Ty & Gramps
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
Fiesta Time
Just in time for the holidays, we have unveiled our Fresh Fiesta Kit - another first for Aucklanders. The Vodafone guys can now chow down in their office, families can take the kit to the beach for a nice picnic, and the harried commuter can grab dinner for the family on the way to the ferry. Conor's got some great point-of-sale devices and our flyers are in all of the offices in the CBD. Arriba!
Thursday, December 08, 2005
A Kiwi Christmas Tale
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all round the bach
Not a possum was stirring; not one could we catch.
We'd left on the table a meat pie and beer,
In hopes that Santa Claus soon would be here.
We children were snuggled up in our bunk beds,
While dreams of pavlova danced in our heads;
And Mum in her nightie,and Dad in his shorts,
Had just settled down to watch TV sports.
When outside the bach such a hoo-ha arose,
I woke up at once from my wonderful doze.
I ran straight to the sliding door, looking about,
Jumped out on the deck, and let out a shout!
The fairy lights Dad had strung up around the door
Let me see everything down to the shore.
And what did I see, when I took a peep?
But a miniature tractor and eight tiny sheep.
With a little old driver, his dog on his knee.
I knew at once who this joker might be.
He patted his dog, and in a voice not unkind,
Cried ! "Good on ya, boy! Now, GIT IN BEHIND!
"Now Flossy! now Fluffy! now Shaun and Shane!
On Bossy! on Buffy! on Jason and Wayne!
Up that red tree, to the top of the bach!
But mind you don't trample the vegetable patch."
So up on the roof those sheep quickly flew,
With the tractor of toys, Santa and his dog too.
As my sister awoke and I turned around,
In through the window he came with a bound.
He wore a black singlet and little white shorts,
And stuck on his feet were gumboots of course;
A sackful of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a postie just opening his pack.
His eyes-bright as paua shell - oh, how they twinkled!
Like an old tuatara, his skin was all wrinkled!
He had a wide face and a round, fat tummy,
That looked like he'd eaten lots that was yummy.
He spoke not a word, but got down on one knee,
And placed a cricket set under the tree,
A present for Sis, one for Dad, one for Mum,
Then he turned and he winked and held up his thumb.
He jumped on his tractor, to his dog gave a whistle,
And away they all flew, as fast as a missile.
I called out "Thanks," as he flew past the gate.
He called back: "Kia ora to all, and good on ya, mate."
This was read at the American Women's Club Christmas Luncheon today in Devonport. Unfortunately, the author is unknown.
Not a possum was stirring; not one could we catch.
We'd left on the table a meat pie and beer,
In hopes that Santa Claus soon would be here.
We children were snuggled up in our bunk beds,
While dreams of pavlova danced in our heads;
And Mum in her nightie,and Dad in his shorts,
Had just settled down to watch TV sports.
When outside the bach such a hoo-ha arose,
I woke up at once from my wonderful doze.
I ran straight to the sliding door, looking about,
Jumped out on the deck, and let out a shout!
The fairy lights Dad had strung up around the door
Let me see everything down to the shore.
And what did I see, when I took a peep?
But a miniature tractor and eight tiny sheep.
With a little old driver, his dog on his knee.
I knew at once who this joker might be.
He patted his dog, and in a voice not unkind,
Cried ! "Good on ya, boy! Now, GIT IN BEHIND!
"Now Flossy! now Fluffy! now Shaun and Shane!
On Bossy! on Buffy! on Jason and Wayne!
Up that red tree, to the top of the bach!
But mind you don't trample the vegetable patch."
So up on the roof those sheep quickly flew,
With the tractor of toys, Santa and his dog too.
As my sister awoke and I turned around,
In through the window he came with a bound.
He wore a black singlet and little white shorts,
And stuck on his feet were gumboots of course;
A sackful of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a postie just opening his pack.
His eyes-bright as paua shell - oh, how they twinkled!
Like an old tuatara, his skin was all wrinkled!
He had a wide face and a round, fat tummy,
That looked like he'd eaten lots that was yummy.
He spoke not a word, but got down on one knee,
And placed a cricket set under the tree,
A present for Sis, one for Dad, one for Mum,
Then he turned and he winked and held up his thumb.
He jumped on his tractor, to his dog gave a whistle,
And away they all flew, as fast as a missile.
I called out "Thanks," as he flew past the gate.
He called back: "Kia ora to all, and good on ya, mate."
This was read at the American Women's Club Christmas Luncheon today in Devonport. Unfortunately, the author is unknown.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Thanksgiving
The holiday season is now well and truly into full swing with summer upon us and Christmas lights adorning all of the houses in our neighborhood. We had a wonderful, traditional American-style Thanksgiving complete with turkey and all the trimmings. (See new Thanksgiving photo album). I made my first pumpkin pie from scratch (out of necessity). Kiwis eat lots of pumpkin and they are in all of the stores, but there is no canned pumpkin to be found! I may stick with the fresh pumpkin method - it's so good.
Rachel leaves us today after her 3 month soujourn in NZ. It's been a great learning experience, she's met kids just like herself from all over the world. We were talking last night about how important it is to travel, see how others live, and to recognize that really all of us, everywhere, no matter what country, religion, ethnicity, or depth of our pockets, are just the "sameunderneath." Kiwis have what they call the "Big OE" or overseas experience. Many kids take their OE during their "Gap Year" following high school graduation. That's probably why 96% of Kiwis have passports. I won't be surprised to see many of her new friends find their way to little ole Sisters, Oregon for a taste of the great American West!
While we celebrated Rachel's farewell with dinner up the road in Ponsonby, Tyler was holding down the fort at the restaurant with yet another record-breaking night. Hour after hour they came, they ate, they downed shots of Cuervo Gold, and they spent big time. Yes!
Bill Clinton is coming to Auckland in February and will be speaking and staying on Prince's Wharf at the Hilton. I sent an invite to him to join us for a burrito and a chat with our ex-pat American family, and got an immediate response from his scheduling secretary. While nothing is confirmed, it sounded like there is just a chance we just might be able to host Mr. President on the deck at Mexicali Fresh. You all know what an unabashed Clinton supporter I have always been. This would rock my world!
Rachel leaves us today after her 3 month soujourn in NZ. It's been a great learning experience, she's met kids just like herself from all over the world. We were talking last night about how important it is to travel, see how others live, and to recognize that really all of us, everywhere, no matter what country, religion, ethnicity, or depth of our pockets, are just the "sameunderneath." Kiwis have what they call the "Big OE" or overseas experience. Many kids take their OE during their "Gap Year" following high school graduation. That's probably why 96% of Kiwis have passports. I won't be surprised to see many of her new friends find their way to little ole Sisters, Oregon for a taste of the great American West!
While we celebrated Rachel's farewell with dinner up the road in Ponsonby, Tyler was holding down the fort at the restaurant with yet another record-breaking night. Hour after hour they came, they ate, they downed shots of Cuervo Gold, and they spent big time. Yes!
Bill Clinton is coming to Auckland in February and will be speaking and staying on Prince's Wharf at the Hilton. I sent an invite to him to join us for a burrito and a chat with our ex-pat American family, and got an immediate response from his scheduling secretary. While nothing is confirmed, it sounded like there is just a chance we just might be able to host Mr. President on the deck at Mexicali Fresh. You all know what an unabashed Clinton supporter I have always been. This would rock my world!
Friday, November 18, 2005
It's All Good
As Thanksgiving approaches, we are enjoying an exciting time in NZ and at The Mariposa Corporation (aka Mexicali Fresh). First of all, it was announced today that NZ has been selected to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup! It's a huge coup for this tiny country who was up against South Africa and Japan. This is the world's third largest international sporting event after the Olympics and the Soccer World Cup. For little NZ, it will dwarf the Lions Tour and the America's Cup. Needless to say, the country is rapt, and as new Kiwis, so are we.
We have also signed a letter of intent for a new store in Newmarket. It's a new upscale urban renewal project in Auckland's high fashion shopping area. Westfield likes what we are doing and we both see a great fit for their newest developments. They are the second largest shopping center developer in the world. See photos in the Newmarket album.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we have finally found and purchased a Weber grill for our turkey. It took awhile, but we found what is called a "North American-style BBQ" here. The only problem is that they don't sell lighter fluid and the briquettes are $30 per bag. Jill, do still have any pull at Kingsford - we could sure use that about now! Judy has ordered our turkey for next week because you can't get anything over 3 kg (that's 6.6 lbs to you unmetricised heathens) and we will have an all American celebration. We will attempt to introduce the Stewart Family traditions like games and crafts to our Kiwi guests, but I really need my sisters here to create the buzz! Now all we need to do is time our meal with ESPN coverage of American football, and we've got it made.
The cruise ships have begun arriving and summer is in full swing. Tyler, Conor, Rachi, John and I wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving with family and friends.
We have also signed a letter of intent for a new store in Newmarket. It's a new upscale urban renewal project in Auckland's high fashion shopping area. Westfield likes what we are doing and we both see a great fit for their newest developments. They are the second largest shopping center developer in the world. See photos in the Newmarket album.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we have finally found and purchased a Weber grill for our turkey. It took awhile, but we found what is called a "North American-style BBQ" here. The only problem is that they don't sell lighter fluid and the briquettes are $30 per bag. Jill, do still have any pull at Kingsford - we could sure use that about now! Judy has ordered our turkey for next week because you can't get anything over 3 kg (that's 6.6 lbs to you unmetricised heathens) and we will have an all American celebration. We will attempt to introduce the Stewart Family traditions like games and crafts to our Kiwi guests, but I really need my sisters here to create the buzz! Now all we need to do is time our meal with ESPN coverage of American football, and we've got it made.
The cruise ships have begun arriving and summer is in full swing. Tyler, Conor, Rachi, John and I wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving with family and friends.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Monday, October 24, 2005
Labour Weekend
It's Labour Weekend here - much like we have in the States. Kind of the beginning of summer. We had two of the Black Eyed Peas in for dinner during their concert tour of Oceana. Some of the employees got their autographs, but we don't have any pictures! Last week was Fashion Week and Conor got a front row pass to one of the runway shows, hung around with the possum fur protesters and now has tons of contacts for his Sameunderneath and Ductbills family in Portland.
We have all been experiencing the joys of spring. Rachel is up north camping in the Bay of Islands this weekend with her newfound Kiwi friends. The boys went extreme mountain biking yesterday . . . of course Tyler came back with various cuts and abrasions. Mexicali Fresh is sponsoring an Auckland City League basketball team that is so far undefeated. (I'm sure it has more to do with the awesome uniforms than the fact that they have most of the semi-pro players in the city!)
I was looking into a Chinese language program at the Uni and suddenly had a flash forward five years. Where do I want to be? Do I want to be able to understand the babble on Queen Street, or would I rather be a single-digit handicap? Duh. So, I sought out and found a golf instructor to help me get there. She's a Kiwi who has played on the LPGA tour, and has really helped me straighten out my swing. (Rick, the first thing she told me was "toe up, toe over). Tyler bought a set of golf clubs and is well and truly addicted to the game as well. Last weekend JB, Conor and I played Clarks Beach. Just another one of the beautiful, walkable, beachfront golf courses that cost $35 for 18. Tyler and I have been trying all sorts of tracks, incluing one unremarkable mud pit in South Auckland . . . but at $25 for the two of us, we figured it was almost worth it.
Today Conor and I are taking photos for our "Fiesta Kit" takeaway package. JB is wrapping up the pricing and Tyler is negotiating with couriers to find someone to deliver. Prices for most of our products are going up due to increased fuel costs, but we are holding the line for another month or so to get a better handle on it.
Hope everyone is enjoying October . . . it's my favorite time of year in Bend!
We have all been experiencing the joys of spring. Rachel is up north camping in the Bay of Islands this weekend with her newfound Kiwi friends. The boys went extreme mountain biking yesterday . . . of course Tyler came back with various cuts and abrasions. Mexicali Fresh is sponsoring an Auckland City League basketball team that is so far undefeated. (I'm sure it has more to do with the awesome uniforms than the fact that they have most of the semi-pro players in the city!)
I was looking into a Chinese language program at the Uni and suddenly had a flash forward five years. Where do I want to be? Do I want to be able to understand the babble on Queen Street, or would I rather be a single-digit handicap? Duh. So, I sought out and found a golf instructor to help me get there. She's a Kiwi who has played on the LPGA tour, and has really helped me straighten out my swing. (Rick, the first thing she told me was "toe up, toe over). Tyler bought a set of golf clubs and is well and truly addicted to the game as well. Last weekend JB, Conor and I played Clarks Beach. Just another one of the beautiful, walkable, beachfront golf courses that cost $35 for 18. Tyler and I have been trying all sorts of tracks, incluing one unremarkable mud pit in South Auckland . . . but at $25 for the two of us, we figured it was almost worth it.
Today Conor and I are taking photos for our "Fiesta Kit" takeaway package. JB is wrapping up the pricing and Tyler is negotiating with couriers to find someone to deliver. Prices for most of our products are going up due to increased fuel costs, but we are holding the line for another month or so to get a better handle on it.
Hope everyone is enjoying October . . . it's my favorite time of year in Bend!
Monday, October 17, 2005
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Sunday, September 11, 2005
World Famous in New Zealand
The national elections are coming up this next week and it's quite comforting to see that democracies everywhere produce some pretty strange bedfellows. Prime Minister Helen Clark is standing against National Party leader Don Brash. They have the MMP System (Mixed Member Proportional) which I have just learned about by reading Wikipedia. Give it a go by following the link. I will also post one of the funnier billboards. (I have quite a collection of them now, and still must put Maggie up - wait till you see that one!)
I have posted a new photo album showing a bit of the town of Tauranga which JB and I visited this weekend on a scouting trip. Very nice! It's got about 100,000 people and a very lively downtown. We did call on the old Burger Wisconsin site, but it appears that a deal is 95% done on that, so we may have to regroup.
We are ramping up for a big shindig on Friday. Sol Beer is sponsoring a Mexican Independence Day celebration for the 16th of September. It will be similar to what we do on Cinco de Mayo. Mariachis, free beer, the whole nine yards. This is a first for them, and will put us on the national map.
Mexicali Fresh - world famous in New Zealand since quite recently.
I have posted a new photo album showing a bit of the town of Tauranga which JB and I visited this weekend on a scouting trip. Very nice! It's got about 100,000 people and a very lively downtown. We did call on the old Burger Wisconsin site, but it appears that a deal is 95% done on that, so we may have to regroup.
We are ramping up for a big shindig on Friday. Sol Beer is sponsoring a Mexican Independence Day celebration for the 16th of September. It will be similar to what we do on Cinco de Mayo. Mariachis, free beer, the whole nine yards. This is a first for them, and will put us on the national map.
Mexicali Fresh - world famous in New Zealand since quite recently.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Aliens Among Us
It's the first day of Spring, Tyler is finally legal and I have 3-ring binders in my hot little hands. The intensity of the past few weeks is behind us so we can relax a little bit. Conor got his work visa at the end of July, but Tyler's paperwork was still somewhere in the bowels of Immigration prompting a threatening letter from them saying he was an illegal alien and could not work. It's a long story, but we finally have some of our Brazillians back, and Tyler is now "legally" back as well. Whew! Just in time because we are really getting busy, and Fridays are off the charts.
JB and I have moved into a nice large Victorian in Freeman's Bay. The bathrooms and kitchen are newly remodeled with some very nice amenities such as heated marble floors and a Smeg gas range. I can cook again! We have a two car garage which is quite rare in this tidy little neighborhood of houses built before there were cars. The streets are so narrow with cars parked on both sides that there is barely room to drive. Our bedroom has large French doors which open up to an unobstructed view of the Sky Tower. We are three blocks from the big grocery store and three blocks up to Ponsonby Road, the center of all that is uber hip and cool in Auckland. And yes, we have two large bedrooms for guests.
Speaking of guests, we really enjoyed having ex-Mexicali manager Lisa Lee, her brother Karl and daughter Rachel visit us during August. They did an impressive "Lord of the Rings" itinerary throughout New Zealand and saw quite a few places and things I didn't even know existed. Rachel enjoyed hereself so much that she stayed behind and now is a barista at Mexicali Fresh and staying with us in Freeman's Bay. She's a newly minted graduate of Sisters High School, and needless to say this is quite an exciting experience for her. Her plans are to stay until December and soak up a variety of international experiences.
The 3-ring binders warranted mention because I have been searching since February and finally found them at the new Office Max on the North Shore. There were only four, but I bought them all, along with a 3-hole punch. I actually had to demonstrate to the sales clerk how it worked. She was quite impressed and thought there may be something to this novel concept. In New Zealand, everyone uses 2-ring binders. I have tried to be flexible with lots of different little things, but really, 2-ring binders suck. The paper never punches in the right place and the large A4 sheets get askew. Now that I have my 3-rings, everything is going to get repunched and put away properly. You also can't get fifth-cut file folders. All file folders have even sides with no tabs. I have been reduced to cutting tabs with an exacto knife.
We had a meeting with some major developers about sites for our second, third and fourth stores. We are penciled in now for some great locations, but the first one doesn't come online until March 06 to start building, and July 06 to open. Meanwhile, we still want to get another one up and running before Christmas. We have a couple of options and will have to make a decision in the next couple of weeks.
I will get another photo album posted in a day or so with shots of our new home and surrounds. Hope everyone had a great summer in the Northern Hemisphere . . . we are ready for summer down here!
JB and I have moved into a nice large Victorian in Freeman's Bay. The bathrooms and kitchen are newly remodeled with some very nice amenities such as heated marble floors and a Smeg gas range. I can cook again! We have a two car garage which is quite rare in this tidy little neighborhood of houses built before there were cars. The streets are so narrow with cars parked on both sides that there is barely room to drive. Our bedroom has large French doors which open up to an unobstructed view of the Sky Tower. We are three blocks from the big grocery store and three blocks up to Ponsonby Road, the center of all that is uber hip and cool in Auckland. And yes, we have two large bedrooms for guests.
Speaking of guests, we really enjoyed having ex-Mexicali manager Lisa Lee, her brother Karl and daughter Rachel visit us during August. They did an impressive "Lord of the Rings" itinerary throughout New Zealand and saw quite a few places and things I didn't even know existed. Rachel enjoyed hereself so much that she stayed behind and now is a barista at Mexicali Fresh and staying with us in Freeman's Bay. She's a newly minted graduate of Sisters High School, and needless to say this is quite an exciting experience for her. Her plans are to stay until December and soak up a variety of international experiences.
The 3-ring binders warranted mention because I have been searching since February and finally found them at the new Office Max on the North Shore. There were only four, but I bought them all, along with a 3-hole punch. I actually had to demonstrate to the sales clerk how it worked. She was quite impressed and thought there may be something to this novel concept. In New Zealand, everyone uses 2-ring binders. I have tried to be flexible with lots of different little things, but really, 2-ring binders suck. The paper never punches in the right place and the large A4 sheets get askew. Now that I have my 3-rings, everything is going to get repunched and put away properly. You also can't get fifth-cut file folders. All file folders have even sides with no tabs. I have been reduced to cutting tabs with an exacto knife.
We had a meeting with some major developers about sites for our second, third and fourth stores. We are penciled in now for some great locations, but the first one doesn't come online until March 06 to start building, and July 06 to open. Meanwhile, we still want to get another one up and running before Christmas. We have a couple of options and will have to make a decision in the next couple of weeks.
I will get another photo album posted in a day or so with shots of our new home and surrounds. Hope everyone had a great summer in the Northern Hemisphere . . . we are ready for summer down here!
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Fury Hath No Hell . . .
You can't imagine the brouhaha over this billboard. Hell is actually a very edgy pizza chain with some very interesting ideas on advertising. Talk show callers are threatening to boycott Hell, comparing them to terrorists (that's a stretch) while others say it's about time to shout that the emporer has no clothes. Nevertheless, Kiwis continue to surprise us in oh so many ways.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Winter in Auckland
It’s August now – the middle of winter – and I am still wearing my jandals (flip flops) everyday so it’s not that cold. John arrived back from the States with some very precious cargo: Excedrin PM, dryer sheets, taco shell forms and a manual slicer/dicer for salsas. Amazing that we can now make our Salsa Mex in a quarter of the time, with fewer cut fingers and the need for plasters (bandaids).
Former Mexicali Rose manager Lisa Lee arrived yesterday with her brother Karl and daughter Rachel. Rachel was a babe in arms when Lisa first started working for us – and this is her high school graduation gift. My how time flies! They are off to explore the country and will be back on the 23rd of August to spend some time in Auckland before heading home.
John and I have been ensconced at the Metropolis for the past six months, and it’s time to move on. We need a real kitchen, an office, and more than a foot of closet space. Now that Mike has gone, the boys need to find a space they can split between the two of them. So, it’s the big Chinese fire drill this week. We are moving out of the Met into the boys’ Freeman’s Bay villa. The boys are moving back to an apartment at Prince’s Wharf. Just in time, too, because when Lisa, Karl and Rachel return from their travels they will be able to stay in our guest rooms.
We just found out the Queen Mary II will be docking at Prince’s Wharf next summer. It’s even bigger than the Sapphire Princess which was bigger than the entire wharf – Hilton and all. Can’t wait!
We have embarked upon our next mission: the search for a second location. So far it looks like Ponsonby or Newmarket. Both have their own advantages – stay tuned for updates.
Former Mexicali Rose manager Lisa Lee arrived yesterday with her brother Karl and daughter Rachel. Rachel was a babe in arms when Lisa first started working for us – and this is her high school graduation gift. My how time flies! They are off to explore the country and will be back on the 23rd of August to spend some time in Auckland before heading home.
John and I have been ensconced at the Metropolis for the past six months, and it’s time to move on. We need a real kitchen, an office, and more than a foot of closet space. Now that Mike has gone, the boys need to find a space they can split between the two of them. So, it’s the big Chinese fire drill this week. We are moving out of the Met into the boys’ Freeman’s Bay villa. The boys are moving back to an apartment at Prince’s Wharf. Just in time, too, because when Lisa, Karl and Rachel return from their travels they will be able to stay in our guest rooms.
We just found out the Queen Mary II will be docking at Prince’s Wharf next summer. It’s even bigger than the Sapphire Princess which was bigger than the entire wharf – Hilton and all. Can’t wait!
We have embarked upon our next mission: the search for a second location. So far it looks like Ponsonby or Newmarket. Both have their own advantages – stay tuned for updates.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Lions & Tacos & Beers
Oh my. It's been a week and I think it's safe to say we have recovered from the onslaught of Lions last Friday and Saturday nights. We were prepared with tons of food and more than 100 cases of beer as backups for the backups. It started on Thursday afternoon and continued through until Sunday. Saturday night Conor even went to the grocery store and bought $600 worth of beer, only to see it disappear in 45 minutes.
Sunday morning I went in to help chop more salsa and we were swamped by all of the bouncers and bartenders from Lenin, Float and Provedor. Of course I put on Beatles music, it's the only time I get to choose the tunes. You should have seen it, all of these great big guys in line ordering breakfast burritos singing "She's got a ticket to ri - hi - hide." A curious little Irishman in a green rugby shirt and Lions headdress stood at the counter and insisted we MUST have something with alcohol in it and I insisted just as strenuously that we did not. He had to make do with a latte, which was just as well. I'm sure he would thank me if he could remember what planet he was on. I have posted a new photo album entitled "Lions" so you can get a sense of it all.
So today (Sunday) the Pacific Sky docks at 9:30 am and by noon we had made over 150 lattes and flat whites (a uniquely Kiwi coffee similar to a cappuccino). They had come from Sydney on their way to Tonga and Vanuatu. While valiantly keeping up with the orders, I heard someone mutter "Don't these people have food on this cruise?"
The big buzz in Auckland (now that the Lions have gone home) is Desperate Housewives, which begins airing tomorrow night. Right, then, back to normal. Unfortunately, I won't be heading back to the States this week as planned. Things are a bit hectic around here. Hey JB, it's time to come home!
Sunday morning I went in to help chop more salsa and we were swamped by all of the bouncers and bartenders from Lenin, Float and Provedor. Of course I put on Beatles music, it's the only time I get to choose the tunes. You should have seen it, all of these great big guys in line ordering breakfast burritos singing "She's got a ticket to ri - hi - hide." A curious little Irishman in a green rugby shirt and Lions headdress stood at the counter and insisted we MUST have something with alcohol in it and I insisted just as strenuously that we did not. He had to make do with a latte, which was just as well. I'm sure he would thank me if he could remember what planet he was on. I have posted a new photo album entitled "Lions" so you can get a sense of it all.
So today (Sunday) the Pacific Sky docks at 9:30 am and by noon we had made over 150 lattes and flat whites (a uniquely Kiwi coffee similar to a cappuccino). They had come from Sydney on their way to Tonga and Vanuatu. While valiantly keeping up with the orders, I heard someone mutter "Don't these people have food on this cruise?"
The big buzz in Auckland (now that the Lions have gone home) is Desperate Housewives, which begins airing tomorrow night. Right, then, back to normal. Unfortunately, I won't be heading back to the States this week as planned. Things are a bit hectic around here. Hey JB, it's time to come home!
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Bless the Brits
London has experienced a terrible tragedy, but the 20,000+ Poms (slang acronym for Prisoners of Mother England) visiting our fair city have showed their resiliance and legendary "stiff upper lip" by doing what they do best . . . carry on.
Mexicali Fresh on the waterfront last night provided a venue for much singing, carousing and drinking of beer by Poms and Kiwis, Welshmen and Irish, Americans and Brazilians. It was a bit slow on Friday morning, but beginning at 11:00 am there was a line out the door that lasted for the next 12 hours. More than a few had burritos for the very first time.
The final test of the Lions Tour takes place tonight at Eden Park in Auckland. The All Blacks have won the tour by winning the first two tests in admirable fashion, but the Lions can salvage their pride by winning tonight and staving off a sweep. There was never any thought to cancelling this last test, but there will be a moment of silence before the final game begins.
JB is in Bend now and staggered at how much the town has grown in the six months we have been gone. He and his friend Bob Green are playing in the annual Member/Guest tournament. JB will be back in Auckland on the 20th and I will leave for Bend on the 23rd.
Mike will be leaving us in a couple of weeks to pursue a venture with his family in Bend. Before leaving New Zealand, he will be visiting the South Island and doing a little fishing along the way. We will miss him, but wish him well as he carves out a new path for himself. It was great having him with us as we launched Mexicali Fresh, Southern Hemisphere version.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Daily Commute
I have posted a new photo album showing, among other things, my daily commute down Queen Street and a variety of shots from Devonport, across the harbour from Auckland. JB and I have been house-hunting every weekend over there and have found some real possibilities. It's a beautiful little community, with access to Auckland's waterfront via a 10-minute ferry ride. Now that's my kind of commute. You can also drive, but the traffic can be a problem during peak times. There is a very beautiful, walkable golf course, and some great beaches. All in all, pretty much paradise.
JB leaves tomorrow for the States and will be in Bend from the 3rd through the 20th. I will leave Auckland on the 23rd and will be in Bend until the end of the first week in August. I don't have a return flight yet, so the itinerary is not set.
The entire country is still in awe of Michael Campbell's historic US Open win. It's probably the biggest thing to have happened to a Kiwi since Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Mt. Everest. Parliament delayed it's session to watch the event along with the rest of the country. Now the British and Irish Lions Tour is reaching it's peak and will be in Auckland beginning Tuesday. Prince William has arrived and the next test match is tonight in Wellington. We are planning on being invaded by over 20 thousand members of the "Barmy Army" who have vowed to drink one small NZ town dry. Let's hope they leave my new Mexican palms alone!
JB leaves tomorrow for the States and will be in Bend from the 3rd through the 20th. I will leave Auckland on the 23rd and will be in Bend until the end of the first week in August. I don't have a return flight yet, so the itinerary is not set.
The entire country is still in awe of Michael Campbell's historic US Open win. It's probably the biggest thing to have happened to a Kiwi since Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Mt. Everest. Parliament delayed it's session to watch the event along with the rest of the country. Now the British and Irish Lions Tour is reaching it's peak and will be in Auckland beginning Tuesday. Prince William has arrived and the next test match is tonight in Wellington. We are planning on being invaded by over 20 thousand members of the "Barmy Army" who have vowed to drink one small NZ town dry. Let's hope they leave my new Mexican palms alone!
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Birthday Boy
In probably the best game we have ever seen him play (and we have seen a few), Tyler led the North Harbour Kings to a thrilling win. The best play was caught on video - inbounds play, coast-to-coast, single-handedly breaking a full court press, five spin moves between the legs and around the back, dish to the big man and score! Even the other team hooted and hollered.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Monday, June 13, 2005
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Quarterly Report
The time has come for the supreme commander to issue the Mariposa Corporation Ltd. first quarterly report. The company’s first restaurant has been in operation for about 2 months and things have calmed down to a manageable level. The future looks very bright.
Most people, as they are building their dream restaurant, get so beat up during construction that opening and operating the beast they have created seems easy. It isn’t, it’s harder! Setting up a restaurant this size properly, creating the lines of communication within an organization that operates 16 to 20 hours a day, 7 days a week, establishing the initial marketing plan and develop our company image, getting the food consistent, managing all the wild and wacky personnel, figuring out how business works down here and building a kitchen system that works in KiwiLand is crazy. Our management team is now on the same page and the restaurant operations manual is being built one page at a time, one day at a time.
Enough business! If I knew then what I know now, who knows? Working with the boys has been a real treat and this has been another bizarre experience that satisfies one’s soul. Unfortunately the old golf game has suffered. One game a month, on a tough course equals a 12. Watch out Pink and Bitter-root. People play golf a little different down under. I haven’t had one putt given yet. Grey haired ladies who have been members for 45 years keep explaining the rules of golf, and everyone walks with a trundler.
I’m coming back to Bend in early July to play in the Broken Top member/guest tournament with my great friend Bob Green. Rick, we are signed up, RIGHT. I think I will ride my BMW to LA and ship it to New Zealand. Motorcycles in NZ are expensive and there aren’t many K1200RSs in this country. I really can’t wait until I’m able to explore this country on my scooter, before my buddies come down for their first tour. I think late January to early March is probably the best motorcycle weather NZ.
Adjusting to living in the city has been another interesting facet of our lives. I love our apartment and the view. It’s a little small, but it’s the coolest building in town and a short walk to the restaurant. How many times do you get to live in a luxury hotel in an international city? The restaurants in town are ok and we go out and explore often. I do miss Bend’s restaurants and all those great meals with all our great friends.
We still have issues with how people do business in NZ. Problems with noise from our neighbor have been addressed but not solved in 4 months (they need to move their bass speaker away form our common wall), cash handling charges because if you deposit more than $15,000 a month in your account and cell phone/internet service charges that would blow anyone in the US away.
I’m currently trying to finagle my way on to the Mackenzie Cup Team at Titirangi. Every year the team travels to another Alstier Mackenzie course and competes against teams from Mackenzie courses throughout the world. I may have to rough one of the established team members up to talk my way into the lineup. Maybe I’ll be competing against Pasatiempo some where, some time.
Get your travel plans together for next summer (your winter) and get your butts down here. It’s too great of experience to let slip away. See you soon.
Mel Torme
Most people, as they are building their dream restaurant, get so beat up during construction that opening and operating the beast they have created seems easy. It isn’t, it’s harder! Setting up a restaurant this size properly, creating the lines of communication within an organization that operates 16 to 20 hours a day, 7 days a week, establishing the initial marketing plan and develop our company image, getting the food consistent, managing all the wild and wacky personnel, figuring out how business works down here and building a kitchen system that works in KiwiLand is crazy. Our management team is now on the same page and the restaurant operations manual is being built one page at a time, one day at a time.
Enough business! If I knew then what I know now, who knows? Working with the boys has been a real treat and this has been another bizarre experience that satisfies one’s soul. Unfortunately the old golf game has suffered. One game a month, on a tough course equals a 12. Watch out Pink and Bitter-root. People play golf a little different down under. I haven’t had one putt given yet. Grey haired ladies who have been members for 45 years keep explaining the rules of golf, and everyone walks with a trundler.
I’m coming back to Bend in early July to play in the Broken Top member/guest tournament with my great friend Bob Green. Rick, we are signed up, RIGHT. I think I will ride my BMW to LA and ship it to New Zealand. Motorcycles in NZ are expensive and there aren’t many K1200RSs in this country. I really can’t wait until I’m able to explore this country on my scooter, before my buddies come down for their first tour. I think late January to early March is probably the best motorcycle weather NZ.
Adjusting to living in the city has been another interesting facet of our lives. I love our apartment and the view. It’s a little small, but it’s the coolest building in town and a short walk to the restaurant. How many times do you get to live in a luxury hotel in an international city? The restaurants in town are ok and we go out and explore often. I do miss Bend’s restaurants and all those great meals with all our great friends.
We still have issues with how people do business in NZ. Problems with noise from our neighbor have been addressed but not solved in 4 months (they need to move their bass speaker away form our common wall), cash handling charges because if you deposit more than $15,000 a month in your account and cell phone/internet service charges that would blow anyone in the US away.
I’m currently trying to finagle my way on to the Mackenzie Cup Team at Titirangi. Every year the team travels to another Alstier Mackenzie course and competes against teams from Mackenzie courses throughout the world. I may have to rough one of the established team members up to talk my way into the lineup. Maybe I’ll be competing against Pasatiempo some where, some time.
Get your travel plans together for next summer (your winter) and get your butts down here. It’s too great of experience to let slip away. See you soon.
Mel Torme
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Rugby as a Religion
Last night JB, Malcolm, Janet and I watched the All Blacks play their first test (international match) of the 2005 season against Fiji at North Harbour Stadium. Even though the game was decidedly one-sided (All Blacks won 91-0) we were thrilled with the opening Haka performed by both sides and the beauty and grace of the All Blacks. I likened it to synchronized swimming, which Malcolm thought was a bit effeminate for their national team, but it was poetry in motion nonetheless.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Happy Birthday QEII
What do JB, Malcolm and the Queen have in common? Why, birthdays of course. JB celebrated his 58th (can you believe it?) on Saturday, the Queen's (that would be Elizabeth) is the 6th and Malcolm's is the 7th. Oh, wait, we can't forget the Pinkster on the 3rd. Monday is a national holiday, but we will be open nonetheless. In NZ the labor laws require that you pay your employees whether they work or not.
The British and Irish Lions have landed and played their first provincial game against the Bay of Plenty in Rotorua. We had a nice crowd in the restaurant for the game, munching on burritos and chips, drinking margaritas and having a jolly good time.
The weather has turned to winter, but it's not all that bad. We saw a few brightly colored parakeets in the trees at Titirangi, so it can't get too cold. Today JB and I played a very nice parkland golf course in Devonport - Waitemata - which I thought I could handle after getting chewed up and spit out at Titirangi time after time. No such luck. I think I have lost my edge - and my swing. But it was sunny and warm, and there were no hills to climb, so all and all it was a pretty nice day.
The boys have purchased bicycles for their frequent trips to the restaurant. They have had to share the Boobaroo (the new moniker for the Subaru since it has so many dents in it from driving the wrong way) and feel the need for freedom.
Mikey has moved to the front to help hone our delivery skills. It was a brilliant move because he's right at home chatting up the customers. We have Judy covering the prep work in the back, which frees Mike up to fine-tune the line. Tyler is still the scheduling task-master, and Conor continues to work on marketing. He and Alice (our marketing firm, Radical Alice) have come up with some really creative ideas. We will focus on the "fresh" aspect of our business with ideas like freshly painted chairs and "fresh as today's news" inserts in the Herald. It's true, Alice sees everything differently.
JB and I spent the afternoon with post-golf excursion around Devonport. We are thinking that's where we want to live. The apartment is a tad wee bit small, and we quite fancy the ferry ride into work. We will be calling our real estate guy, Lewis Guy, after the holiday to set up a time for some viewings. Most of the houses are Victorian-era cottages and are so very cute.
And the real zinger for me is Tyler's impending birthday on the 19th. He will be 29. Time does go so very fast!
Cheers!
The British and Irish Lions have landed and played their first provincial game against the Bay of Plenty in Rotorua. We had a nice crowd in the restaurant for the game, munching on burritos and chips, drinking margaritas and having a jolly good time.
The weather has turned to winter, but it's not all that bad. We saw a few brightly colored parakeets in the trees at Titirangi, so it can't get too cold. Today JB and I played a very nice parkland golf course in Devonport - Waitemata - which I thought I could handle after getting chewed up and spit out at Titirangi time after time. No such luck. I think I have lost my edge - and my swing. But it was sunny and warm, and there were no hills to climb, so all and all it was a pretty nice day.
The boys have purchased bicycles for their frequent trips to the restaurant. They have had to share the Boobaroo (the new moniker for the Subaru since it has so many dents in it from driving the wrong way) and feel the need for freedom.
Mikey has moved to the front to help hone our delivery skills. It was a brilliant move because he's right at home chatting up the customers. We have Judy covering the prep work in the back, which frees Mike up to fine-tune the line. Tyler is still the scheduling task-master, and Conor continues to work on marketing. He and Alice (our marketing firm, Radical Alice) have come up with some really creative ideas. We will focus on the "fresh" aspect of our business with ideas like freshly painted chairs and "fresh as today's news" inserts in the Herald. It's true, Alice sees everything differently.
JB and I spent the afternoon with post-golf excursion around Devonport. We are thinking that's where we want to live. The apartment is a tad wee bit small, and we quite fancy the ferry ride into work. We will be calling our real estate guy, Lewis Guy, after the holiday to set up a time for some viewings. Most of the houses are Victorian-era cottages and are so very cute.
And the real zinger for me is Tyler's impending birthday on the 19th. He will be 29. Time does go so very fast!
Cheers!
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Eat Out Guide
We are now featured in New Zealand's Eat Out Dining Guide. Check it out! We have also been interviewed by Food Service Magazine for the June issue. We were going to wait for Dan to take food photos for us, but these turned out pretty well, yeah?
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Plants, Books and Reggae
Last time I posted I was thinking that our next big rush would be the Lions Tour. Not so. A couple of huge events have delivered our biggest weekend ever: New Zealand Music Month and the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival. Add that to the fact that we are now listed in Google and in the Auckland dining guides, and we have lots of new customers discovering Mexican food . . . and they love it!
JB and I placed 4th in one of the big annual golf tournaments at Titirangi. We were expecting a sleeve of balls or some sweeps, but they do things a bit differently here (seems like I say that all the time!) The prize was a potted plant. I remember Gene Taylor from COCC (he did a job share with a fellow from Invercargill a few years back) telling me that their golf club gave meat as prizes and I thought that was so funny. It reflects the attitude towards golf - it's not a big deal, it's just something everyone does. Greens fees and club memberships are pretty inexpensive, and a round of golf is accessible to just about everyone (providing you can walk five miles over hill and dale).
Tyler has achieved his dream of playing semi-pro basketball by joining the North Harbour team. In fact, they made him captain! Conor and Jen have been doing all of the touristy things, even though the weather has been wet but warm. Tyler, Mike and I found a great little cafe in Devonport last week that serves REAL pancakes. Before that we were stuck with Denny's for our flapjack fix.
Both JB and I have made our return flights for July. JB is going back July 3 for the Broken Top Men's Invitational, and I will be in Bend on the 23rd for a couple of weeks for the Broken Top Classic. We are looking forward to seeing as many friends and family as we can up and down the West Coast.
JB and I placed 4th in one of the big annual golf tournaments at Titirangi. We were expecting a sleeve of balls or some sweeps, but they do things a bit differently here (seems like I say that all the time!) The prize was a potted plant. I remember Gene Taylor from COCC (he did a job share with a fellow from Invercargill a few years back) telling me that their golf club gave meat as prizes and I thought that was so funny. It reflects the attitude towards golf - it's not a big deal, it's just something everyone does. Greens fees and club memberships are pretty inexpensive, and a round of golf is accessible to just about everyone (providing you can walk five miles over hill and dale).
Tyler has achieved his dream of playing semi-pro basketball by joining the North Harbour team. In fact, they made him captain! Conor and Jen have been doing all of the touristy things, even though the weather has been wet but warm. Tyler, Mike and I found a great little cafe in Devonport last week that serves REAL pancakes. Before that we were stuck with Denny's for our flapjack fix.
Both JB and I have made our return flights for July. JB is going back July 3 for the Broken Top Men's Invitational, and I will be in Bend on the 23rd for a couple of weeks for the Broken Top Classic. We are looking forward to seeing as many friends and family as we can up and down the West Coast.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Cinco de Sol
I just realized that it’s been two weeks since I last posted. You guys must think that we have gotten lost somewhere in the South Pacific. Quite honestly, sometimes we feel that way too.
My biggest wake-up call came on Cinco de Mayo (nobody knew what that was) when I put together a playlist of all Jimmy Buffet songs to run throughout the day. I might as well have been playing Martian music because not one person had ever heard Margaritaville. Even our Mexican beer supplier was not aware of Cinco de Mayo, but they were kind enough to play along and provide some posters and banners and a special price for Sol. Speaking of which, Sol beer outsells Corona 5-1.
We have been up and running with no major meltdowns since ANZAC day. Sales are steadily improving and our first marketing campaign – Burrito Bucks – has been a resounding success. We have tweaked our menu a bit already by adding a variety of Danish pastries for our rapidly growing morning tea trade. I am sure we are the only Mexican restaurant in the world where the quality of our coffee brings ‘em in the door! We have also added a mini burrito to better relate to the traditional Kiwi pie.
It has been quite a ride so far. Things that we take for granted are either just not available or require importing from the States. Highchairs? There is one choice, the cheapo metal and plastic variety. I showed our supplier a picture of a simple wooden chair we used at Mexicali and Baja and got the standard answer: “We can have them custom made.” That has been the case for wooden dining tables, saloon doors, stainless steel tables and even the sweet & sour that we use in margaritas. In fact, during our first week we used all of the sweet & sour in the entire country! We now have our juice and produce purveyors coming up with samples of mixes they can provide so we don’t have to worry about running out. We have had to import taco and tostada shell forms and plastic baskets from the States. Thank goodness JB ordered $30,000 worth of beans to get us started or we would be rolling burritos with baked beans.
We have been sharing our Subaru Legacy for three months now and it has gotten to the point where JB and I need our own wheels. It’s either that or give up grocery shopping and golf. Well, you gotta eat and you gotta play, so after much research we have purchased a Prius. It’s a 2002 and imported from Japan. Well, you might be thinking, all Prius’ are imported from Japan. Nope, this is REALLY from Japan. All of the instructions, buttons and displays are in Japanese. We are hedging our bets against the day that petrol becomes another one of those commodities you can’t get here. We pick it up on Wednesday and then . . . it’s off to the golf course!
Conor’s projector on the outside wall has been a huge hit with rugby fans all along the wharf. I cannot believe how it draws people from the ferries. It’s provided us with an interesting situation, however. The Float bar next door charges a cover to watch rugby, so all of those customers are stopping by our place to watch the game for free. On the other side are the deros from Provedor who have been swilling $3 Heinekens all night and stumble over to watch while drooling on the new glass windbreaks and creating general havoc. Grant from Float is probably not a happy camper, although he hasn’t said anything yet. Any time you cast a wide net you run the risk of getting some bottom feeders, so I’m sure Richard from Provedor doesn’t mind us entertaining his troops.
Next up, Lions and Tacos and Beers – oh my!
My biggest wake-up call came on Cinco de Mayo (nobody knew what that was) when I put together a playlist of all Jimmy Buffet songs to run throughout the day. I might as well have been playing Martian music because not one person had ever heard Margaritaville. Even our Mexican beer supplier was not aware of Cinco de Mayo, but they were kind enough to play along and provide some posters and banners and a special price for Sol. Speaking of which, Sol beer outsells Corona 5-1.
We have been up and running with no major meltdowns since ANZAC day. Sales are steadily improving and our first marketing campaign – Burrito Bucks – has been a resounding success. We have tweaked our menu a bit already by adding a variety of Danish pastries for our rapidly growing morning tea trade. I am sure we are the only Mexican restaurant in the world where the quality of our coffee brings ‘em in the door! We have also added a mini burrito to better relate to the traditional Kiwi pie.
It has been quite a ride so far. Things that we take for granted are either just not available or require importing from the States. Highchairs? There is one choice, the cheapo metal and plastic variety. I showed our supplier a picture of a simple wooden chair we used at Mexicali and Baja and got the standard answer: “We can have them custom made.” That has been the case for wooden dining tables, saloon doors, stainless steel tables and even the sweet & sour that we use in margaritas. In fact, during our first week we used all of the sweet & sour in the entire country! We now have our juice and produce purveyors coming up with samples of mixes they can provide so we don’t have to worry about running out. We have had to import taco and tostada shell forms and plastic baskets from the States. Thank goodness JB ordered $30,000 worth of beans to get us started or we would be rolling burritos with baked beans.
We have been sharing our Subaru Legacy for three months now and it has gotten to the point where JB and I need our own wheels. It’s either that or give up grocery shopping and golf. Well, you gotta eat and you gotta play, so after much research we have purchased a Prius. It’s a 2002 and imported from Japan. Well, you might be thinking, all Prius’ are imported from Japan. Nope, this is REALLY from Japan. All of the instructions, buttons and displays are in Japanese. We are hedging our bets against the day that petrol becomes another one of those commodities you can’t get here. We pick it up on Wednesday and then . . . it’s off to the golf course!
Conor’s projector on the outside wall has been a huge hit with rugby fans all along the wharf. I cannot believe how it draws people from the ferries. It’s provided us with an interesting situation, however. The Float bar next door charges a cover to watch rugby, so all of those customers are stopping by our place to watch the game for free. On the other side are the deros from Provedor who have been swilling $3 Heinekens all night and stumble over to watch while drooling on the new glass windbreaks and creating general havoc. Grant from Float is probably not a happy camper, although he hasn’t said anything yet. Any time you cast a wide net you run the risk of getting some bottom feeders, so I’m sure Richard from Provedor doesn’t mind us entertaining his troops.
Next up, Lions and Tacos and Beers – oh my!
Monday, May 02, 2005
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Sunday, April 24, 2005
ANZAC Day
Monday is ANZAC Day and we will all finally get a chance to take a breath, have a meeting, and do a little more staff training because we will be closed. It has been a wild ride over the past week or so. Let's see . . . We have had a near drowning, a sign code showdown, a fire evacuation and, biggest and baddest of all was a total plumbing failure. I'll wait for Tyler to tell the story of the near drowning and his heroics. Conor can relay the sign code saga and his coming of age JB-style. The fire evacuation was not such a big deal, other than it disrupted everything for about an hour on a busy weekend evening.
The plumbing. Oh my. Late Thursday night we got a call at home from Conor saying the drain under the steam table was backing up. JB said told him to call a plumber and went back to bed. The phone rings again, Conor was pretty insistent that this was more than a plumber call. All of the drains were backing up in surges. JB walked down to the wharf at about 10:30 pm and I didn't see him again until 4:30 am. He, Mike, Conor and Tyler spent the entire night sucking sewage out of the pipes with the shop vac, using buckets and brooms. There was a major blockage, and we are the fortunates at the end of the line. Security was called, Prince's Wharf Management showed up, the wharf plumbers we pressed into service . . . it was one gigantic mess. In absolute desperation they finally cut the pipe under the wharf to relieve the pressure, even though they had 3 big pump trucks pumping all night long at the entry to the wharf. We had to close on Friday because it took 14 hours for the enviromental cleaners to do their thing and to get the restrooms working again. (You have to have working restrooms if you have a liquor license.) Turns out there are 4 pumps, but one was on the blink. PW Management didn't take care of the problem. I guess they were too busy hasseling Conor over the signs.
We are ready to begin marketing Mexicali Fresh, and will begin distributing "Burrito Bucks" at the University this next week. Nobody knows what Cinco de Mayo is, but we are planning a celebration. There are enough Americans around who will want to party. We are going into the slowest season of the year, but have the British Lions Tour (Rugby) coming in June. When the All Blacks play, everyone says it's like the Super Bowl for weeks. Many of their supporters will be staying on a cruise ship docked off our wharf, and ground-central for the Lions is next door at Float. It is estimated that 15,000 Brits will descend upon Auckland for those 5 weeks. We are looking ahead to some exciting times.
Thanks to everyone for all of the positive wishes - we can feel your vibe all the way down here in Middle Earth.
The plumbing. Oh my. Late Thursday night we got a call at home from Conor saying the drain under the steam table was backing up. JB said told him to call a plumber and went back to bed. The phone rings again, Conor was pretty insistent that this was more than a plumber call. All of the drains were backing up in surges. JB walked down to the wharf at about 10:30 pm and I didn't see him again until 4:30 am. He, Mike, Conor and Tyler spent the entire night sucking sewage out of the pipes with the shop vac, using buckets and brooms. There was a major blockage, and we are the fortunates at the end of the line. Security was called, Prince's Wharf Management showed up, the wharf plumbers we pressed into service . . . it was one gigantic mess. In absolute desperation they finally cut the pipe under the wharf to relieve the pressure, even though they had 3 big pump trucks pumping all night long at the entry to the wharf. We had to close on Friday because it took 14 hours for the enviromental cleaners to do their thing and to get the restrooms working again. (You have to have working restrooms if you have a liquor license.) Turns out there are 4 pumps, but one was on the blink. PW Management didn't take care of the problem. I guess they were too busy hasseling Conor over the signs.
We are ready to begin marketing Mexicali Fresh, and will begin distributing "Burrito Bucks" at the University this next week. Nobody knows what Cinco de Mayo is, but we are planning a celebration. There are enough Americans around who will want to party. We are going into the slowest season of the year, but have the British Lions Tour (Rugby) coming in June. When the All Blacks play, everyone says it's like the Super Bowl for weeks. Many of their supporters will be staying on a cruise ship docked off our wharf, and ground-central for the Lions is next door at Float. It is estimated that 15,000 Brits will descend upon Auckland for those 5 weeks. We are looking ahead to some exciting times.
Thanks to everyone for all of the positive wishes - we can feel your vibe all the way down here in Middle Earth.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Open for Biz
We opened Thursday morning, April 14, 2005. We had some issues with power that prevented opening on Monday or Tuesday, then we opted to do another day of training on Wednesday, so Thursday was the day. We started out slow, then got slammed for lunch and have been going full tilt ever since. All we have done is set out a sandwich board, so all of our business is just locals from the Wharf. That's just fine for now until we get our speed up.
On Wednesday night JB and I went to see the Neville brothers - a concert that we had purchased tickets for over a month ago. We were so tired we almost bagged it, but ended up taking a cab at the last minute - dirty clothes and all. Wow. When Aaron Neville finished with Amazing Grace and a beautiful rendition of Bob Marley, we were both energized.
Malcolm and Mike have been covering the mornings, Tyler and Conor have been covering nights. JB in conquering payroll and the books, I am paying attention to our personal bills for the first time in 2 months, as well as teaching two online classes at COCC. We are getting busier every day, but things are going pretty darned well. All of us have finally gotten a little sleep, and it's starting to have an effect on short-term memory and the bags under the eyes.
We have such a great team. Words just can't do justice to everyone's contribution: Mike, Malcolm, Tyler and Conor. Wow, what a team! JB and I just look at each other and grin.
On Wednesday night JB and I went to see the Neville brothers - a concert that we had purchased tickets for over a month ago. We were so tired we almost bagged it, but ended up taking a cab at the last minute - dirty clothes and all. Wow. When Aaron Neville finished with Amazing Grace and a beautiful rendition of Bob Marley, we were both energized.
Malcolm and Mike have been covering the mornings, Tyler and Conor have been covering nights. JB in conquering payroll and the books, I am paying attention to our personal bills for the first time in 2 months, as well as teaching two online classes at COCC. We are getting busier every day, but things are going pretty darned well. All of us have finally gotten a little sleep, and it's starting to have an effect on short-term memory and the bags under the eyes.
We have such a great team. Words just can't do justice to everyone's contribution: Mike, Malcolm, Tyler and Conor. Wow, what a team! JB and I just look at each other and grin.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Taste Testing
Oh man, Friday was rough. We regrouped and managed a respectable showing on Saturday. We have issues with electricity, plumbing, rice and point of sale. Things are looking really great, but will probably hold off our opening until Tuesday or Wednesday. We have some great employees . . . a veritable UN. Let's see, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, England, and the very strong Brazillian contingent. Did I mention the Kiwis and five very exhausted Americans? More words later, check out the pics.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Limping Toward the Finish Line
I thought I should post a note and let you all know we are moving forward at break-neck speed. If I don’t write tonight, chances are there won’t be another post until after we open. What an eventful day we had this Monday, April 4. Malcolm got the POS server and terminals in place and talking to each other (although we do have a minor problem with them seeing the Internet connection). Our coffee machine has been installed and Tyler christened it with a spray of milk on the floor and ceiling. The invites for the preview parties (Fri and Sat) have been perfected by Conor (see image). First food deliveries and smallwares have been ordered and checked in by Mike. Employees are hired and orientation is on Wed from 10-12.
Probably the biggest event has been JB’s obligatory injury. It happens every time. He was trying to rearrange the new Alto-Sham and dropped the corner on his left big toe. There are three big, strapping young men here who could have done the job, but nooooo. As we attempted to walk home tonight we got as far as Provedor (next door) before asking Mikey to drive us home. Of course we won’t be going to the ER, but will opt for self-medication.
And a very public and heart-felt congratulations to our nephew Kyle who is graduating from UNLV. Way to go Biff!
Probably the biggest event has been JB’s obligatory injury. It happens every time. He was trying to rearrange the new Alto-Sham and dropped the corner on his left big toe. There are three big, strapping young men here who could have done the job, but nooooo. As we attempted to walk home tonight we got as far as Provedor (next door) before asking Mikey to drive us home. Of course we won’t be going to the ER, but will opt for self-medication.
And a very public and heart-felt congratulations to our nephew Kyle who is graduating from UNLV. Way to go Biff!
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Easter Brake
Nope, that's not a typo. I do mean brake. Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are national holidays, so the banks and grocery stores are closed and none of the bars open until midnight. It's another one of those cultural nuances we didn't pick up on when planning the restaurant, so we are moving our opening date back to April 11. It will end up being a good thing, however, because we will get in more staff training.
Friday night at midnight there was a huge explosion - sounded like a bomb going off - and then much cheering and yelling coming from the streets below. The bars were open again. Whew! That was a long 24 hours. Kiwis rival the Irish in their love of their pubs.
JB had a slight altercation with a bad gasman (another long story) and now has a really great gasman doing the hookups for equipment. When they turned on the gas the other night, the gas line started leaking because the bad gasman didn't weld the lines correctly. Lenin was filled with gas the next morning. Then the good gasman came and proposed a plan to correct the situation. They will attack the problem on Tuesday (after the holiday). Hopefully they can fix it from Lenin's side and not have to tear our wall out.
Tyler put the employment ad in the NZ Herald on Monday and we have had lots of interest all week. He has been handing out job apps (you can also download from www.mexicalifresh.co.nz), planning the schedule, and will be conducting interviews next week (after the holiday). Even with the lowest unemployment rate in the Western world (3.8%) we have had many really good applicants.
Mike has found a place that makes fresh corn and flour tortillas here in Auckland. The company has a French name and doesn't advertise, which is why we didn't find them right off. They have a great product and will supply us all of the torts we can use.
Conor's signs are AWESOME. He and JB signed off on the paper cutouts last week so they are now in production. He is also working with Insight on development of the menuboard which will be a framed chalkboard. The design looks great. I will put up a jpg so you can all see it.
Last week Conor, Malcolm and I worked with the installer for Micros setting up and training on the point of sale system. Next week all of us (except JB) go to coffee training to learn to make the perfect flat white, long black and latte. After we pass that, we get to go to milk school. Did you know that the ideal milk topping on a flat white should be the consistency of shaving cream?
I found a little bakery who has agreed to do our cinnamon rolls. The only other baker who does that sells theirs exclusively to Starbucks. Our breakfast menu is pretty well set: breakfast burritos, cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins, croissants, juice and coffee. Since we are in a very heavy tourist area, we will open at 7 and serve breakfast until 11:00.
There are so many little stories to tell - I will try to get the guys to contribute a little more so you don't hear everything from my perspective.
Have a wonderful Easter!
Friday night at midnight there was a huge explosion - sounded like a bomb going off - and then much cheering and yelling coming from the streets below. The bars were open again. Whew! That was a long 24 hours. Kiwis rival the Irish in their love of their pubs.
JB had a slight altercation with a bad gasman (another long story) and now has a really great gasman doing the hookups for equipment. When they turned on the gas the other night, the gas line started leaking because the bad gasman didn't weld the lines correctly. Lenin was filled with gas the next morning. Then the good gasman came and proposed a plan to correct the situation. They will attack the problem on Tuesday (after the holiday). Hopefully they can fix it from Lenin's side and not have to tear our wall out.
Tyler put the employment ad in the NZ Herald on Monday and we have had lots of interest all week. He has been handing out job apps (you can also download from www.mexicalifresh.co.nz), planning the schedule, and will be conducting interviews next week (after the holiday). Even with the lowest unemployment rate in the Western world (3.8%) we have had many really good applicants.
Mike has found a place that makes fresh corn and flour tortillas here in Auckland. The company has a French name and doesn't advertise, which is why we didn't find them right off. They have a great product and will supply us all of the torts we can use.
Conor's signs are AWESOME. He and JB signed off on the paper cutouts last week so they are now in production. He is also working with Insight on development of the menuboard which will be a framed chalkboard. The design looks great. I will put up a jpg so you can all see it.
Last week Conor, Malcolm and I worked with the installer for Micros setting up and training on the point of sale system. Next week all of us (except JB) go to coffee training to learn to make the perfect flat white, long black and latte. After we pass that, we get to go to milk school. Did you know that the ideal milk topping on a flat white should be the consistency of shaving cream?
I found a little bakery who has agreed to do our cinnamon rolls. The only other baker who does that sells theirs exclusively to Starbucks. Our breakfast menu is pretty well set: breakfast burritos, cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins, croissants, juice and coffee. Since we are in a very heavy tourist area, we will open at 7 and serve breakfast until 11:00.
There are so many little stories to tell - I will try to get the guys to contribute a little more so you don't hear everything from my perspective.
Have a wonderful Easter!
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Sunday, March 20, 2005
15 days and counting
Well its official, the first day projected for Opening Mexicali Fresh is April 4th 2005. Although there is an incredible amount to be done we think that it is going to happen as planned. The inside is really starting to take shape, the walls are up and the coats of paint are being applied. All of my Mum and I's design work has been behind the scenes until now. We are getting to the stage where the bells and whistles are going up and Mexicali's personality is being seen. Now that the neon signs, menuboards, logos, and murals are scheduled and underway I get to tend to my side project, the media server. We are having a projector installed outside onto one of our walls and I am going to have my own personal window to the world. I plan on showing everything from old movies and personal projects, to advertising for our food and special events. It should be fun having my own personal audience, I have a lot up my sleeve. JB and Mikey (JR)have managed to get most of the cooking equipment in place, this week we should be able to fire up the bar-b and get some food testing underway. I cant wait to start cookin, we have been living off of the samples that the distributors have dropped off for about a month now, cheese and tortillas can only be made so many ways. Its not that we cant afford food just that we have been so busy adapting and working that we hardly have a chance to sit down and enjoy a home cooked meal. Tyler arrived this last weekend and it so happened to be the move in day to our new Villa. So after a month of posh apartment living we have now moved into a beautiful 3 bedroom home just 10 blocks from the restaurant. Its only been a week and we have not spent much time there so I will keep the blog updated how much we truly like it. Mike and I will take some pics and post them on the web....stay tuned! Till next time,
Conor
Conor
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Big News!
We have had a very good week indeed. On Monday we got the call that our liquor license had been approved, and then today we heard from Immigration that our Long Term Business Visa had been granted. Even though I knew we had a very solid business plan, I lost lots of sleep waiting for the official word. Whew!
We've got the employment ads in the paper, Tyler and Malcolm did liquor school today, and everything else is moving right along. We may have to tweak one sign (the one with the arrow) to meet sign codes, but they are on order and in progress.
We have a very nice espresso machine on order, but have decided to add one little bit of Americana to the menu . . . a cuppa Joe. Not only is it troublesome to find the coffee, it's pretty much impossible to find a commercial drip coffee machine. The only place you can get drip or brewed coffee in all of Auckland is at Starbucks. Now you can at Mexicali Fresh as well. Actually, JB, Mike and Conor are probably the only ones who will be drinking it. Americans are such heathens when it comes to coffee!
We've got the employment ads in the paper, Tyler and Malcolm did liquor school today, and everything else is moving right along. We may have to tweak one sign (the one with the arrow) to meet sign codes, but they are on order and in progress.
We have a very nice espresso machine on order, but have decided to add one little bit of Americana to the menu . . . a cuppa Joe. Not only is it troublesome to find the coffee, it's pretty much impossible to find a commercial drip coffee machine. The only place you can get drip or brewed coffee in all of Auckland is at Starbucks. Now you can at Mexicali Fresh as well. Actually, JB, Mike and Conor are probably the only ones who will be drinking it. Americans are such heathens when it comes to coffee!
Sunday, March 13, 2005
March Madness
Things are running fast and furious now as we head down the home stretch. Tyler arrived on Saturday morning at 5:30 am, which wasn’t so bad until he had to call his brother to come and get him. Conor had his alarm set for 6:30! Luckily at that time of the day there is little to no traffic on the Southern Motorway and they were back at our apartment by 7:30 for streaky bacon and eggs.
Things are really starting to take shape, as you can see from the photo albums on the right. Coming up this week: finalizing the electric and lighting, painting the floor, installing some equipment, the sound system and projector. Tyler and Malcolm are in Liquor Training and we order the servers in preparation for setting up the Point of Sale System next week. Since the countertops won’t yet be installed, we will set up the entire POS system in our apartment and do the training there. Then we will pick up the whole thing (server, terminals, cables and all) and relocate to their proper locations in the restaurant. We are finalizing the pricing and menu board, purveyors and staffing needs. Tyler and I will tackle the employee manual, advertising and begin interviewing next week. We have found a local supplier for Mexican chorizo!
The boys have found a really nice house in Freeman’s Bay near Ponsonby. It’s about a 20 minute walk to the restaurant through Victoria Park and along the Viaduct where the America’s Cup was held in 2003. It’s an older style “villa” with original kauri wood floors, white picket fence and a peaked view of Rangitoto. They even have a 2-car garage which is quite unusual.
If you plan on coming to visit in 2005, you’d better get your name booked into the Buell Bed & Breakfast. In August former Mexicali manager Lisa Lee will be coming with her daughter and brother. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving with David & Paula Day, and my parents will be with us for Christmas and most of January. We hope by then we will have a nice little place on the beach for everyone to relax and enjoy.
There’s not much time for golf or relaxation for the next month or so, but JB and I are going to try to sneak out tonight to see “Million Dollar Baby.” We haven’t been to the movies since we’ve been here, and it is playing just up the road.
We are all watching March Madness . . . who do you love?
Things are really starting to take shape, as you can see from the photo albums on the right. Coming up this week: finalizing the electric and lighting, painting the floor, installing some equipment, the sound system and projector. Tyler and Malcolm are in Liquor Training and we order the servers in preparation for setting up the Point of Sale System next week. Since the countertops won’t yet be installed, we will set up the entire POS system in our apartment and do the training there. Then we will pick up the whole thing (server, terminals, cables and all) and relocate to their proper locations in the restaurant. We are finalizing the pricing and menu board, purveyors and staffing needs. Tyler and I will tackle the employee manual, advertising and begin interviewing next week. We have found a local supplier for Mexican chorizo!
The boys have found a really nice house in Freeman’s Bay near Ponsonby. It’s about a 20 minute walk to the restaurant through Victoria Park and along the Viaduct where the America’s Cup was held in 2003. It’s an older style “villa” with original kauri wood floors, white picket fence and a peaked view of Rangitoto. They even have a 2-car garage which is quite unusual.
If you plan on coming to visit in 2005, you’d better get your name booked into the Buell Bed & Breakfast. In August former Mexicali manager Lisa Lee will be coming with her daughter and brother. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving with David & Paula Day, and my parents will be with us for Christmas and most of January. We hope by then we will have a nice little place on the beach for everyone to relax and enjoy.
There’s not much time for golf or relaxation for the next month or so, but JB and I are going to try to sneak out tonight to see “Million Dollar Baby.” We haven’t been to the movies since we’ve been here, and it is playing just up the road.
We are all watching March Madness . . . who do you love?
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Monday, March 07, 2005
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Supreme Comments
Welcome world, from the Supreme Commander. This is my first blog entry so listen carefully - I may never be allowed to write again. I’m being held in a small 27th floor apartment in downtown Auckland by a beautiful blond woman who only lets me out to build a restaurant in a secret undisclosed location.
I’ve been here over a month and now consider myself a local. Right mate! Sweet as! The first couple of weeks were a little tough, living on the North Shore, having to commute downtown and having no family to bounce decisions off of. Those days are long gone and things have settled down to a mad dash. Adjusting to living in a high-rise apartment is also very interesting.
We are all working hard and it is great to see everyone using and building on their areas of expertise. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked around and said how cool it is to be in this project with the family and our other son, Mike. Things have just fallen into place, it’s uncanny; acquiring the location, the takeover, establishing our professional relations, getting Mike as our kitchen manager, acquiring the company car, living with Malcolm and Janet, stealing Malcolm’s tools and trailer, meeting Andrew & Ed (Vision Interiors) and Graham (Food Design), joining Titirangi, our apartment, the tradesmen, bringing Malcolm on board, people we have met through the restaurant, friends of friends, future friends, good vibes from our friends in the States, the “finding the need and filling it” Mexicali concept and the overall ripeness of Auckland. Talk about different from Bend.
The restaurant construction schedule is on time and hopefully April 1st is achievable. Just after the final plans were on paper I made an executive decision to gut the building and start with a clean palette. That decision increased indoor seating, saved us future headaches, increased the traffic flow and kept us on schedule. Picking Vision Interiors as the project managers is paying off in spades and let the world know that was my LAST building demo project. I’m too old and it hurts, but I love it.
The next couple of week will see the electrical, plumbing, painting and flooring completed. We would like to start putting some pieces of kitchen equipment in by March 12th so we can start food testing. Mike and I will be starting to price out the menu, doing the layout for the POS system, finalizing our purveyors, picking out some small wares and monitoring the construction project for the next few weeks. God knows someone needs to keep an eye on Andrew. I think our plans to expand may happen earlier than we expected. We are really getting some good positive feedback.
I’m going to use MYOB accounting software (please let me know if you know anyone who has used this software) and the Micros 3700 QSR Point-Of-Sale. Accounting in NZ is much easier than the US because you have very few deductions, employee deductions are simple, everything is capitalized and everyone files individual tax returns. The average tax payer in NZ pays 48% in taxes. That includes a top indiviual tax rate of 39%, 12.5% GST of all goods and services and property taxes if you own property. There are no capital gains taxes and conversely you can’t write off business losses. No worries, we get taxed from both countries.
Its great talk to everyone and if I don’t hear from you I’ll assume you are in good health or don’t look at this blog. Pink; get your butt down here. Dana, I miss your spiritual advice and get Murphy this site. DK, were the hell are you and why haven’t we heard from you. Gus, keep the country safe. Wild-thing, keep a spot in the Invitational for BG and I. BG, Titirangi is so great to play and I think of you every round, keep the faith. Tom Day, come with your bro. “The Don-old”, what happened on the trip back from Baja and how is your best friend, George the Great doing? Murphy how’s Texas? Ernie, you haven’t lived until you seen New Zealand. The motorcycle crew, this is the place to ride bikes and I have some great trips planned, I may even import a bike or two. Peter, you need to plan your trip ASAP, we have your room ready. My new e-mail is jb@mexicalifresh.co.nz (by the way, that last bit is pronounced “en-zed”)
I’ve been here over a month and now consider myself a local. Right mate! Sweet as! The first couple of weeks were a little tough, living on the North Shore, having to commute downtown and having no family to bounce decisions off of. Those days are long gone and things have settled down to a mad dash. Adjusting to living in a high-rise apartment is also very interesting.
We are all working hard and it is great to see everyone using and building on their areas of expertise. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked around and said how cool it is to be in this project with the family and our other son, Mike. Things have just fallen into place, it’s uncanny; acquiring the location, the takeover, establishing our professional relations, getting Mike as our kitchen manager, acquiring the company car, living with Malcolm and Janet, stealing Malcolm’s tools and trailer, meeting Andrew & Ed (Vision Interiors) and Graham (Food Design), joining Titirangi, our apartment, the tradesmen, bringing Malcolm on board, people we have met through the restaurant, friends of friends, future friends, good vibes from our friends in the States, the “finding the need and filling it” Mexicali concept and the overall ripeness of Auckland. Talk about different from Bend.
The restaurant construction schedule is on time and hopefully April 1st is achievable. Just after the final plans were on paper I made an executive decision to gut the building and start with a clean palette. That decision increased indoor seating, saved us future headaches, increased the traffic flow and kept us on schedule. Picking Vision Interiors as the project managers is paying off in spades and let the world know that was my LAST building demo project. I’m too old and it hurts, but I love it.
The next couple of week will see the electrical, plumbing, painting and flooring completed. We would like to start putting some pieces of kitchen equipment in by March 12th so we can start food testing. Mike and I will be starting to price out the menu, doing the layout for the POS system, finalizing our purveyors, picking out some small wares and monitoring the construction project for the next few weeks. God knows someone needs to keep an eye on Andrew. I think our plans to expand may happen earlier than we expected. We are really getting some good positive feedback.
I’m going to use MYOB accounting software (please let me know if you know anyone who has used this software) and the Micros 3700 QSR Point-Of-Sale. Accounting in NZ is much easier than the US because you have very few deductions, employee deductions are simple, everything is capitalized and everyone files individual tax returns. The average tax payer in NZ pays 48% in taxes. That includes a top indiviual tax rate of 39%, 12.5% GST of all goods and services and property taxes if you own property. There are no capital gains taxes and conversely you can’t write off business losses. No worries, we get taxed from both countries.
Its great talk to everyone and if I don’t hear from you I’ll assume you are in good health or don’t look at this blog. Pink; get your butt down here. Dana, I miss your spiritual advice and get Murphy this site. DK, were the hell are you and why haven’t we heard from you. Gus, keep the country safe. Wild-thing, keep a spot in the Invitational for BG and I. BG, Titirangi is so great to play and I think of you every round, keep the faith. Tom Day, come with your bro. “The Don-old”, what happened on the trip back from Baja and how is your best friend, George the Great doing? Murphy how’s Texas? Ernie, you haven’t lived until you seen New Zealand. The motorcycle crew, this is the place to ride bikes and I have some great trips planned, I may even import a bike or two. Peter, you need to plan your trip ASAP, we have your room ready. My new e-mail is jb@mexicalifresh.co.nz (by the way, that last bit is pronounced “en-zed”)
Saturday, February 26, 2005
A Little Lite Housekeeping
Good news everyone! The Blogger people have updated the way comments work. Among the many improvements are pop-up windows for comments and the ability for commenters to fill in their name and web site info—no Blogger account needed. Now there's no excuse for you silent lurkers.
Conor has found us a great Web hosting service called the Kiwi Web Hosting Company. While it may be transparent to most of you, it's a big deal to us. They have very fast, reliable servers that will deliver our Web page to everyone in record time, and they have a very creative billing structure. You actually pay 10% less each year rather than more. The best part is, when you sign up for an account you get free peanut brittle!
Since we now have our very own host, I will be moving our photo albums from the various and sundry places we have been storing them over the past several months. You will see the order of the albums change, and some of the content will be reorganized. I have already uploaded a new album - Logos - so you can see some of the mockups in progress. We all now have new email addresses at mexicalifresh.co.nz as well. We just slapped something up on the Web page to test the settings, but you can check it out at mexicalifresh.co.nz.
We've made major progress this week: ordered the Micros POS terminals, finalized the equipment list and placed the order, nailed down the final bids and plans for plumbers, electricians, security cameras, sound system, upholstery and cabinetry (joinery here), painting for floor, ceiling and walls. We are also going to do a mural like we did at Baja using a local artist - Hamish. Style will be Diego Rivera-esque. (More on that later). Mike is deciding uniforms, Conor chose a PR company . . . I'm getting tired just reading about everything!
We still have mucho on the listo, but we are knocking things down one at a time. We are anxious for Tyler to get here - March 12th. Malcolm joins us the following Monday, so we have our management team in place. In the next two weeks we have training for liquor licensing (everyone but JB, who says he can't be trained) and food safety training. All are required for our licensing.
It's the weekend and JB and I are golfing while the boys are at the beach. Conor bought a used surfboard. Mike can't wait to start fishing. We are all looking forward to a little bit of R&R.
Conor has found us a great Web hosting service called the Kiwi Web Hosting Company. While it may be transparent to most of you, it's a big deal to us. They have very fast, reliable servers that will deliver our Web page to everyone in record time, and they have a very creative billing structure. You actually pay 10% less each year rather than more. The best part is, when you sign up for an account you get free peanut brittle!
Since we now have our very own host, I will be moving our photo albums from the various and sundry places we have been storing them over the past several months. You will see the order of the albums change, and some of the content will be reorganized. I have already uploaded a new album - Logos - so you can see some of the mockups in progress. We all now have new email addresses at mexicalifresh.co.nz as well. We just slapped something up on the Web page to test the settings, but you can check it out at mexicalifresh.co.nz.
We've made major progress this week: ordered the Micros POS terminals, finalized the equipment list and placed the order, nailed down the final bids and plans for plumbers, electricians, security cameras, sound system, upholstery and cabinetry (joinery here), painting for floor, ceiling and walls. We are also going to do a mural like we did at Baja using a local artist - Hamish. Style will be Diego Rivera-esque. (More on that later). Mike is deciding uniforms, Conor chose a PR company . . . I'm getting tired just reading about everything!
We still have mucho on the listo, but we are knocking things down one at a time. We are anxious for Tyler to get here - March 12th. Malcolm joins us the following Monday, so we have our management team in place. In the next two weeks we have training for liquor licensing (everyone but JB, who says he can't be trained) and food safety training. All are required for our licensing.
It's the weekend and JB and I are golfing while the boys are at the beach. Conor bought a used surfboard. Mike can't wait to start fishing. We are all looking forward to a little bit of R&R.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
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