McHuston Booksellers

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Tag: broken arrow bookstores (Page 110 of 114)

Is that for here or to go?

June 25, 2012 / / 0 Comments

In a way, it was for the best. The lady at the counter had no idea she was to be the first customer for the Bistro. I didn’t tell her, either. I had no firm idea how the first transaction was going to go.

I had set the sign out on the sidewalk earlier with some trepidation, flying solo, wanting to serve some lunches but – obviously – not wanting to be overwhelmed. It was for that reason I decided to limit the lunch hour to just about that long: 11:30am to 1pm. I figured that would let me get an idea of how the system should work out.

Right off the bat, she had a question about ingredients: did the tortilla wrapper have sesame flour? Food allergies. I checked the package: no sesame flour. The Ham and Cheese Culchie was on (it’s my Irish-style wrap with sautéed bell peppers and onions).

You have to understand, I haven’t had any dry runs on delivery time. I’ve prepped the menu items, of course, to insure the taste and appearance, but as far as putting it on a plate for a customer – had not done it. Not even for family or friends.

She wanted it to go.

Fortunately, I had anticipated that possibility and had set out a couple of to-go boxes, just to be prepared. Had pre-portioned the ingredients. Opened the box of deli-wax paper to have it at the ready – in case it was needed.

I am guessing from opening the refrigerator to closing the snap-tabs on the foam box maybe three minutes passed. Maybe a lot less. It was in the bag complete with napkins, and rung up on the register inside four minutes. Again, maybe less. Granted, it was a straightforward order with no distractions – there weren’t any other customers in the store at the moment – but I’m happy with the way it came together. I’ve waited longer at a fast food counter.

It was smooth enough that I’m certain my first customer did not even realize she was the ice-breaker. That’s a good thing.

The only downside is, since it was ordered for carry out, I couldn’t ask her how she liked it. Not that it is some sort of fancy, delicate, rare culinary delight or anything: I just would have liked to have the feedback.

Tomorrow is another day. Part of the nervous anticipation should be gone by then.

Meanwhile, the lettering is scheduled to be added to the awning this week, another step in getting the store to that fully-realized and ready for anything stage!

Getting your money’s worth.

June 19, 2012 / / 0 Comments

There are some who will take me to task about the Roger Clemens court case, and my contention that the government wasted millions of dollars (according to an article in the Seattle Times) trying to convict the former star pitcher of lying to them about alleged steroid use. A jury found him not guilty, which is not necessarily the same as innocent, but might as well be as far as prosecutors are concerned.

Where is the victim of the crime?

Originally, the inquiry was based on allegations against Clemons and other major league players who were said to have used performance-enhancing drugs. Some of those, like the supplement slugger Mark Maguire admitted to have taken, were readily available at health food stores. Not illegal.

Athletes do a lot of performance-enhancing activities, but the difference between ethical and otherwise appears to occur when the player obtains an advantage through ingesting some chemical or additive. Again – who is the victim? The sport of baseball? The fans? Other players?

Did steroid-using players really have an advantage when other athletes had the same access and may well have participated, but never fell under the spotlight?

Is it up to Congress to referee the nation’s sports activities? Why are our tax dollars being spent on hearings in the first place?

There is no question that Roger Clemens was a force to be reckoned with in the sport of baseball. Whether he finds a spot in the hall of fame depends on whether voters will weigh his player statistics against the drug doubts, which will linger despite the jury’s decision.

Much like the case that prosecutors brought against one-time presidential candidate John Edwards, the trial ended with a failed prosecution after years of investigating and enough money to fund teacher salaries across numerous school districts. Clemens angered members of Congress who believed he lied to them. Edwards lied about a mistress and was charged with diverting campaign money to cover up the affair.

In both cases, the victims of the purported offenses aren’t clearly defined. Society, maybe?

At some point, common sense should have come into play. Regardless of the verdict, there is a possibility that the cases against the two men simply weren’t proven to the satisfaction of the jury.

All that money spent to teach a lesson, one that didn’t even stick.

You can read more about the steroid-baseball connection in Kirk Radmonski’s book, Bases Loaded.

Rounding the turn…

June 18, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Increasingly, I’m being asked – when will the Bistro begin serving? I had expected it to be before now, to tell the truth. If it was a horse race, we might be approaching that home stretch. Unlike the feverish final dash of the thoroughbreds, I’d rather make sure the finish line is greatly removed from the starting point.

I remember driving down Main Street here in Broken Arrow, not too long ago, and passing by an elaborate sign that promised a restaurant was going into the attached building. It seemed forever before they finally opened their doors. It was much the same with another Main Street restaurant that had a good deal of publicity leading up to their eventual opening.

It just takes time.

To do it right, the plan has to be laid out, gone over, dissected, re-thought, and laid out again. Otherwise…

The Tulsa World is today reporting the demise of a south Tulsa BBQ restaurant that had opened its doors only six months ago. Of course, there are countless reasons that could be behind their decision to shut down the operation, and they might have drawn up their business plan with laser-sharp precision.

Only they know, for certain.

In the case of our anticipated enterprise, I’ve just enough experience in food service to know expectations, and I’m trying to make sure that what people hope to experience will be close to what will be delivered.

Part of that is creating a smooth operation that won’t keep people waiting. No matter how good the food is, the waiting time quickly figures in – just watch any of the Gordon Ramsay restaurant makeover TV shows. The reality program almost always features a service disaster, where guests are fidgeting in their chairs wondering if the food will EVER arrive.

As the bookstore building is pretty long, the walk alone from the kitchen in the back to the tables and register in the front takes some time. Sure, I could sprint. Back in the day.

The practical alternative is to determine how best to reduce those long hikes and minimize as many delays as possible.

That’s part of what is going on at this stage, while approaching the starting gate.

I’ve learned that the approach is still being delayed by – one more thing. As soon as I believe that every required item is in the building, another item pops to mind. The next time you visit a restaurant, look around at all the things required to get your meal on a plate in front of you – even if you don’t visit the kitchen and its own specialized collection, there are numerous things close to your table: salt and pepper shakers, knives, forks, spoons, and napkins. Plates and bowls. Glasses.

Cleaning and sanitizing materials – that squirt bottle the waitress uses to wet the table or cleaning towel isn’t just filled with water. It’s a special solution to kill off germs.

There are sugar packets, and sweeteners. Look around and someone is carrying a to-go box. Plastic ware for carry-out meals.

Believe me, that isn’t the entire list. But it is a portion of what I have remembered so far. It’s been over a decade since I stocked a restaurant, and even then it wasn’t from the ground up.

I have a running list of items that I am working on scratching off. When it is all in place, I want it to be for the long haul, not a six-month run.

My personal axiom goes something like: Success achieved is directly proportional to the number of problems solved before they occur.

Here’s to solutions!

Meanwhile, books are being offered and sold and all is well in the world.

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