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Message |
    
tabby
Citizen
Username: Tabby
Post Number: 339
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 28, 2006 - 9:51 pm: | 
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Does anyone know what Cafe Meow is going to be (sushi bar for cats  )??
Perhaps all of us feline fanciers on MOL can have a F2F there.
Meow,
Tabby |
growler
Citizen
Username: Growler
Post Number: 975
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 1:11 pm: |
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Quote:Café Meow, thanks for your interest!
We'll have light fare for both eat-in and take-out, in addition to the usual coffee/espresso items, smoothies, juices and goods baked on the premises. Menu and ingredients will be heavily organic & natural, with a soup of the day, panini and salads. Naturally we'll find out what's in demand and try to adapt accordingly.
Since the weather's nice, we'll have seating at tables outside. Oh, and evening entertainment on the weekends.
Chris is an avid knitter and will be hosting a knitting group (back in the comfy-chair section ). We'd also love to talk to anyone else interested in having their group meet at the café.
Hope to see everyone there by the end of the month.
John & Chris Muccigrosso
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Pippi
Supporter
Username: Pippi
Post Number: 2514
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 2:25 pm: |
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Where on Springfield is this? sounds great |
growler
Citizen
Username: Growler
Post Number: 976
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 2:48 pm: |
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Across the street from the Beaded Path and Wooden You Know. |
harold
Citizen
Username: Harold
Post Number: 391
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 3:01 pm: |
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Across the street from the other cafe. |
Wally Chancer
Citizen
Username: Wchancer
Post Number: 1
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 4:24 pm: |
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sounds good |
Mr. Big Poppa
Citizen
Username: Big_poppa
Post Number: 742
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 4:54 pm: |
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It was supposed to open last month. Does anyone have an update as to the new opening date? |
John
Citizen
Username: Jdm
Post Number: 79
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 7:05 pm: |
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MBP,
Yes, well, the best laid plans and all that. It's looking like mid-July. The fire at Mr. Gus's building has resulted in some minor delays as some of the same people working at our place were working to get that place cleaned up as well. Also these things just always seem to take longer than expected.
(Oh, and I'm off to Italy for a week. Work-related. Really.)
John |
Newstead
Citizen
Username: Newstead77
Post Number: 54
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, July 2, 2006 - 7:41 pm: |
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John,
Could you please post the full street address.
We would like to check out your new restaurant when it opens.
Best of luck on the new venture.
Regards |
mrs_mooch
Citizen
Username: Mrs_mooch
Post Number: 19
Registered: 9-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 9:35 am: |
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Sure Newstead,
1878 Springfield Ave
Right next to Bank of America and where Pizza Primo used to be. Can't wait to see you there, probably August now!
Christine, Owner, Cafe Meow
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magmasystems
Citizen
Username: Magmasystems
Post Number: 360
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 11:51 am: |
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Poor Deanne,
First, NetNomads is forced to move from Maplewood Village.
Then another cafe opens up right across from her.
I have not been to NetNomads in a long time, but I have to start going there to show her my support. Deanne was an early innovator in Maplewood Village in that she showcased live music, provided computer literacy to many people, and displayed the artwork of local craftsmen. She deserves better than this .... |
mtierney
Citizen
Username: Mtierney
Post Number: 943
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 12:23 pm: |
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As a certified cat person, may I offer one comment? There used to be or still is a pizza parlor at the Clinton/Parker intersection with Meow in its name. Everytime I passed it, I could taste hairballs! Never tried the pizza, however.Maybe it's just me, but that name doesn't send an invitation to my tastebuds!
That said, I wish the proprietors much success. I've lived here long enough to remember when Springfield Ave. was a shopping destination. There used to be a foodmarket, 5&10,appliance store, sewing/crafts shop, meat market, etc. Further down into Irvington, there were fine clothing stores, a Sears, several 5&10s and so much more.
The comment about two cafes close together being a detriment brings to mind the issue of multiple nail salons. I recall some wags saying that healthy competition results in the survival of the best. Have any salons folded? |
harold
Citizen
Username: Harold
Post Number: 392
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 12:57 pm: |
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I'm curious about this also....why open up directly across from an existing business? Does Lowes and H.D. at least put some mileage between them.
You don't see movie theaters adjacent to each other.
[looks like molers are going to have another fund-raiser soon]. |
magmasystems
Citizen
Username: Magmasystems
Post Number: 361
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 12:59 pm: |
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What might distinguish Deanne/NetNomads from a typical nail salon owner is that Deanne has been a resident of Maplewood for many years, and she is active in the community, as is her husband and son. In my neighborhood, none of the owners of the many nail salons live in the town, nor have deep community roots.
I would hate to see M/SO residents tell Deanne that it's the survival of the fittest, and may the best cappucino win.... |
Joel Janney
Citizen
Username: Joel_janney
Post Number: 72
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 1:01 pm: |
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Magmasystems: I have not been to NetNomads in a long time, but I have to start going there to show her my support.
So you're going there to make a token visit or two because you think that will make a difference? Give me a break. Like any establishment of this kind, NetNomads needs regular customers (and by the way it has them, and I like NetNomads). The best thing for Springfield - and Maplewood - would be for so many quality places to open up that it becomes a destination for the many folks who live west of Valley - some of whom post on this board - that NEVER show their faces on SA outside of their car. So much so that they don't even refer to SA when they discuss business that exist in this town. |
growler
Citizen
Username: Growler
Post Number: 979
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 1:38 pm: |
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From what I've read and heard there is a big difference between the two. One is an Internet cafe and the other is a restaurant style cafe. One will do desktop printing while the other will serve food. Look at South Orange: Starbucks, Cate & Abbys, Duncan Doughnuts, The Goat, Texas Manny Weeniers, the new diner and a couple of other places that are all within 1 block of each other that serve coffee and other goodies. All of them are still in business.
I remembered this quote:
Quote:TomReingold, you are very right about that. My favorite corner in ny is bleeker and mcdougal which has a coffeehouse on all four corners, and has for as long as i can remember. deannel
Tom was refering to Starbucks opeing up on the ave and how it could increase the overall demand for fancy coffee. NetNomads will be ok.
This is a good thing to have another food style establishment up on the ave that people can come and walk to and hang out in. It's also good for the other business up there too, as it will get more people to that area that may not normally go up there and they may shop at the other stores. Thus helping the other business stay in business. A win win.
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magmasystems
Citizen
Username: Magmasystems
Post Number: 362
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 1:52 pm: |
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Could be a win-win, but you never know.
In Millburn, Cafe Baci closed down a few months after Starbucks opened across the street.
Tiger Hardware opened up 2 doors away from Buncher's, but Tiger did not last for long.
4 coffehouses on 4 corners in Greenwich Village may be OK, and the walk-by traffic can support 4 places. Not so sure about Springfield Ave. |
harold
Citizen
Username: Harold
Post Number: 393
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 1:56 pm: |
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Win-win? Yeah, like Pizza Primo and Papa Johns. |
growler
Citizen
Username: Growler
Post Number: 980
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 2:14 pm: |
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I guess you forgot about the fire harold? |
harold
Citizen
Username: Harold
Post Number: 394
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 2:17 pm: |
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And why was there a fire? |
growler
Citizen
Username: Growler
Post Number: 981
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 4:05 pm: |
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Joel - I agree completely.
Harold - No idea. |
harold
Citizen
Username: Harold
Post Number: 395
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 5:09 pm: |
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Fire was caused by an arsonist [although the arsonist hasn't been convicted].
Duh, maybe business was bad/non-existent because of increased competition?
Yup, win-win alright. |
msg
Citizen
Username: Msg
Post Number: 202
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 10:36 pm: |
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Magmasystems-
In Millburn, Buncher Hardware and Lonergan's Hardware lived in perfect peace for many, many years just a stones throw from each other. After Lonergans closed and Tiger went in, they, too, lived together. Home Depot was what caused the demise of Tiger, not Buncher's proximity. What about Roman Gourmet and Trattoria being not even a block away and earning their own separate followers? I'm sure there are many other instances. Both of these establishments will have to set forth and maintain their own individual personalities and followings. |
magmasystems
Citizen
Username: Magmasystems
Post Number: 363
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 7:47 am: |
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Msg -
I don't go back as far as Lonergan's ... I just remember Tiger. I am sure that, if two similar stores are set up in close proximity to eachother, then each will garner their own followers. But, there *will* be a loss of business to the store that was there first. Just look at what happened to Sono in Millburn. It used to be packed on a Saturday evening. Now, between Samurai Sushi (on the same block) and Sakura (on the next block), you can get any of the prime window seats at any time on a Saturday night at Sono.
It would be ideal if NetNomad's business did not suffer. But, if you are walking on Springfield Ave around Prospect, and you are in the mood for a smoothie, then NetNomads is no longer your only choice. So, there will be a dropoff in business for NN, no matter how small.
On the flip side, if the introduction of a new cafe on that part of Springfield Ave serves to further enhance the image of SA, AND AS A RESULT, CAUSES MORE WALKBY TRAFFIC, then NN's business may increase. That would be the situation that everyone hopes for.
Time will tell as to which scenario plays out ....
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Mr. Big Poppa
Citizen
Username: Big_poppa
Post Number: 766
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, July 9, 2006 - 10:12 am: |
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3 pizzerias in Maplewood Village...no problems
Way too many nail salons....wish some would fold
Several diners along Springfield...most doing very well
Cafe Meow seems like it will be offering something different enough from NN so that they will probably both prosper. The key is to make SA even more of an attractive destination. I like going to SA, but it doesn't keep me there for too long. Cafe Meow will definitely help.
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sylvester the investor
Citizen
Username: Mummish
Post Number: 138
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 5:32 pm: |
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not that I am wishing this venture to fail, but I would be willing to lay 20-1 odds that it will not survive longer than 6 months from the open.
1. there isn't a lower success rate in business than in the restaurant world.
2. Its all about location-location-location. As much as SA has been "revitalized" this is just a poor location for this type of establishment. You are not going to get the foot traffic that you need to keep the place running.
3. "the best coffee around"...I saw the owner state in another post that they will be hand drawing the best expresso around. They will be serving Illy coffee, which is some good stuff, but come on, you are not going to be able wrangle people away from their norms. Dunkin Donuts people are not attracted to this type of stuff, and SB loyalists are not going to be easily swayed.
4. Parking. I love all the claims of "ample free parking". Get real, trying to get to any place in that area of SA is a pain in the •••. If you want parking, you need to park a few blocks away and walk. People are not going to walk blocks for a coffee.
5. Teenage crowd. Just won't go here. they have the village and options like H2TA. You will get the hooligan crowd that wanders up and down SA and hangs out by Papa John's if you are lucky, but this won't be their gig either.
This place has been in the works for a while and all I keep reading is that "its coming". I strolled by recently and I can tell you that it is far from done. I bet it isnt open until october. |
mimi
Citizen
Username: Mimi
Post Number: 263
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - 8:29 pm: |
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as a local maplewood resident in the college hill section of town, i regularly hit SA on foot. maybe i'm more open to it since i'm new to town and like its urban feel. but i imagine there must be lots of other recent new-york transplants who appreciate the same. plus, it is much closer for those of us who live in this area of town than walking to the village.
i frequent the yoga center, stories in motion, wooden you know, the post office, de pietros, and the diner. (not so much net nomads because, for whatever reason, they always seemed to be closed during the hours i'm there.) and i can't wait for cafe meow to open. i welcome a local quality coffee establishment open in the evening to take my starbucks dollars. i welcome a venue that offers entertainment. and i can't wait to see more and more places open on the avenue so that i have a restaurant i can more easily walk to and from at night.
good luck to the mooches and keep us posted. |
Eponymous
Citizen
Username: Eponymous
Post Number: 207
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 9:39 am: |
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4. Parking. I love all the claims of "ample free parking". Get real, trying to get to any place in that area of SA is a pain in the •••. If you want parking, you need to park a few blocks away and walk. People are not going to walk blocks for a coffee.
Sorry, StI, but this is nonsense. I go to SA all the time and, as someone has posted elsewhere, the Yale lot is always always ALWAYS full of empty spots and it's a block from the new café location.
Didn't the owner of the skate shop also post about the ample free parking always available in the Indiana lot?
Frankly though I usually park right on SA itself when I need to run into the 99-cent store or Spring Fields. I'd say more than half the time I can do that. |
BGS
Supporter
Username: Bgs
Post Number: 1132
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 10:37 am: |
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StI- maybe you forgot that you can park on Springfield Avenue now. The parking regs were changed a couple of years ago. I never have a problem with parking on the Avenue...much easier to find a spot there than South Orange Ave or the Village...
Good luck Meow! We await your opening!!
BGS |
mwsilva
Citizen
Username: Mwsilva
Post Number: 506
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - 10:20 pm: |
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I read this and started to laugh.
Today around 5PM I was on Springfield Avenue and needed to stop at the Bank of America.
I parked in front of the new Cafe Meow, and had 4 empty parking spots behind me, and saw 4 or 5 empty spots across the street at the Organic food and Bead stores.
What exactly is this myth about parking problems on SA? And, just 1/2 a block away are 2 public lots which I have never seen full.
Come on, find something real to complain about. Parking on SA is not a problem. |
sylvester the investor
Citizen
Username: Mummish
Post Number: 139
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 9:19 pm: |
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maybe you can find parking, but it is always a cluster#$%* when i head up there. It is always conjested, people flying up and down the road blowing stop lights,etc.
and who wants to hang out on SA at night. NO ONE. If cafe meow wants to exist, they better convince MPD to have a heavy foot presence up there.
I like how you have all avoided the topic of whether or not this place can actually survive. you all talk about all the parking, but what about the business plan here. I can't believe a bank would actually finance this crazy idea. These people are either independently wealthly and have nothing better to do with their money or they have an inheritance that they don't know to invest wisely, so they figured they would open a cafe.
Someone please tell me how this place will survive. Rent alone must be $$$$$, throw in workers comp, liability, boiler, FICA, startup costs.....couple that with being behind schedule by what........4 or 5 months now.... this thing is just bleeding money.
Can you say BANKRUPT!!!!!!
someone please enlighten my simple mind as to how this place is going to survive. |
Mr. Big Poppa
Citizen
Username: Big_poppa
Post Number: 773
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 10:01 pm: |
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Sylvester,
There are a few similar, very successful cafes in Park Slope. Since moving here 2 years ago, I thought Maplewood was missing a place like this. I know many people who, like me, are excited about Cafe Meow opening. Will it succeed? I hope so. If it provides good food and service, my family will frequent it often.
Why are you so passionate about their potential success/failure? Did you fail in a business, or invest in a failed business, before? |
BGS
Supporter
Username: Bgs
Post Number: 1143
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 1:59 pm: |
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Sylvestor- why do you care??? Take a deep breath, and stay away from the Avenue...you seem like a naysayer from way back...we need positive people in this town!!
BGS |
harold
Citizen
Username: Harold
Post Number: 396
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 2:41 pm: |
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speaking of failed businesses, anyone know what happened to Patina's Florist???? |
Jgberkeley
Citizen
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 4598
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 5:46 pm: |
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Patina's?
Yes, retired, moved and sold the business and building to a local gardener.
He found that the business was much more work than he could handle, along with his very busy landscape business.
Soooo, he closed the flower shop and sold the building to the person who was in the door 30 minutes before me. He made a very good profit on the deal.
Darn.
The flower shop did not fail.
Later,
George |
sylvester the investor
Citizen
Username: Mummish
Post Number: 140
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 6:51 am: |
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To all you pie in the sky dreamers, i'm just being a realist. Do you understand the costs of running a food establishment? Did you even consider all the costs (and more) that I referenced in my last note.
I want you people to stand up, look me straight in thet face (ok computer monitor) and tell me that you would be willing to invest come of your capital into this business. Let's just say they were looking to raise $50,000 from 5 of you and would give in turn give you a modest 1/10th ownership share to involved nothing more than receiving 10% of porfits and having to do no work. Would you do it? If you tell me that you would, unless you were so rich that you didn't know what to do with your money, i'd really have to question if you had your head screwed on correctly.
The restaurant is already burning money faster than they can print it. It's far behind schedule, there is a significant amount of construction being done on the indside (at least it looks that way when you stroll by...ie, gutting it), there is the capital outlay for all the kitchen harward, food cases, chairs, tables, bathroom plumbing,electrical, etc., etc.
Let's say the mortgate / lease / rent, in the $3000-4000 a month range. We'll tack on another $250 a month in insurance costs, $1,000 a month in food & beneverage inventory costs, $350 in heating and electrical bills, $100 a month for the free wifi they are offering customers, and lets call it $500 for everything else i missed. If you go with a $3k lease, that's >$5000 a month in expenses. Let's say you charge $5.00 for a latte and $6.00 for a piece of cake or sandwich. On an average $11 bill, you would need to 455 customers a month to equal monthly burn rate and this doesn't even cover the sunk costs that went into the business prior to opening. So let's say it costs $75,000 to get this place up and running and that cost is ammortized over 10 years, it adds another $600-$700 a month in expenses you are trying to recover or another 60 people you need to get into your place.
I'd be willing to be that an aggressive number of customers entering the store in a given month is no more than 200 (and I am being very, very generous here).
Come on, look at "Spring Fields" Market. Another bad idea from a business venture perspective. First, you have whole foods right down the road, and there really isn't anything in SFM that you can't get a WFM. You definately are not attracting out of towners for SFM. The inventory of offerings is too small, so you need to rely on local, and I mean real local customers. People on the other side of Maplewood are not going to drive over there when they can just cross the boarder into millburn and be at WFM quicker and have more variety. I've been in SFM market, its "bare". The number of offerings is too small and when you walk in you feel like no-one ever goes there. Who wants to buy food from a place that no one else is buying from. Even if it is "boxed" or "Canned", you start to get the feeling that the stuff isn't fresh.
Please, someone, anyone, give me the math on how meow, or even SFM are going to last. |
dave23
Citizen
Username: Dave23
Post Number: 1864
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 7:41 am: |
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Sylvester,
Have you stopped to consider that perhaps there are things you don't know? That what you see at SFM is not everything it's going to be? |
Mr. Big Poppa
Citizen
Username: Big_poppa
Post Number: 780
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 8:13 am: |
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Sylvester,
The simlar cafes in Brooklyn must have averaged at least 100 people per day. Granted, it is a much more densely populated area, but these cafes are big hits with mommy groups, clubs etc. Plus, they are great places to hang out when the weather is dreary (cold, rain, or too hot).
You cracked me up because you spent some time running the numbers! I hope it is a successful shop. I'm sure you do as well, even though you are expressing your doubts. |
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