Another Restaurant Buying Thread (1 Viewer)

[pollardsvision]

I might be driving through Lynchburg right before New Years. What's the address of this place?

201 Alleghany Ave. It's a little ways off 29, but not too far.

 

[Keerock]

I've got quite a dilemma on the hot dog buns.

We switched to a different bread company a couple weeks ago, and those were the buns I was so excited about. I still am, for the most part. They are great buns. The burger buns are really phenomenal.

But they might not be right for our hot dogs. They are a little bigger and they have a little chew to them. Think about the difference between ####ty ### Wonder bread and quality bread. Wonder bread is really soft and when you bite into it, it's like biting through air (and chemicals). That's what our old buns were like. Inferior in everyway, but when it comes to a basic hot dog that your just want to inhale, it works well. That's what people are used to. I personally like the better bun, but I get it. Hot dog sales are fine and we've only gotten a couple of comments about it. They've even been described as "tough", but again, if you compare any good bread to Wonder bread, you could get away with that adjective.

It pains me to even consider it because I hated the old buns so much and I really hate to pay the same price for a clearly inferior product. But I think I'm going to switch back.

The other alternative is to switch to a little bigger dog. There's room there. Our basic hot dog is a 10-1 dog (10 dogs to a pound) where an 8-1 dog is probably what I'd consider standard. The "problem" is really more that our current dogs are too small, and probably not that the bun is too big. The footlong is even skinnier (twice as long, but only a 6-1 dog), and the dog/bun size discrepancy is even more pronounced.

Really though, I just can't go to a bigger dog. People love this 10-1 dog. They've used this dog for a very long time, and customers happily pay for it. Going over $2 on the basic hot dog won't go over well.

I'll probably switch back to the old bun on the basic dog and keep ordering some of the new buns for the all beef dogs. They are a little bigger, so it works better. Beef dogs still aren't a huge seller yet, but that's improving.

Can you get both and give the customers the choice?

 

[Henry Ford]

I've got quite a dilemma on the hot dog buns.

We switched to a different bread company a couple weeks ago, and those were the buns I was so excited about. I still am, for the most part. They are great buns. The burger buns are really phenomenal.

But they might not be right for our hot dogs. They are a little bigger and they have a little chew to them. Think about the difference between ####ty ### Wonder bread and quality bread. Wonder bread is really soft and when you bite into it, it's like biting through air (and chemicals). That's what our old buns were like. Inferior in everyway, but when it comes to a basic hot dog that your just want to inhale, it works well. That's what people are used to. I personally like the better bun, but I get it. Hot dog sales are fine and we've only gotten a couple of comments about it. They've even been described as "tough", but again, if you compare any good bread to Wonder bread, you could get away with that adjective.

It pains me to even consider it because I hated the old buns so much and I really hate to pay the same price for a clearly inferior product. But I think I'm going to switch back.

The other alternative is to switch to a little bigger dog. There's room there. Our basic hot dog is a 10-1 dog (10 dogs to a pound) where an 8-1 dog is probably what I'd consider standard. The "problem" is really more that our current dogs are too small, and probably not that the bun is too big. The footlong is even skinnier (twice as long, but only a 6-1 dog), and the dog/bun size discrepancy is even more pronounced.

Really though, I just can't go to a bigger dog. People love this 10-1 dog. They've used this dog for a very long time, and customers happily pay for it. Going over $2 on the basic hot dog won't go over well.

I'll probably switch back to the old bun on the basic dog and keep ordering some of the new buns for the all beef dogs. They are a little bigger, so it works better. Beef dogs still aren't a huge seller yet, but that's improving.

Yep. Perfect idea.

 

[Henry Ford]

Also, for the dogs you add a bunch of toppings to, use the new buns. When you're piling chili and cheese, or a Chicago-style dog in there, a little extra room is a good thing.

 

[Mr. Ected]

I've got quite a dilemma on the hot dog buns.

We switched to a different bread company a couple weeks ago, and those were the buns I was so excited about. I still am, for the most part. They are great buns. The burger buns are really phenomenal.

But they might not be right for our hot dogs. They are a little bigger and they have a little chew to them. Think about the difference between ####ty ### Wonder bread and quality bread. Wonder bread is really soft and when you bite into it, it's like biting through air (and chemicals). That's what our old buns were like. Inferior in everyway, but when it comes to a basic hot dog that your just want to inhale, it works well. That's what people are used to. I personally like the better bun, but I get it. Hot dog sales are fine and we've only gotten a couple of comments about it. They've even been described as "tough", but again, if you compare any good bread to Wonder bread, you could get away with that adjective.

It pains me to even consider it because I hated the old buns so much and I really hate to pay the same price for a clearly inferior product. But I think I'm going to switch back.

The other alternative is to switch to a little bigger dog. There's room there. Our basic hot dog is a 10-1 dog (10 dogs to a pound) where an 8-1 dog is probably what I'd consider standard. The "problem" is really more that our current dogs are too small, and probably not that the bun is too big. The footlong is even skinnier (twice as long, but only a 6-1 dog), and the dog/bun size discrepancy is even more pronounced.

Really though, I just can't go to a bigger dog. People love this 10-1 dog. They've used this dog for a very long time, and customers happily pay for it. Going over $2 on the basic hot dog won't go over well.

I'll probably switch back to the old bun on the basic dog and keep ordering some of the new buns for the all beef dogs. They are a little bigger, so it works better. Beef dogs still aren't a huge seller yet, but that's improving.

Can you get both and give the customers the choice?

Is it also something that the customers will learn to like?

 

[DCThunder]

I might be driving through Lynchburg right before New Years. What's the address of this place?

201 Alleghany Ave. It's a little ways off 29, but not too far.

And the name of the joint is? I want to put it in my phone contacts.

 

[Mr. Ected]

I might be driving through Lynchburg right before New Years. What's the address of this place?

201 Alleghany Ave. It's a little ways off 29, but not too far.

And the name of the joint is? I want to put it in my phone contacts.

The Weenie Stand!

 

[Keerock]

I might be driving through Lynchburg right before New Years. What's the address of this place?

201 Alleghany Ave. It's a little ways off 29, but not too far.

And the name of the joint is? I want to put it in my phone contacts.

The Weenie Stand!

That's also the name of the gay bath house... so make sure anyone looking at your contacts knows the difference.

 

[Mr. Ected]

I might be driving through Lynchburg right before New Years. What's the address of this place?

201 Alleghany Ave. It's a little ways off 29, but not too far.

And the name of the joint is? I want to put it in my phone contacts.

The Weenie Stand!

That's also the name of the gay bath house... so make sure anyone looking at your contacts knows the difference.

Good call. Maybe put the pic on the contact to be safe...hmmm, blank building with no windows...Maybe you're better without the picture.

 

[pollardsvision]

I might be driving through Lynchburg right before New Years. What's the address of this place?

201 Alleghany Ave. It's a little ways off 29, but not too far.

And the name of the joint is? I want to put it in my phone contacts.

The Weenie Stand!

That's also the name of the gay bath house... so make sure anyone looking at your contacts knows the difference.

The roots of this place really start with a joint called "Gay's Cafe".

The original owner and guy I bought the place from is Don Gay. He based it largely off a little dive bar his parents (Happy and Ruby Gay) had that opened in 1948. Not sure when it closed, but it was shortly after Happy passed.

 

[pollardsvision]

We've been back on the old buns for a couple of weeks now, and it seems like the right thing.

We had a slow Christmas week, but we turned it around for our best 3-day stretch yet to finish the month/year.
I got a little pissed off finishing up the paperwork last week seeing that labor costs didn't drop to the same degree sales did in a short week. It was my fault as I had let up in a number of ways. This was a good week to refocus as our top day waitress was going to be out until Friday. I've been trying to find ways to do more with less since we started, so this was a great opportunity to work on that.

Between vacations and employees calling in sick, we polished off our best 3-day stretch without our best waitress at all, our top day cook for unexpectedly out for two of those days, our GM for one, and I gave the night manager the night off last night. We had some stretches where wait times were a little high, but only one major ####-up (that was just a straight ####-up and not really a product of being understaffed).

I've got a lot to learn, and we've got a long way to go to undo some bad habits and be able to do more with less, but these few days have been an important part of the process.

I've finally gotten a few more batches of his world famous slaw made and I think I've got it fine tuned (the process. not changing the recipe). I didn't get the recipe until a few of weeks after we closed the sale because he really wanted to come do it with me on a Sunday. Sundays were when he did it (only time he entered the building). I'm in the restaurant night and day, so Sundays are my day to fix ####, drink a few beers, watch football, prep, or generally just catch up. They are my day, and I didn't want to fool with chasing him around. I know that damn recipe should've been in a packet when the sale closed and I gave him a big ####### check, but it wasn't. I was too busy to care until, you know, we needed slaw. He also drug his feet because he wasn't in a hurry to see somebody else make his mama and daddy's slaw recipe without him. I get it.

Anyway, my first batch of slaw was a bit off. Not bad, but not right either. I was basing it off the memory of the brother-in-law (he and his wife owned/ran the place for 25 years). The first batch was also done his way of buying the cabbage already chopped and make 50-60 gallons of slaw at a time. I won't say how long that lasted, but it's a little disturbing.

I bought it pre-chopped like he did for the first batch (much, much, much smaller batch). It was mid-week and my first time. I wanted to keep the variables to a minimum. When I opened those damn buckets, that cabbage funk was something fierce. Those bitter cabbage phenols or whatever filled up the whole restaurant and building the slaw was totally about trying to get rid of that funk. We got it worked out and it was decent, but again, not right.

For the next couple of batches, I've been grinding the cabbage myself (no funk because it hadn't been sitting in buckets for god knows how long). I do and always will make smaller batches than he did. I do it during the week as part of our routine prep, just like I do with the slaw for the BBQ.

Recipe's the same, but I'm confident it's an even better product than it was before.

And the Facebook ads continue to generate likes. It's run for 20 days now with $100 spent. 570 new likes.

 

[dparker713]

We've been back on the old buns for a couple of weeks now, and it seems like the right thing.

We had a slow Christmas week, but we turned it around for our best 3-day stretch yet to finish the month/year.

I got a little pissed off finishing up the paperwork last week seeing that labor costs didn't drop to the same degree sales did in a short week. It was my fault as I had let up in a number of ways. This was a good week to refocus as our top day waitress was going to be out until Friday. I've been trying to find ways to do more with less since we started, so this was a great opportunity to work on that.

Between vacations and employees calling in sick, we polished off our best 3-day stretch without our best waitress at all, our top day cook for unexpectedly out for two of those days, our GM for one, and I gave the night manager the night off last night. We had some stretches where wait times were a little high, but only one major ####-up (that was just a straight ####-up and not really a product of being understaffed).

I've got a lot to learn, and we've got a long way to go to undo some bad habits and be able to do more with less, but these few days have been an important part of the process.

I've finally gotten a few more batches of his world famous slaw made and I think I've got it fine tuned (the process. not changing the recipe). I didn't get the recipe until a few of weeks after we closed the sale because he really wanted to come do it with me on a Sunday. Sundays were when he did it (only time he entered the building). I'm in the restaurant night and day, so Sundays are my day to fix ####, drink a few beers, watch football, prep, or generally just catch up. They are my day, and I didn't want to fool with chasing him around. I know that damn recipe should've been in a packet when the sale closed and I gave him a big ####### check, but it wasn't. I was too busy to care until, you know, we needed slaw. He also drug his feet because he wasn't in a hurry to see somebody else make his mama and daddy's slaw recipe without him. I get it.

Anyway, my first batch of slaw was a bit off. Not bad, but not right either. I was basing it off the memory of the brother-in-law (he and his wife owned/ran the place for 25 years). The first batch was also done his way of buying the cabbage already chopped and make 50-60 gallons of slaw at a time. I won't say how long that lasted, but it's a little disturbing.

I bought it pre-chopped like he did for the first batch (much, much, much smaller batch). It was mid-week and my first time. I wanted to keep the variables to a minimum. When I opened those damn buckets, that cabbage funk was something fierce. Those bitter cabbage phenols or whatever filled up the whole restaurant and building the slaw was totally about trying to get rid of that funk. We got it worked out and it was decent, but again, not right.

For the next couple of batches, I've been grinding the cabbage myself (no funk because it hadn't been sitting in buckets for god knows how long). I do and always will make smaller batches than he did. I do it during the week as part of our routine prep, just like I do with the slaw for the BBQ.

Recipe's the same, but I'm confident it's an even better product than it was before.

Sounds like he was making a fermented cabbage dish. You probably don't need such large batches, but fresh might not be the answer for this one.

 

[pollardsvision]

We've been back on the old buns for a couple of weeks now, and it seems like the right thing.

We had a slow Christmas week, but we turned it around for our best 3-day stretch yet to finish the month/year.

I got a little pissed off finishing up the paperwork last week seeing that labor costs didn't drop to the same degree sales did in a short week. It was my fault as I had let up in a number of ways. This was a good week to refocus as our top day waitress was going to be out until Friday. I've been trying to find ways to do more with less since we started, so this was a great opportunity to work on that.

Between vacations and employees calling in sick, we polished off our best 3-day stretch without our best waitress at all, our top day cook for unexpectedly out for two of those days, our GM for one, and I gave the night manager the night off last night. We had some stretches where wait times were a little high, but only one major ####-up (that was just a straight ####-up and not really a product of being understaffed).

I've got a lot to learn, and we've got a long way to go to undo some bad habits and be able to do more with less, but these few days have been an important part of the process.

I've finally gotten a few more batches of his world famous slaw made and I think I've got it fine tuned (the process. not changing the recipe). I didn't get the recipe until a few of weeks after we closed the sale because he really wanted to come do it with me on a Sunday. Sundays were when he did it (only time he entered the building). I'm in the restaurant night and day, so Sundays are my day to fix ####, drink a few beers, watch football, prep, or generally just catch up. They are my day, and I didn't want to fool with chasing him around. I know that damn recipe should've been in a packet when the sale closed and I gave him a big ####### check, but it wasn't. I was too busy to care until, you know, we needed slaw. He also drug his feet because he wasn't in a hurry to see somebody else make his mama and daddy's slaw recipe without him. I get it.

Anyway, my first batch of slaw was a bit off. Not bad, but not right either. I was basing it off the memory of the brother-in-law (he and his wife owned/ran the place for 25 years). The first batch was also done his way of buying the cabbage already chopped and make 50-60 gallons of slaw at a time. I won't say how long that lasted, but it's a little disturbing.

I bought it pre-chopped like he did for the first batch (much, much, much smaller batch). It was mid-week and my first time. I wanted to keep the variables to a minimum. When I opened those damn buckets, that cabbage funk was something fierce. Those bitter cabbage phenols or whatever filled up the whole restaurant and building the slaw was totally about trying to get rid of that funk. We got it worked out and it was decent, but again, not right.

For the next couple of batches, I've been grinding the cabbage myself (no funk because it hadn't been sitting in buckets for god knows how long). I do and always will make smaller batches than he did. I do it during the week as part of our routine prep, just like I do with the slaw for the BBQ.

Recipe's the same, but I'm confident it's an even better product than it was before.

Sounds like he was making a fermented cabbage dish. You probably don't need such large batches, but fresh might not be the answer for this one.

I dig the fermented arts, but this issn't one of those things.

This is a fairly straight-forward slaw (though with that finely ground cabbage, I'd personally call it more of a relish). It wasn't always done that way. It only started being done that way once the owner checked out and only felt like making it every couple of months.

 

[pollardsvision]

We've got some big decisions looming for weekday breakfast.

At the moment, it's a big money loser. On a typical weekday by around 10:30, I've got 10-12 employee hours logged and we've barely sold $100 worth of food. Brutal. One day this week was $55. Now, we typically go on and do pretty large lunch for a restaurant this small ($500-600) and a decent, quickly improving dinner (around $400). Apparently, used to be better as recently as a year ago. That's according to the staff, and the say some big price increases drove people off. Who knows the truth.

I'm not panicking, but we've got a couple months to improve or it's time to decide whether or not we're meant to serve weekday breakfast.

In my gut, I'm not sure we are.

I think a place like this needs an owner-operator with the finger on the pulse of every aspect of the business. My focus isn't really on breakfast at the moment for a number of reasons. I'm there during every breakfast, but unless I'm opening, I'm generally prepping for lunch. Sometimes daydreaming of the labor and food costs I could lop off by not serving weekday breakfast.

I've got to be able to cover any staffing deficiency (planned or unplanned) at any time or have somebody else trained to do so. That's a far simpler task for 2 meals a day than it is for 3. There's only so many hours I can work in a week, and trustworthy employees willing to bust their ### don't grow on trees.

Combine that with the fact that we have absolutely no way to put in a drive-thru window, and my lack of belief that there's enough of a demand for places to go sit down and have breakfast on Tuesday mornings, and I'm not sold that we should be serving weekday breakfast.

Now, that's just my rambling and thinking way down the line. We're going to try to improve it first.

It's a great spot for growth with lunch essentially maxed out, and I would like to see this remain a weekday breakfast joint. This place really is like "Cheers" in the morning. The owner of our main breakfast competitor (Country Kitchen) is also about to retire with no successor lined up, so that's good.

While we figure that out, I'm riding the staff's ### about using those hours better. Previously, there was way to much "relaxing" when there aren't immediate orders/customers that need attention. We're finding ways to have big lunches on a leaner staff, and that requires more efficiency during the breakfast slow times.

 

[Juxtatarot]

What is weekend breakfast like?

 

[pollardsvision]

What is weekend breakfast like?

Ranges from $250-400.

Oh, and I forgot a small detail. We don't open until 7AM. A ridiculously late time for a breakfast place. Those were the previous hours, and I didn't want to fiddle with them right out of the gate (or change the signage just yet).

Opening earlier would seemingly make more sense, except that it's more labor cost (and signage and advertising) added to something already losing a lot of money. Obviously, turning breakfast around is going to require losing even more money first, but I've got to figure out just how many losses I'm willing to take (again, given some of my gut feelings that we'd be pissing in the wind).

 

[Prince Myshkin]

Doesn't the big sign in the front say "open 24 hours"?

 

[pollardsvision]

Doesn't the big sign in the front say "open 24 hours"?

That's an old picture.

It was open 24 hours from, I think, about the mid-80's up to just a few years ago. Hours have been on a steady decline since then (there were also 4 locations at one point about a decade ago). 1 location and 7AM to 8PM now.

We are still in an initial evaluation phase of sorts in terms of hours and everything else. For now, focused on learning the business, changing the work culture and establishing expectations, and making the most of the current hours.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

If you can afford it, I'd try opening at 5 on weekdays (leave weekends where they are) for a while. You might be able to draw the construction/industrial crowd (such as it is in Lynchburg). If that doesn't do it, I'd kill breakfast for a while.

In my town, there's a restaurant called the Sunrise Cafe. They open for breakfast at 8 a.m.

You're on my "fairly close to home" bucket list. I'm about 30 minutes north of Harrisonburg, so you're what? 90 minutes away? Nice Saturday ride for some good food.

 

[pollardsvision]

If you can afford it, I'd try opening at 5 on weekdays (leave weekends where they are) for a while. You might be able to draw the construction/industrial crowd (such as it is in Lynchburg). If that doesn't do it, I'd kill breakfast for a while.

In my town, there's a restaurant called the Sunrise Cafe. They open for breakfast at 8 a.m.

You're on my "fairly close to home" bucket list. I'm about 30 minutes north of Harrisonburg, so you're what? 90 minutes away? Nice Saturday ride for some good food.

Maybe closer to 2 hours. I used to make that drive fairly regularly (wife's college buddy up in Winchester). The best route (imo) goes through Afton and by Blue Mountain Brewery, which is nice.

We'll try opening earlier, for sure, before making any major decisions. The construction crowd that we can't get with these hours can certainly buoy little locally owned breakfast joints.

 

[pollardsvision]

Oh, and the most important update of the week...thanks a better friend than I deserve, we started selling Green Chile Cheeseburgers this week.

He's shipping Hatch chiles out of N.M. for now. Trying to find somebody to grow something similar locally (a really nice Anaheim would do in a pinch) for when he moves back East and my supply dries up.

 

[mr roboto]

Damn those pics look good. I'm on a ####### Paleo diet so they are off limits for now but they look like the perfect combo of small town diner fare with a little better quality and prep. Seems like you are dialing it in. Good on ya.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

If you can afford it, I'd try opening at 5 on weekdays (leave weekends where they are) for a while. You might be able to draw the construction/industrial crowd (such as it is in Lynchburg). If that doesn't do it, I'd kill breakfast for a while.

In my town, there's a restaurant called the Sunrise Cafe. They open for breakfast at 8 a.m.

You're on my "fairly close to home" bucket list. I'm about 30 minutes north of Harrisonburg, so you're what? 90 minutes away? Nice Saturday ride for some good food.

Maybe closer to 2 hours. I used to make that drive fairly regularly (wife's college buddy up in Winchester). The best route (imo) goes through Afton and by Blue Mountain Brewery, which is nice.

We'll try opening earlier, for sure, before making any major decisions. The construction crowd that we can't get with these hours can certainly buoy little locally owned breakfast joints.

People have been hyping that place to me since I've been over here. Maybe hit your joint, then BMB on the way back.

 

[ffldrew]

Oh, and the most important update of the week...thanks a better friend than I deserve, we started selling Green Chile Cheeseburgers this week.

He's shipping Hatch chiles out of N.M. for now. Trying to find somebody to grow something similar locally (a really nice Anaheim would do in a pinch) for when he moves back East and my supply dries up.

There is something about the combination of the water, soil and sun which make fresh Hatch chiles from NM the best - accept no substitutes

 

[3C's]

If you can afford it, I'd try opening at 5 on weekdays (leave weekends where they are) for a while. You might be able to draw the construction/industrial crowd (such as it is in Lynchburg). If that doesn't do it, I'd kill breakfast for a while.

In my town, there's a restaurant called the Sunrise Cafe. They open for breakfast at 8 a.m.

You're on my "fairly close to home" bucket list. I'm about 30 minutes north of Harrisonburg, so you're what? 90 minutes away? Nice Saturday ride for some good food.

Maybe closer to 2 hours. I used to make that drive fairly regularly (wife's college buddy up in Winchester). The best route (imo) goes through Afton and by Blue Mountain Brewery, which is nice.

We'll try opening earlier, for sure, before making any major decisions. The construction crowd that we can't get with these hours can certainly buoy little locally owned breakfast joints.

People have been hyping that place to me since I've been over here. Maybe hit your joint, then BMB on the way back.

Blue Mtn is good, and right down the road is Devils Backbone and Wild Wolf. DB brewpub is really nice, sort of a ski lodge feel being as it's right next to Wintergreen. http://brewridgetrail.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/slider_dbbc.png

 

[Beef Ravioli]

Thanks for the update! I have been curious how things are going.

 

[pollardsvision]

Oh, and the most important update of the week...thanks a better friend than I deserve, we started selling Green Chile Cheeseburgers this week.

He's shipping Hatch chiles out of N.M. for now. Trying to find somebody to grow something similar locally (a really nice Anaheim would do in a pinch) for when he moves back East and my supply dries up.

There is something about the combination of the water, soil and sun which make fresh Hatch chiles from NM the best - accept no substitutes

I'd never argue that Hatch aren't glorious, unique, and worth a premium. Preaching to the choir on that.

Whether I can get them at the right price for this place might be another matter though.

It's a long way to ship and there's a limit on what I can charge for a burger here.

Combine that with knowing some pretty good farmers that appreciate Hatch Chile's, and I've got to give local a try. No idea if it'll work but I have to try (unless said buddy stays in NM indefinitely or I find another Hatch source at a good price).

 

[Zegras11]

8pm closing? What about 9 or 10pm? Offer late night specials...

 

[culdeus]

Oh, and the most important update of the week...thanks a better friend than I deserve, we started selling Green Chile Cheeseburgers this week.

He's shipping Hatch chiles out of N.M. for now. Trying to find somebody to grow something similar locally (a really nice Anaheim would do in a pinch) for when he moves back East and my supply dries up.

There is something about the combination of the water, soil and sun which make fresh Hatch chiles from NM the best - accept no substitutes

I think hatch chiles are anaheim chilies right? And hatch chiles are only available roughly what? 3 weeks a year?

 

[pollardsvision]

The new roof was finished today. Along with a fryer and two steamers going down this week, damn near everything we've scratched and clawed and squirreled away over these last few months has evaporated.

We'll be fine though. Business is good and we're getting more efficient (sales per employee hour are up almost 50% since we took over). We've got a long, long way to go and I don't think my personal schedule is sustainable forever (I've got to get better at training and delegating), but we're moving in the right direction.

Wiping out the bank account sucks, but I'm just proud of that damn roof. The old one was 44 years old. It's needed replacing for a very long time, and we got it done in 4 months. The old owner likely never would've. It's a symbol to our customers and the community that we aren't ####### around here, and we're going to do what it takes to keep this place healthy for another 40 years.

 

[pollardsvision]

8pm closing? What about 9 or 10pm? Offer late night specials...

Looking into to some Summer hours. Maybe open later on Fridays and Saturdays. I'm trying to get rested up and get the staff healthy for it, but we're looking at it. Doing breakfast makes it tricky. I feel like a place like this needs an owner with a thumb on the pulse on every aspect of the business. I'm working on getting the right systems in place to make things more sustainable long-term, but at the moment, I'm there 12+ hours the 6 days a week we're open and usually a 8-10 on the day we're closed. Still trying to figure out a way to my first day off. I'm still trying to get the right systems in place that would make extended hours without me working that many more hours a little more feasible.

My night manager is very good though, and willing to work some extended hours. I think we'll do something soon to extend the hours a little.

 

[pollardsvision]

Oh, and the most important update of the week...thanks a better friend than I deserve, we started selling Green Chile Cheeseburgers this week.

He's shipping Hatch chiles out of N.M. for now. Trying to find somebody to grow something similar locally (a really nice Anaheim would do in a pinch) for when he moves back East and my supply dries up.

There is something about the combination of the water, soil and sun which make fresh Hatch chiles from NM the best - accept no substitutes

I think hatch chiles are anaheim chilies right? And hatch chiles are only available roughly what? 3 weeks a year?

Yes, they are just very good Anaheim's.

Yes, they are only available fresh a few weeks year.

The chiles I get shipped are frozen though. Even better that they are roasted, peeled, diced, and frozen.

I got some Big Jim seeds, and I'm going to try grow them locally and see what we can do. A good deal on already processed Hatch will always be preferable. I've roasted and peeled a lot of Anaheims, but it does start to suck after a while. I'll do it if I have to, but it's a lot of work (ends up being pretty expensive too).

 

[leftcoastguy7]

We'll be fine though. Business is good and we're getting more efficient (sales per employee hour are up almost 50% since we took over).

Congratulations on the way you've improved the place.

Just curious about your family?

 

[Johnny Rock]

80 hours a week still? We've all done it for a time but it doesn't mean I still don't worry about those who do. Get some rest man.

Congrats on the new roof. Maintenance and cleanliness pay off.

 

[sbonomo]

Oh, and the most important update of the week...thanks a better friend than I deserve, we started selling Green Chile Cheeseburgers this week.

He's shipping Hatch chiles out of N.M. for now. Trying to find somebody to grow something similar locally (a really nice Anaheim would do in a pinch) for when he moves back East and my supply dries up.

oh ya! Not sure how you prep you green chili but I have several of my favorites if you are interested in testing. That looks amazing!

 

[sbonomo]

Oh, and the most important update of the week...thanks a better friend than I deserve, we started selling Green Chile Cheeseburgers this week.

He's shipping Hatch chiles out of N.M. for now. Trying to find somebody to grow something similar locally (a really nice Anaheim would do in a pinch) for when he moves back East and my supply dries up.

There is something about the combination of the water, soil and sun which make fresh Hatch chiles from NM the best - accept no substitutes

 

[pollardsvision]

We'll be fine though. Business is good and we're getting more efficient (sales per employee hour are up almost 50% since we took over).

Congratulations on the way you've improved the place.

Just curious about your family?

No kids. Wife is disabled, and I don't imagine we ever will.

 

[Hoos First]

Nice to meet you and the wife. Food was excellent and I'll have to come in a different day and try the BBQ.

 

[msommer]

Was that the first FBG review?

 

[pollardsvision]

Nice to meet you and the wife. Food was excellent and I'll have to come in a different day and try the BBQ.

Thanks for stopping by.

I wasn't really sure how to explain to the waitress what FBG was, but luckily, I think she assumed it must be some food distributor she'd never heard of.

Sorry about no BBQ, but not doing it on Mondays and Saturdays has been great for my schedule.

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. Prior to this week, we had back-to-back best weeks yet. The building and everything in it keeps falling apart, but we're getting it all worked out. Like the roof, everything in this place has been rigged up and strung along well past it's expected life. At times, I'm amazed by the previous owner's craftiness, but I'd still like to choke his ### sometimes.

We're not where we need to be just yet, but better than I'd have expected so far. We're paying the mortgage and the bills, investing in new equipment, making some pretty big repairs, paying me, and so far, not borrowing any money to cover anything (hoping the 30 year old leaking AC unit holds out long enough for that to remain true). March labor and food costs were both finally down close to where they need to be.

 

[odin33]

Love reading these updates. Keep em coming. Gld to see everything is still pointed in the right direction.

 

[johnnycakes]

:bluedot:

 

[Johnny Rock]

Nice to meet you and the wife. Food was excellent and I'll have to come in a different day and try the BBQ.

Thanks for stopping by.

I wasn't really sure how to explain to the waitress what FBG was, but luckily, I think she assumed it must be some food distributor she'd never heard of.

Sorry about no BBQ, but not doing it on Mondays and Saturdays has been great for my schedule.

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. Prior to this week, we had back-to-back best weeks yet. The building and everything in it keeps falling apart, but we're getting it all worked out. Like the roof, everything in this place has been rigged up and strung along well past it's expected life. At times, I'm amazed by the previous owner's craftiness, but I'd still like to choke his ### sometimes.

We're not where we need to be just yet, but better than I'd have expected so far. We're paying the mortgage and the bills, investing in new equipment, making some pretty big repairs, paying me, and so far, not borrowing any money to cover anything (hoping the 30 year old leaking AC unit holds out long enough for that to remain true). March labor and food costs were both finally down close to where they need to be.

Great update! Financially you seem to be in a good place. Lots of positives.

 

[msommer]

Any update on your restaurant? What's been going on the past three months?

 

[pollardsvision]

Any update on your restaurant? What's been going on the past three months?

Business has been down over the Summer, but still solid overall. Still trying to get better and more efficient everyday (decades old habits are really, really hard to break). I'll update more later when I have some time.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

With college being out, the population gets cut in half doesn't it?

 

[Rick James]

Have you killed midweek breakfast yet? If it's your biggest loser id kill it asap. And honestly I doubt most people consider your spot when they're trying to think of a place to get breakfast. It's a hotdog and burger joint ya know?

Any luck with the liquor license? Beer is high margin.

 

[John Bender]

Moving your way pv

I'll be stopping in next Saturday morning. Always wearing a Red Sox or Titleist hat. Definitely will be order the weenies all the way.

Say hello if you're around.

 

[pollardsvision]

With college being out, the population gets cut in half doesn't it?

Not quite that drastic, but it definitely hurts. Liberty is growing like crazy, but still only like 10-12K students on campus. We're not that convenient to Liberty anyway (bummer). We're about a mile away from Lynchburg College, but it's less than half the size, I believe.

We still don't cater to the college crowd as much as we need to yet, but we're getting there. Every change is geared towards appealing to a younger crowd. We've got two very distinct customer groups co-existing right now. The old-time regulars that get hot dogs, don't look at the menu, and have no idea there's a Facebook page. But we've got a growing crowd of younger people that come in an order the newer stuff we've added that most of the long-time regulars wouldn't dream of ordering. They come in an order a Mac-n-Cheeseburger, a Green Chile Cheeseburger, BBQ, a Garbage Plate, or a Pita Burger. They throw some Sriracha on it (Texas Pete for the long-time regulars).

We're trying like hell to cater to both crowds, and I think we do a pretty good job. College students still aren't a very large percentage of our customer base though.

The summer slow down, I think, has more to do with family vacations, people eating less during the summer, and us not having a menu that really caters to summertime appetites.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

With college being out, the population gets cut in half doesn't it?

Not quite that drastic, but it definitely hurts. Liberty is growing like crazy, but still only like 10-12K students on campus. We're not that convenient to Liberty anyway (bummer). We're about a mile away from Lynchburg College, but it's less than half the size, I believe.

We still don't cater to the college crowd as much as we need to yet, but we're getting there. Every change is geared towards appealing to a younger crowd. We've got two very distinct customer groups co-existing right now. The old-time regulars that get hot dogs, don't look at the menu, and have no idea there's a Facebook page. But we've got a growing crowd of younger people that come in an order the newer stuff we've added that most of the long-time regulars wouldn't dream of ordering. They come in an order a Mac-n-Cheeseburger, a Green Chile Cheeseburger, BBQ, a Garbage Plate, or a Pita Burger. They throw some Sriracha on it (Texas Pete for the long-time regulars).

We're trying like hell to cater to both crowds, and I think we do a pretty good job. College students still aren't a very large percentage of our customer base though.

The summer slow down, I think, has more to do with family vacations, people eating less during the summer, and us not having a menu that really caters to summertime appetites.

I don't know if it's feasible, but have you thought about something like "1/2 Price Tuesdays w/Student ID"? Or not even 1/2 price, but since I'm spending your money, maybe $_ for sandwich/side/drink for students? Then print like a zillion flyers and wait for a strong wind to blow them across the campuses?