Catching up

[Murfreesboro]

Your Aunt Millie does sound like a treasure. What a blessing she's been in all your lives.

My mother told me stories that probably shaped my view of my half-siblings. My mother struggled with fertility issues fir 12 years before I was born, and during that time I think my father's first family was sort of a thorn in her side. His kids came around a fair amount, I think, partly because they missed him, but also because he was a successful lawyer and had money to spare. Perhaps he also doted on them a bit because of guilt. Mama always suspected that his first wife wanted him back, and that her daughter really wanted the family together again. The divorce had been his fault (infidelity) , but my mother's take on it was that it was his FIL who really pushed for the divorce. Mama had known of his FIL years before she knew my father. He was a prominent and wealthy man in southeast Arkansas. His son had died in an accident as a teenager, so his daughter was his only child left, and my mother's belief was that he was infuriated at how my father had disrespected her. Her sense during those years 12 years was that the first wife regretted the divorce. At the same time, Mama never said anything disparaging about that first wife, whom I also met at least once.

I remember my half-siblings coming around from time to time during my early childhood, but they never visited once after our father's death, nor did they make much effort to stay in touch. Mama did make a point of visiting my half brother and his family during my teen years, when they happened to live for a while in her hometown. We were always up there during the summer and Christmas, often Easter, so she felt it was important to try. My half brother has also shown up for family reunions a few times, but not at these most recent ones. Back in 2000 I called my half sister to tell her about our aunt's death, since I doubted anyone else would think to do it. Back then you could still find a landline # in a phone book. We had a pleasant conversation, but that's the last contact we've had.

My father's mother and two sisters adored my mother, so it's been easy for me.to fit into that side of my family even without my father. I think maybe they didn't know the previous wife that well. It would probably have been harder for her children to mix with the rest of us, especially during our youth. And re my half-sister, she married right out of high school and had three children, so during my childhood she was probably just overwhelmed taking care of her own family up in the Delta, which isn't super close to Jackson. I mean, it's the same state, but a completely different geographical region. Doubtless if our father had lived, we'd have seen a little more of her.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

Thank you Murf. Yes, Millie is definitely loved and appreciated by those of us that have grown up with her. Like I said, my grandmother wasn't around for much longer than my grandfather, and Millie became a surrogate grandmother to us, and now she sits as the head of the family, still offering her years of wisdom, experience, and unique sense of humor to us when we need it. I know that she won't be around forever, but I'm glad that we still have her for now, and that she's still going strong.

Regarding your half sister, it's good to know that she was willing to have a conversation with you when you reached out to inform her of your aunt's passing. At least you know that there wasn't any hatred there from her. You have mentioned that you still have curiosity about your father's side of the family, and that your half sister is still around, would you ever consider trying to contact her again? I know it would probably be a very awkward conversation, but at this point in both your lives it might be cathartic for you to discuss your father, and what he meant to each of you.

Of course, it's already been this long, and if you're at peace with where the topic stands then there's no need to make contact with her.

[Murfreesboro]

One of my CA cousins made a point to visit her a couple of years back, when my cousin was touring the Blues Trail in the Delta. My half sister was very open to her, I think, so she'd probably be ok with seeing me, too. The trouble is on my side. I remember her asking for a particularly striking photo of our father at the funeral, made when he was about 21, and Mama just gave it to her on the spot. I was dismayed, but I was only 7, so I didn't speak up. All my life I've wanted that picture, and it wouldn't be hard or expensive to get a copy now, unlike 1962. But I feel weird about meeting her for the first time in , what? 63 years? And then asking her for something.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

Well, it's also possible that she might not even have the photo after this long.

I understand your point though, obviously you don't want it to look like that's the only reason that you're contacting her, so at some point during the conversation you ease your way into it and say something like ... Hey, do you remember that photo of our father that my mother gave you at the funeral, do you still have it? I would love to see it again. ... Then depending on if she has it or not, at least you would know, and if she does it might be awhile before she can dig it up, assuming that she's willing to do that for you, so you might have to prepare yourself for the long game.

Then again, you two might actually find that you have more in common than you thought and grow closer after your conversation. Regardless of the outcome, let me know how it goes if you decide to reach out to her.

[Murfreesboro]

If I ever get my nerve up, I'll let you know how it went.

[Andybev01]

All she can say is 'no' don't let it stop you from asking.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

My wife and I were recently contacted by a good friend that we know in the restaurant business, and he let us know that a friend of his was retiring and looking to sell his business. He owns a beautifully decorated nostalgic 50s diner with classic checkered floor, pink walls, 20 booths, a wrap around counter with 20 seats, 10 couples tables, and 2 jukeboxes, one original that plays records and it still works, the other is a modern digital jukebox designed to look just like the originals. There's even a open area dance floor. We went to look at it on the weekend and the girls fell in love with it as soon as they walked inside.

Apparently it's been on the market for awhile, but we didn't know about it because we honestly weren't looking for another business right now, his original asking price was 80k but he's had no interest so he's been steadily reducing the price and now it's at 40k, but I know that he's desperate to unload it, so I might be able to get it for 35k. The business has been there since the 80s, and they still have a steady customer base, with some decent online reviews so we know that younger people are eating there, and the only reason that he is selling is because he is in his late 70s and he wants to retire.

The good thing about it is that it's only about a hour from us so we can go back and forth if we need to, and if we acquire the business we will absorb their employees with it so we won't have to hire new people and train them, and the employees already there won't have to worry about their positions. I've already inspected the equipment and we won't require any renovations or upgrades because he had the place well maintained, so we won't have to wait to start business because they are already up and running.

The funny thing is that I actually used to go there on dates when I was in my teens, I even went there on my first date with a girl named Monica, so I have very fond memories of the place, but I didn't tell my wife that for obvious reasons. I hadn't been there in over 20 years because I had no reason to go back to that side of town, and I just assumed that they weren't around anymore. So you can imagine my surprise when this opportunity fell into my lap, as if it was meant to be.

My wife is a little hesitant because we are already juggling 3 businesses as it is, and I just lost a sh*tload in taxes on my recent land deal, but I'm confident that it's something that I can handle, and even increase traffic with the appropriate online marketing directed at the right crowd because nostalgia is big right now. The current owner has no online presence and that has impacted his maximum potential customer traffic, as he has only relied on his reputation in the community to generate business, and while it's great to have loyal customers in the community, I can tell you from experience running multiple businesses that having a online presence is crucial to having a successful business in the world today.

Anyway, if I'm going to wrap up this deal it's going to have to be soon, so I'll let you guys know how it goes.

[Murfreesboro]

Wow, what an opportunity! I know restaurants are a ton of work, but you know all about it, so you can best assess the demands. Mid-centiry everything is so popular right now. Good luck with your decision!

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

Thanks Murf.

Well, I'm now the owner of a 50s diner and malt shop... YAY!

I'm very excited about this new chapter, and I'm looking forward to the journey ahead. My wife loves the diner, but she's worried that I'm taking on too much responsibility, but she didn't know me when I was a teenager, and I was always good at balancing chaos. Sure, I'm not as young as I used to be, but thriving under pressure is my specialty. I haven't told my mother yet because I want to bring her there next week and surprise her, and Phoebe already told us that she wants to celebrate her next birthday at the diner, and as long as we aren't on vacation then she will be having her party there. Because everybody knows ... what Phoebe wants, Phoebe gets.

I sat with the owner of the diner, Marcelo, for over a hour and he told me his story about how he came here from Italy when he was a kid and he fell in love with the American way of life, and that he used to hang out with his friends at the local malt shop and that it meant so much to him, so when he was in his 30s and he decided to start a business he wanted it to be a place like this that reminded him of his childhood. I could tell that he was very passionate about his business, not only by the way that he talked about it, but also by the way he designed the place and his attention to detail that makes you feel like you stepped right into the 50s as soon as you walk through the door.

When I told him about the restaurant that I own his face lit up immediately, and he told me that he knew my old boss, as they are both Italian, and that they were friends, and that he had been to our restaurant many times over the years. I told him how I started working here and eventually bought the place and that I kept the original business name to honor my boss. When I said that he smiled at me and he put his hand on my shoulder and he said that now he knows that I'm the right person to make sure that the diner goes on. He revealed to me that he did have one previous offer from a real estate group but he knew that they just wanted the land and didn't care about the years that he put into the place.

We shook hands and he told me that he would have the paperwork ready in about a hour, so I went outside for awhile to get reacquainted with the area, when I came back we signed the contracts and shook on it and I paid him immediately with a e-transfer. It really is amazing how convenient technology has made large business transactions, when I bought the restaurant we had to wait days for the funds to be transferred, but now you can do it in minutes. We walked out of his office and then he announced to his staff that I was the new owner, and to my surprise the announcement was met with applause and cheers from the staff and customers. I assured the employees that each and every one of them would retain their positions and that I look forward to working with, and getting to know each of them.

Full disclosure, I didn't try to negotiate the price and I paid his asking price of 40k because I saw how much the business meant to him, and how much of his heart he poured into it over the years, and I wanted him to be happy with the deal. I know that he spent way more than that just to make the place look as great as it does, there are movie and music posters from the 50s on the walls, while most of them are reproductions, there are a few that are original, and in the condition they are in they could easily sell for over a grand a piece, not to mention that the original jukebox is worth over 10k by itself, so I know that I got a unbelievably great deal on it.

I have a friend in the real estate business that I consult with before purchasing property, and when I told him how much the place was his immediate reaction was ... HOLY SH*T! He said that even if something happened to the building that the land alone is worth double what I paid, so no matter what it's a good investment. I'm not too fond of the current name of the diner, but I'm not going to change it because if it's one thing that I've learned about business, it's that if it ain't broke then don't fix it. The diner has been there for 40 years and it's well established in the community, and people like to stick with what they are familiar with, so the name stays.

The manager at the diner is actually his niece and she's been there for 30 years and she knows everything about it, so I know that she's devoted to the business, and hopefully she will still remain committed to the position as the diner continues without her uncle there. I know that I can trust the people that work in my restaurant, so starting on Mon. I'm going to be at the diner everyday for the next 2 weeks to get everybody acclimated to the transition. After that I'll bounce between the restaurant and diner every other day to handle the cash flow, while any electronic payments will be handled automatically.

The good thing is that the menu is simple and straight forward, they only sell burgers, hotdogs, fries, chicken nuggets, malted milkshakes, ice cream and ice cream floats, and a variety of cakes and pies, so restocking inventory will be easy as we already get those items from our distributors and we can just bring them from here ourselves to reduce costs. I don't know yet if the cake and pies they sell are made fresh there, or if they get them delivered, but we have my wife's bakery ready as a back up for that.

I have to make a few changes like upgrade the security system and install more cameras, I'm also going to have to learn how to use some of the equipment in the kitchen there that we don't have in the restaurant, though technically speaking, I don't actually have to learn it because I won't ever be using it myself, but I like to learn how to use it just in case. This weekend I'm going to start building a website and social media accounts for the diner, and I'll start promoting the acquisition across our other businesses. I have a few ideas like holding 50s themed nights once a month where customers can dress up like it's the 50s, and since there's a dance floor maybe have a dance competition with prizes or something. Honestly, there are so many possibilities to consider.

On a slightly related note, Marcelo told me that he had something that he wanted to show me, so we went outside and he told me to wait in front of the diner, about a minute later he drove up in one of the most beautiful cars I've ever seen in my life ... It was a absolutely gorgeous 1957 Chevy Bel Air Coupe, 2 door hardtop with a gloss red body, and grey interior. It looked like it just rolled off the assembly line, he said that it was 95% original with only a few adjustments to the engine to make sure it still runs, there was also some slight wear to the steering wheel, but aside from that it is in unbelievably great shape for a car that's almost 70 years old. Then he said something that I wasn't expecting, he said that he was thinking about selling it.

I'm not really a car guy, my brother is, but I'm perfectly happy driving my family around in my Subaru. I also have a pickup truck and van that I use for work, they're nothing fancy but they get things done. So I usually just admire classic and luxury cars from afar, but as soon as I saw that car I wanted it. ... Whoa, whoa, whoa ... wait a minute ... I'm in my mid 40s seeking new adventures and looking to buy a expensive car ... am I having a midlife crisis??? ... NAH! It's just time to start enjoying the fruits of my labor. ... I asked him how much he wanted for the car, ge stood there for a moment with a conflicted look on his face and then he told me that he would have to think about it. I could tell that he really doesn't want to let it go, but I'm sure that I will eventually get him to change his mind. I'll let you know how it goes.

Anyway, it looks like I'm going to be busier than usual in the coming weeks, but you know me, I'll still be here when I can. Man, it's a good thing that I don't need sleep like everybody else does.

[Murfreesboro]

That's such a wonderful story! I think your idea of having "50s Nights" will be a big hit with the younger crowd. And lucky Phoebe, having such a great birthday venue in her dad's restaurant! Your girls are so blessed. It makes me feel good to read about your family's success.

[Andybev01]

A car like that is probably worth more than you paid for the restaurant!

On that note; one of my friends from high school worked at his parents vintage drive-in diner and they had weekly classic car meet-ups, and to this day the new owners still do , and it's a blast.

Local car clubs take turns (mostly) and so one week it's full of Chevy's, next Porche's, Ford, Mercedes, etc.

If you have enough parking it could be a great community enhancement.

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

Believe me, having a restaurant is very useful for large family gatherings, my younger sister had her wedding reception here, and we had Thanksgiving here one year because we wanted to invite as many family members as possible that year and my mother's house wouldn't have held everybody. While my mother complained about not having the comfort of using her kitchen, she was very happy to have the multiple large ovens to prepare the meal, and the extra space to have other relatives cooking in there with her, something she hadn't done in years. I'm sure that the restaurant and new diner will host many more family events to come.

I told the staff at the restaurant about the diner yesterday, and one of the girls that works as a server said she loves that place and she immediately asked if she could work there instead. I told her that I'd let her know. I've already created the layouts for the website and social media accounts, I just have to go back to the diner and shoot some new pictures before they go live.

Andy - it's funny that you mentioned a drive-in diner because last night I was looking over the zoning specifications for the property in case I require permits for any reason later on, and I was thinking about possibly adding a drive-in area to the side of the diner, with waitresses that bring orders to the customers, maybe even on roller skates like they had in the old days. Of course, the main issue with that is that we have terrible weather here about 6 months out of the year, so it could only be used during the warmer months. If this was California with constant warm weather then we could offer that year round, it's still something that I'm probably going to try this summer though just to test it out.

Your idea about having classic car meet-ups is great, and it's definitely something that I'm going to look into. I know there are groups on Facebook for local car enthusiasts, and I'm sure that they would love a event like that during the warmer months.

A car like that is probably worth more than you paid for the restaurant!

I don't doubt that.

I went to look on a few of those websites that compare current market prices on vehicles, and the prices vary drastically based on condition. They can start as low as $2,500 for project cars in need of restoration, but the average price for a good condition 57 Chevy is around 70k, while fully restored, show-quality examples can sell for over 100k. The highest recorded selling price for a 57 Chevy Bel Air at auction was $275,000.

If I had to put a estimated value on the car that Marcelo has, I'd say it's between 70-80k, but I don't know how much his asking price will be. It's a absolutely beautiful car, and he has taken good care of it, nut I don't know how much longer he will be able to drive it, as he is 78 and, if I'm being honest, doesn't look like his health is doing so well. Of course, he does have those wonderful Italian genetics, so he could still surprise you. My old boss is 93 this year, and he's still going strong, and he even comes into the restaurant once in awhile to visit. I tell you, I love that guy.