Full Disclosure

Our local newspaper is writing a series of articles on local businesses that have received Gov’t backed loans.

We’re not mentioned, although we might be the “one” loan that was mentioned that wasn’t obtained locally. Hmm. So. Since everyone seems to read my blog (hi lurkers - I see your IP!) I can add an addendum here.

You can find out who/what/how much on the SBA website here. Gov’t backed loans aren’t a secret.

With that, please picture me on a stage, screaming at a microphone for all to hear:

We weren’t given this restaurant. We didn’t inherit this restaurant. We earned this restaurant. And we won’t actually own it for years!

Whitey worked for over 15 years in this industry, including 9 years at pizzerias. Our recipes are our own (just ask the people who had to “test” our menu items in the years before we opened), our concepts are ours (take a look at my 300+ page business plan) and our mistakes are just that.

We were kicked out of banks when shopping for a loan locally. We had one particular local banker who wouldn’t even look at our business plan; who was so condescending to us, I cried in the car after he said, “Good luck with that.”

US Bank, out of Portland, finally READ our business plan (that had taken me eons to write) and invested in our small idea in our small town. And even then, it took THREE loans to do it right. Property + Equipment + Remodeling.

Three loans. Listed above. You can do the math on what our monthly payments are.

This, in addition to our own savings and money lent to us by family members. It wasn’t cheap to open this place. We’re paying out the nose to make it work. But we believe in it. We believe in our product, we believe that this town can support it, wants it, and will continue to make it work. We obviously can’t do it alone.

We aren’t the richies from Bend. We work incredibly hard and we are true to everything we do or say. First and foremost is our marriage. Second is our family. Third is our restaurant. Fourth? Our community. I have yet to say “no” to a local charity raising money for something. I firmly believe in how we’ve prioritized our lives.

I’m venting. I’m also testing the honesty waters. This morning we discovered that certain things that I write about has become fodder for discussion amongst other local business owners and “journalists”. Please, take what I say and share it with others — just don’t embellish. I have nothing to hide, no secrets on this blog. I have to click on a little button that says “PUBLISH” before it’s on here. It’s not a diary with a little, silver lock that you have to work on to read the juicy tidbits inside. I know you’re reading this. That’s what a blog is.

So I’m right here. Questions? Just ask. I promise full disclosure.

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Protected: Welcome to Baker City, Mr. President. Please ignore The Nana.

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Former Pres. Clinton in Baker City, tomorrow

On Sunday, May 11, 2008, former President Bill Clinton will visit Baker City, Oregon. He will be at the County Courthouse at noon.

Unfortunately, there has been little to no advertising of this event. I read about it on ktvz.com this morning, and inquired about it with Chuck who confirmed the time and place.

This is a pretty big deal, and I hope to see you all there.

 

Female Drivers…

I know that’s what people are thinking when they see me driving my wrecked Mustang.

For the record - my HUSBAND drove into my PARKED car and did this.

My poor car.

She goes into the shop on Monday. And as Whitey puts it, at least now I’ll get that annoying door ding fixed that was there before he drove into it.

Always looking at the bright side.

Back in Bend, Day 3

Thursday morning, I sat on the front porch and read the latest Gusto magazine while waiting for my mom to pick me up for breakfast. We had been planning on going to the cafe at the airport (I believe it’s called 360), as she’s been raving about it for months.

Go figure - the advertising in the Gusto compelled me to want to visit a restaurant just down the block.

Obama on a Rope

This is very, very creepy.

I have no words.

link

Join me on the beach…

Cinco de Mayo on a Monday - are you stuck at work? Would you rather be at the beach?

Silly question.

I just spent my morning on the beach, sipping beer, and writing in the sand. In what might be website the coolest website ever!

Waste some time with me. Be sure to find all of the toys to play with…

I could listen to this all day.

Back in Bend, Day 2

Needless to say, I slept in on Wednesday. I met my friend Shannon at Anthony’s Homeport for lunch. I’ve been craving their Hawaiian Nachos (ahi poke on taro chips) and fish tacos. Shannon’s cioppino and salad looked even better.

It was so cool to not have to share her with other people, and to have lunch all by ourselves.

Afterwards,

Back in Bend, Day 1

I left Baker on Monday afternoon, and spent the next three days in Bend. I loved my mini-vacation!

I drove straight to my folks’ house, and they fed me a wonderful dinner. Then to the Cottage where I drank a glass of wine and dove right into bed. It was utterly relaxing to not have to worry about the restaurant, and I woke up the next morning refreshed and ready to tackle my Tuesday.

Fuming Mad

I created a website almost 10 years ago for my family’s vacation home in Bend, Oregon. I spent hours teaching myself how to design it, upload photos, even writing the copy.

I was proud of the restaurant reviews that I listed, and it helped the site jump in search rankings.

A couple of years ago, I noticed that a Bend real estate company copied my reviews on their site (I won’t link to them for obvious reasons, but it was Bend-Sty-Uhl Real Estate), yet adding their names as the author of the reviews. I was furious, and ended up sending them an email telling them that plagiarism was not-so-stylish. Eventually, they changed the reviews and went along their merry, house-selling way.

Now, I find a site that copied our site WORD FOR FREAKING WORD, and not just the restaurants, but the golf reviews as well! Hours and hours of research to put it all in a comprehensive page, and this numbskull just rips it all off.

I am officially fuming mad.

My site: www.BendVacationRental.net
Numbskull site: www.BendVacationRental dot org

What should I do (besides flood his email with spam)?

Protected: I don’t blame you for wearing Camoflauge. I’d hide from me, too.

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Hoarding Food

Found this in the Wall Street Journal the other day. Have you seen all of the buzz about Costco (and other big-market stores) putting a limit on how much rice you can buy?

______________________________________________

We’re such fat, happy Americans. An abundance of food will always be here…

right?

Scary stuff.

Please… Read the entire story here

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Breathe your lunch on me, PLEASE!!!!

It’s supposed to be cold and wintery for the rest of the week. So let’s milk it for what it’s worth:

You must come in and have a bowl of our homemade French Onion Soup.

Period.

It is vegetarian-based, and has the most amazing flavor you’ve ever had. Sweet yellow onions caramelized with a bunch of crazy secret ingredients, all in a hot, salty broth topped with a rosemary-toasted crostini (made with La Brea baguettes) and aged Swiss cheese.

You’ll want to breathe oniony-garlicky breath all day instead of ruining your taste-buds with a mint afterwards.

Yes, it’ll stick with ‘ya, and you’ll WANT MORE!

I’m having a mug of it for breakfast. You can’t stop me.

Pie. Zahn. Ohz.

“How do you pronounce it?”

Pie. Zahn. OOOOOOOOhhhhhzzzz.

6-months in business, and even our vendors can’t figure it out.

Want proof?

Prom x2

I love these guys.

They stopped in on their way to Baker’s prom on Saturday, and I snapped a few photos.

Of course, since all 3 of them needed the night off to go to prom, it made us have to work 3-times harder…

but, no big deal.

 

 

I’m Walking on Sunshine…

The last two sunny days, we were D.E.A.D. to the world until the sun began to go down. I completely understand it, though. I wouldn’t have been indoors if I didn’t have to be. We then had a week of spitting clouds and steady business.

Today, Baker City boasted 65+ degrees, blue-skies, and everyone was out and about. My folks are in town, and this afternoon my mom surprised me with a pedicure at a local salon. Afterwards, they got some yard work done while I

Took A Nap.

Yes, an hour of sleep in the middle of the day. The dogs slept on the floor next to me, and I fell asleep and woke up to their snoring. I hope that I come back in another life as one of my dogs.

The gal that was to work tonight called in sick, so one of our day gals covered for her (working a double) so that I could spend the evening with my folks.

I worked the dinner rush, and we were busy! I was so thankful to be running around, bussing tables, taking orders, and making salads for a solid two hours. At 7:40, I left to meet Whitey and to be able to meet my folks at Barley’s for dinner. After dinner, we went to the restaurant to do the final deposits and run all of the reports — and the place looked great. Very clean, and ready for tomorrow.

We’ve got a crazy day planned tomorrow - a birthday party for a 5-year-old, then the fire trucks picking them up 45 minutes later. This, plus two large lunch orders on top of the high-school lunch and our regular lunch crowd. I’m working for MIL, and I’m excited to be so busy right off the bat!

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My folks ordered their usual pizza from an independent pizzeria in Bend –

it was $2 bucks more than usual.

Thank God.

The headlines of every major news outlet are talking about the mortgage crisis, but if you look on page 2, they’re also covering the rising costs of food. Not just at restaurants, but at your local grocery store as well. Flour is up 400%. Cheese is up 200%. Pork & beef, because they eat the wheat and corn that has gone up so drastically, have become more and more expensive to raise and butcher.

I have noticed quite a few articles in The Bulletin and the Source newspapers in Bend regarding how the owners of local restaurants are dealing with these dramatically rising costs. It makes me feel like we’re not alone. I haven’t seen or heard one thing in Baker City about how the national economy is affecting our local community in regards to the housing / mortgage crisis and its trickle-down effect.

As for our business, we’re combating the issue two ways:

First, we introduced a third size - 14″. We have a lot of retirees that have requested a smaller pizza, remarking that our other two sizes (18″ and 24″) are too big. Our slices are made from the 24″ pie, and we’ve suggested having a slice as it’s about the size of a small pizza. They prefer to order their own, though, so the 14″ size is perfect for them.

Second, we did a cost-analysis on every. single. ingredient. to. the. ounce. in all of our recipes, and have removed those menu items that have jumped the 45% food-cost margin.

Realize that the cost of your menu item is not only the cost of the food, but also the cost of the oven, electricity, gas, water, trash-collection, rent, taxes, and employee wages to produce that menu item. Our Giant 24″ pizzas are still too high of a food-cost, but Whitey is adamant that we keep the prices of these enormous pies under $30. Realistically, there are a few on the menu that should be priced at $40+ dollars - the ones with 3 pounds of cheese, big bacon crumbles, grilled chicken, etc. Our hope, obviously, is that the customer buys an appetizer / drinks / or dessert to offset the loss on the food cost. It’s when they get the order to-go and walk out the door with a $2 box that kills me.