Nick Stone

I've always been a really good addition to a team. And that's Bluestone Lane and banking were team sports. I wasn't a trader. I wasn't a sole operator. I'm great in teams. And part of that is celebrating success as a team.

I've always been a really good addition to a team. And that's Bluestone Lane and banking were team sports. I wasn't a trader. I wasn't a sole operator. I'm great in teams. And part of that is celebrating success as a team.

And I feel that that whatever happens at Bluestone or any of my other endeavors on my career that I want to celebrate with my family and friends and the people that matter the most. And of course, my parents who are just incredible. Yeah.

And I feel that that whatever happens at Bluestone or any of my other endeavors on my career that I want to celebrate with my family and friends and the people that matter the most. And of course, my parents who are just incredible. Yeah.

It was extremely challenging, sad, scary, and very complicated. So we lost 87% of our revenue in a couple of days. So we went from 51 stores to 14 and those 14 stores couldn't offer dine-in. They were simply serving out of a window. When we had to make those really hard decisions, like eliminating 85% of the staff, that was heartbreaking because it wasn't just people losing their jobs.

It was extremely challenging, sad, scary, and very complicated. So we lost 87% of our revenue in a couple of days. So we went from 51 stores to 14 and those 14 stores couldn't offer dine-in. They were simply serving out of a window. When we had to make those really hard decisions, like eliminating 85% of the staff, that was heartbreaking because it wasn't just people losing their jobs.

It was many people having a real disruption to their career, a real impact on their family. And also I had a number of Australians or others that their visas were tied to working to Bluestone. And without a job, they weren't able to stay and they had rent obligations. They'd signed leases, but then they weren't entitled to work. So that was really, really very hard. We did it.

It was many people having a real disruption to their career, a real impact on their family. And also I had a number of Australians or others that their visas were tied to working to Bluestone. And without a job, they weren't able to stay and they had rent obligations. They'd signed leases, but then they weren't entitled to work. So that was really, really very hard. We did it.

We weren't allowed to be together. So many of my team had COVID that first week, you know, around March 13. No, I had COVID. I was home. We couldn't be together. So it was done, of course, over Zoom, which you never want to do, but it was done very quickly. But it ended up we used it as a way to turn a crisis into an opportunity. And even how we make people redundant, we were able to

We weren't allowed to be together. So many of my team had COVID that first week, you know, around March 13. No, I had COVID. I was home. We couldn't be together. So it was done, of course, over Zoom, which you never want to do, but it was done very quickly. But it ended up we used it as a way to turn a crisis into an opportunity. And even how we make people redundant, we were able to

pay severance, and then move them on to, if they were eligible, to that enhanced unemployment benefit that the federal government provided, plus the state support. So a lot of our team got an upfront payment. Then they went on to a decent payment from the government. So it ended up working out okay. We didn't know. We thought the best thing was just to pay severance.

pay severance, and then move them on to, if they were eligible, to that enhanced unemployment benefit that the federal government provided, plus the state support. So a lot of our team got an upfront payment. Then they went on to a decent payment from the government. So it ended up working out okay. We didn't know. We thought the best thing was just to pay severance.

And that means we had to make the decisions on eliminating positions straight away because we wouldn't have no cash in two more weeks. Because in hospitality, you're always paying on terms, right? You're paying Staff on arrears, you're paying your vendors on 30-day terms, 60 days. So you've always got a big account payable balance. So we did that.

And that means we had to make the decisions on eliminating positions straight away because we wouldn't have no cash in two more weeks. Because in hospitality, you're always paying on terms, right? You're paying Staff on arrears, you're paying your vendors on 30-day terms, 60 days. So you've always got a big account payable balance. So we did that.

We were so fortunate that we were able to get a PPP loan that kept us in business. And then we just had this clarity that we had to keep stores open for three reasons. One, we had to preserve as many jobs as we could. Two, we had to give locals that were holed up in their apartments that were coming out once a day a reason to get out.

We were so fortunate that we were able to get a PPP loan that kept us in business. And then we just had this clarity that we had to keep stores open for three reasons. One, we had to preserve as many jobs as we could. Two, we had to give locals that were holed up in their apartments that were coming out once a day a reason to get out.

Some of them were international and they had no way of going back to their own homeland. Like they were stuck in New York or in D.C. or in L.A., And going to a Bluestone for a coffee once today, even though there was a lot of, they couldn't go with other people and they couldn't sit down, they couldn't, California effectively banned furniture outside for over a year. Like, can you believe that?

Some of them were international and they had no way of going back to their own homeland. Like they were stuck in New York or in D.C. or in L.A., And going to a Bluestone for a coffee once today, even though there was a lot of, they couldn't go with other people and they couldn't sit down, they couldn't, California effectively banned furniture outside for over a year. Like, can you believe that?

Let alone two years indoor dining, but they were sitting on the curb, they were sitting, it was just, it was a wild time. And then thirdly, we had to be open for the healthcare heroes that were working so hard, keeping society going, first responders doing their job the best they could. in really, really challenging circumstances. So it gave us enormous inspiration and the fortitude to keep going.

Let alone two years indoor dining, but they were sitting on the curb, they were sitting, it was just, it was a wild time. And then thirdly, we had to be open for the healthcare heroes that were working so hard, keeping society going, first responders doing their job the best they could. in really, really challenging circumstances. So it gave us enormous inspiration and the fortitude to keep going.