The Vacant Storefront That Held My Dream

Starting from where you are

A digital watercolor of Mary’s Marvelous in Amagansett, NY, given to me by a customer, Kathy Rupff

For two years I drove by the vacant, corner storefront.  The lopsidedness of this small wooden building charmed me. It had character, personality as if it were alive. It felt so magical with its two large pane glass windows.  Peeking inside, I could sense the soul of this enchanting building. 

It was the perfect Main Street location, and it continually beckoned me. I couldn’t ignore it or get it out of my mind.

That little cottage storefront was the answer I was looking for. It fulfilled my dream of a place of my own where I could dive into what I loved - creating wonderful food for wonderful souls.  Here I could bake and cook for others in a quiet sort of way – the Mary's Marvelous way.  

Mary's Marvelous was created in a not-so-traditional way. 

With nothing more than my promise and a handshake deal on a lease, 207 Main Street became my neighborhood and my office. This singular place in Amagansett had everything for me. Tucked away off the beaten path, it was the perfect fit.

Five minutes down the road was my favorite beach. 

From the shop's front stoop, I could hear the ocean, feel the salt air and smell the washed-up seaweed. 

Through the kitchen's back door, I would often step onto the path that took me and my dog, Jake, through a maze of summer corn. 

This was my new normal.  This was my Paradise.

Who would have imagined in this tiny 1,100-square-foot building – with a kitchen not much bigger than a bathroom – that my new team and I would bake and cook the day away?

I didn't have the foggiest of ideas the legacy I would leave on Amagansett.

But this is how any legacy begins … the first action. 

You can peek in the “storefront” of your desire. You can wander around the corners of that dream until you’ve created your own mental path. But until you act on the dream, that legacy of you will continue to lounge, gathering dust, on the street front of your life. 

Make the handshake deal and get on with it.