It appears I need some help exerting some force on the insurance company to pay up. I have always been proud to be a Toscana, but sometimes it sure would have been handy to be Sicilian. So, since I don’t have that kind of pull, I called our Assemblyman Ken Cooley’s office and a very bright gentleman named Jonathan Glatz comes over to the restaurant to discuss strategy. I am sure our conversation was much different then say a conversation with Michael Corleone, but whatcha gonna do? Anyway, hopefully we will get our money soon. As it is, we have power and water and a sign out front. This week, we will get gas and should get everything in place. I just don’t know how long all the little stuff and inspections will take, but we are close. A family friend suggested we change the name to OPEN SOON. I prefer it just be OPEN, but whatcha gonna do?
Oct 1 - 7
Ok, let’s just all assume I am not a lucky guy. If you were going gambling, you would not want to bring me along. So SMUD came out to hook up the electricity, and somewhere along the way they changed their box and we were not informed. I don’t know if that is the reason, but we could not connect to their new box, which now means we have to go back to the County and pull permits to dig a deep trench and run new conduit from the building to their box. It takes SMUD seven days just to re-inspect, not necessarily hook us up, so this will cost us time.
Ugh.
So I was telling one of our evening customers this story and he tells me this could take two months. I go home and go absolutely nuts. It is late and now I am trying to calm down to go to sleep and I go to the medicine cabinet to see what is left. This situation will require more than my usual Tylenol PM. I look around and there is an old prescription of dog Xanax. That is right doggy Xanax for some surgery he had a long time ago. I am so beyond stressed I take one. After 5 minutes or so I don’t notice anything, but I do manage to get to sleep. Next morning I am bright and bushy tailed. I get to work all excited and run around bussing tables and when I tell the girls what I did they seem to give me an odd look and then they back away. I was told later they were concerned I would mark my territory.
We are trying to expedite the connection and we will see.
Sept 24 - 30
The story of my life:
36 months ago I got a new lease for FlapJacks. I sent it down to a business friend to review it. He apparently was too busy and didn’t and so I reviewed it and signed it anyway. In the new lease the clause that stated that I needed to insure the building at El Camino was absent. Since I didn’t know that, I insured the El Camino building.
26 months ago I had a fire at Flapjacks. Immediately afterword I was approached by many people to offer to help me out of the goodness of their heart. I chose this man from a company who says he can take care of everything and for me to go home and not worry about anything. I tell this guy that I insured the building, but they told me I wasn’t supposed to, but since I did, I would become the Primary and make all the major decisions concerning the reconstruction.
25 months ago I tell these guys that I have an architect I have worked with to rebuild the restaurant. I am told that I can’t hire an architect that I have to hire an engineer. Ok I say, but I don’t know any engineers. Don’t worry, we can help you with that.
25 months ago I say I have a contractor to rebuild the restaurant. This company asked if he is a “fire recovery contractor”. I say “I don’t know”. Well then you should hire a fire recovery contractor who knows fire recovery. Oh, I say. Good to know.
24 months ago I decide to hire a fire recovery contractor named Premier Construction. I ask these people if they think he is OK. They say he is a large company and they are a fire recovery contractor so they should be ok. I ask the insurance company if they thought this contractor was ok. They said this is a good company and you should have no problems.
22 months ago we have a meeting at the burnt site and all these people show up. This guy comes in and says he is an engineer and everyone there says he is our engineer and how lucky we would be if I hired them. I said Ok.
18 months ago the contractor goes bankrupt but not before he has demolished far more of the building then he was supposed to. Everyone who vouched for him, says “wow, how unfortunate.” We decide to hire the contractor that we originally wanted.
4 months ago we finally get permits. Turned out the engineer had never done a restaurant before and had no idea how to do one.
2 months ago I ask how come no body is working and I find out that the insurance companies haven’t sent any money in a long time. The landlord and I start pouring money out of our own pockets. By this time my employees are getting desperate because they are running out of money.
1 day ago I write my buddies and tell them how desperate we are and that we need money to finish this building. I explain that between me and the landlord we have personally put in $275,000 to rebuild Flapjacks when we were told that it wouldn’t cost us a dime.
Today. My good buddies answer my letters with letters from their attorney explaining how it was all my fault for picking the original contractor and original engineer, and how could I pick a contractor who is not a fire recovery contractor. Therefore I should never complain again.
60 minutes ago. I write, "I am so sorry your lordship. I apologize for bothering you.”
This will be the last week of dinner at Country Waffles. Please join us Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.
Sept 17 - 23
We have been trying like the dickens to get the insurance company to come up with the final payment to finish the Flapjacks building. So we finally get him on the phone to arrange the payment. Now, mind you, with my luck and or the wrath of the Restaurant Gods, you know something would come up. So this guy who is going to arrange this payment has a problem. He lives in South Carolina and has to evacuate from hurricane Florence. He said, “don’t worry” when he can finally get to a safe place he could finish the request for funds. I am just thinking, that this poor guy has to rely on some luck, and he is doing something for me. I just hope the rest of his family is not with him.
We are progressing with the building and should have everything done by the end of this month. If the final building and health inspections go as planned we should open about 10 days after that. On the other hand if nobody ever hears again from our friend above, well then, who knows?
Saturday nights have been a little slow so we will be open Wed thru Fri nights for the next 2 weeks at the Country Waffles on Sunrise.
