Location, Location, Location !

Owners Lisa Schroeder and Rob Sample contacted me when they began to search for the location of their first restaurant. The site they selected was in their price range, but part of this owed to the fact that other bars and restaurants had failed in this location for the past ten years. I brought my senior teacher, Dr. Edgar Sung to the initial Feng Shui consultation. The most important issue addressed by the consultation was the location of the entry door. We chose the door that had been the side entrance. As the primary entry, it was in a better location for guests to “decompress” and accommodate a waiting area and hostess station. We placed a large mirror across from the door, which “opens the possibilities for opportunities to come in.” We also had Lisa place articles that were favorable concerning her work as a chef at other restaurants. This allowed patrons to become familiar with who the new owners were and what they had to offer. We talked about colors and about table placement as well as the use of large mirrors on the walls opposite the windows to double the feel and size of the restaurant. A wind chime was place in the center of the restaurant to balance the five elements. We also determined that the place needed to be cleared of the energy of previous failures.

On another day we preceded to do the clearing. This was done with a team of four people. We used several techniques, drumming, smudging and then did a rice blessing and sealed the doors. The day we performed the clearing the basement door was locked so we could not get in. On opening night I got a call from Lisa who told me they believed they had a ghost as several of the waiters had there trays tipped over when no one was near by and a cake tray flew off the counter onto the floor. In the basement there was a tray of eggs that dropped to the floor and broke. Remembering that the basement had been closed the day we went to clear I went back and did another clearing in the basement working mainly with the disruptive spirits. We were able to help the spirits on and the mischievous actions ceased. The results have been miraculous, The restaurant turned a profit after only ten months and by the end of the year had been named Portland’s “Restaurant of the Year,” by the two leading newspapers.