We’ve had the idea of putting outdoor seating at Harvard Square for some time time now (we have some pictures of us marking out the spots w/tape and we’re all wearing parkas). I’ve learned a bit about picnic tables since then, cheap ones are typically made from pine and don’t last very long. We thought we’d do cedar, they look nice and won’t rot in the rain.
I found Wes Flanagan out in out in Littleton, Mass. I saw a couple pictures of his tables online and called around 6pm on a Thursday. I told him that I wanted them made out of cedar. He ran out to the lumber yard that night and starting rounding up lumber. He was freaking out because of the price of cedar. It would cost over $2000 to make 3 tables, so he talked me into making them out of fir. He said they would still look good and weather nicely.
Next day around noon a pick-up truck pulls up with 3 picnic tables and Wes jumps out with his father to unload the tables. Turns out he worked late into the night and woke up early the next day to finish them. Oh and we found out, Wes is only 19. His father taught him how to make them. He did a great job, they’re the perfect addition to the store.
