I'm out of the pool and showered and ready to tackle the task at hand, namely, fill you in on the details of my activities of late. Of course, I'm multi-tasking. I'm also doing laundry, which I haven't done in a few weeks. No matter, I have enough clothes to open a small boutique, which I might do if I can't find a way to launch the Italian Market!
Sales were down at Carmella's Casa Italiana last week, after a small bump the previous week. To add insult to injury, productivity is down at Manatee Memorial Hospital cardiac cath lab where I work, so most of my shifts were canceled. I was able to pick up some extra call time, so there is a little reprieve from impending poverty. Heart disease must be well managed in Manatee county...dare I add free extra cheese to all pizzas and pass out free cigarettes to everyone over 21 years of age? Right, that's sick nursing humor...humor me!
I had a chat with Tim to cut back on inventory so we can shut down Carmella's Casa Italiana in four to six weeks. He's busy thinking of a gimmick to keep it going. God bless him! I said, "Fine, you have four to six weeks."
Despite all that, I've been busy. I sent the letter to Filippo, as planned. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure he left for his trip to Italy before the letter arrived and he had a chance to read it. I hope whomever is in charge of his mail sets it aside for his return. In the letter I outlined what I expect from Filippo as a landlord, and what I would do as a tenant. There is a big gap in our expectations as outlined by his requirements that Wednesday when we met. So, it all depends on his willingness to negotiate.
No one is very enthusiastic about the possibility of the success of an Italian market at this Lockwood Ridge location. Let me clarify that, Ralph is. As previously noted, he worked there under the various owners.
Since Filippo is willing to sell or rent that space, it makes me wonder how potentially lucrative Filippo even thinks this area will be. I just don't know. Is it the area? Does one have to be in an elite area to offer quality products at affordable prices. The cost of gas is declining. Are people willing to travel to get what they want? Do people know what they want? Can I just tell them they want to cook with Carmella's jarred sauces served over imported angel hair pasta with tomato and cheese sausage on the side and topped with Reggiano parmigiano while they sip a nice glass of Montepulciano? This followed by a home-made cannoli or a yummy piece of home-made tiramisu covered with bittersweet chocolate. Can I tell them they are hungry? Can I tell them they need to buy all this from Ralph's Italian Market? Can I tell them they are motivated to drive there? Can I tell them we have the best products and service around?
Back in the day, people flocked to China town in Philadelphia after the bars closed to hang out and eat Chinese food. I was never there; but rumor has it that it was rather sketchy, yet people thought they were dining in the beauty of Las Vegas and went every chance they got. Of course, they were somewhat drunk, and we all know how much better things look after a few drinks. Or so I've heard! Should I get the people drunk? Or perhaps just have weekly wine tastings, preferably on Fridays?!
So, is it location, location, location, or not? In deference to it is all about location, Ralph and I looked for rental space on University Parkway, Lakewood Ranch, and in the Target shopping center where a new mall is being built. There is no rental space available that meets the requirements of operating an Italian market. And no, I don't have the financial capability of creating and remodeling a space to suit our needs.
Basically, I have to wait and see Filippo's reaction to my letter. If he meets my demands, I have to make a decision....
Other than all this, I saved a kitten from being dropped off in a strange land. I kept her over night and then gave her to my friend. My purple African violet has beautiful buds on it and is getting ready to bloom. I've fertilized my lawn throughout the summer and it still looks brown. I bought new and smaller luggage for my Pennsylvania trip so that I can avoid the $40.00 round trip checked baggage fee. Of course, this smaller luggage that can be stowed in an overhead compartment cost me 5.5 times that fee, but I figure that I'll just travel six more times and then I will have earned my money back! See how that works?
So, let's see how all this works!
August 22, 2010
Our Italian restaurant, Carmella's Casa Italiana, has great food and service, but is failing miserably due to soft sales in a weak economy. I'm Carrie, the owner, and I work with my son, Ralph, who is a cook, and my sister, Deborah, who is the main server. Tim, a friend, is the other cook.
We tried offering breakfast about a year ago, but that didn't work. OMG! We had the best breakfast pizza!
Then, we started making our own bread and have since revamped all the sauce and dough recipes. Everything was already outstanding, but there is no pick-up in sales.
So, I decided to either sell the business or just close the doors and walk away. I tried advertising it as an asset only sale. I also advertised it with an additional fee for including the intangibles. The intangibles would be the recipes, website, customer data base, etc. Couldn't find any serious buyers.
We started telling our customers we were leaving. They begged us to stay on a little longer. Didn't seem like an option because it always felt like I was throwing good money after bad. Plus I was advised by brokers-in-the-know to get out if I couldn't triple the sales. That tripling of sales seemed awfully far-fetched......So guess we are leaving.
I encouraged my staff and other family members to come up with ideas to reinvent the business. Afterall, these are hard-workers and dedicated workers, and really, nobody wants to lose a job, especially since there are so few jobs. Ideas slowly trickled in.
Then last night it came to me! Why not phase out the restaurant part of the business, apply for different licensing, and then reinvent ourselves as an Italian Market. Ralph's Italian Market. Ralph's Italian Market at Carmella's Casa Italiana.
So, that's where we are now. Ralph is enthusiastic. Deborah is cautiously optimistic. I am ecstatic. Later this week Ralph and I are going out to visit Italian markets in Clearwater and Lakewood Ranch. Apparently, there are no Italian markets in Bradenton. We hope to capture the north Sarasota and north and west Bradenton individuals who like to buy and cook quality food/products at affordable prices. Of course, as our reputation expands, we want to capture everyone.
I'll keep you posted! Stay tuned as we move on to our next adventure, at the same location:
5408 26th Street West
Bradenton, Florida 34207.
We tried offering breakfast about a year ago, but that didn't work. OMG! We had the best breakfast pizza!
Then, we started making our own bread and have since revamped all the sauce and dough recipes. Everything was already outstanding, but there is no pick-up in sales.
So, I decided to either sell the business or just close the doors and walk away. I tried advertising it as an asset only sale. I also advertised it with an additional fee for including the intangibles. The intangibles would be the recipes, website, customer data base, etc. Couldn't find any serious buyers.
We started telling our customers we were leaving. They begged us to stay on a little longer. Didn't seem like an option because it always felt like I was throwing good money after bad. Plus I was advised by brokers-in-the-know to get out if I couldn't triple the sales. That tripling of sales seemed awfully far-fetched......So guess we are leaving.
I encouraged my staff and other family members to come up with ideas to reinvent the business. Afterall, these are hard-workers and dedicated workers, and really, nobody wants to lose a job, especially since there are so few jobs. Ideas slowly trickled in.
Then last night it came to me! Why not phase out the restaurant part of the business, apply for different licensing, and then reinvent ourselves as an Italian Market. Ralph's Italian Market. Ralph's Italian Market at Carmella's Casa Italiana.
So, that's where we are now. Ralph is enthusiastic. Deborah is cautiously optimistic. I am ecstatic. Later this week Ralph and I are going out to visit Italian markets in Clearwater and Lakewood Ranch. Apparently, there are no Italian markets in Bradenton. We hope to capture the north Sarasota and north and west Bradenton individuals who like to buy and cook quality food/products at affordable prices. Of course, as our reputation expands, we want to capture everyone.
I'll keep you posted! Stay tuned as we move on to our next adventure, at the same location:
5408 26th Street West
Bradenton, Florida 34207.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Let's see how this works!
Labels:
gimmick,
location,
Montepulciano,
negotiate,
Pasta,
travel,
Wine,
wine tasting
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