Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Perenial Debate


A super tough question: open on a holiday like christmas eve or christmas in order to help the business stay in business, and help everyone keep their jobs, or close on christmas and these holidays and let your employees enjoy the holiday with their families and loved ones? Thoughts?

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

FOR MY BLOG READERS


So, I know I like doing this more than people like reading it, but I hopefully some people do actually read this - and if you do, got some special news. We are going to be filming live, with the streaming platform I talked about earlier, on January 12 and closing to the public, and the band that we are streaming is XXXXXX. I cant tell anybody who the band is, and there are all sorts of people that would squash the little venue owner, but I do get a few names on the list to add (they get 90% of the list) - by the way, thats called having leverage in a situation. Anyway, if you'd like to come, email me at asanfy@aol.com and put the code BLOG in the message header, and I will give my tickets away until I dont have anymore. One thing though - and i wont be able to check so we're on honor system - forward my blog to your friends. See if they think its interesting. Alright then. Off to the Cirque show in Santa Monica.

New Years Eve


I know this might sound anti-business for me to say - but why is New Years eve always inevitably a letdown? I was talking with my friend today, and he said "NYE sucks unless you are with a girl that wants to kiss you." I paused, and thought, and then wholeheartedly agreed, but not for the reason you might think. I think everyone has a 10 second reflection on life when the ball drops, a promise for a better tomorrow, and chance at repentance, forgetting the bad that happened, and memorializing the good. And then after that quick reflection, you want to feel like you've got a partner in crime to start out the new year - a bud, a shoulder, a lover, someone thats focused on you right then and there. Then, its back to the partying. But no matter how good a party you're at, if you're the one running around at 11:50 trying to spot the only single guy or girl left in the place, pretty much you're f'ed. That being said, as I smile, what are some things I can do to make NEW YEARS more fun at both our places?? I personally think we have some kickass stuff going on (check out the websites), but Im always done for ideas. Anybody got any?

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Life as a TightRope


When you own a venue, or a bar, or a restaurant, its pretty easy (actually really easy) to get caught up in the minutia. Our business is a cycle, a repetitive weekly cycle. On Mondays we start, on Sundays we finish, and on Monday we start all over again. We order our food, our liquor, our beer, our artists (booking), schedule our employees, review our performance, make goals for the next period, and then we start all over. Through this process, you can find yourself looking up, and the weeks simply become a number: 1-52. Then after week 52, comes week 1, new year. Besides making a living (which is essential but not primary - big difference), there are certain joys that come with our business. One of my mind is the people that work for Saint Rocke & UCC. 90% of my employees move on, are doing this in the short term, and I'd say 50% dont care at all about the business. But the other 50%, and the minority within that percentage, really do care, and they find themselves growing as people. When I see someone like that in our organization, I do my best to give them tools to grow, learn, and come away in a place they werent before. Ask a few of them - started as busboys, now they are in management. Its amazing (its actually how I started - Louises Trattoria, Riviera Bar & Grill, Molloys). But when the other thing happens, when you put effort and hope into an individual, and seriously take time and your emotion and pour it into someone turning the corner, it can be brutal when they turn their shoulder. Its happened to me, just happened, and will happen again. It brings up a good point in life: Most great occurrences in life, most meaning, is found in a place that can just as easily bring you negativity, as it can positivity. And I guess that's the tightrope of life.