Hey NCT!! Remember me??

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
Hi everyone and Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice, Bonnybear (sp?), etc!! I miss posting as frequently as I used to.
Here's a quick update from Red Gravy!
I generally miss my daily sales goal by about a hundred bucks each day. It's got me concerned, to tell you the truth. That goal is about 1/2 of what I'd love to be making, but I'd settle for the goal. I have good ads out, and people do respond to the ads. I need more word of mouth, though,and that takes time. I did let the cook go, unfortunately. I was doing most of the cooking anyway, so it didn't make sense to have a $10 an hour person just to make grilled sandwiches and potato salad. So, for now, I do all the cooking.
Starting the 26th of December I'll be open 7 days a week. I do a nice enough Saturday brunch, I wanted to see if there is some additional Sunday business as well. I just don't want to drop dead, either. It's looking like Wednesday is my slowest day. That surprised me, honestly. I thought it would be Monday, but that's not the case.
I'm considering cooking classes for adults and for kids as a means to make some extra money. I'm also getting closer to actually doing the chef's table one night a week. I've looked into a liquor license and will probably apply for one the beginning of the year. Problem is...I'm pretty much broke right now. I came down here with a fair amount of money, but it's all in the restaurant, well, all but about 5% that I have left over. It's really scary.
I'm participating in a chocolate showcase fundraiser the end of January, sponsored by the PBS station here. I'll supply 800 sample size portions of menu items to the guests. I'll be listed in all the event ads, websites, commercials, flyers, etc.
I've got lots of repeat customers, lots of them. That's very encouraging. It shows me that once people come in, they do like it. I just need more of them.


The sandwiches: The most popular breakfast sandwich is the Bruce, followed in order by the Debra, the Jim and then the Nancy. Lunch is almost a tie between the Mark and the Lou, but according to my reports, the Mark is just a bit ahead. The Ivan beats the Blair, and the Grandma and Granddad are ties, as well...kinda like the people the represent. The Sarah usually beats the Coco. Baked Ziti and Lasagna are big hits, and the roast pork, brisket and turkey are better sellers than the roast beef and ham. I'll probably take those two off the menu in January, replacing them with meatloaf and fried fillet of fish, respectively. I also added Philly cheesesteak to the menu, and that does okay. Everyone loves the meatballs, everyone. If there was a contest today, I'd win. The carbonara, bolognese and fra diavlo have serious devotees. I'm encouraged by that, too.

As for the rest of my life...I rarely cook at home any longer. The icebox is like a foreign country now. I'm hardly home any longer, too. We leave the house at 5am, and I don't get home till 5pm (Lou only stays at the restaurant till about 10am). We deliver to the french quarter, and CBD, and that helps, too. Funny how I was about to talk about the rest of my life, and it becomes talk about the restaurant!!

Lou and I are going to 7 on Fulton tonight for a Revillon dinner. Revillon dinners were/are traditional christmas eve celebrations/dinners that took place after midnight mass. We went carroling in Jackson Square complete with candles and songbooks on Sunday night. We were joined by about 10,000 other people too. It was wonderful.

I'm closing for christmas eve and christmas day...Maybe I'll even take a picture or two of the food again.
Be good to each other, treat each other well.
Peace
 

GotGarlic

New member
Hey, Vera. As I'm sure you know, it always takes some time for a new business to catch on. It sounds like you're doing everything right and having success - it will probably just take a little more time. We miss you posting more often, too, but of course we understand that running a restaurant keeps you busy and I'm sure it can be exhausting. It's great to hear from you, though. Have a wonderful Christmas :smile:
 

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Merry Christmas Vera!!!!!!
You are off to a great start. Cooking classes do sound like an interesting ad on that will get folks to your restaurant that would not have otherwise found you, and that could also help your word of mouth business. Good luck with that if you decide to pursue that route.
Thanks for the update. :thumb:
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
Merry Christmas - Yes, of course, I remember you. I also understand what starting a business means. Do what you have to do, stop by and say hello when you can. We all miss you.

Andy
 

buzzard767

golfaknifeaholic
Gold Site Supporter
I see a couple extra customers in your future. DW & I are planless from 12-26 until new year's eve, so we are thinking about a side trip to NO, say around the 28th for lunch, eh?
 

lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
Vera,

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous new year to you and yours.
 

Ronjohn

New member
VB,
Merry Christmas to you and your family, and best wishes for a happy and profitable new year. Like several others here, I'm trying to find a way to get to NO to help out with that extra customer part :)
 

Sass Muffin

Coffee Queen ☕
Gold Site Supporter
Aww Vera!
Your plans for tonight sound wonderful, and your account of going out for Christmas caroling with Lou sounds downright sweet!
Continued success and growth with that wonderful place known as Red Gravy!
Happy Christmas To You, Lou and Those You Hold Dear!
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Sounds as if you have everything under control, VB! Doing lots of things right and planning on doing more right things, too!

Enjoy the work and the holidays!

Lee
 

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
Just had a nice lunch rush...and I love that!! Naturally, I gave one person the day off, Lou is out puttng the word out to the hotels that I'll be open on sunday, my UT guy is doing deliveries and the cashier/sandwich maker is under the weather. More money for me, I say!!

I'm making quail on Christmas Day!! I'll post a thread! Remember when I used to do that???:wink:
 

loboloco

Active member
Merry Christmas, Verablue. Yep,it takes time to get established. sounds like you are doing okay though, considering the time. I wish you the best of luck this coming year.
 
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