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.
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.