Breeze

Earlier in the thread there was mention about what economic demographic should be targeted. There was some consensus that the promotion of Winnipeg culinary delights shouldn't be aimed too high. While this is a subject worthy of consideration it should not be the focus or limiting factor in creating a message. The 'peg scene should be inclusive and wide open. Let there me something for everyone. Don't dilute the product by going too low brow. The fact is: culinary tourism is seldom the domain of Joe and Mary Sixpack. You need some of that upper crust to build a loaf. You can quote me on that.

Oh, man, don't be a wimp. Just drive, dammit.

All good punters decide what their percentage is going to be and that's the target for their action. Good investors or bettors do their due diligence. They only wager on what they know. The lead-up to this extravaganza is the next four years. Start taking a look at the direct and indirect events that will be taking place. As new facilities come on line they will be playing host to a myriad of multi-level events: all will require food, beverage and entertainment in some capacity. Get some of this for your balance sheet each and every month. Target a certain percentage of your annual revenues to be from Olympic-connected activity and make sure you are in the loop. If you're not a VANOC groupie then forget about it. It's not going to fall in your lap. Events and their organizers over the next few years will take their orders and suggestions from VANOC so get connected if you think your operation will be in line for this kind of coin. Perhaps send some manbait or chicklure over to the office and seduce a secretary for all the secret files. AS FOR STAFF: Bonusing and incentives are a good idea. It's always a good idea not to treat your human resources as walking, talking Kleenex tissue. Do things to make them forget that they're first in line when owners start looking for ways to keep their leaky boats afloat. A wise financial advisor once told me that only way to get back at the BANKS for all their withering service fees was to own some bank. You buy the shares and get dividends. Since we are all going to get the bill for this party, why not start making some cash now to offset the financial hangover that will certainly arrive? Be a player! Buy into the VANOC bank and get some dividends. Do it right and you could be sitting in Maui watching the games on big screen (Better chance at seeing the action, instant replay, no traffic) Your staff can be working other joints for outrageous temporary rates.

It is true. Say what you want about the VQA program, the one thing it has accomplished over the past decade or so is a remarkable sales and education model. BC wine is selling in BC at levels only the biggest dreamers would have described in 1995. One of the reasons we don't export much: we can barely keep up with our domestic demand!

I'll come back to the floor as a celebrity server or bartender but, gosh, my rate has skyrocketed!

There will be a lot of development and expansion. Plenty of opportunists pitching a tent, raking some coin and heading out of town leaving some yawning chasms of vacancy. Hoard your cash and get ready for some cheap rents in 2011 and 2012. It'll be at least two years to recover from that mini-depression. Lease rates should plummet. Temporarily. Lots of Olive Garden/Red Lobster/Chili's/Applebee's/Outback stuff.

That Oyster Bob... the guy has been at Joe's forever! I helped open the joint in 1985 with him. Somebody ought to name a restaurant after him. McDonald's brags about their billion burgers... how many oysters has Bob shucked? I'll have to keep Derek's name in my diner's rolodex - always good to have somebody on your side.

Wicked cool blog on forum-type thing I boosted that photo of the old vines newly pruned for my personal enjoyment.

Back when we actually lived in Vancouver (Granville & the teens) it was Ouisi. Great for hangover Sundays when we had to get out of our tiny apartment. Only a couple blocks from home. Close to all the other stuff we liked to do on Granville. Great food, a lot of it spicy. My wife still recreates the Devil Fruit.

Since way back in the last century, Earl's has been going to wine producers and custom blending or custom bottling large lots of wine with extended contracts. They arrange for the producer to sell it to the BCLDB at the agreed upon price and simultaneously order it from the LDB. So a wine that would normally appear on the gov's store shelves at $15 might be $8 or $9 to Earl's and then they can manipulate the "mark-up" factor. They're still making money.

If you're heading through the Grand Forks area, save some space in the stomach for the Grand Forks Hotel and the Russian food. Very campy room. Service staff is just back from the gulag so they're a little withdrawn. Food is totally authentic and filling in a very stealthy way. Being a western Canadian WASP, I have rarely seen main courses (all of them) served in a pool of melted butter. I'm now in favour of this type of presentation. I also like the way you can get two or three days worth of calories in one sitting.

Steamed milk and coffee. I like it. But my price threshold limits what I believe is value. I don't want a latte that's cheap and lousy, and I don't want a $5 latte, no matter how good.