Rhapsody's Victorian Coffee House

The long-awaited update from the self-proclaimed, missing-in-action owner of Rhapsody’s Victorian Coffee House. It has been months since I closed my doors. On the personal side of things, it has been emotional. It made me feel out-of-place. I miss my employees. I miss my customers. Of the seven years I’ve been in Franklin, cultivating friendships and giving customers a safe space to gather and enjoy each other’s company, parting was indeed sweet sorrow. Shutting the door wasn’t really my decision. I felt compelled to do this because I didn’t see a path forward. They say hindsight is 20/20, but foresight is the mark of successful entrepreneurs. Economic circumstances suggest I look into purchasing my own building, but banks are not touching restaurants now. The losses I suffered over the last year compelled me to find solutions, but I lost one battle after another. I lost thousands of dollars in the process. There’s an old adage that comes to mind, it helps maintain my sense of humor in the grand scheme of things. “Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you!” Life would be boring if we won all the time, wouldn’t it? Shouldn’t we then embrace it and enjoy the ride? It’s a test of character, isn’t it?
My business model was never really about money. It was more about the pleasure of bringing the very best of everything to my customers. I have no regrets. The cumulative result of a demolished business sign, then in the same month, busted windows caused my insurance company to drop me, forcing me into a risk pool and chewing up more cash. When the 47% rent increase came, it was a punch in the gut. Perhaps God was telling me something. Still, I did not give up! Maybe it’s a Ta**us thing! Then when negotiations failed, after months of trying to reach an agreement, the writing was on the wall. I was not going to simply lock my doors like so many business owners do. This was a successful café. My business was built on love. On my last day of business, I had 8 former employees show up. It meant a lot to me! More than words can say. Trust me, there were no dry eyes. Some of my customers came after closure to sit with me and reminisce. My employees came in anyway, to help me clean and pack. I spent the month of January packing and selling what I could with plans to relocate. My large items went to auction where I suffered thousands more in losses. The used restaurant equipment industry is saturated in the wake of all the restaurant closures, I got pennies to the dollar, compliments of COVID. I still have my espresso machine, it’s sitting at home, it’s hooked up and still making the very best coffee, but for now, sadly I’m the only one enjoying it. My small appliances are all in perfect condition and are in my basement. I’m looking for another opportunity. I believe God has other plans for me. So stay tuned. I’m far from retirement and won’t give up. Retirement is not good for the soul. My business accounts remain open, I’m poised and ready to go!

As we start clearing out our furniture from Rhapsody’s we would like to tell our local friends that we are selling various antique and excquisite items from our restaurant! We currently have quite a bit of an inventory that we are selling, including our large Carousel Birdcage for $250 (SOLD) and Victorian Antique Loveseat for +$500. If anyone knows someone who would be interested in any furniture or other items (teas, coffee beans, flavored syrups, etc.), please feel free to message us through DM! We are sad as we begin saying goodbye to our location and coffeeshop, but we would love share a part of us with our loyal friends and customers.

-Rhapsody’s ☕️

Ok, well I posted the items we are looking to sell at wholesale prices. If anyone is interested in buying any of the items as shown, send us a private DM for pricing and availability on items as they are being sold while supplies last! As I’m sitting here in my coffee shop, I decided to offer free coffee for the walk-ins. Not everyone got the word! I made the mistake of reading my comments to my previous post and I want to thank you all for the warmth. You made my eyes water.

On another matter, if anyone sends me an address, I will surely check out that location to begin Rhapsody's 2.0. Again, thanks for the love. I love you all!

Remaining inventory for sale at wholesale prices. I will update ro include prices.

* Monin Syrup 750ml unopened bottles, many flavors.
* Monin Gourmet Sauce. 12 oz. squeeze btl., Drk Choc. & Wht Choc.
* Monin Gourmet Sauce, 64oz bottle refills.
* 1 lb bags of loose tea b4 oz. bottle refills
* Tea Forte 1 lb bags of loose tea, while supplies last!
* Tea Forte packagw of pyrimid tea bags while supplies last!
* Canisters of loose tea by Tea Forte while supplies last!
* Organic Chai Tea Concentrte from Say When, while supplies last!

Dive into a world of Mediterranean magic with our newest sensation, 'It’s All Greek To Me' Crepe! 🇬🇷 Crafted by our culinary maestro, Chef Tom! Elevate your coffeehouse experience with a touch of Mediterranean Delight with ingredients featuring feta mousse, Kalamata olives, organic spinach, lemon oregano cream, and garlic roasted tomato. A symphony of Greek flavors awaits your taste buds! 🌿🍋

Rhapsody’s will be closed next week for Thanksgiving November 23 & 24! We hope you all have a safe and wonderful holiday with your loved ones. Make sure to stay tuned for new announcements as we approach the holiday season!! 😊🦃❤️

We will be closed Saturday, November 11th for Veterans Day! We want to say thank you to all of our veterans and military friends that have served for our country. We offer a 15% Veterans Discount to anyone with a valid ID! Thank you all for your service❤️🇺🇸

To all of our wonderful customers and friends, We are sorry to share that Chef Scott has decided to move on to another adventure elsewhere. We hope he has great success in his new job! Since his notice, we have been on the search for a new chef and would like to welcome Chef Tom onto our team. We hope to give him a nice welcome from our community as he begins at Rhapsody’s! Our kitchen will be closed on Wednesday, November 8th, but we will still have deliciously fresh pastries, coffees, & teas! Thank you and we hope to see you all soon😊

It was nice to see the community spring into action these past few weeks. Thank you to the kind-hearted Mom’s who came together in a time of need to really serve the community. In honor of their “pay it forward” acts of kindness, For three consecutive Thursdays, at 1:30pm beginning on November 2nd, Rhapsody's will host no-cost Situational Awareness classes to anyone in the community who helped join the search for Jazlyn Rodrigues.

Looking for a cozy coffeehouse to enjoy a nice brunch with friends? Come by Rhapsody’s in Franklin and try one of our famous crepes! 😊🫖🥐🍳

After several requests, we have been excited to be experimenting with English scones! Here are some of our Devonshire English Currant Scones with a side of our berry jam or clotted cream. Enjoy with some of our delicious tea🍵

After several requests, we are experimenting with Englih Scones now.

We would like to share some delicious meals prepared by our very own, Chef Scott! We are slowly bringing back food menu items and keeping some of our special dessert items. We thank you for your patience during our search for a new chef and we hope to see you all again soon!😊💌

Step into the era of elegance with our exquisite new smoothies at the Victorian Coffeehouse! Delight in refreshing flavors that blend tradition with modern taste. Sip, savor, and enjoy with a special dessert or pastry of your choice!🥐🍰☕️

Step into the era of elegance with our exquisite new smoothies at the Rhapsody’s Victorian Coffeehouse! Delight in refreshing flavors that blend tradition with modern taste. Come in and enjoy with a pastry or dessert of your choice!!🧁🍰☕️

Something Wicked This Way Comes . . . Espresso cupcakes with esspresso buttercream frosting. We'll be doing a batch of these every Friday. Just in time for Valentines day!

❄️New Year, New Special! ❄️

Looking for a drink that warms your soul? Vanilla Spice and Everything Nice is the way to go!

🎶 He’s making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who’s 🎄Noggy or Nice🎄. Rhapsody’s new special is coming to town!🎶

Stop in to try our Eggnog special, topped with nutmeg🎁

🎄Holiday specials have arrived at Rhapsody’s Victorian Coffee House🎄

Stop in for some holiday cheer with a peppermint mocha and Oh My Pumpkin crepe!

**Pumpkin Spice still available while supplies last**

June 9 one of our own got married here. Rhapsody's was transformed into this beautiful wedding venue. Our staff and friends put together this beautiful ceremony and reception.

We would like to thank our customers for understanding the closure on this day while our staff set this up and hosted this event.

To our loyal customers we will be closed on Thursday 6/9/22 for the wedding of one of our own. We look forward to hosting this wedding and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our customers.

Please join us today for Mothers Day specials Mother's Garden loaded with fresh veggies. And Mom's Supreme with veggies and meats.

Chef Christina not only makes beautiful and tasty food but can make a lovely cappuccino as well. Come on in and give her creations a try. She will not disappoint you! Pictured here is her signature croissant French toast.

Rhapsody's is truly blessed with some spectacular customers. From left to right, chef Christina rocking out the crepes, Jessica and Dashe as barista's; our loyal customers have jumped in to help support when Rhapsody's needed them the most to help keep the doors open.