When a trip to Wal-Mart lasts 41 hours
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To me, this is a sad time in air travel history. I remember mentioning Hooters Air in Business Pulse when the airline first started and saying what a great concept it was ? provided the pilots paid attention to flying and not the Hooters waitresses.
But I?m not the only one who is upset by this decision. Asked for a comment, former President Bill Clinton reportedly said, ?This is a sign the terrorists have won.?
As for news of the odd, strange and curious nature, I take you to Stockholm, Sweden where police have been working hard to tame the notorious Hell?s Angels motorcycle gang located there. Believe it or not, police efforts are actually working.
The Hell?s Angels have largely abandoned the shootouts and bomb attacks which made them so infamous, and have shifted to more white-collar crimes like tax and Internet fraud. However this change hasn?t been as easy as it sounds.
According to the Swedish government, about 70 members of the Hell?s Angels gang have filed for government benefits because they say they are overly depressed. The gang members contend they are struggling to find happiness since they are constantly repressing their need to inflict bodily harm on others.
Gee, it?s amazing how an early morning car bomb can bring good cheer for the rest of the day.
As for innovative ideas in business, I bring you the story of 18-year-old Indiana resident Evan Kelso who is looking to capitalize on daylight-saving time which went into effect today at 2 a.m.
Since Evan knows people have gotten really lazy, he is offering this service: He will change the time on every watch and clock in your home for $10. This also includes microwave clocks, home computer clocks and VCR clocks.
My question is what would our founding fathers think of us now? They sailed across an ocean, tamed the great wilderness, built colonies from the ground up, and had to claw and scratch just to survive.
Now some 18-year-old kid thinks we?re so lazy we can?t get off the sofa, take three steps across the living room and move a clock hand around one time. What a shame.
I realize you?re anxious to get to this week?s business news but let me tell you one more interesting tidbit about a college student who spent 41 straight hours inside a Wal-Mart in Des Moines, Iowa.
Skyler Bartels, 20, said he passed the time reading magazines, watching shoppers and watching movies on a store DVD player (he saw ?Chicken Little? four times).
He bought meals at the in-store Subway and took brief naps on a restroom commode and on lawn chairs in the garden center. Skyler said other shoppers and employees didn?t seem to notice him until the end of his stunt when it appeared some store greeters began to take notice. A shift manager approached him and asked him if he was finding everything he needed.
Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Thornton said Bartels neither violated store policy or broke the law. It makes me wonder if the next step for Wal-Mart is the hotel business.
Buyer close to purchasing old Shoney?s building
It was weird walking around the old Shoney?s building Monday afternoon with the windows all boarded up and no signs of life inside the dark restaurant. But I have a feeling all that is about to change.
An Atlanta resident who operates seven restaurants is extremely interested in buying the Shoney?s property. If I had to place a bet (and I don?t know who would take a bet on such a thing), I?m pretty confident she is going to buy it.
Eun Kim, a South Korean woman who has lived in America since 1977 and has a rich history in the restaurant business, is the interested buyer. She has a brother who operates a restaurant in Chattanooga.
?It will be buffet style with real Southern cooking,? said Kim already talking like it?s a done deal. ?We?ll have meatloaf, chicken and dressing, fried chicken, beef tips with rice. It will be a lot of things and a lot of fresh vegetables.?
Since coming to Atlanta nearly 30 years ago, Kim says she has seen the city?s population explode. ?I hate it now,? she said. ?It?s so crowded.?
It?s with that in mind she is eager to swap the hustle and bustle of city living for the small-town atmosphere McMinnville provides.
Looking around, Kim said it would take her roughly two months to get the Shoney?s building ready. The carpet is in terrible shape, painting needs to be done, and Kim said she doesn?t like the wallpaper.
Outside of cosmetic improvements, building inspector Jerry Fox was on hand Monday and he says the restaurant has been well maintained. He didn?t find any major problems with the building which was constructed in 1979.
It?s with all that in mind I offer you my professional Business Pulse opinion: Kim?s country buffet will open in McMinnville in late summer.
Antiques on Main staying in business
I think most people in the community gasped when it was learned, in the wake of downtown renovations, that the rent was tripled for Antiques on Main. Based on every opinion I?ve heard, it was a pretty sleazy move.
But alas, all is not lost. Antiques on Main has found a new home on Main Street, albeit a much smaller home. The business is now located next to New York Grill.
?It?s smaller but it?s fine and we?re happy with it,? said Faye Bennett, who owns Antiques on Main with her husband, Johnny. ?Everybody wanted us to stay so we worked together to find something.?
Because of the smaller size, Faye is sorry to say she can?t retain all of her booth vendors. Eight are staying with her and they spent most of last week loading pickup trucks and moving roughly one block down Main Street.
Even though their new store will likely be in disarray during the transition, Faye and Johnny are encouraging their customers to stop by and check out their new location.
?It should be open next week,? said Faye. ?It won?t be up to par, but it should be open for people to browse around.?
County unemployment takes slight dip
People are always saying they want me to put a peachy spin on the Warren County job outlook. But until this column is changed to the Fairy Tale Pulse, my job is to report the news, not make up happy endings.
This week, however, everything has changed. That?s because the latest unemployment figures were released by the state Thursday and Warren County?s unemployment rate is down to 10.6 percent. That?s an improvement from 11 percent the previous month.
Hip, hip, hooray!
At the risk of sounding negative, it?s still the fourth worst unemployment rate in the state. Williamson County retains the top spot with a meager 3.3 percent unemployment.
Wally Stern returns to local Ford dealership
After a number of years selling advertising for the Daily News Journal newspaper in Murfreesboro, Wally Stern has returned to the sales department at the local Ford dealership. And I, for one, am happy to have him back.
Wally was working at the Ford dealership when it was forced to close under previous ownership. Now it?s rejuvenated under new owner Terry Kidd and Wally says he?s thrilled to be back working in Warren County.
Wally says there?s no secret as to what?s the bread and butter for Ford.
?The F150 is the hottest seller Ford has,? said Wally, who has been working at McMinnville Ford for about a month. ?It?s been the leading seller in its class for 29 straight years.?
One thing about McMinnville Ford that Wally is pleased to publicize is the company?s dedication to the community. Terry is a generous man and he makes sure to donate money for FFA scholarships, high school and middle school baseball, high school softball, youth baseball, Kids of the Community, high school and youth football, and the Child Advocacy Center.
Considering Terry?s dedication to the community, Wally says it makes sense to at least give McMinnville Ford a chance to earn your business.
?I understand people want to be competitive and get the best price,? said Wally. ?All I?m asking is for people to at least stop here before heading out of town and give us a chance.?
Wally said he recently talked to a local couple who bought their Ford in Nashville but came to McMinnville Ford for service.
?I asked them if they even stopped in,? said Wally. ?And they said no, they just went straight to Nashville.?
Wally makes a great point, not only about the car business but about all business in general. We?re all quick to run to local businesses to sponsor our cheerleaders and baseball players but then we drive right by when it comes time to make a major purchase. I don?t think our local economy would be taking such a beating if we all made a better effort to shop at home more.
Martin?s Market the place to talk
You can get a Sundrop at any convenience store in the county. But Martin?s Market, located on Viola Highway, is one of those rare places you can get a Sundrop and an earful.
?We get a lot of loafers and a lot of bull gets shot,? said Travis Martin, who owns the market with his dad, Hammer.
?It?s more like a lot of lying,? said Hammer.
With early voting starting in less than two weeks, politics are taking center stage. And looking at the signs in the window, it?s not difficult to tell who Hammer plans to vote for.
?Jackie Matheny has been in there 12 years and that?s long enough,? said Hammer referring to the race for sheriff.
One of his customers overheard and quickly disagreed.
?I say if you have a good man, you better keep him,? the customer fired back in support of Matheny.
As for the nuts and bolts of the business, Martin?s Market is open seven days a week and opens at 6 a.m. Monday thru Saturday. Great-tasting biscuits are served in the morning and sandwiches fill the menu in the afternoon.
?I like it because I don?t have to worry about a district manager coming in and looking over my shoulder,? said Travis. ?I don?t have come-and-go freedom because I have to stay here, but it?s not hard work and I enjoy it.?
Think Fat Boyz when thinking auto detailing
Brothers Joey and Kevin Bouldin have tinkered with cars their whole lives. Now they have opened their own car business that specializes in detailing, but with much higher aspirations.
?Down the road I can see us changing oil, changing brakes and things like that,? said Joey. ?I could even see us opening several of these businesses around the Midstate. I think it?s better to aim high and miss than to aim low and hit. If we don?t do anything but do well here we?ll be happy.?
To celebrate their grand opening, Fat Boyz is offering a car wash and vacuum for $9.95. However, complete auto detailing is available.
?We came up with the $9.95 price to drum up some business,? said Joey.
Kevin is pretty handy when it comes to tools and says he hopes to become a certified mechanic one day.
?I?ve been working on cars my whole life and I?ve always wanted to own a shop,? Kevin said.
Fat Boyz is located across from Warren County High School on Karate Lane. The phone number is 668-7400 or 273-7393.
Hair stylist left under friendly terms
Last week a joked about hair stylist Stephanie Wanamaker leaving Snip Snips under controversial circumstances. However, not everyone found this little joke funny.
It seems I?ve made the wrong people mad and now I?m lucky I still have a job. I want to thank everyone for their cards and letters during this difficult time.
But the point of all this rambling is I want to clarify that Stephanie left Snips under the best of circumstances. She in fact remains good friends with Snips owner Kathy Morgan. There?s no bad feelings between them.
The editors of Business Pulse regret any inconvenience.
That?s all folks
This was a good week for business news and next week promises to be even better. Yes, I said even better. Keep those business tips coming by calling 473-2191.