This was the second time we planned dinner with Jay and Kendra Bjorn from Chinook Services. The first time we had reservations for the Manhatten on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Things happen.
Jay's mother and father first bought The Maids franchise for the Seattle area in 1992 and then launched Chinook Services with their son Jay an active partner.
The Maid provides house cleaning services, while the Chinook Services tackles "honey do" lists and home repair projects for both small offices and residential clients.
We've been marketing Chinook since November. Communications involved email messages and direct phone calls, but we were looking for an "in person" opportunity to meet and talk. Our Lynnwood Adventure seemed like the perfect opportunity. Headquarters for both The Maids and Chinook Services are in Everett, which is also where Jay and Kendra live.
We met Sunday evening at Anthony's in Edmonds on the shores of Puget Sound. It was a beautiful evening. Jay and Kendra were fun to talk with. Both are dedicated to running the family business. I grew up in a family business and Peg and I still run our family business.
Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and many of them are family owned and operated. Running your own business is always exciting.
The food was excellent . . . as always. The service was friendly and the views fantastic.
Jay and Kendra enjoy the outdoors here in the Pacific Northwest. They met while snowboarding. The apple of their eye is one-year-old Gretchen. Gretchen is the first grandchild in this generation of Bjorns.
Young couples with children often find it difficult to get out for a date. We were happy to provide the opportunity for them.
Leaving Gretchen in a clean diaper the Bjorn grandparents were the babysitters for the evening. I think this was a rare opportunity for them. Kendra's mom lives on nearby Whidbey Island, which we could see from our table at Anthony's (the island, not the home). Kendra's side already has some grandchildren, but speaking from experience, there are never enough.
Currently Kendra had just finished mowing their one acre lawn by hand. Jay does most of the same home projects for their home that he oversees running at Chinook Services: gutter cleaning and repairs, pressure washing, moss removal and much more. Our clients are all hardworking and such nice people.
