College Town At Christmas 2022: Staying Positive During Tough Times Like These

 I always end my Dad Rocks Podcast with these words, "Keep Working Hard, Keep Your Chin Up, Stay Positive and Stay Safe." So for this Christmas season living in our beloved college town of Bowling Green, Ky., where we are now a population of about 73,529 citizens (I understand a lot of newcomers are still moving into our area), this is my motto in order to stay positive. With the nation's economy at high inflation levels, high crime rates and tons of traffic issues across the country, keeping a positive attitude is one of the best things that we can do for ourselves especially during times like these.  Be safe out there and focus of what you do have.  Keep working hard, keep a positive attitude and everyone around you will notice it including your employer. It will rub off on them too like a chain reaction. Mainly, enjoy the season by getting into the spirit along with family and friends remembering what Christmas is all about.

    Just like with the Dad Rocks Private Facebook group, we are all about the music and that's what we focus on.  There is no "Fighting, arguing or BS."  Dealing with the internet in a proper way, is the mature, responsible thing to do.  Ignoring the bad stuff or not responding to nasty and negative people on the internet is also the mature and responsible thing to do.  A lot of people are exposed to bad stuff on internet everyday especially young people. They are often the target of child predators pretending to be a teenagers or whatever.  So I strongly advise you to use the internet in a proper way such as for shopping, keeping up with family and friends or conducting a business. I think this is a lesson that we have had all to learn through the years regarding being argumentative or fighting on the internet at one time or another.  Most of us are guilty of being key board warriors.  Like Dr. Phil says, "You wouldn't say something to somebody's face in an elevator that you would say hidden behind a keyboard would you?"  I think he has a very good point here.  So lets remember to be kind and nice to each other during this Christmas season whether face to face or on the internet.

Here's some things you can do to "Stay Positive" during this Christmas season during tough times like these:

Join a positive community or group of people on Facebook who have a common interest such as Dad Rocks where we promote good memories, Classic Rock music, humor and nostalgia. Mainly, you develop new positive friendships on the internet.

Take a stroll in Downtown Bowling Green, Ky., or in your own hometown to see the Christmas lights and eat at your favorite restaurant.

Be nice to your fellow co-workers or Associates by being friendly. Smile and say, "Hello," "Good Morning," "Have a Good Evening," "Have a Good Break" or "Good Lunch." Also, say "Thank you" or "Appreciate it."

Mainly, spend good quality time with your family members and friends by eating a good meal at home and watching Christmas movies together by the fireplace (if you have one).

Make Christmas very special for your pets such as your dog or cat. Buy them presents and share Christmas with them and really talk it up. Be sure to include them in all family activities during this time of the year.  And remember to always to give them upmost care and love that they deserve.  Remember, your best is not good enough when it comes to owning a dog or cat.  Give them your "ultimate" of everything.

Most importantly, be kind to each other with a cheerful and giving heart this Christmas season.  And remember the true reason for the Christmas season. Merry Christmas and Stay Positive!

Remembering Bowling Green, Ky.'s "Kenny Rogers Roasters," "Backyard Burgers" and "Boston Market" Restaurants

    I am a restaurant fan.

If you live in Bowling Green, you almost have to be.  We have a lot restaurants to choose from in this town.  As a matter of fact, I think there's almost 300 restaurants located here with a population of 65,000 citizens-mom & pops, national chains and lots of ethnic restaurants (Chinese, Asian, Indian, Mexican, Bosnia and etc.) And if you love pizza, we also have tons of pizza restaurants in Bowling Green.  Especially, pizza delivery!  We also have several BBQ restaurants-the mom & pop and national chains too.
   

But what I want to know is what happened to our Kenny Rogers Roasters, Backyard Burgers and Boston Market?  Yes, we used to have those in Bowling Green!  Kenny Rogers Roasters was at Fairview Plaza Shopping Center on U.S. 31-W By-Pass where McDonalds is now and the Boston Market was on Campbell Lane where the strip shopping center is that houses the FedEx copy center and an ethnic restaurant as well as a retail shop or two.  And Backyard Burgers used to be located in front of Big Lots on Nashville Road where the strip shopping center that houses Dunkin Donuts and a Mexican restaurant and some retail shops.  (For a while, strip shopping centers were popping up all over Bowling Green.  Now, it seems apartment buildings are  popping up all over the place).
    I really liked all three of those restaurants and ate at them several times in the 1990's and 2000's.  I enjoyed their food, their service and the interior decor of all three.  However, they are all now in the boneyard of the Bowling Green restaurant scene.  It's a very tough market in our town and extremely hard for the small mom & pop restaurants to make a go at it.  I have lived here for 30 years and I can't tell you how many restaurants have come and gone through the years.  I always like to call it when I see this happen, "Another one bites the dust."
    If I can think of some more restaurants that have come and gone through the years in Bowling Green, I'll be sure to write about them in this blog later on.  And if you can remember any, please let me know.  Thanks and "Happy Dining" in our big town of good ole Bowling Green!

If You've Never Had It, You've Got To Try It: Cincinnati's World Famous "Skyline Chili"

      I had forgotten about Cincinnati's world famous chili brand until I was driving to Columbus, Ohio, from Bowling Green for a business meeting a couple of weeks ago. I saw a billboard sign for a "Skyline Chili."http://www.skylinechili.com/ restaurant.

      I've never known much about this famous brand of chili until I heard about it for the first time from some guys that I went to an insurance sales school with for a week in Lexington, Ky., in the Summer of 1989. There was a Skyline Chili restaurant in the eatery mall next to Rupp Arena (where the University of Kentucky plays their home basketball games) and the hotel where I was staying in downtown at the time. Apparently, it was all the rage back then and still is in parts of Northern Kentucky and Southern Ohio. But I don't remember if I ever had tried any or not. That was almost 30 years ago, you know.
But I did stop in Cincinnati near King's Island on my way back home from Columbus. I just popped into the Skyline Chili restaurant and ordered their smallest bowl to go they had for about five dollars and ate it in the car in the parking lot. Believe it or not, I did not spill any on me! They also gave me some hot sauce packets and crackers to go with it. Yes, it was extremely hot (heat wise and somewhat spicy) and very delicious to say the least. I checked our local Kroger grocery store in Bowling Green and they sell it for $4.59 a can. I think it's a little steep in price but I guess if you're dying for some of Cincinnati world famous chili, you'll pay the price. But I didn't see that Kroger carries the other world famous Cincinnati brand, "Gold Star" either. Here's a little about the history of Skyline Chili from their web-site. Enjoy!:

"The Story of Skyline Chili

      From a small kitchen in the village of Kastoria, Greece, a fascinated young Nicholas Lambrinides watched as his mother and grandmother prepared authentic Greek dishes. Their recipes had been passed down from generation to generation. These were unique, wonderful dishes that had the power to bring his whole family together.
     Nicholas dreamed that one day he would bring these recipes and traditions to America, where he could share them with friends and family. In 1949, his dream came true when Nicholas opened his first restaurant overlooking the skyline of Cincinnati, Ohio and began serving his delicious secret recipes to appreciative customers.
     Since then, Skyline Chili’s Coneys, Ways and table-side service have been enjoyed by generations. Our Chili continues to be made from Nicholas’s original recipe, using a secret blend of spices and only the highest quality ingredients. Skyline is dedicated to bringing friends and families together for an experience like no other and we will always be devoted to the American dream of that young man from a small village in Greece."

Restaurant Industry In Bowling Green Is A Tough Gig

In the event of the recent shutdown of three of Hitcents Park Plaza's concept restaurants located in the bottom of the BG downtown parking structure and the layoffof 30 employees according a newspaper article in today's Bowling Green Daily News posted below, I only have this to say-

"The restaurant industry in Bowling Green is a tough gig all around because of the sheer high volume of competition. Anytime you open an eating establishment in this town these days, you are taking a risk because of the stiff competition and the tough economy. I always thought Hitcents was taking a rather bold step with five concept restaurants in one location (parking structure). Not only were they competing with other restaurants in BG, they were competing with each other."-Galen A. Smith Sr.

Three out of the five restaurants in Hitcents Park Plaza have closed to undergo renovations and move in new restaurant concepts. (Miranda Pederson/Daily News)


Former staff dissatisfied with layoffs


Posted: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 11:05 am

By MONICA SPEES The Daily Newsmspees@bgdailynews.com 783-3246| 2 comments


In the wake of three restaurants shuttering Saturday, employees say they didn’t see their layoffs coming.

Candace Barbee began working at Mariah’s 3 1/2 years ago and stayed with the restaurant when it moved to Hitcents Park Plaza. Barbee was eventually promoted to assistant manager of Brick & Basil Pizzeria, Tres Molinos and Pagoda Asian Cafe, all three of which closed Saturday.

“I knew there was a meeting scheduled for Saturday, but nobody was told why,” Barbee said. “Everybody was just really nervous. We weren’t told anything. We were kept completely in the dark.”

Rick Kelley, consultant for Hitcents and former owner of Mariah’s, delivered the news to the approximately 30 employees at Saturday’s meeting that the restaurants were closing, Barbee said.

Barbee, a Western Kentucky University student, said Kelley thanked the employees for their hard work and said that though the fast-casual concept is a popular trend in the nation, regrettably, it hadn’t succeeded at the plaza. If the employees gave about three hours of their time to help clean up the restaurants, they would receive a severance package.

“It could’ve been handled a different way,” Barbee said. “I cared about (my employees) ... and that’s why it was so hard that everything happened. ... It just seemed like a community injustice.”

Barbee said she feels that she and the other employees worked to promote the restaurants and drum up business. However, Barbee said she thinks the restaurants’ overall marketing campaign was poorly executed. Barbee said she often had to explain to people where she worked because they had never heard of the restaurants.

Natasha Patterson, a WKU student, was formerly a cashier at the restaurants. She was among the first employees working at the restaurants when they opened earlier this year. Patterson wasn’t scheduled to work a couple days before the Saturday meeting, but she felt that something was wrong after seeing signs posted in the restaurants about a mandatory meeting.

When Patterson arrived at the meeting Saturday morning, she said she could tell by the way Kelley was talking that the employees were about to lose their jobs. Patterson knew business was slow – an issue she partially attributes to sparse marketing.

“I loved working there. ... I just wish we could’ve been let go a little more tactfully,” Patterson said.

Clinton Mills, co-founder of Hitcents, said after the closure Saturday that they plan to open full-service restaurants in the fast-casual restaurants’ place in the coming months. Mills reiterated this morning that Hitcents would invite former employees back when the new restaurants open.

Mills said Saturday that Hitcents had underestimated parking challenges, because most customers, after taking the time to drive downtown and park in the parking garage, were going to Mariah’s or 6-4-3 Sports Bar.

Mills said this morning that 30 employees were let go and 15 employees were kept on at the plaza because they were cross-trained. All the restaurants at the plaza employed about 200 people.

“To only lose 30 people, it shows that we tried to retain and repurpose as many people as we could,” Mills said.

While Mills said he can understand the former employees’ frustrations, he thinks most of them probably “knew it was coming.”

“It’s nothing against them,” Mills said. “It’s just unfortunate that the restaurants weren’t profitable.”

Mills added that Kentucky employers can let employees go at any time for any reason.

“If they think they were let go unfairly, that’s the opinion of a couple people because (Kentucky is) an at-will state,” Mills said. “We thought we were very nice and very fair to everyone and went above and beyond what most employers would” by providing severance pay.

— Follow business beat reporter Monica Spees on Twitter at twitter.com/BGDNbusiness