One buffet apparently has a limit
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The best I can figure, Hickory Creek Elementary is the Bermuda Triangle of the kite world. As soon as perfectly good kites enter the Hickory Creek vicinity, they become incapable of flying.
I was confident I would vanquish six years of miserable luck during yesterday’s Kite Day with my trusty Teenage Mutant Ninga Turtle kite in hand, only to be led down that all-too-familiar road of disappointment. Of course you didn’t flip to today’s column to hear about my adventures with kite string. You no doubt want to read at least some wacky news.
I’ll oblige thanks to the antics of a buffet restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah which kicked out two of its best customers for eating too much roast beef. The couple, Sui Amaama and his wife Isabelle Leota, is on the Atkins Diet, which is one of those weird diets which allows you to eat meat – just no carbohydrates.
Amaama reportedly went to the buffet table for his 12th serving of roast beef when he was told by management that he had eaten his limit and it was time to leave.
“We’ve never claimed to be an all-you-can-eat establishment,” said Jack Johanson, the district manager of Chuck-A-Rama, who then offered this lame excuse. “Our understanding is a buffet is just a style of eating.”
Truth be told, both the Chuck-A-Rama and Amaama himself are to blame for what his wife called an embarrassing situation. First, we all know buffet is interchangeable with all you can eat, so the restaurant should be prepared for some bottomless pit of a glutton trying to shovel down 12 servings of roast beef. That fact works against the Chuck-A-Rama.
At the same time, what could this guy be thinking? Does he really think he’s going to lose weight by eating 12 plates of roast beef and then skipping the bread? And is it really a diet if you eat 12 servings?
While you chew on those questions, I have to tell you about a recent church auction in Grand Island, Nebraska. As you might guess, this church auction conducted by Trinity United Methodist Church was a little bit on the odd side.
In addition to items like a DVD player and gas grill, Rev. Jim Keyser’s auction contribution was a super-duper eulogy. Believe it or not, Keyser promised to say “some really nice things” at the funeral of the highest bidder – and this item stirred a considerable amount of interest.
I realize I might not win Mr. Popularity, but I hope it doesn’t get to the point where I have to pay a man just to say a couple nice words about me when I’m dead. I would hope Rev. Keyser would say nice things about people at their funeral whether they paid him or not.
Word on the street says DeZurik deal is close
If there’s one thing I love, it’s the word on the street. Dozens of quality business tips have come from coffee shop talk, barber chair conversation, and good, ol’ word on the street.
This week, one of my top secret business sources informed me the DeZurik building is awful close to selling. Rumor has it a metal stamping business is interested in the 186,000-square-foot building which has been vacant for four years.
I understand this business isn’t all that big, at the moment at least, but a couple substantial contracts appear in the works and could quickly change that. I’ll try to uncover more details and I’ll be sure to tell you more as soon as I know more.
As for another hot topic of conversation, I also hear from director of economic development Don Rigsby that a group of investors has expressed interest in buying the Carrier building. But before you get too excited, let me say this isn’t necessarily good news.
First off, when you say a group of investors that means people who want to buy the building with the intention of making money. Translation: They might buy the facility for, say, $10 million and then try to sell it for $11 million.
Such a deal, should it actually take place, is just adding a middle man and increasing the selling price. I can’t see how that will help the ultimate goal of bringing more jobs into the area.
And that, coincidentally, brings me to my second point. We don’t want investors buying the Carrier building. We want a company with 1,200 jobs just waiting to locate in Warren County to buy the Carrier building.
That’s my thoughts on investors buying empty factory buildings. I don’t know if it’s the politically correct way to think, but I don’t see how a group of middle-aged men looking to make a profit is going to help bring jobs to this county.
What’s the latest with A.O. Smith
I’ve been hearing rumors about A.O. Smith trimming its workforce to 200 people by the end of June. With June just around the corner, I decided to call A.O. Smith spokesman Ed O’Conner at the company’s home office in Milwaukee. Ed told me the job cuts which were announced long ago wouldn’t all take place by June, but the final count of about 200 workers is fairly accurate. He said the winding and assembly operations should begin to be phased out in July.
Don’t you just love the term “phased out.” It sounds so harmless, almost like drifting asleep. It’s much more acceptable than saying people’s livelihood will be eliminated in July.
“The phase out should be completed at the end of the year or the first of next year,” said Ed. “That’s been our plan and there’s no reason to accelerate it.”
A.O. Smith currently operates with about 470 hourly workers and 25 salary employees. When the winding and assembly lines are gone, there will be about 200 hourly workers. Three years ago, A.O. Smith had a workforce of around 900.
Bowling alley now offers Mean Gene’s Pizza
Owner Mike Sealy has been doing a good bit of remodeling at McMinnville Lanes. He’s turned what used to be his bowling alley game room into a pizza place that offers none other than Mean Gene’s Pizza.
It seems Mean Gene Okerland, known for his many classic pro wrestling interviews with Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, has started up his own food line. And Mike hopes to capitalize on Mean Gene’s name, and his great-tasting pizza, to bring business to his bowling alley.
Mike, in fact, has big plans for his new pizza parlor. He has 15 tables set up and is in the process of bringing in 10 TVs. He says he would like to cater to the sports crowd and give folks a place to watch big games together.
“With the Vols on TV and the Titans on TV, and maybe the Predators will do real well again next year, so we want to have a place where people can watch the games,” said Mike.
I like the concept and I’m eager to give this Mean Gene’s Pizza a try. In addition to the pizza, Mike says he will also have cheesey bread and hot wings, and he will continue selling all the traditional hamburger and french fry items he has always sold from his grill.
Mike also wanted me to mention that professional bowler Jason Couch, who has won 10 national titles, will be at McMinnville Lanes signing autographs this Tuesday beginning at 7 p.m.
“Two years ago, he was the best bowler in the world so we’re certainly glad to have him here,” said Mike.
Local lady offers amazing new product
If Kathline Stewart Gunter’s amazing new EnergyCel does half of what it says it will, then everyone should install one on their vehicle. According to reports, the EnergyCel produces a strong magnetic field around your fuel line which changes the molecular structure of the gasoline by making the molecules spread further apart and thus creating a more complete combustion.
Kathline says to think of it like wood on a fire. Tightly packed wood doesn’t burn as well as wood which is more spread out.
Thanks to this magnetic field altering cell structure, the EnergyCel will produce better gas mileage, reduce emissions and provide a cleaner running engine, according to company literature.
“It’s a one-time investment for a lifetime of savings,” said Kathline, who said the patented product has been on the market about three years and is gaining national attention. The company is so sure you’ll like the product, it offers a 60-day money back guarantee.
Kathline says some major trucking companies are installing the EnergyCel with the hopes of saving thousands and thousands each year. She also said some school districts are also buying the product for school buses.
If you want to learn more about EnergyCel, Kathline has a wealth of information to give you. The cost is $185 plus tax and shipping. Her phone number is 474-2118 and her cell phone is 212-6822.
That’s all folks
If you have business news be sure to give me a call at 473-2191 or send me an e-mail at [email protected]. This week would be the perfect time to call because I will probably be in the office. One thing is for sure, I won’t be out flying a kite.