10/01/2026
If These Walls Could Talk… ❤️
If these walls could talk, I wonder what they would say.
They would probably tell you about the mornings I arrived tired but still turned on the lights and started baking.
They would tell you about the smell of coffee in the morning, pastries coming out of the oven, breakfast cooking, sandwiches being made, and the familiar words I have heard so many times as customers walked out the door:
“I’ll be back.”
Those three little words became part of CafeLaVie.
Sometimes you came back the next morning. Sometimes the next week. Sometimes you brought a friend or your family with you.
And every time you came back, you reminded me why I kept going.
They would tell you about the days we were busy and couldn't catch our breath.
And they would also tell you about the quiet days when I sat here wondering, “Is everything going to be okay?”
These walls have seen me happy.
They have seen me tired.
They have seen me worried.
They have seen me laugh until my stomach hurt.
And yes… they have seen me cry.
They don't know about all the sleepless nights. The late-night drives home when my body was tired but my mind was still thinking about tomorrow. The nights I lay awake thinking about CafeLaVie, and the mornings when, no matter how tired I was, I got up and did it all over again.
Because that is what happens when you build something from your heart.
CafeLaVie was never just a business to me.
It was a dream I woke up every morning and fought for.
And somehow, along the way, that dream became connected to all of you.
West Jefferson, you welcomed me.
You came through these doors and ordered breakfast. You bought pastries. You sat down for lunch. You brought your families. You told your friends about us.
Some of you came so often that seeing you walk through the door simply became part of my day.
And now I have to tell you something that is very difficult for me to say.
October 11th will be our last day at this CafeLaVie location.
I know that when I turn off these lights for the last time, I'm going to stand here for a moment.
I will probably look at the empty tables.
I will look at the counter.
I will look at the kitchen where so many meals were made.
And I will remember.
Not the hard days.
Not the long hours.
I will remember you.
The people who gave this little bakery a chance.
The people who came back.
The people who told me, “Boi, your food is good.”
The people who encouraged me to keep going.
And then I will turn off the lights, close the door, and carry everything this place has taught me into the next chapter.
Maybe, for a little while, I will allow myself to slow down. To rest. To breathe. And then, with everything this chapter has taught me, I will begin building the next dream.
Because, my friends, this is not where the story ends.
There is another door waiting for me.
A beautiful Victorian door. 🏡❤️
Behind that door is another dream — a bigger kitchen, new dishes, new memories, new challenges, and another chance to create something special.
CafeLaVie at the Victorian.
And I want you there.
The same people who supported me when CafeLaVie was just this little place in West Jefferson — I want you to walk through those doors too.
One day, when we are sitting inside the Victorian and someone asks me where it all began, I already know what I will say:
“It began right here in West Jefferson—with a little bakery, a big dream, and all of you who believed in me.”
So this isn't goodbye.
For all this time, as you walked out of my door, you have been the ones telling me:
“I’ll be back.”
But this time, as I prepare to walk out of this door, maybe it's my turn to say it to you:
“I’ll be back.” ❤️
On October 11th, we're simply closing one door so that, when the time is right, we can open another.
Thank you, West Jefferson.
For the memories.
For the lessons.
For the laughter.
For every single order.
And most of all, for being part of my dream.
I will never forget this chapter.
I’ll be back. And I’ll see you at the Victorian.
With all my love and gratitude,
Boi
