Anyone who’s been in a relationship has heard “let’s start over” more than they would like to remember. Am I the only one who thinks the person saying that is really saying they have no intention of changing whatever is bothering or hurting you? They want you to forgive and forget while they go back to the same bad behavior. No apologies. No nothing.

Don’t get me wrong. I know some people who say that fully intend to leave some of the bad behavior behind and treat you the way you deserve to be treated. They heard you and are ready to make things better because they can’t imagine a life without you in it. So they clean the slate and start fresh, with a whole new attitude. I salute these people, but they are few and far between.

So, it’s no surprise that I got a bad feeling when Pierre suggested we meet with Todd, talk about our issues, and start over. I would love to start over if Todd and his people would stop stealing from us, stop sabotaging our business, and stop disrespecting me. But is that what is really going to happen? Will they start recommending us to parents and parties? Will they give us ‘no outside food or drink’ policies? Will they keep the lobby clean at night and mop up the vomit? Will they stay out of the cafe when we’re not there? Will they get ice from us so it’s not contaminated by their dirty hands? Will they be courteous to me and all my employees? Forgive me if I’m skeptical, but it’s worth a shot if it makes business better.