As a few FROTB know, I pay for my food and wine adventures as a marketing guy. One of my longest and best clients is The Wine Country Inn in St. Helena, in the heart of the Napa V
alley. Now everyday as part of being a guest there, guests are treated to a gourmet breakfast, which usually consists of one hot egg dish and then other goodies like granola, fruit, muffins and breads, etc. Now it's a great breakfast, and people love it. However, if you're a frequent visitor to the Inn, or are staying for, say four or five straight days, well, a little variety would be nice too. So we decided to add a new waffle machine to the breakfast mix. Simple, right? Wrong!
alley. Now everyday as part of being a guest there, guests are treated to a gourmet breakfast, which usually consists of one hot egg dish and then other goodies like granola, fruit, muffins and breads, etc. Now it's a great breakfast, and people love it. However, if you're a frequent visitor to the Inn, or are staying for, say four or five straight days, well, a little variety would be nice too. So we decided to add a new waffle machine to the breakfast mix. Simple, right? Wrong!Here's what happened. We had to put the waffle machine, and all the goodies that go with it, on a table next to the main breakfast table. Well, this is wine country, so it had to be just the right table--an antique, the same height as the existing table, etc. That took two months and $400 to solve. And then guess what? After we got the table all set up, we discovered one more "little" thing--there wasn't an outlet near the table. So we had to bring in the electrician to, well, you know. So when it was all said and done, the darn waffle machine came out to being about $1,200. Ouch!
Now there is some good news, though. Waffles at breakfast have been a HUGE hit with our guests. And no one's even burned themselves yet, either. I mean, is life good or what?
So the moral of this story? Waffling can be expensive!
2 comments:
Hi Tim! The Wine Country Inn! I love it there. I love Saint Helena. We live in Benicia. I wish we went to the wine country more. Your story about the waffle maker is a crack up! I use to be a merchandiser for clothing companies. Your story makes me think of the craziness that would ensue due to just one little tweak in the display. So, your a marketing guy. That is very cool! I have a strong business and design background but zero experience in marketing.
I've been thinking about the comment you left on my blog constantly. It is amazing how an innocent comment can seriously be life changing. Seriously. It has opened me up to a new vantage point that I am really happy about. Thank you! May I post your comment on the body of my blog? If you'd prefer not I totally understand but I would like to include it in my next post if it is cool with you. :)
Hi Cece Marie! Thanks for your note. FYI, It's a GREAT time for a day-trip or weekend getaway to the Napa Valley--far, far fewer people, wineries happy to see you, no problem with dinner reservations, etc. I highly recommend it. And yes, I will send you an email, but yes you can use my comment on your blog. It sure made ME stop and think, and I'm glad that it's given you a new perspective, too.
All: Cece Marie's blog is http://alldolledup.typepad.com. Check it out.
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