kamakiri
06-27-2008, 04:09 PM
The Short:
I opened a new pizza shop, here are pictures (http://img120.imageshack.us/slideshow/player.php?id=img120/3894/1213626629awk.smil).
The Long:
Many of you here know me, and I think I mentioned this before, but I finally got my last shop closed and torn down last week. I had seen the writing on the wall, and started closing down shops in my pizza chain about 3 years ago. A competitor came to town with a similar name, I own Chris' Pizza, the opened as Kurusa Pizza. In Japanese it is just 2 characters off, and since 100% of my marketing for 5 years was done in English, no one could tell the difference. Was it a fight I could have won? Sure, but it was in a game I wanted nothing to do with. They were putting out sub standard junk food, I have the award for best pizza in Japan on my mantle.
I was also tired of 16 hour days supervising a team of managers, assistants, and the head office staff. By June 2007, I was down to 1 shop, and fired my secretary, and the unexpected happened. I was on my way back from delivering a final proof to the printer and I got hit by a truck. I was on a motorcycle, and it put me in the hospital for 2 months. During that time I shut down my shop, best decision I ever made.
Fast forward to now. I finally had surgery done on my shoulder, and it is 1000% better, no amount of money can buy health, but a good doctor is worth more than money, there again, I can't say enough, "Get a third opinion."
I knew of this restaurant they had closed in 2006, and walked by there a few times a week as I had thrown away my car in 2005. I called them one day, and set up a meeting. Must have been something in the water (or the fact that I dressed up like General Custer with a hat and leather jacket) that got me a short term lease on the place, so with a deposit of $3,000 and the first month;s rent of $3,000, I was in business in the Chris' Pizza Seaside Beer Garden. We opened for business on the 14th of this month to record opening day and weekend sales.
The following week, I sent out 70 press releases, and the responses are flying in. I don't post much about it here, but the press release is a huge free tool for your muse.
Tonight (Friday) was my biggest night yet, and we have a 50 person Canada Day party booked for tomorrow on top of what should be a huge day, so I am going to hit the sack. Hope you like the slide show.
I opened a new pizza shop, here are pictures (http://img120.imageshack.us/slideshow/player.php?id=img120/3894/1213626629awk.smil).
The Long:
Many of you here know me, and I think I mentioned this before, but I finally got my last shop closed and torn down last week. I had seen the writing on the wall, and started closing down shops in my pizza chain about 3 years ago. A competitor came to town with a similar name, I own Chris' Pizza, the opened as Kurusa Pizza. In Japanese it is just 2 characters off, and since 100% of my marketing for 5 years was done in English, no one could tell the difference. Was it a fight I could have won? Sure, but it was in a game I wanted nothing to do with. They were putting out sub standard junk food, I have the award for best pizza in Japan on my mantle.
I was also tired of 16 hour days supervising a team of managers, assistants, and the head office staff. By June 2007, I was down to 1 shop, and fired my secretary, and the unexpected happened. I was on my way back from delivering a final proof to the printer and I got hit by a truck. I was on a motorcycle, and it put me in the hospital for 2 months. During that time I shut down my shop, best decision I ever made.
Fast forward to now. I finally had surgery done on my shoulder, and it is 1000% better, no amount of money can buy health, but a good doctor is worth more than money, there again, I can't say enough, "Get a third opinion."
I knew of this restaurant they had closed in 2006, and walked by there a few times a week as I had thrown away my car in 2005. I called them one day, and set up a meeting. Must have been something in the water (or the fact that I dressed up like General Custer with a hat and leather jacket) that got me a short term lease on the place, so with a deposit of $3,000 and the first month;s rent of $3,000, I was in business in the Chris' Pizza Seaside Beer Garden. We opened for business on the 14th of this month to record opening day and weekend sales.
The following week, I sent out 70 press releases, and the responses are flying in. I don't post much about it here, but the press release is a huge free tool for your muse.
Tonight (Friday) was my biggest night yet, and we have a 50 person Canada Day party booked for tomorrow on top of what should be a huge day, so I am going to hit the sack. Hope you like the slide show.