Saying Goodbye to Sweetest Season

Anyone who knows anything about gardening, understands that seeds and seedlings need protection and care in order to weather the elements long enough to survive. I like to think of the tiny business I started six years ago at a Tempe farmers market, as that seed. Sweetest Season began as a tiny booth along the grass surrounding a community garden, that grew to a tiny space on Apache Blvd. Finally, it grew into a lovely space, full of life, in south Tempe.

The elements that have come along in the last two years were especially harsh, to small businesses in particular. Sweetest Season was a tender vine that lacked the time and heartiness to weather the worst storm our industry has ever seen. While I have spent a considerable amount of time reconciling the overall experience, my heart is overwhelmed as I think about the hundreds of thousands of small business owners who shared the same devastating experience. As individuals and communities continue to move forward with their lives, some of us are left with the dust and rubble of decisions made.

After months of reflection and healing, it is time for me to move on. It is time to say goodbye to Sweetest Season and all that it meant to me. It is time to say goodbye to all the happy guests we were able to serve, and the many, many wonderful vendors, employees and community members we have met along the way.

So then, what's next? I suspect that sometime, sooner than later, someone who has a fresh hope, a vision, and fresh energy will occupy our old space, and open up to a community as welcoming as it was to us.

For me...I have decided to kick the dust off my shoes, taking with me some of my favorite components of owning and operating Sweetest Season. It will be my pleasure to share the skills necessary to empower others to take hold of their love of food. It's time to help others celebrate their own culinary vision.

I look forward to reengaging with you by providing content reminiscent of what you have experienced in the past, with a fresh perspective and direction. It's time to close the final chapter of Sweetest Season and turn the first page of a new adventure. Say hello to Tasty Tactics!