Business Pulse: Crocodiles not great Christmas gifts
For anyone out there wondering what might be waiting for them under the tree, police in Germany think two children may be in for a terrible surprise come Christmas day.
I say that after reading reports that two baby crocodiles were stolen from a German zoo. For whatever reason, during their investigation police have been led to believe the crocodiles were stolen to give as a Christmas gift.
“Crocodiles aren’t going to be a good Christmas present,” said police spokesman Thorsten Dressler.
As a rule of thumb, I’ve always tried to avoid giving Christmas presents capable of eating you. Thus, the crocodile has always been on my “do not give” list.
Police have issued several statements warning the criminals that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew, if you pardon the pun. The crocodiles may look cute and cuddly when they’re babies and less than a foot long, but they can grow to over six feet. And I should add a good deal of that six feet is all mouth.
What I want to know is what kind of idiots would give their kids crocodiles for Christmas? I can just see this scene unfolding.
“Hey Bertha, you seen little Billy lately?”
“Sure haven’t, Leroy. Last I saw he was in his room playing with that crocodile again. But that’s been about two hours ago. He should have come out by now.”
The moral of this story is it’s better to get nothing at all for Christmas than to get a crocodile. As for what will happen next, police are urging the thieves to return the crocodiles to the zoo. They are afraid the crooks will simply turn the crocodiles loose once they realize what they’ve done. That could lead to someone else getting eaten.
“We just hope they don’t end up in the sewage system,” said Kathleen Raschke, spokeswoman for the zoo.
Since we’re sort of on the subject of food, now is the perfect time to ease into this week’s Business Pulse.
Hotdog stand gets cooking downtown
There’s a new hotdog stand in town, which, for the record, is also McMinnville’s only hotdog stand. It’s owned, operated and kept completely afloat thanks to the dedication and hotdog prowess of Brian Curran, a man who needs no introduction.
Well, actually Brian might need some introduction because he hasn’t live here that long. He and his wife, Wendy, recently moved here from California, which is unofficially the Hotdog Stand Capital of the World.
To put it simply, Brian knows how to cook a hotdog. I thought I had all the tricks figured out, but after eating one of Brian’s delicious hotdogs Friday afternoon, I realized I was living a lie. I’m really not that great a hotdog cook after all.
As for Brian’s hotdog stand, it’s called the California Doggery and it’s located in downtown McMinnville. Right now Brian is located on the backside of the gazebo next to Hoover and Son Insurance, but he hopes he clears the necessary hurdles to move his stand to Main Street in the next few weeks.
I think Brian has a great idea and I was more than happy to support his business by indulging in what amounts to a gigantic hotdog. Usually, I don’t hesitate to put back three hotdogs per sitting, but I couldn’t imagine eating much more than one of Brian’s monster hotdogs.
“I thought this might add a little festivity to downtown,” said Brian. “People like buying hotdogs from a hotdog stand. It’s a fun thing to do. This hotdog machine isn’t going to be the salvation to downtown, but it gives people something to do and a place to get something to eat on this side of town.”
With all the downtown businesses, and the courthouse, Brian thinks he can develop a fairly stable business once people realize what he’s doing. He opened for the first time last week and wasn’t helped by a pretty good rain storm Thursday.
“The rain chased me away Thursday, but if it’s just cold, I can wrap up and take it,” said Brian, who indicated he plans to be open throughout the winter. “I’m serious about this hotdog business.”
For folks who like to load up their hotdog, there’s no shortage of toppings. There’s chili, sauerkraut, cheddar cheese, onions, relish, salsa, jalapeno peppers, and of course mustard and ketchup. Barring a rain or snow storm, Brian will be open for business Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Since his hotdog stand is portable, he’s also available for special events and can come right to your house if you like. Give him a call at 815-3904 for more information. Or better yet, support Brian as he tries to add a new attraction to downtown McMinnville. Stop by and give his hotdogs a try.
When will Hastings be ready to open
I’ve had several inquiries over the last few weeks about Hastings and when the newest addition to Northgate Shopping Center will be open for business. For those who don’t know, Hastings will be moving into the building currently being constructed below Ryan’s and across from Fred’s Pharmacy.
For those who don’t know what Hastings is, it’s a store which sells VHS and DVD movies, computer software and hardware, music, video games and books. It also rents movies and video games.
It seems construction is just a tad bit behind schedule and Hastings is not projected to open until around mid-March. But even that is a loose estimation which is still subject to change.
I got the mid-March timetable by calling the Hastings in Tullahoma. I talked to Charles Higgins who is a store manager there. Charles will be transferring to our local store once it opens so he has a special interest in when that will be.
“I’ve tried to get an exact date myself,” said Charles. “But that hasn’t been established because they are still somewhat in the planning stages.”
Charles told me there are different levels of Hastings stores and McMinnville’s level has yet to be determined. One of the main things determined by the store level is the size of the coffee shop that’s operated inside.
A level 1 store will have a basic coffee shop which just serves coffee. The next level store sells coffee, espresso and other drinks. The top level features a coffee shop that has a full bakery, sells pizza, and just about everything in between. It also includes a drive-thru window which opens before the store does so people can grab coffee and bakery items on their way to work.
I think the full-blown coffee shop might be a bit too ambitious for McMinnville. But Charles says that has yet to be decided so we might just end up with the works.
Jewell Hale is the general contractor in charge of construction and site superintendent Dale Talbert told me Friday they are supposed to be done with their work the first week of February. After that it’s up to Hastings to provide the finishing touches.
Is anything happening at Cumberland Plaza?
I finally tracked down Brigetta Williamson who is the real estate agent in charge of Cumberland Plaza. First and foremost I asked her about the chances of finding tenants for all the vacant stores over there. She didn’t sound too encouraged but said she’s doing everything she can to get the space leased.
“It’s been a challenge,” said Brigetta. “Anybody who is looking at the market, we’re talking to. We’ve got an entire leasing team on it.”
Brigetta declined to mention any possible stores which might locate at Cumberland Plaza and that’s to be expected. When it comes to business deals like that, real estate agents are given strict orders to keep their mouth shut.
“It’s best not to talk about anything until it’s done,” said Brigetta. “Anyone who is really looking out for the good of the community will respect those wishes because you never know what could jeopardize a deal.”
Brigetta said she would give me the heads up if a company ever decides to sign on the dotted line.
That’s all folks
If by chance I don’t get to talk to you by Wednesday, have a Merry Christmas. And, for my sake, please don’t place any crocodiles under the tree.
To report business news, give me a call at 473-2191 or send me an e-mail at [email protected].