• Trouble logging in? Send us a message with your username and/or email address for help.
New posts

pepper

Beach Comber
Dec 9, 2007
39
6
The flip flops posting is just another example in a long list of rumors being spread about restaurants that are 'closing down'....coincidentally, the restaurants involved in the rumormill are all newcomers to the area, and almost all of them are what locals sneeringly call 'corporate'.
Ironically, it appears that in our case, at Tommy Bahama, the rumors are having a positive effect....as our business is mostly comprised of Locals, not tourists, locals who love what we do and how we do it, where we build relationships and get to know everyone by name--those locals hear the rumors and want to come in while they 'still have a chance', and are relieved to find out that the rumors aren't true. I know that many other restaurants in Grand Boulevard are also indicated, and are just as perplexed as we are. The fact is, none of it is true.

So where did these rumors come from?

In a struggling economy, the small restaurant owners are in trouble as they typically don't have the capital to weather the storm. Some have even put up their homes as collateral for their loan, and stand to lose everything. In contrast, the corporate places are backed by huge capital, invest a lot more into their space and are signed on for much longer lease terms...some up to 20 years. In our case, we're not in a 'retail space', but rather we spent millions building our own building from the ground up. If we close our doors, do you think Tommy Bahama wants someone else moving into our building, so people can say, wow, this looks like it used to be a Tommy Bahama? So does it makes sense we would close in a single year even if business was terrible?....what if business was actually pretty good, just slightly less than expected due to a slower season than anticipated? Does it make sense that within a year, another corporate giant in a retail space would pay the penalties of backing out of a 5 or 10 year lease contract, while the little guys we guess 'are doing fine'--they're not being mentioned in the rumors, right?

So, the question is again, who started all these rumors? Is there another corporate giant out there that is trying to target the new corporate kids on the block, foolishly hoping the rumor with actually drive business away, whereas it may have the opposite effect? Or is the old establishment trying to hold on desperately with the hopes to instill a 'here today, gone tomorrow' with anyone new in town?

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS. Support your owner operated establishments that give our community such a great culture and uniqueness, and such great community relationships. Help these people who have the guts to follow their visions and passions to a point to take on the toughest business to be in-with what may be their mortgages, their life savings, their own credit on the line.
Just the same, support your local restaurants like the ones in Grand Boulevard, who employ exponentially more people- who cook your food, serve your table, maintain the building, repair the plumbing, supply the product, clean the floors, etc, etc, etc, and provide them health insurance and benefits, and make the effort to be a part of and give back to the community, as well as pay huge taxes to the community.
If a restaurant takes care of it's people, it's people will take care of it's guests-- if you feel like a restaurant has happy employees who care about the place and care about you when you come in, then support it. If a restaurant makes you feel like a 'tourist', even if you are, or makes you feel like they don't care about where your server may be 3 months from now in the offseason-- don't support it. Corporate or not, it's that simple. All local businesses, corporate or not, restaurants or not, are employing our community, our kids, our families. Whether doing your dry cleaning, serving your food or selling you an IPhone, these are our people.
 

butterbean

Beach Fanatic
Jun 15, 2006
278
28
Puhleeze, Tommy Bahamas a locals place? If Tommy cant make payroll or rent do you have to lay off or just call the corporate cow for more of that capital that was invested? Good thing some Sandestin visitors do like I do when I travel, skip the cookie cutter corporate swells and ask the locals where they go toeat and play. I've never been to any of the Grand Boulevard restaurants and I'm glad some of my local neighbors can find employment tghere but please don't tell me you have a large local following, and I don't mean Mitchells,Laredos or Changs employees coming by for one after work. I dated a girl who worked at Bahama's, then chang's and O quigs and hated them all. She finally got on and works on 30-A restaurant, and for once she's not ashamed to tell people where she works! I know Tommy's will always be with us as well as many other corporat eplaces, but I always choose to give my money to the independent businessman! Last week at Stinkys the owner Jim Richard ran my food and checked to see if my dinner was great. I don't remember Tommy coming out to ask me how my $10 top shelf marg was at Bahamaville while I waited for my chica to get off from a job she did not have any respect for.
 

pepper

Beach Comber
Dec 9, 2007
39
6
Puhleeze, Tommy Bahamas a locals place? If Tommy cant make payroll or rent do you have to lay off or just call the corporate cow for more of that capital that was invested? Good thing some Sandestin visitors do like I do when I travel, skip the cookie cutter corporate swells and ask the locals where they go toeat and play. I've never been to any of the Grand Boulevard restaurants and I'm glad some of my local neighbors can find employment tghere but please don't tell me you have a large local following, and I don't mean Mitchells,Laredos or Changs employees coming by for one after work. I dated a girl who worked at Bahama's, then chang's and O quigs and hated them all. She finally got on and works on 30-A restaurant, and for once she's not ashamed to tell people where she works! I know Tommy's will always be with us as well as many other corporat eplaces, but I always choose to give my money to the independent businessman! Last week at Stinkys the owner Jim Richard ran my food and checked to see if my dinner was great. I don't remember Tommy coming out to ask me how my $10 top shelf marg was at Bahamaville while I waited for my chica to get off from a job she did not have any respect for.

thanks for the input.
yeah, i wouldn't call us a "locals place" either, at least not like what you're referring to. but i wasn't b.s.ing the fact that we get mainly locals -we're not visible from 98, so the tourists can't find us anyways :) and yeah, other Grand Boulevard employees don't come in for a late one, wish they did but i think that's maybe Mitchells.
and if we can't make payroll...er, well, i guess that would mean a companywide bankruptcy, and i'm fairly certain that before that would happen,we'd sell out to a corporate conglomerate that would take us over and turn us into a true 'cookie cutter'...as of now we're only semi-cookie cutter with our 12 locations that are all unique.
and as far as layoffs, we haven't had to do that, but i'm sure we wouldn't go about it in the way that a lot of independents are forced to do it, where your staff shows up to work to be told, 'ok, we're closing for good tomorrow'. i guess i'm not sure about the perception gap that seems to be between us... do you think that 'layoffs' is strictly a corporate thing? and if we had the ability to call for money to keep people from being laid off, is that a bad thing? maybe it's only a bad thing if we're calling a cow for money, i don't know. :)

Keep giving your money to Jim, he's a great guy with a great place(s). i haven't met him but i know enough about him to respect him. I always appreciate it when management gets involved on the floor-- at our place, we're always bussing tables, running food, helping out whereever needed, as well as being committed to visiting with all the guests.... and if we failed to be hospitable to you in any way then we're truly sorry--it's a regrettable mistake. they say you only get one chance to make a good first impression, and they're right.

tell A.C. i said hello, and i'm glad she's at place that finally makes her happy. We understand that Tommy isn't for everyone, so I hope if she never respected us that maybe she understands that everything worked out for the best. I respect her and wish her the best.

Truluv, Come back in any time and have one of those $10 margaritas in on me.

And if you'd like to continue to share your thoughts further on the subject i'd be more than happy to keep it to private message, as may be more appropiate at this point forward.


(p.s., rereading my original post, i don't think that 'sneering' is a local thing, if that sounded condemning, the locals here have been some of the nicest and most geunine people i've ever met-- i was just referring to those who refer to 'tommy' and 'corporate' in the same sentence--when those two words are together, there's been a sneer so far, but i haven't met everyone yet.

moreover, i take full responsibility for my own opinions and viewpoints and hope they are NOT construed as the viewpoints and opinions of Tommy Bahama itself. I concede this freely at my own accord and not at the request of my employer, just as I freely started this thread without the concent or involvement of my employer. That said, I have every intention to always protect and uphold Tommy Bahama's image and reputation as a representative of the company, and don't believe that anything stated thus far betrays that intention. Free speech is a one of our nation's greatest founding principles that deserves our greatest respect.)
 

John R

needs to get out more
Dec 31, 2005
6,777
819
Conflictinator
It is my experience that rumors regarding the viability of a business are started from within. Primarily from current employees who are less than pleased with either local management, or standards sent down from corporate. This may happen at an after work b*tch session where some S/O's may be in the room, or an employee blows off to an S/O and the rumor is started in retribution. Or possibly they're scared about the continuation of employment coming into off season, anticipate layoffs, need to find work elsewhere, and a third party hears some of this conversation out of context. Etc, etc.

These rumors could also be being started by a terminated employee(s).

The reality is that someone who was on the fence about going to eat there probably won't for fear of a substandard experience, and everyone suffers financially. If the rumor is strong enough, it could have a lasting impact.

The fastest, easiest way to dispel a rumor is to have an all employee meeting and lay things out honestly with the employees. The false rumor is put to rest, and moral takes a big jump, as the employees respect mgts. honesty and willingness to get behind them, and the spirit of camraderie is renewed as being part of a forward thinking team. This will work only if the place is really not a grindhouse.

disclaimer: I have not eaten at any of the restaurants in GB, and have put my time in as mgt in chain restaurants. Good luck.
 

incredible1

Beach Lover
May 7, 2007
233
30
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS. Support your owner operated establishments that give our community such a great culture and uniqueness, and such great community relationships. Help these people who have the guts to follow their visions and passions to a point to take on the toughest business to be in-with what may be their mortgages, their life savings, their own credit on the line..


Here is our small way in helping support local businesses
Do please post more nominations
http://30atelevision.com/play.php?vid=239
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
3,330
Sowal
The rumor of closings I heard included a long established "local" restaurant, a new "local" restaurant and several corporate restaurants.

It wasn't a smear campaign, it was people in the industry worried about their survival and seeing those closings as evidence of how tough the current economic climate was.
 

lennonsdarlin

Beach Lover
May 13, 2008
100
16
Santa Rosa Beach
WOW! I had heard the "closing rumor" and did tell friends that have gift certificates. I've not had a bad experience at Tommy's...food and bevs were always good and so was the service. Mgmt. usually came by to ask if everything was fine and we're the kind of locals that WILL tell you if it's not OK!!! Apologizing if I fed the frenzied!!! I don't know anyone that works there, so can't comment on the benefits of being an employee.
 

Jim Tucker

Beach Fanatic
Jul 12, 2005
1,189
497
IMO most of the negative talk comes from former employees. Staff people move around a lot. Some are good people and some are not. Some get run off, go the next place on the street and talk bad about the place they just left. Because it's always the other guys fault. It's never their problem.
 

butterbean

Beach Fanatic
Jun 15, 2006
278
28
Why do you think they have become former employees? They are looking for the on the edge experience that you get from working for an owner who is committed to something he is passionate about! I was a manager of a nat'l chain and I just couldn't get my buzz working for stockholders and decided to go to work where I was the sole stock holder. Talk about motivation!
 
New posts


Sign Up for SoWal Newsletter