Nick:

This ought to help. (Yes, it's a shameless plug for my site, but it could be a great source of revenue for you, too, in more ways than one)!

Go to: www.Dee2Travel.com. Near the top, center of the page click on the "Extras" tab. Then click "Food and Gifts" and finally, click the "Dining Out" tab to the far right.

$25 gift certificates go for $10 bucks and I'll just bet you can find certificates to some pretty interesting, local restaurants in your area where they'd be appreciated.

If it's REALLY bad Nick, let me tell you a secret! (A site like mine is a GOLD MINE for gaining business! Seriously - just hear me out. Picture it....Nicks....2009: You own one of these "Travel Malls" as a home based business, while your coffee house keeps chuggin along. Customers come into your coffee shop and you ask each of them: "So how's work?" "Job secure?" "Pension safe?" "Job cuts got you worried?" "Property value doing ok?" (You probably already know the answer to these questions if you pretty much live in the same area). If Mike or Sarah are bummed out about any of these issues, you turn them on to a way to add an income stream (without any paradigm shift) to their situations - your travel mall. Money comin in for you, and now, money starts coming for your customer. Think they'll come back again and again to thank you for turning them on to this home based business? Free cruises (you and your customer can afford it, cause it's FREE)....exceptional, government sanctioned tax write offs on sooooooooo much stuff Nick - I had no IDEA that a home based business could bless my socks off like this)....an additional stream of tremendous income), all because a customer chose Nicks over Starbucks. You know it's makin money....the Kansas City Chiefs have one of these babies (www.chiefstravel.com), celebrities, rap singers and Walmart and Target are about to become partners! (That's when the ballgame is going to change in a MAJOR way) Because everyone who owns one of these sites, earns a 60% commission when people buy any of these products, from their site. Sweet!

Of all of the businesses that are flagging and failing Nick, travel is not one of them. Even in the midst of a recession, it's a multi TRILLION dollar (that's trillion with a T) industry. And it's got me smiling. A LOT!!

In all seriousness...if you're not interested in a home based business right now exceptional tax breaks Nick...you can write off soooooo many things that I had not a clue about), I hope you can use the gift certificates to help rev customer interest.

Oh....and what about the ambience in your place? Is it cozy? Warm on cold days and comfortably cool when it's hot? Do you have servers? If so, have you paid attention to the attitude, manner and deportment of your servers? Are they friendly, attentive to their tables and at the side of your customers before they have to look around for assistance, making them want to come back? And what about music? Is it soft, low, soothing and light so that customers feel like lingering for a while? Positive, upbeat, but not too, too rocky and not too staid that the younger folk can't toe tap a little while?

Have you tried contests? Seek out grant money (if you can can do that - I don't know). I bet if you called it an "Economic Stimulus Giveaway" you'd get some buzz going! (Trust me - I did it with my Travel Mall, and it's GREAT! And it's the truth)! People are hurting Nick...they're afraid, they're worried and they're looking for answers. I HAVE that answer and you can too.

You've gotta seek out ways to give something back to your customers...buy those gift certificates from my site and watch and listen to the customer buzz. Bigger is not always better, Nick. Nothing beats the feel and smells of home. Starbucks can't give that, but you can. How about "Family Nite" at your place. "Mr. & Mrs. Nite for husbands and wives? (That's IF you serve food). Put a flat screen up and show a family movie....I'll just BET the customers start piling in! Give a gift certificate to the first family or first couple to show up and one for the last to leave. (Something along those lines). And don't announce it - just do it, and they'll finally start bustin butt to be the first in the door and the last to leave.

Truth be told, Starbucks coffee "ain't all that" any way! (Guess you can tell I'm not a fan)! It's far too harsh and leaves a bitter bite on my tongue...that's not a good cup-a Joe. My mother started giving us sips of coffee at 6 months (cruel woman) - so I am now, quite the connisseur! (Don't worry...she laced it with a good helping of Pet Milk which makes it ultra rich, creamy and sweet...and fattening), which is why us kids fell in love with the stuff! All of my other siblings (except 1) eventually kicked the habit. Me and Margaret are still junkies!

Spend some quiet time asking yourself - what would make YOU want to bypass Starbucks and go to "Nicks?" Is your place nice and clean? Coffee pot clean (that's a BIGGIE, too). Rinsing a pot and starting a fresh brew helps to create that bitter bite that I was talking about earlier, (i.e. Starbucks). Get yourself a wire wisk and CLEAN your pots before putting them back on the burner. As I'm sure you've noticed, coffee has oil in it. (To cut the oil, I drop 2 or 3 granules of salt into my pot). Not enough to affect the taste of the coffee but enough to move that oily residue to the side and allow more of the fresh, coffee flavor to shine thru. You can't 'rinse' away oil - it takes a tiny bit of elbow work with a wisk, and 1/2 dollop of detergent (just a tiny drop - you don't want any of THAT left over in your next pot, trust me)!

But try it and see if you don't get some compliments about your coffee's taste. (They'll think you're doing something new when all you're actually doing is making coffee the right way instead of the quickie way)!

Don't be afraid to get out of the box, Nick. The competition may be bigger but since it's only Starbucks, I already know YOU'RE BETTER! Do something unconventional for a change. Paint your place. Spruce up the interior..are the seats comfortable? Are the tables or counter in good condition? Bathroom clean? Your parking lot - is it dirty...trash blowing around...bubble gum on the lot and on the walk? Make your place appealing, your coffee fresh, the food good (if you do serve food) and the atmosphere conducive to good conversation and fellowship (do you have wi-fi?), and they will come.

The technology revolution changed the face of everything - like it or not. Those that decide to join it, will survive. Those that don't, won't - point blank. (Read the story of the A&P Supermarket and Kroger). I'm a Pittsburgh gal - born and bred. And I still have wonderful, bright, vivid memories of walking to the A&P with my Mom who was such an imposing, giant of a figure in my life at that time. Dirt poor but one of the most well respected women in the community. I'd watch her shop, chit chat with neighbors, find the bargains and then, we'd start the long, hot, steel-mill-dusty walk, back home. (I know I'm waxing nostalgic - just bear with me, ok?) "Mumma" died and I left Pittsburgh in my early 20's, headed for the Big Apple. When I came back home to visit, the A&P had died, too. Such a GREAT supermarket - I couldn't understand that, then. Now, I do.

You can survive, Nick - just don't be afraid to break with tradition. The story about Chipoltle's (I probably mispelled that - I've never eaten there) is an excellent example of someone who dared to do something untraditional, and made millions.

Hope I got you stirred up! I expect to see YOU on Oprah, too!

Mary @: www.Dee2Travel.com
and
www.Dee2travel.info