SHARK!

I hear ‘Jaws’ music every time I see that word. But for now, I’m talking about the San Jose Sharks. I’ve been to Shark Stadium a few times when I volunteered to work at the United States Figure Skating Championships. So when Damon suggested we call them for advice, Kyle and I jumped on it. Damon said the Sharks had a full-time restaurant in their stadium and it did well.

Since Kyle was an experienced bartender, we decided he should be the one to call. Whomever he spoke to at Shark Stadium was happy to help us and gave Kyle all the advice he could think of. Far more helpful than Todd, Damon, and the rest of our local hockey team landlords. You know what the Sharks didn’t say? They didn’t say we should fry our French fries to be successful. That’s right, Todd, Mr. Self-Proclaimed Food Service Expert who lets his employees contaminate our ice and steal from us, the successful Sharks did not validate your advice.

So what was the first thing the Sharks said??? You must have a ‘no outside food or drink’ policy in the arena. Of course that’s what they said. We’ve been saying that all along – it didn’t take us long to figure that out and now we had validation. But to no avail. Todd and Damon were determined to avoid helping us in any way. Everything Kyle learned from the Sharks involved help from our landlord to which Todd and Damon said ‘no’. The good news was the Sharks had no criticisms of our restaurant and bar setup and handling. The bad news was our best avenues to success were completely blocked by our landlord.

Rink Cameras

We had always talked about putting cameras in the rinks. Our dream was to be able to have a membership app so parents could check on their kids from a remote location, like work, or another venue when they had multiple children in different sports, etc. Similar to a nanny cam, right? But to start with, we just wanted 1 camera mounted at the end of each rink (there were 2 sheets of ice), a camera cover as kids liked to target such things in hockey practice, and a line run through the ceiling to a tv in the bar. Very simple, no wifi, no recording devices, nothing else. And there were 2 flat screens side-by-side in the bar that were perfect to have a live feed from each rink. A perfect setup for parents to check on their kids while enjoying a little downtime in the bar.

Once again, Todd was dead set against any ideas we had that would contribute to our success. His reason here? Cameras in the rinks could be considered child pornography. What??? Did I hear him correctly? You gotta be f****g kidding me! Heck, with hockey you can’t even tell there’s a kid under all that equipment. Figure skating dresses may be skimpier but competitions are broadcast worldwide and no one considers it to be porn. And we weren’t even talking about broadcasting at this point, just a live feed in the same building.

We loved the idea of putting cameras in the rinks. Parents adored the idea. And even though Todd always talked about how important our success was, he would not approve the idea. I felt totally roadblocked in every direction. The cafe was bleeding money and every lifeline to success was brutally severed, by one man. Why was this man so fixed on our destruction? And where was Pierre? Why wasn’t he advocating for us? Pierre always talked about wanting the cameras, too. Why wasn’t he talking to Todd? Why wasn’t Pierre talking to his former coworkers at corporate? Cameras would be an excellent marketing tool; why wasn’t Pierre pushing for them? How can I ever build this business with no support? Such a simple request with so much potential, and nothing.

No Outside Food

Before we signed a contract for the cafe and bar, we toured the kitchens in all the rinks. All the snack bars were closing, so we had our choice of locations. Pierre said McKinney was the best choice, as it was the newest, nicest rink and had the most business. Also, the McKinney rink had a true restaurant and bar area with it’s own seating. The other rinks had very small bars hidden upstairs with no separate seating. Our plan was to be a destination restaurant and bar, so we liked the layout in McKinney. Sadly, the general public never saw a bar in an ice rink as any type of destination or hangout.

Like I said earlier it didn’t take long for us to realize signing a contract without exclusive rights to food was a big mistake. No matter how many times I brought it up, Todd was adamant he wouldn’t support ‘no outside food or drink’. Months after we opened, new businesses opened cafes in the Farmers Branch and Euless rinks. Farmers Branch was opened by a guy with a food truck. I thought that was a brilliant idea. He could use the big grill in the rink to prepare some of the food ahead of time and then travel around doing business in the food truck when business was slow in the rink.

Next thing we knew, the other rinks had put up signs saying ‘no outside food or drink’. Again, I went to Todd, but to no avail. Clearly, the General Managers at the other rinks were far more supportive of their restaurant’s success. Even though Todd would say our success was important to the rink, he had no intention of helping us be successful and in fact did whatever he could to sabotage us.

It was devastating to me to see the other rinks be supportive and watch my business and my money sucked down the drain. I don’t know if Todd and Pierre were in cahoots to use my money to get started and then squeeze me out or Todd wasn’t supportive because it would mean he would actually have to come to work everyday and work. Maybe it doesn’t really matter. Eventually the food truck guy closed his restaurant in Farmers Branch and walked away. I’m sure he wouldn’t have done that if it was making good money. I hope his food truck is doing well.

Why Does Everything Have to Be So Hard?

The new TVs were nice, but there’s no free lunch. We didn’t have access to the rink offices, so I can just report what I was told. The new DirecTV boxes were in a locked room behind the front desk and only 2 people had keys to that room – Todd and Mad Max. There was a phone app to change the channels, but Todd refused to give me access. He did give Kyle the Bartender access to the app. Even if Todd didn’t like me and wanted to make my life miserable, not giving me access was stupid. I was in the rink more than anybody, more than Todd, more than Kyle, more than Max, and I couldn’t change the channels on the TVs.

I guess when you have a monopoly, customer service is not necessary. The local hockey team owned just about all the rinks in the metroplex and I understand they had noncompete agreements with all the coaches so the coaches couldn’t meet their students at a cheaper rink to help them save money on practice ice. So eventually most of the outside rinks closed or were bought out by the local hockey team. I’m telling you this because a good manager with customer service in mind would have trained their people on the new process of changing channels on the new TVs. Even if it’s not their job to change the channels, they need to know what the process is. Customers go to the front desk and the bar to get their favorite game or program all the time and Todd knew that. Yet he didn’t train his people.

Now that I couldn’t change the channels, I had to send all the customers to the front desk for channel changes. Many customers expressed disdain, as they hated to have to deal with the young smart-ass men working there. I felt their pain but couldn’t help them. (As a side note, in the 2.5 years I was there, I was shocked at how many customers came to me with questions about the rink, stating those people at the front desk didn’t know sh*t.) Since the front desk people had not been trained on the new process, they would send the customers back to me telling them the boxes were behind the bar and we had to change the channel. That was the old process, so I had to send the customer back to the front desk. People got so angry, and I don’t blame them. It’s ridiculous to be sent back and forth. So when I finished with my customers I would go to the front desk with them and try to tell the workers to get Max or Todd to change the channels. They didn’t believe me and wouldn’t do it. This went on for weeks because Todd wouldn’t own up to the process to his own people. Finally, the coach who was head of the figure skating program came to me, pissed as hell. Why was I sending these customers to the front desk for channel changes? I got her to sit down at one of the tables in the lobby and I explained the new process to her. I took her behind the bar and showed her that the old DirecTV boxes were gone. Finally, someone saw the light. All Todd had to have done was tell his people that channel changes were now to go to Todd or Max. How hard is that? Why wasn’t it handled after the first misunderstanding instead of weeks later? And all this poor customer service and anger never would have happened.

If I didn’t have a customer, I would go to the front desk with people to ask for a channel change, just to save time and anxiety. If Todd and Max weren’t there, nothing would happen. Todd’s employees refused to contact him if he wasn’t in the building, which was quite often. So I started emailing Todd when people wanted channel changes. He had email on his phone and could change the channels where ever he was. Especially when people wanted to watch the local hockey team’s game and it wasn’t on any of the TVs in the local hockey team’s rink. How stupid is that??? Todd wasn’t happy that he had to get out his phone and change the channels (sometimes late at night), but this was his process. He could have given me the app on my phone but he chose not to. Kyle could change the channel when he was working, but he was an hourly employee and I was not going to ask him on his days off. Kyle’s time off is his time.

I don’t even know what to say about this. It’s so ridiculous I still can’t believe it really happened. I don’t know if the local hockey team hires the most incompetent people they can find or they just don’t care.

Fancy New TVs for Everyone

A couple months after we opened the bar, we found out the local hockey team would be replacing all the TVs in all the rinks. We had 5 flat screens in the bar, but many of the rinks still had box TVs. Since McKinney was the newest, nicest rink, we were second on the list for replacement, after HQ of course.

The original set up was our 5 TVs in the bar, plus screens throughout the rink. There were 3 DirecTV boxes behind the bar. This was extremely inconvenient when we were busy because someone always wanted a channel changed but didn’t know what channel they wanted. And it took a while to get to know which TVs were connected to which of the 3 boxes. The one great thing was the local hockey team subscribed to the sports package so we could show their games at the rink. That meant we had all sorts of sports channels and could show almost any game in the bar.

The new setup would put 10 TVs and 1 large projection screen in the bar and 5 (or 6, can’t remember) DirecTV boxes in the arena management offices behind the front desk. We were thrilled. Now we could really market to office meetings, clubs, and parties who wanted to hook a laptop to the projection TV. And the arena employees would be responsible for changing the channels, not us.

In order to install the TVs, Todd demanded that we pay to paint one of the walls in the bar. I told him there was no need as we hadn’t damaged the wall. We never even put up pictures on the wall, so it was in the same condition as when we signed our contract. So, Todd went to Pierre to tell him we had to paint the wall. Which is funny since Pierre was only 1/3 owner and his name wasn’t even on the contract. I told Pierre we really needed that money for payroll and there was no reason for us to pay for painting when we hadn’t damaged the wall. Eventually, Pierre hired some guys to come in and paint the wall. I was so pissed. Pierre never put in his seed money (and we really needed it for payroll) and yet paid to paint a wall that didn’t need to be painted. Pierre was supposed to be my partner, not Todd’s partner. I have to say, the new TVs were wonderful. Did Pierre seize this opportunity to really market the bar and bring in some meetings? He hosted one Super Bowl party with his friends – that was it. He didn’t bring in one party or business meeting after that.

An Ice Rink is a Handicap

Operating a business in an ice rink is a bigger handicap than you would expect. Before we opened, I was sure we could win over skaters and their families by offering healthy food at reasonable prices, despite the rink’s refusal to support us with a “no outside food or drink” policy. Pierre assured us he had spoken to many skaters to find out their needs in a cafe so we could fulfill them.

The rink was situated in a relatively undeveloped area. There were empty fields, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, a few businesses, and some apartments. The only other eating places nearby consisted of 1 restaurant and a gas station – and the sports venues had snack bars that were open during tournaments. Once again, I thought we could win over the neighborhood and become their favorite bar, especially since we were close enough for them to walk home if need be.

When we opened the bar, it doubled our cash flow almost immediately. So I thought I was seeing the turn around I had assumed would happen and success was just around the corner. But we were still floundering. And it became quite clear Pierre’s marketing plan was non-existent. So Kyle and I started exploring the world of marketing. It’s hard to do everything, but it was make or break time so we had to try. Kyle worked with local breweries to have Pint Nights in the bar. We did coupons, flyers, and cold contacts. We searched for websites to list our business, whatever we could think of. Still Pierre did nothing.

We got some new, outside business but it didn’t last long. People just don’t think of going to an ice rink for dinner and a beer. And part of the problem was the kids. We didn’t allow kids in the bar without their parents, but not all parents watch their kids or respect the adult environment of a bar. Plus the kids were running wild just outside the door. Siblings of skaters have nothing to do during practice or competition so they use the entire lobby as a screaming playground. I once suggested that the rink put in a playground for the kids, but that went nowhere. I thought it was a great idea, since it would cut down on the chaos and destruction in the lobby.

I truly believed the numbers were turning in our favor when we opened the bar. I knew the last ditch effort to market the bar would tell me everything. And it did. Business did not increase enough for our cafe to become a viable entity. My biggest mistake here was not realizing the extreme handicap of being in an ice arena and insisting on a “no outside food or drink” policy to even sign the contract for the space. I listened to Pierre and Todd as they painted the the glistening future of this business opportunity. I believed Pierre and Todd as they promised their support in this joint venture. After all, they were the resident experts. I was Taken, and Liam Neeson wasn’t around to save me.

Sexual Harassment?

Today, I watched a movie/documentary of the gymnastics scandal. I have been appalled from the very beginning and thought the Karolyis should have left gymnastics as soon as the story broke. How dare those people take children from their parents care and not protect them! At that time, I had no idea coverups led all the way to the USOC. Now, I’m really mad. Not sure why I’m mad. I’ve seen stuff similar to this throughout my entire life. I’ve posted numerous times that people talk about discrimination and harassment like they’re bad but when it comes down to it, no one really cares. I have brought issues to management’s attention numerous times and almost every time I was the one to lose, my job or my voice. It’s sad but true. I’m so glad these gymnasts were finally able to be heard and save others from the same fate. They were brave and I admire them. I’m also impressed with the judge, who was able to see through this abuser and punish him.

This brings me to one night at the rink. I was training a new employee. She was a cute 15-year-old with a lot of energy. We didn’t usually hire anyone under 16 but her friends worked for me and she really wanted a job. At one point a young boy – maybe 12 or 13 – came over and I asked if we could help him. He was embarrassed and said the guys at the front desk had sent him over to check out the new employee and radio back how hot she was. I was offended, mad, etc. These 20-something men gave a young kid/customer a radio and sent him over to harass a young girl while they watched from the front desk. The next morning, I reported the incident to Todd, the General Manager. He informed me that this was not sexual harassment because we didn’t work for the same company. They are our landlords and have power over us. So just like Todd didn’t punish his people for stealing from us, he didn’t punish them for harassing us and their own young customer. Clearly, these young men needed a mature adult to work with them at night but it didn’t happen. This incident seems minor compared to the gymnastics story, but no one should be treated like a piece of meat especially a 15-year-old.

Liquor License

Getting a liquor license is very precise and time consuming. TABC is great about guiding you through the process. You have to get just the right signatures in just the right order and everything has to be notarized. I took far too long to complete this process. I’m not making any excuses. Yes, it’s hard to run a business, work the counter, do your partner’s job, and work on a liquor license, but I should have made it a higher priority. Oh, and I sold my house, bought a new house, and moved all during the same period.

You may wonder why I was still building the business after all the crap I’ve told you about so far. Well, the liquor license was that one ray of hope that the business would make a complete turn around for the better and all the torture I had endured so far would just melt away. Pierre, Todd, and Kyle all said it would make a difference and I believed them. During this process, I learned that Todd had lied about helping us set up pizza and beer in the locker rooms for the adult league. Once we got the liquor license it became a violation to have liquor on the premises outside of our space. We would have to change the liquor license to cover the entire building and Todd said he would never agree to that.

The liquor license did double our business almost immediately, but it didn’t turn the world around. Sadly, things continued to get worse. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all about it as the saga continues. One thing I want to say here, I couldn’t have done any of this without Kyle. He is a hard worker and honest person. Even though Kyle no longer speaks to me, I will always be grateful to have worked with him.

Hockey Camps

You’d think hockey camps would bring good money to the cafe, but even the camps had limited participation. When the local hockey team held camps in our facility, we had good business from the kids once the parents found we had a good lunch deal – 1/4 pizza, chips or fruit, cookie, and squirt top water bottle for $5.25. However, the coaches from corporate didn’t eat with us at all. These are our landlords in the building for a week and didn’t buy lunch from us even one time – in fact, Tuesday they brought in pizza from an outside restaurant. So Friday afternoon, I went over and had words with them about patronizing their tenants and setting an example for the students to patronize us as well. There was one independent hockey coach, Ryan, who approached us as soon as we opened to let us know he would recommend us in all his hockey camp emails. It was so refreshing to have at least one person who believed in supporting us and appreciated that we were there.

Every summer there was some sort of hockey ministry camp. The first time we met them, they brought us their coolers to be filled with ice. Once filled, we took the coolers out to where the camp counselors were standing. I asked the woman if there was anything we could do to get their business sometime that week. She explained they had already set up all the lunches to be brought in and they told the kids not to bring money so there would be no business for us. Then she asked if we would add water to some of the coolers. We didn’t have a faucet tall enough to get the coolers under to fill, so I suggested they talk to the front desk to see if the building had a faucet or hose to fill the coolers. When the ministry’s lunch came in the next day, she wanted to borrow a large knife. We only had one in our sanitized kitchen so we couldn’t lend it – often people forget to return items and who knows what they did with it when they had it. Having a safe kitchen was our first priority. The third day, she asked for large buffet spoons for their lunch. We didn’t have any of these because we sell pizza; we have no need for buffet serving utensils. That’s when she totally chewed me out for not helping them when they needed it. These people are supposed to be mentoring children with Christianly advise. Some of the counselors would take naps on our couch in the bar. Other times, they would set up their Bible study in front of the cafe. A huge lobby with plenty of space to set up chairs without blocking someone’s business and they set up in front of the cafe, blocking the entire counter. I don’t think these people are qualified to call themselves Christian counselors – I certainly wouldn’t want them influencing my children. I did make some money off the kids, which I think made her even more angry with me. I baked fresh cookies at lunch time each day and fresh popcorn in the afternoon. Those kids who were told not to bring money, suddenly had enough to buy cookies and popcorn. I guess I’m just evil.

Once again this boils down to ‘no outside food or drink’. It’s a must-have rule in an environment like this. Just like retail stores make deals that their competitor can’t be in the same strip center, you have to make deals in favor of your restaurant. You can always compromise outside food on a case by case basis, because no one can eat pizza for lunch 5 days in a row, but at least you have the power to deal. And where was Pierre in all of this? Why didn’t he talk to the ministry people and make a deal for the next year? He’s marketing, he should be taking care of this. And why isn’t he talking to corporate? He used to work with these guys and probably has all their emails. It is unacceptable for corporate to decide not to patronize their tenants.

The Best Thing We Never Did

At the risk of being repetitive, good food was important to me. We added salads, sandwiches, chicken breasts, smoothies, and fresh-baked brownies and cookies. Anything that had to be heated was put through the oven. We had to experiment a little but it was worth it to avoid the fryers.

Opening a restaurant is expensive, so we didn’t buy any equipment until we found we needed it. Which is definitely a good plan as many vendors will supply equipment if you buy their product. Again, I thank our Sysco rep, Mike, for helping us with all of that.

So we never bought a microwave. As we added new menu items, we were able to make them with the equipment we had and just never found a need to purchase a microwave. I liked it better that way, as we had no plans to reheat food and sell it. You’d think that would make our customers happy, too.

To this day, I’m so glad we didn’t have a need for a microwave. You would not believe how many people have the guts to bring their own food and coffee to a restaurant and ask us to warm it up for them. One woman even brought a fried egg in a baggie and wanted us to warm it for her. First of all, we’re in business to make money and how dare they even ask. Second of all, taking outside food into our sanitized kitchen is a major health code violation and how dare they even ask. Third of all, if our microwave rendered their food inedible they would expect us to replace it free of charge. How dare they! People don’t care about any of that so it was great to be able to say we didn’t have a microwave and therefore couldn’t help them. Still, many people got very angry. Go figure.

We also had a lot of people bring in outside food and expect us to supply all the ketchup, plasticware, sugar, creamer, and cups they forgot to grab where they purchased the food. Really? How many restaurants do you go to and ask for a table to eat food you purchased somewhere else? My mistake here was that I seriously underestimated other people’s actions.