beginsRates Rose · A Celebrity Came In
36. 4/15 · A small price riseEvery day there are more customers than you can take. You raised prices 5% and they kept coming.
37. 4/16 · Heavy rainHeavy rain cut the foot traffic to nothing. Two reservations cancelled.
38. 4/5 · Loan rate came downThe variable-rate loan followed the central bank down. Monthly payments fell by $10.
39. 4/29 · The tax went unpaidOn the due date the account was empty. $1,088 went into arrears with a late penalty. It has to be paid as soon as money comes in.
40. Tax in arrearsPay it off with a card loan — The tax is cleared. Now you owe the card company instead.
41. Cash ran outLet an employee go — You paid the last paycheck and severance. The next day the place was one person quieter. You hated the silence.
42. 5/8 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
43. A text offering moneyDon’t borrow — You deleted the text. This month’s bills need another way.
44. 6/6 · The bank asked for documentsYour bank contact changed. The new one asked for the past year’s statements again.
45. 6/18 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
46. Financing declinedThe small business SBA 7(a) loan application was declined.
47. You are short of moneyApply for the SBA 7(a) loan — You rewrote the business plan. The officer at SBA (Small Business Administration) spent longer on cash flow and repayment than on revenue. The answer arrives by post. But underwriting declined it. Credit and cash flow need another look.
48. 7/28 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 3%. You redid your prices.
49. 7/25 · The tax went unpaidOn the due date the account was empty. $3,274 went into arrears with a late penalty. It has to be paid as soon as money comes in.
50. Tax in arrearsPay it off with a card loan — The tax is cleared. Now you owe the card company instead.
51. 8/9 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
52. 8/14 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. $1,579 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is $66,654.
53. Cash ran outClose the shop — On the last day you closed the books. The faces of a few regulars came to mind first.

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