We’ll be converting an existing office into a light food-prep kitchen. Permitting and inspections can sometimes take longer than expected, but we've done our due diligence with the city and know what to expect. A cafe addition is considered "accessory use" to the bookstore so we can avoid impact fees and certain upgrades that a stand-alone restaurant is required to invest in. 

The good news? We’re not building a full-service restaurant. Our footprint is modest, and our focus is on beverages and simple, nourishing bites—so the scale of the build is manageable and won't disrupt the bookstore for even a day. Since we already rent the building, we won't be set back financially if there are delays, something that can sink most start-ups. We have a very friendly landlord & know the value of working with trusted contractors. 

With rising costs and looming tariff impacts on imported goods, small businesses like ours face increasingly unknown financial pressure. That’s exactly why this café is part of our long-term strategy: diversifying our revenue streams is one of the smartest ways to protect Spiral Circle.

Exactly how external events will impact Spiral Circle is unknown, but I'm grateful I had the foresight to start planning Jubilee last year. We've taken the time for due diligence, so this is not a last-ditch effort to "save the bookstore" – far from it. We've been proactively planning this expansion to enhance what we do, getting community feedback, drafting a business plan, and taking necessary preparedness steps. Our timing just happens to be impeccable to purchase what we need for the cafe before tariffs drive up prices and create a necessary buffer for our retail offerings. It's a tight window and a quick fundraise will go a long way to keeping costs low.

If we can't raise the full amount here, we are willing to access available credit to do our part, but there isn't enough of that available to ensure the entire buildout without risking the bookstore's safety net. We are actively identifying private lenders (DM me!) throughout this process for any additional funds we may need.

We’ve built a flexible, lean budget that prioritizes the necessities and builds from there, with many DIY cost savings planned. We will be transparent every step of the way, holding funds raised for Jubilee in a separate bank account from our Spiral reserves. That being said, a super majority of our rewards in this campaign are ones we can honor through Spiral Circle even if it takes longer than anticipated to open Jubilee. In fact, we plan to fulfill the rewards as soon as feasible after being funded without waiting for the cafe to be completed.  

(Both Spiral Circle & Jubilee Tea Garden are under one LLC, owned solely by Julie Wilder.)

We’ve learned from past ventures (both joyful and hard) how to plan with purpose and pivot with grace. We’re setting realistic goals, keeping overhead low, and keeping it simple from the start to reduce risk and build momentum organically. Jubilee Tea Garden is a big-hearted project—but it’s also a practical one, designed to grow slowly and smartly, with community support as its foundation.

We’re not trying to build a palace—we’re building a home-scale kitchen and taking advantage of an already existing (but underutilized) outdoor spaces for gathering. We hope you’ll pull up a chair and help us get it done.

Absolutely. Conscious ingredient sourcing with care for people and planet - local, organic, wildcrafted, regenerative, biodynamic & Fair Trade will fill our pantry & apothecary like it did when I was running Dandelion. It's just the neighborly thing to do & a lot easier this time around since all of those things have moved mainstream in the past twenty years.

We won't be galvanizing retail space with this move. Our craft kitchen will be built on the left side of the house, where the office currently is. You'll place your order at the window (or online) and pick it up inside to minimize chatter. We'll move our office to the detached garage.

Many full-scale restaurants are closing due to high overhead and outdated models. Jubilee is a very different setup that relies on shared infrastructure & synergies with low overhead outdoor seating. Plus we will rely on a limited menu designed by someone who already has raving fans and community. A talented team with great working relationships is already built-in to hold us steady while we expand into food & beverage. Jubilee is as lean and as low-risk as a cafe can get by design.

I left five years before Dandelion closed, so I have no firsthand knowledge about what happened after I left the business. My former business partner & his wife were running Dandelion when it closed & I was concerned for the workers when I read their complaints. Cultivating a healthy workplace is a high priority for me. I have learned a lot about safeguarding group spaces from toxic behavior. At Spiral Circle we actively cultivate empowered & respectful working conditions as a team.

Jubilee is its own joyful concept with new delights to discover. That being said, I designed Dandy's original menu based on what I like to eat. I'm from Texas so there WILL be chili, for sure. I've refined some of my old favorites over the years, and I think you'll be pleased with the new offerings. I know what the people want, because it's what I want too!

We plan to move at a pace that is pragmatic & purposeful. How fast we can secure adequate funds is a major factor. A kitchen renovation theoretically shouldn't take too long, but anyone who has gone through commercial construction knows that it always takes longer than you wish. On the optimistic side, we could open as early as Winter, but a spring opening is just as likely. Avoiding burnout is critical, too, as we build internal capacity. When everything & everyone is ready, we'll open.