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It was so hot that walk-in refrigerators at restaurants across the city were failing, one after the other. It was so hot that almost every chef I know was keeping one nervous eye on their walk-ins which were struggling and straining and making alarming noises. It was so hot that even when Dirt Candy was closed I left the A/C on in order to ease the burden on my fridges. I was going to sleep with my fingers crossed that none of them seized up, overheated or failed. But, oddly enough, despite the heat outside, business was great. Last year at this time, Dirt Candy was averaging between 35 – 42 people a night. I was happy with that because I don’t have a garden, which attracts customers like candy in the hotter months, and the city is pretty dead in the summer and most restaurants see business drop off some, especially on the weekends when a lot of people are out of town. But for the past month Dirt Candy has been doing between 50 and 57 people per night. Every night. That’s in a dining room with only 18 seats. My jaw has been on the floor that business is this good. It’s like a non-stop party in here and we’re having some of our best weeks ever, which completely and totally defies traditional business sense.

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And so while I’m hating this summer because it feels like my face is melting every time I go outside, I’m loving it because every night has been like a vegetable fiesta at Dirt Candy and business is booming. It’s taken me completely and totally by surprise, but it’s a happy surprise and a wave of goodwill and fun that I’m happy to surf as long as it lasts. So to all of you who’ve been making the trek through the inferno to get here, thank you!

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