Anonymous said...My college-age son and I were watching the local news and heard that the local Pizza Inn, A&W, and Long John Silver's all had closed recently. He commented that it was no wonder, as he had not visited any of those places in all the years he's been independently mobile---they simply did not interest him. I quote: "If people want to have a successful restaurant in Greenville or anywhere else, why don't they simply appeal to the desired demographic?"
There are HUNDREDS of local folks---and thousands beyond our city limits---who crave a nice location for a meal, someplace they don't have to be ashamed to take a date, someplace that is as much a destination as a diner. How hard would it have been to open a McAllister's deli rather than a silly A&W/LJSilver combo. Totally wrong demographic!
If you want your restaurant to survive, then appeal to the group that has the money to spend. We don't want another hot wings trailer or tamale shack. We want a location, a place to spend a pleasant evening with friends.
We don't want another national pizza franchise---we want Lost Dog Pizza! We don't want another Taco Bell---we want Newk's Express or Sweet Pepper's Deli. Pay attention!!!! Heather, Betty Lynn, Ed: get the word out, please. We will THROW money out of the car window as we drive up! Just give us some better options.
The author makes some very good points. We would all like to see some up-scale restaurants in Greenville, but let me ask you this: Would you open a restaurant in Greenville?
The fact is that these franchises cost between $250K to $750K to open, over and above the cost of land and construction. Then you have the problem of labor. There is no labor pool from which to draw in Greenville... only the welfare pool who are perfectly content to milk the system rather than work, but they will take a job for a while, just to become eligible for unemployment. They know the system!
Think about the last time you went through a fast food drive-thru and could barely understand the person speaking. Did they get your order right? Probably not... do they care? NO! They have no work ethic and know they always have welfare to fall back upon if they are fired.
The difference between Greenville and Cleveland is that Cleveland has a large pool of educated college students from which to draw. They are trained in their job as wait-staff and appreciate the chance to make even a meager income on their way to enhancing their lives and education.
Anyone who has been in the restaurant business in Greenville will tell you that the biggest obstacle to making a profit is the employees. Take a day off and your restaurant becomes a free food pantry. What they don't give away to "friends", goes out the back door to their homes. Employee theft is considered just another entitlement of the low paid... another perk of "club membership".
No business can make a profit when you are being robbed on a daily basis... by your own employees! Greenville will never have any of these up-scale eateries because of the ignorant and unethical work-force we have produced. As long as it pays more not to work, than work, we are doomed!
Forthright
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16 comments:
forthright you are right on the mark! (as usual). hell no i would not open a business in greenville! the person who takes your order or waits on you could care less. they mumble, and what they say is totally incoherent. it just makes me want to drive away with my tires squealing. i certainly would not want to the be the manager of these buffoons. greenville is losing businesses every day. only walmart and the welfare office will be left. it's a shame!
cont.d--as long as it "pays" for people not to work then this way of life will continue. i want to leave but am worried about selling my house. no one is moving into greenville. the buyer would have to be someone moving from a less desirable part of town. but there are sooooo many houses to choose from. i guess i'll have to pray for a miracle, and take a loss.
Don't forget that Greenville is home to a large group of young people who are taking classes at the GHEC as a lower-cost alternative to a 2-year or 4-year school. They need to supplement their income with part-time work, and they make excellent, responsible, and driven employees. Raise your standards and expectations; and don't count on someone else to improve your environment. Business owners have to be willing to invest the TIME that it takes to hire and train competent people. If the only requirement for a job is simply having a pulse, then they will get little else in return. There are PLENTY of qualifed and eager workers around. I see them every day.
I want to get a pair of those Rose Colored glasses that last poster is wearing. The plain ones I have see nothing but a continued downturn for the Greenville area.
I am a business owner in Greenville and the work force is pretty poor. I don't mind training the employees on how to serve customers, but I don't think I should have to teach them basic grammar and how to dress. They arrive at work late, dressed like clowns and speak some language that barely resembles English. They call in sick whenever they don't feel like working, leaving me constantly short-handed. They simply don't care.
If I turn my back, they are all on their cell phones, ignoring the customers. If I wanted to raise children, I would sell my business and stay home with my own!
To 11:23...don't hire them! Hire a different type of employee! They exist! Market yourself and your business as a place where excellence is expected as well as given. My glasses may be rosy-tinted, 10:46, but a negative attitude is a death knell. No one ever succeeded by expecting the worst.
I have a 20 year old intelligent well spoken daughter. She attends GHEC and is perfectly qualified for a job. Trouble is, so many places have complacent workers and managers like you spoke of, and she would end up doing all of their work for them as they texted and chatted on their cell phones. Why do the business allow these folks to keep their job??? That, I cannot fathom. Greenville has young people that want to work. But I myself would not work under those conditions that I mentioned. Would you? It is a crying shame that you have to check your order before you leave the drive-thru.
Let's get rid of the bums and let the ones who really want to do good work have their positions.
***Three eateries close
By DARYL BELL darylbell@ddtonline.com
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 1:43 PM CDT
GREENVILLE - Local franchises of three national chain restaurants - A&W, Long John Silver's and Pizza Inn - have closed within a week. The restaurants were located less than mile of each other on Mississippi 1.
READ MORE, Copy and paste: http://ddtonline.com/articles/2009/03/18/news/news1.txt **
One piece of good news is the replacement chicken/catfish place to the A & W building. Same owner, new business...let's hope he knows how to make it work this time and reads the DS for our suggestions! He is pretty sharp...he owns a lot of other successful businesses around town....so maybe he will be on top of this one.
Great... more fried chicken and catfish! That should draw a new crowd.
I ate at Long John's Silvers one time and it was the nastiest place I have ever set foot in. It was 12 noon and they were mopping the floors with pine sol. The soft drink machine didn't work and there were no condiments or forks! The food was horrible even for fast food and I almost killed myself walking on the wet floor. I stated to my friend that this place won't be open for another six weeks.... that was 3 weeks ago!
If the same owner is opening this place, he shouldn't bother.
Jesus... more fatting fried food for the fattest state in the nation. Boy, I am excited!!!!
I was in New Orleans a few days ago,, My observation was that there was less bums there since the flood,,
I say Bust our levee and close the town down, ship everyone off/out and those who can afford to come back great.
I happen to like good fried chicken and fried catfish on occasion. As for the "new" patrons, well, there is a time at some time you will have to accept...it is what it is..I am just glad to see it be reopened instead of another empty building in Greenville.
does anyone know why so many people are getting text messages warning of rapes and murders by gang members at walmart? so bogus!!!!
No,,, there was something going on up there today about 12,
OK,, DO YOU MEAN THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING HAPPENING AT WALMART IN GREENVILLE TODAY. IF SO,, WHAT???
http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/walmart.asp
Fermos may be next due to poor service and management, as well as owner problems...such a shame, one of our few nicer places in town too.
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