What's For Lunch? by Cathy Bryant Copyright 2002 http://www.homebizjunction.comAs an entrepreneur, I'm always intrigued by small businesses, home-based or not, that exceed expectations of their customers in a big way.
Let me tell you about one of them.
Recently I spent some time with my daughter in her college town of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We were spending day getting her apartment ready for her return to school in fall. When it was time for lunch, she wanted to take me to a restaurant in small town of Northport, just to north of Tuscaloosa.
Northport is one of those typical southern small towns whose downtown area has been converted into a delightfully quaint shopping area. Central to it is a restaurant called City Cafe.
What an experience.
We arrived at location at 11:30 a.m. Typically I like going to restaurants for lunch at that time so that one can "beat rush." I commented on this to my daughter before we arrived; she just laughed.
When we walked in, I understood why. I faced a room with
1) a lunch counter to left (full) 2) booths to right (full) and 3) a line that stretched all way to back wall and then circled around.
Like visitors to Disney World, we automatically took our place at end of line. Then I began to look toward front of line and realized that it continued on into another room (which I couldn't see). So I asked my daughter, "where is FRONT of this line?"
Her response - "you'll see."
Sheesh!
So I began to look around at diners surrounding me. Their plates were piled high with what can only be described as "down home Southern cooking." And diners themselves? A quick glance around room told me that this establishment attracted customers from every walk of life. At this moment, however, they all had one thing in common - serious business of eating.
Meanwhile, aroma was making my mouth water. So I turned my attention back to ultimate end of line. When would I have my turn?
About 15 minutes later we made our way to next room. It was there I discovered that front of line ended at doorway between this room and yet ANOTHER room. Both of these rooms had two rows of booths on either side. I didn't count them, but my estimate is about six on each side of room, making about 24 booths in total. They could sit as many as four to a booth.