Is Spam-only restaurant a wise idea?
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Worst new business idea – The world’s first spam-only restaurant which just opened in the Philippines. Owner Philip Abadilla has a menu which features Spamburgers, Spam nuggets, Spam spaghetti, and Caesar salad with Spam.
Said Abadilla, “I’m a Spam lover. It’s always on my mind.”
As much as we ridicule Spam in the U.S., it is actually a much-loved staple in the Philippines. Filipinos eat 2.75 million pounds of the stuff every year.
Worst new policy – Some of you may have heard the Nashville public school system is no longer releasing honor rolls because of new privacy laws. The law says while the honor rolls may recognize top students, it also exposes the mediocre and below-average students to the ridicule which awaits those who do not make the honor roll. Oh, the humiliation.
Worst attempt at crime – A man tried to rob a liquor store in Greenville, S.C., but his plan ran into trouble when he realized the “gun” he was pointing at the clerk was actually just his bare index finger. From what I can gather, the man must have forgotten to keep his “gun” under his shirt.
Worst bathroom decision – Virgin Atlantic Airways actually developed plans to install bright-red urinals shaped like women’s open lips at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The airline eventually aborted the plan when news of the urinals was leaked (pardon the pun) to the general public. Virgin Atlantic Airways officials said they were surprised to hear about two dozen people objected to such an idea and said it would no longer be pursued.
Worst salad topping – A 22-year-old woman recently stumbled upon a finger tip in her lunch salad at a Canton, Ohio branch of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.
The chunk was actually the severed thumb of a food preparer who had cut his finger while slicing vegetables. The area was thoroughly cleaned and sanitized but restaurant officials said the breakdown occurred when employees failed to throw all food in the area away.
Now, for Business Pulse.
John Deere runs smoothly in town
There’s good news and better news for all the folks who are John Deere fans. The good news is John Deere has finally ventured into the vastly popular four-wheeler market.
The even better news is you can now check out a John Deere four-wheeler, and a variety of other merchandise, at the busiest intersection in McMinnville, the corner of the bypass and Smithville Highway. Our local John Deere dealership, General Equipment, has currently set up an auxiliary shop at what used to be the Texaco station.
Johnny Greene, a man who has been selling John Deere equipment for almost 55 years, is manning the new post in McMinnville. Johnny says sales have been very brisk and he’s already sold 25 pieces of equipment in a week, with most of them being lawnmowers.
“I figured with the grand opening going on across the street,” said Johnny while pointing over at Lowe’s, “we might as well try to get in on some of this lawnmower business. I’ve been surprised at how many people have stopped by and said I never knew there was a John Deere dealer in town.”
That surprises me too. I figured everybody knew about General Equipment located on Smithville Highway on your way to Dibrell. It also raises the interesting question about General Equipment possibly making the Texaco location a permanent branch.
I’ve heard through the grapevine that the Texaco property is finally out of bankruptcy court which means a new business is finally clear to locate there. Personally, I’m pulling for John Deere because I think that would be cool.
As for the new John Deere four-wheelers, I don’t want to overshadow that story. The four-wheelers have been available for a couple weeks and Little River Nursery owner David Hillis became the first Warren County resident to purchase this fine machine.
There are two four-wheeler lines: the Trailbuck, which is geared toward high-speed trail riding, and the Buck, which is geared for heavy duty work around the farm.
“The Trailbuck is more for the enthusiast who wants a constantly variable transmission and who wants to get out and ride,” said General Equipment co-owner Randy Griffith. “The Buck is made for heavy pulling and towing applications. It offers a high-torque, low-rpm engine and transmission.”
The four-wheelers are available with 500cc and 650cc engines. And Randy said with a special financing rate, you can take one of these top-notch four-wheelers home for as little as $69 a month.
For more information, the number at General Equipment is 934-2281.
TLT, Inc. building is up for sale
It was around six months ago I did a story in the Business section about TLT, Inc., a chair-making operation owned by Bill and Gary Shaffield. Prior to the story, I didn’t realize there was a major wooden chair and stool manufacturer in Warren County, much less one that was cranking out 1,000 chairs or stools a day.
But that’s exactly what the Shaffields were doing in Campaign in the place that’s best known as the former Levi Strauss building. Unfortunately, the gist of my previous story was that Bill and Gary had outgrown the 53,000-square-foot building in Campaign and were relocating to Sparta.
That relocation is now largely complete and TLT has taken its 40 jobs from Warren County to Sparta.
“It wasn’t as devastating as we thought it might be,” Gary said. “All but two of our employees made the move with us so we’re pleased with that.”
Considering the current job market, or should I say jobless market, it’s a pretty smart idea to stay employed if at all possible. That is unless you’re willing to learn how to speak Chinese because that’s where all the jobs are going.
TLT’s departure leaves Warren County with another empty manufacturing building. The Shaffields own the property and are currently searching for a buyer.
“If someone needs a nice building with a large parking lot on six acres, we’ve got it,” said Gary, who indicated he’s talked with Don Rigsby, the county’s director of economic development. The building will be included with DeZurik and Powermatic as empty buildings available in Warren County.
As for a new tenant, the Shaffields thought they had the building sold at auction, but that potential buyer had financing difficulties. Gary said they aren’t going to bother with another auction and will continue to list the building. If anyone reading this is in the market for a 53,000-square-foot building, the number is 686-7001.
Neil Helton taking over Dewey Gay State Farm
After nearly 30 years in the insurance business, Dewey Gay is stepping aside and transferring his State Farm insurance agency to Neil Helton. Neil has leased space at Cumberland Plaza and says he plans to have his building open April 1.
Neil formerly worked as a State Farm regional agent based out of Murfreesboro and he helped around 40 agents, including the three in McMinnville, with various insurance plans. But traveling throughout the Midstate got tiring and that’s why Neil was eager to take over an established agency when Dewey approached him.
“There was a commitment with me and my wife to raise our children in a community setting,” said Neil, who has two children age 6 and 3.
Neil grew up in Smyrna back in the days when Smyrna had a small-town feel and he has purchased a house in McMinnville. He wants to be an active part of Warren County while also helping folks with their insurance needs.
“The State Farm brand means a lot but the brand isn’t always enough,” said Neil. “It’s the person behind the brand who makes it work.
“My goal is to help people recover from the unexpected and to help them live their dreams while being a friend and financial partner. It does concern me not being local because I know it takes time to earn people’s trust and I’m prepared to take that time.”
Neil’s phone number will stay the same as Dewey’s, 473-1539.
Brakes-N-More is ready to roll
Drennon Bryan has been an ASE-certified brake mechanic for 15 years and has run a brake shop for the last eight. With that much experience, he decided it was time to go out on his own and open his own shop, which he has named Brakes-N-More.
Drennon has bought the building located behind Sparta Street Muffler, the muffler shop with the crazy dinosaurs in the yard. He is officially on Creamery Street and has been open a few months.
“I’m in it for the long haul,” said Drennon. “This is what I plan on doing until I retire and since I bought this building this is where I plan on being. I do good, quality work and if it’s not right I stand behind it. That’s the only way to stay in business.”
Drennon will do oil changes for $19.99 and he offers lifetime brake pads with his brake work. He can also do other mechanic duties on domestic and import vehicles.
The Warren County Ambulance Service has been doing business with Drennon since 1997 so that must mean he does a fairly good job because ambulances aren’t treated lightly. Drennon has a brake lathe so he can turn rotors in house and he also has a tire changer and balancer.