Main Street is Springfield's Living Room.

[gmpalmer]

Stephen -- you can't forget the Coke.  Coke played a pretty major factor in wrecking some (a lot) of those businesses. . .

[Sigma]

Well, the Main St project would have ruined a lot anyway.  let's hope we see some signs of life after this project nears completion.

Stephen, what about the 8th and Hubbard place? 

[Sigma]

True, and I guess you were near the corner with alley access to overcome the construction in the front door.

What about that other building though?  And are you going to sell the lot or try to do something?

[fsu813]

to address a previous posters point,

Waffa & Mike's doesn't serve alcohol for religious reasons.

they do plan to open an outdoor area with hooka in the next few months.

[Deuce]

Waffa & Mike's doesn't serve alcohol for religious reasons.

Well, they just lost my business.

[David]

At least you have shanty right around the corner. What's the deal with Waffa & Mike's hours?

I had a flier saying they were open late on Friday & Saturdays, but I go up there around 9:30pm last Friday and they were closed.

[ChriswUfGator]

Waffa & Mike's doesn't serve alcohol for religious reasons.

Business is business. That's a terrible policy...

[nvrenuf]

How about trying it at lunch instead of dinner? Can you settle for soda or tea at lunch?

[gmpalmer]

Or, since that place is too small to eat in anyway, can't you get it to go and then booze it up at your house, if booze is so important?

[ChriswUfGator]

I'm not saying booze is so important, you guys are going all moral here, and are totally missing the point...

Beer/Wine/Liquor is the single biggest profit item in a restaurant. The markups range from 100%-1000% depending on the price, and whether you're serving a mixed drink, wine, or bottled beer, etc. The average 1L bottle of vodka you get for $20-something serves around 23 mixed drinks at $6 or $7 apiece. Do the math, that's a 1000% profit.

Your normal 750ml bottle of low-end wine that you buy for $6 wholesale, will yield an average of 6 glasses at $6 or $6.50 apiece. That's a 600% profit.

They're already fighting an uphill battle because of their location, and now because they choose not to separate personal/religious issues and business (which is a CLASSIC stupid mistake), they're locked out of the single biggest revenue-generator. I am not arguing morality or whether people *should* be drinking (because that isn't my place and nor is it yours), I'm just saying that as a business decision it's pretty silly...

[gmpalmer]

Sorry, the logic doesn't hold up.

I mean hell, hookers and crack have pretty awesome mark-ups as well -- and it's free to grow pot.  With JSO being more and more poorly paid, it can't be that difficult to bribe up the local beat cops and have a nice little den of iniquity going. 

I mean, heck, you could even make enough to have a few lawyers and a judge or two on the payroll -- so even if you got caught you could get off on a technicality. 

I mean, great idea, right?

[BridgeTroll]

totally missing the point...

Is a common malady on this site...

[nvrenuf]

Actually I was talking to Deuce and no moral quandry was involved. Instead of totally writing the restaurant off, try it at lunch when his girlfriend may not want to have wine anyway. And gwpalmer, the restaurant is not so small that you can't eat in it. Its got at least 7 booths and a few tables.

[gmpalmer]

I know, I've been there.  They have excellent food -- but it is too small to eat in.  Unless they make some sort of excellent patio they might as well just throw up a drive-through window.

And gwpalmer was my father. . .

[thelakelander]

Actually, they are in the process of building a patio in the outdoor space behind the restaurant.