So
I went out to prospect for the current project on Monday, February 29th. Here's a list the shops I stopped at and the results of my
interactions with each of them.
1. Mama Fu's
I made my first stop at Mama Fu's on Jollyville road. Mama Fu's has been in business for 9 years, and the assistant I spoke to wanted me to check their website for the management's email address, after learning of my purpose---an opportunity to meet the owner and ask his participation in my interview project.
From her response, I got the sense it might not fall into my criteria of small businesses---independent and locally owned. I simply nodded, thanked the young lady, and left.
2. Brick Oven
At Brick Oven, I spoke to Donnie, the owner, who was genial and open to hearing me out. After learning of my project, he asked me to follow up in two weeks since he recently signed a deal to have someone else take care of his restaurant's public relations. The deal, as he made clear, covers all affairs relating to public communication---blogging, social media, and email systems, and others.
"Get back to me in two weeks, and see where I am with this new deal," he told me. I completely understood, and appreciated his honesty and openness. On to Great Harvest.
3. Great Harvest Bread Co.
Great Harvest is one of my favorite places to visit in Austin---you always get a free slice of their favorite bakes, and the folks who work there are friendly. Great harvest is a is chain of bakery shops who specialize in baking whole grain, muffin, cinnamon rolls, and smoothies. Their bread and muffin are made with Montana wheat.
A review by one customer (credit Google):
This time I spoke to Marty, a gentleman, who shared a few things he knew of the business and this particular store---it's the first to open up for business below the Mason-Dixon line, and in Austin, there are two shops---one north and the other south. Marty also works their Farmers market efforts besides working the north Austin store.
To get an interview, Marty gave me the phone number for their south Austin, where a manager could be reached to possibly set something up. But I did get a sample of sour bread and butter before leaving. Thanks, Great Harvest.
4. Trulucks
Trulucks seemed like a high class restaurant tucked away in the corner of Research Boulevard and Great Hills. I have noticed it a few times, but have never walked in. A giant crab was embossed across it's front doors, giving a hint of a seafood bent to their offering. It always looked inviting with lights wrapped around some stout trees that seemed to surround it, giving it a woody and green tucking.
I had to wait outside a bit upon finding the door locked. I stood and wondered why a restaurant would have its doors locked in the afternoon. But within seconds of my thought, a car drove up, parking in one of the slots right in front of the restaurant. A man with a package in hand walked up to the door, smiled at me, knocked a few times to draw the attention of folks inside, and waved to signal his seemingly familiar presence.
"I deliver to them, and it's always like this," he told me, assuring me it's the fare with this restaurant. This restaurant may be exclusive to a select kind of clientele, thinking of it now, and true enough the website confirmed it when I checked online later. Well, we both walked in. He handed over the package, signed a receipt, and left.
I introduced myself to the young lady behind the welcome bar and shared the purpose of my stop.
"You would have to speak to the general manager, who doesn't live in Austin." I immediately knew I was in "corporately owned" territory. I took a card, however, thanked her and left, but not before going through my purpose again with a tall gentleman who may have been watching my interactions with the young lady, and wanted to find out exactly I was there.
5. Promise Pizza
Promise pizza had a banner slapped to the right of it's front doors announcing it's new ownership. A friendly young lady welcomed me and asked how she could help, after walking in. I asked to speak to the owner, and followed that with who I am---a writer, a blogger, doing a project profiling small business owners in Austin, Texas.
She took a few minutes to walk to the back of the shop to inform the owner. As I could see and tell, the owner seemed tied up with business in the back, but waved me over after learning of my purpose.
We went over what I do, and how I could be useful to him. Unsure of who I was and exactly how my project or blog could help him, he took my blog's URL and promised to follow up with me if he found a match, in value trade, between us. Before we parted ways, though, he made me aware he has only recently took over the ownership of the shop, and has been running it for 4 months.
I'll have to wait a few days and see if he follows up. Yet this happens often with my projects, where you do not hear back, and have to move on to find the next willing owner, which was my next stop.
6. Nothing Bundt Cakes
I walked in to find a lady in a conversation with a customer over an order, it seemed. I waited patiently for the conversation to be over before introducing myself and my project. Nothing Bundt Cakes is a franchise owned by a friendly husband and wife team, Leif and Kathleen, I learned later.
After hearing of my project, Kathleen asked me to speak to her husband, whom she called over from the back of the shop. Leif arrived to hear me restate my purpose, and agreed to do a quick interview on Wednesday, March 4th, for a 20-30 minute interview.
We set it up tentatively at 12pm, and agreed on a meeting place nearby. Glad, I thanked Kathleen and Leif and left.
8. Jersey Mike's Subs--Jersey Mike's corporately owned, I learned upon asking, shortening my stop there.
A short day being today, I quickly wrapped up things for the day, and headed to Best Buy to redeem a $50.00 Best Buy gift card I had from last year but had not gotten around to using it. I wanted to spend it on something useful before it expires.
I made a few rounds inside the Best Buy shop in the neighborhood, and came away with a 7 inch quad core tablet, and called it a day.
I will be posting more updates on the project as I go.
