2010

Well, New Years and the holidays have blown through town - we were happy to have filled all 75 spots for out 4 hour party package. It seems as though people are staying local, keeping it more intimate and conservative to kick off the new year. Everybody had a great time as did the staff. Hoping the new year will inspire a turn for the better for Bay Ridge - Our home for over ten years. Building the community through dialogue, entertainment and hospitality.

Getting ready for a new year

Christmas has come and gone - faster than any year I can remember - People seemed to be in happy spirits and there was lots of good cheer all around. We're booked for New Year's Eve and I'll be working on the menu plan tomorrow. We'll also try a Moet or Veuve Cliquot Champagne special for the night. Another year, losing more friends than gained - hope 2010 will turn into a great year - we could all use one. By this time next year I have one goal - to investigate a traveling puppet type entertainment concept that can be brought into scgools, hospitals, private homes, etc. i have the name already - Old World Puppetry Company - Ego sum manus manus of puppet - Any suggestions??

A snow Day

What a geat Satturday night - It's seriously storming out - people came out anyway! We have The Wizard of Oz on the big screen and everyone's in a great mood! The special effects in this movie are spectacular for being 80 years old. The fireplace is on and we're playing classic rock tonight.

Decorated for the holidays

It's amazing what moving some furniture around does to a room. We were putting up lights for the holidays so in the process we decided to play with the furniture - out with one chaise and in with a new couch. The room opened up and now we have both antique mirrors visible which really makes the space larger. Blue lights throughout make for a very festive mood. Not to sure about the holiday music but we'll play it by ear. Happy holidays to one and all.

Work to live or live to work

So the entire Caesar's Bay parking lot was filled at 4am this morning. That is a lot of cars in a parking lot. The line started at Toys R Us and wound past Modell's just to get into Best Buy - Wow. Consumerism at it's finest. It makes you think what it's all about - work to live or live to work? This is a question that I've been struggling with lately - I am in the unique position of being able to meet many different people from different backgrounds - each with a unique perspective on what motivates them to wake up every day. When you are selling something, no matter what it is, you have a responsibility to make sure it's the best that it can be. Just like friends, why would you want to socialize with someone that upsets you, sucks the good energy out of you or just wears you down? You wouldn't. (Unless they had a really nice sailboat on the Riviera or something similar) but I digress. So when someone enters an establishment, so many things are going on at once, it's easy to miss them. From the way the doors look and open to the materials you choose for the door handle - It's started. When you enter an establishment it could be big, small,  bright, dark, loud, soft, luxurious, medieval, etc. You have one chance at that first impression - get it right. So pay attention to the details about everything. Greetings, service, product - ask yourself if this customer is going to come back. If you don't think so, correct it before they leave. As you talk to more customers, the working thing crosses over into the living and you can connect with people on a whole new level - one that makes for a symbiotic lasting relationship between the customer and the creator. I would like to see more people pay attention to their lives and how communicating with others will enhance their own lives, making for a fuller more rewarding experience each and every.

Thanksgiving is upon us...

The old saying, "Time flies" really has a new meaning to me lately. I still remember our New Year's Eve party and all of a sudden we're preparing turkeys, putting up lights for the holidays and booking parties for the new year. I often take some time out to reflect on yesterday, today and tomorrow without anything specific in mind. But this year, as the world adjusts to a new speed of commerce, I think it's a good time to reflect on all the things there are to be thankful for. Yes we're at war with multiple countries, prices only go up for basic necessities, healthcare for everone is still a pipe dream and the entertainment/media engines of the world push and pull us in directions just to appease their advertisers. But we live in a free country where you can share your opinions with anyone who has the patience to listen, you can run for office and make a change or you can choose to sit on the sidelines as most of us seem to do. Be thankful for you family, friends, a job, a place to live - all the rest - bonuses. Do what makes you happy and share it with others throughout the year. You can make a difference in someone else's life with something as simple as a smile and a "good morning."

Great weekend

Well the Yankees won ending with a great ticker tape parade downtown. 2 Million people were estimated to have gone. That's a lot of people calling in sick. The series doesn't seem to have the same meaning that it used to. I wonder if that changes as you get older or whether all the media surrounding the game takes the focus off the main event. I watched an old game last week - 1969 Mets vs. Orioles with Tom Seaver pitching. Black & White, NO ADVERTISING anywhere in sight, and the replay after a pitch was s l o w motion film repeated back frame by frame - the announcers knew what they were saying and knew when to be quiet. The weekend progressed nicely as we had a couple of parties reserved for Saturday night. A staff that knows what customers want and anticipate their needs is what the lounge thing is all about. We sell comfort and atmosphere. Neither should ever be forgotten by anyone. Food and drinks is the byproduct. The expectations of every single person that walks into the bar should already have a good idea of what to expect in terms of service and quality of our drinks.
We hosted our second Bluegrass event on Tuesday and I've just sent out links to WKCR, Banjo Ben, BluegrassNYC and Craigslist to see how many people we can attract next Tuesday.