Where is Jon Taffer When You Need Him?

Honestly, I needed someone with a big presence to stand up for me. Someone with a strong sense of right and wrong. Someone to look these guys straight in the eye and let them know stealing will not be tolerated. Someone Todd cannot threaten or intimidate. Someone who will say what needs to be said and not back down. So, I applied to Bar Rescue.

Obviously I needed help with these relationships, but we also needed help with our bar. We needed outside help to design a concept that would draw the neighborhood into our bar. We needed a plan to bring business and club meetings into our restaurant and a schedule to push Pierre to do his self-proclaimed marketing job.

But help did not come. A white knight on a silvery white horse did not gallop in and rescue me. Superman did not swoop in and fly me to safety. Holy shots in the dark, Batman and Robin did not repel down from the roof to fight off Todd and Damon. The Force was not strong in this one and the stars swallowed her up and spit her out.

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.

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.

Backup Marketing

Marketing is definitely not my thing, so I had been relying on Pierre. It became obvious that he was not stepping up and we needed a backup plan. My first attempt at marketing was to purchase Hunt Brothers’ mass mailing of coupons. I don’t think 1 person came in with a coupon. So that didn’t work.

My next attempt was the RTUI grocery store cash register receipts. I used to like the coupons on the receipts so I thought that might work for us. I asked the salesman for recommendations from local restaurants, but all he gave me were nail salons and 1 restaurant in Houston, which is not nearby. It was an expensive disaster. I finally posted a bad rating on their facebook page and someone called to help me. A director came out for an evaluation. Turns out the receipt coupons only work if you’re in the same strip center as the grocery store or very close by. We were in a relatively undeveloped area so the grocery stores were 2-7 miles away. The director told me the salesman knew this and should never have sold us a plan. Did they give me any money back? NO! And I asked several times. They did extend our service several months and worked with me to design different coupons. With over a year of printing coupons, we got 2, possibly 3, coupons redeemed. It was very disheartening and I felt truly cheated by that salesman.

Kyle and some of the other employees passed out flyers near the baseball diamonds and soccer fields. When we finally got our sign, it was hung on the side of the building facing the baseball diamonds. I think that helped a little. I still don’t understand why Pierre wasn’t actively working the baseball market – after all, we had climate controlled restrooms and beer. Kyle and I set up all sorts of social media pages and events. Pierre still did nothing. Half the time he didn’t even respond to our events or invite his friends.

My biggest mistake here, aside from partnering with Pierre, was RTUI. Never do business with RTUI, unless you’re a nail salon next to a grocery store.

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.

What is Marketing?

The dictionary says marketing involves promoting and selling goods and/or services. Pierre told me over and over that he was Marketing. When we first opened, Pierre spent some time taking free pizza to the businesses around us to let them know we were open for lunch and dinner. Since we were in a relatively undeveloped area, that didn’t take much time. Pierre gave free coffee to coaches and parents to let them know our coffee was good and encourage them to buy from us. That was definitely a good start. After that, we saw little evidence of him doing anything.

Our building was right next to a bunch of baseball diamonds. I took pizza to the owner one day and told him we would like to advertise to their teams. He invited Pierre and me over for a tour and gave us 3 options – give him flyers to put in the tournament packets, pay to put up banners, or take over their food stands. Pierre never did any of these. We did get a little business eventually but not much. I also researched online and found a list of local clubs with their phone numbers. I gave it to Pierre and asked him if he would call one a day to let them know we could do club meetings and parties. He said he would call at least 2 a day, but I don’t think he ever called any. He did bring in 1 private party in 2.5 years and he paid for a bunch of his friends to come watch a football game once.

We finally got our liquor license in October, 2015. Kyle was all gung-ho to get the bar hopping, but not much happened. Kyle got Pierre to spend about $200 on some signs, but Pierre never got the city permits to hang them. It was clear Pierre’s idea of marketing meant to doing nothing. I got the sign permits in less than 2 weeks. Kyle and I partnered with the Allen Americans so our name would be on the banner during their games. Kyle and I started finding places to list our bar online. Kyle and I started contacting groups to let them know we could hold meetings and parties. But it’s hard to do all the day-to-day business and marketing too. Pierre could have done all of this from the comfort of his own home at times convenient for him and yet he did almost nothing.

Every once in a while, Pierre would man the cafe so I could do something else. If I came in that day, I would find him sitting in the bar talking to students and parents. He didn’t set up for business by turning on all the machines and prepping the stations. I guess he made a few sales because people would come to me later and say they needed to pay for some food because the cash register wasn’t working when Pierre was there. Who knows how many people didn’t come back and pay, as Pierre made no list or notes. Nothing was broken, Pierre just didn’t want to remember his training on the equipment.

Pierre told me over and over, that we just didn’t understand his role. He was Marketing. Obviously, that didn’t involve sales. And if you ask me, it didn’t involve promoting either. I partnered with a guy who didn’t put in his seed money, didn’t work in the cafe or bar, and didn’t promote our business. Mistake, mistake, mistake. I’m an idiot.