Hope for the Future

Buddy Moen remembers always wanting to run a restaurant. When he was eight his mother him cook for the family. His first meal was liver, onions and pasta shells preceded by a green salad. But he was not a “mother's boy” and never called a “sissy.” In high school he was two years the captain of the football team on defense, honorable mention on the all state team at strong safety.

But at Everett Community College he didn't go out for football; he wanted to cook in the college restaurant that was open to the public on Friday nights and for Saturday and Sunday brunch. Buddy studied marketing as well as food service. In the evenings he tended bar at Romano's Macaroni Tavern in the Alderwood Mall. (He said he wanted to learn there after reading in Hospitality Magazine that Macaroni was the best organized of the upscale national franchises. He also figured he could make better tips there, serving food as well as drinks.)

Betsy Payton worked around the corner at the Apple Store and often came to Macaroni at the end of her shift for a small plate – usually shrimp – and a glass of wine. Payton flirted with Moen and Moen flirted with Payton. One evening when she worked late Buddy came into the Apple Store and asked Betsy if she would have dinner with him at the nearby Red Lobster. While that was not Betsy's dream date, she agreed when Buddy explained he was studying that chain for a term paper.

Betsy was a favorite of her grandfather, Ben Vanderlugt. She had spent summers at his farm in Lynden and played with the calves. Now retired with a young wife – he sold the farm to Betsy's uncle – and living part time in California – he asked Betsy to set him up with an Apple system to trade commodity futures. Betsy, who worked on the “genius desk” in the Apple store, had a number of followers who traded futures. Ben was so delighted with his system that he invited Betsy to spend a weekend at his new house in Birch Bay. Betsy asked Buddy to go along.

To escape the talkative young wife, Gwen, – much younger than Betsy's mother – Betsy took Buddy for a walk on thebeach. Not far from Ben's house, they came upon a vacant restaurant building with a for-sale sign, called the Blue Fish yet painted brown – “Bad marketing there joked Buddy.”

Back at the house Buddy peppered Ben with questions about the “brown fish.” How long had it been closed? Was it ever profitable? How much does the owner want? Ben explained that the owner's price was way out of line and that community people wanted to get hold of the building for a visitors' center, a bath house and what all that could not be profitable – “They're socialists,” said Ben.Finally Betsy, who had been trying to coax Buddy away from talking about the restaurant with fingers on his knee, clapped her hands and said: “Grandpa, I'm afraid we're gonna stay up tonight. Can we use your computer to make a business plan?”When they came down to breakfast, Ben and Gwen were not surprised to see the table covered with paper, rather than dishes.The first page was a summary. The owner wants a million but he will accept a lease-to-buy with a hundred thou up front with no rent until Labor Day. After that, 15 percent of profits, defined as revenues less expenses. including reasonable salaries for management.

“But that place is a shack,” said Ben. “

“It's not what's inside the building; it's what people will see looking out. Beautiful water, flocks of sea birds, marvelous sunsets. The deck on top will be full of people,” Buddy responded.

When he had finished reading all 12 pages of the plan, Ben said, “OK, you've got your hundred thou,” and Gwen said, “50 thou more for working capital.”

Buddy kept it simple. He got five gallon pails of white paint cheap. (When Betsy pointed out it was glossy, Buddy said, So much the better.) Three guys who wanted to be waiters did the painting for minimum wage – “we'll make good tips”, they said after reading the business plan. Big pots, large plates, salad plates, unmatched knives, forks and spoons, and wine glasses were a steal at a salvage place. He ordered Dreamfields low-carb mac in bulk – “Good nutrition is our offer,” said Betsy, talking “branding.”

The restaurant opened the Friday before Memorial Day:

Mac&Cheese+Crab

Just one dish with a green salad and a glass of pinot grigio (non alcoholic for kids) and Birch Bay black berries with whipped cream for desert. All for $13.50. Additional wine for $3.50 per glass or $9.50 for big, 1½ liter bottle.

As marketing manager, Betsy put her Mac Mini to work, starting with a list of all the Libertarians in Whatcom County for a special evening the first Tuesday night. Ben got his friend, Ron Paul to come. Congressman Paul passed his own hat, “To get these young people started – they are Free Enterprise personified!”

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays were fine – the average wait was 25 minutes and the average check for two, $37. “We're making money on $14,” howled Buddy. Betsy became the Twofor Queen of Weeknights. With computer lists from the County she sent out coupons for birthdays, marriage anniversaries, etc. – “Come celebrate paying your taxes!” was the most popular. (The average check was $43.)

Nobody remembered the brown fish.

ak

Postcript to Post of March 20

New sign. A really nice sign. A sample of what could make Birch Bay a more interesting place to visit and a more enjoyable place to live.

ak

First, Fix the Signs

When the consultants' report is completed, the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce will need to determine priorities. In our view the most important task is to revamp the signage that does not include all the businesses presently available to visitors. A revamped program can achieve two important objectives:

1. Enable visitors to find what they are looking for and direct them to business they might not know exist.

2. Involve all businesses in collaboration to make the community more cohesive and, in the process, strengthen the chamber.

Yes, there are some businesses that initially won't want to participate. They may if “encouraged.” Recently I heard a fitting motto: “Pressure, but don't destroy.”

There are some signs that might make visitors wonder what kind of place Birch Bay is. One couple with two businesses recently, on their own, hand lettered their locations on the existing sign. They might be labeled scofflaws, but put yourself in their situation. With an existing system allowing additions, their businesses could have been included efficiently. (A factor is that these people have made significant contributions to the chamber and the community.)

This is going to be a challenge for the Chamber that in previous years has been hard pressed to maintain existing events. The new officers and board inspire hope. They are a cohesive team that has attracted more volunteers and they are changing the previous view that a “non-profit” should not make any money. Fortunately, that attitude is gone and incentives to increase revenue are being added, such as sponsorships of events.

Nonetheless, for an organization that is “on budget” with a balance of four thousand dollars, funding new signs will not be easy. Perhaps the solution would be an assessment on businesses in a way that will make participation desirable. (Pressure, not destruction.)

Another need may be a special listing of lodgings. One comment reported by the consultants was about too many condos. In my view, time shares, rentable condos and cottages are an asset, RV parks less so. But RV parks in Birch Bay are a fact of life. However, they could be dressed up with better signs and entrances.

A related thought is that, along with multi-business listing signs, attractive individual signs should be rewarded. Here is my nominee for this year's ribbon.

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Are you ready?

Disasters such as the triple whammy that struck Japan starting last Friday remind us that we should all be prepared.

I know, we all intend to, but we just don't get around to it.

One great source of information is the Washington Military Department Emergency Management Division's Prepare in a Year program at http://www.emd.wa.gov/preparedness/prep_prepare_year.shtml. It breaks down the preparation into an hour a month so that by the next Ides of March you would be prepared. Or you could accelerate that and be ready in 12 weeks or 12 days. 

For another source on how to get started, or check out how you're doing, see the FEMA site at http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/basic_preparedness.shtm.

Closer to home is Whatcom County's Web site at http://www.whatcomready.org/, with lots of information, some the same as the others and some a little more specific to our location. 

We don't have a nuclear reactor to worry about; very limited potential for tsunamis, according to local authotities; and the BP refinery does not use hydroflouric acid in its process, so the possibility of that hazardous material release is avoided. 

Other real potential hazards are earthquakes, flooding, volcanic ash fall-out, and fires.

Birch Bay in winter 

Living in beautiful Birch Bay has few hazards and plenty of rewards, so get ready for the few and be safe to enjoy the plenty.

rah

Pay Attention to the Birch Bay Tourism Study

Everyone concerned with the future of Birch Bay should read and consider the ideas put forth by the consultants who are paid $25,000 by the Port of Bellingham. There is a version at www.birchbaychamber.com (click on "survey").

Dodd Snodgrass, the Port's project manager who oversaw the work (dodds@portofbellingham.com), e-mailed us a copy of the latest version last week. It is 95 pages with nice pictures – that's a lot of paper and ink.

Some people are not favorably impressed. At the February meeting of the Birch Bay Chamber, John Gargett, the president, said he didn't know people have trouble finding Birch Bay. At an information-sharing meeting last Tuesday, Charlie Shelton, the Port director, and Michael McAuly, the newest Port commissioner got an earful from a man who rents cottages who said that he “resents outsiders who tell him his business.”

Kathy Berg, chair of the Birch Bay Steering committee, in written comments to those who guided the consultants, noted that, “Unfortunately, the sometimes inaccurate information is a distraction and counter productive.” She added that, “weaknesses” listed in the consultant's report have been addressed and or been improved over the past 10 years by the Steering Committee.

My view, from the meetings I attended, is that the consultants seemed more interested in expressing their own ideas than in seeking out all the key people in the community and listening to their ideas.

Among the 13 people they did interview are few of the have-done/can-do people who have built the community. In a section on what is likely to happen to the tourism market in Birch Bay if nothing is done, the consultants include: “Continue as a sleepy backwater.” 

Birch Bay is generally recognized for the best warm-water beach north of California. The State fish and game commission ranks Birch Bay as the best clamming beach north of Seattle. Seventy thousand people camped at the state park last year. There were 500,000 total visitors, according to Ted Morris, who manages the park.

Last week the Herald reported census numbers for Whatcom County communities. In the past decade, Birch Bay had the greatest percentage growth (69.6%) of any community in the county and, with the exception of Bellingham, the most gain in people (3,453); greater than Blaine (914) Ferndale (2,657) and Lynden (2,913).

Do these number define a “backwater?”

While the consultants fill their study with bright ideas about how to attract more people to Birch Bay, I think the priority should be on how to create more activities and amenities for people who come so they will stay longer and spend more money. That's going to take entrepreneurial enterprise.

Nonetheless, those who study the recommendations will find some good ideas that prompt thinking.

In my youth I made a modest living taking California investment analysts to New York to meet reporters and broadcasters. Most of the discussions were about hot new companies and their business plans. Some of the best business plans were described as originating on one side of a folded napkin – a paper napkin.

So, if you've read this far I suggest that, as you study the consultants' recommendations, you take a piece paper – re-use paper folded the long way – and write down five things you would like to see happen, aside from Kathy's berm and Ted's boat launch.

Five things that are do-able in the next three years. 


Send them to us as a comment for posting.

ak