Musings On COSI

I have been commenting on a post on Swampbubbles.com concerning COSI. I have been trying to come up with a feel for the numbers. This might be my last word on the subject:

Looking at the figures for 2003, 2004, and 2005, and trying to determine the numbers of visitors needed to break even I came up with this method: 1. Take the Total Expenses from Line 12,Form 990 for the years 2003, 2004, and 2005; 2. Subtract the Membership Fees received (Form 990, Part IV-A, Support Schedule) for 2003, and 2004. For 2005 use Form 990, Part I, Line 3; 3. Subtract the Gross Sales of Inventory, less returns and allowances (Form 990, Part I, Line 10a. The resulting figure is divided by 33 (2 adults at $9.00 plus 2 children @ $7.50, or $33). The resulting figure is the families that paid full price. Add to this the memberships for each year divided by $60 (annual fee). This gives the number of hypothetical families with memberships (two children and two adults). Add this number to the number of families who paid full price. Multiply this number by 4 for each year to give the number of "visitors" (if members only went once) who would be needed to meet the total expenses for COSI each year. The number who actually visit fall far short each year. Gift givers with "deep pockets" are needed each year to keep COSI afloat. The public just isn't attracted enough to go more than a few times.

Here goes: 2003, $4,051,027-$331,887(memberships)-$434,002 (gross sales of inventory, less returns and allowances) divided by 33 x 4 + 5531 member's families = 105,081 families x 4=420,324 visits needed to break even.

2004, $4,142,184-$308,252(memberships)-$395,025(10a, gross sales of inventory, less returns and allowances) divided by 33 x 4 +5138 members' families=109,342 families x 4=437,368 visits needed to break even.

2005, $3,791,662-$293,786(memberships)-$327,964 (10a, gross sales of inventory, less returns and allowances) divided 33 x 4 + 4896 members' families=100,956 familes x 4=403,824 visits needed to break even.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

I went to bed about 01:10 after reading some more of The Face of Battle. I had a hard-time sleeping. I awoke about every hour or so, and finally fell into a sound sleep about 04:00. Mom woke me at 07:30, and I returned to try to sleep until about 08:10 when I arose. I ate a breakfast of a banana, a tomato, o.j., and some yogurt with strawberries. I then read The Blade, and went upstairs about 09:30. I checked out "Swampbubbles", and then made a label for a CD I copied for a friend. It was "Cutting Their Own Groove" by the group "Big Daddy".

I took a shower about 13:00, and decided to eat out. I arrived at Bob Evans on Glendale about 14:30. I ordered the Senior Grilled Chicken with mashed potatoes, and green beans. I had a couple of bisquits with honey (I left one for dessert). It was a good meal that I ate in quiet while reading. I left about 15:20, and got to Sam's Club about 15:40. I bought some instant coffee, and jewel cases. I lookedat at some stuff and left about 16:08. I drove at Swan Creek metro-park, and got there at 16:19. I had warmed up, and I left the Airport side for a walk. I finished my walk at 16:59 (it go almost too warm in the sun), and went to Wal-Mart on Glendale. I got there at 17:10, and didn't find what I wanted. I did get a mop, and left at 17:35. I drove to the Kroger's at Southland because I had seen the "Lestoil" mom had wanted there. I got a pint of it, and left about 17:50. I had to stop to get gas, and left the BP station at Detroit and Glendale at 18:00. I got home about 18:10, helped mom in the yard, and went upstairs about 18:20. I printed a label for a CD for a friend, and then put some requests to the library for certain CDs that I might copy for a friend. I got a call from mom to lock up the shed, and gates, and after I did that I ate some green beans, milk, and tomatoes for dinner. I wasn't really hungry, but as a diabetic I am supposed to eat smaller meals more often.

I watched some tv, and then came up to my apartment upstairs to write this entry (I decided since there was nothing "sensitive" I could put it in my blog). It is now 22:15, and pretty soon I will be winding the day down.

TOLEDO POLICE SEEKING THIS MAN | SwampBubbles - News, Politics, Reports

TOLEDO POLICE SEEKING THIS MAN SwampBubbles - News, Politics, Reports

Sea Gulls at the Southland Parking Lot

I saw seagulls like these in the Southland parking lot as I drove past after getting "carry-out" at Arby's. There seemed to be 200 of them. I stopped over at the parking lot at the strip mall across the street, and found some about 50 yards from the Aldi's store in their parking lot. Here, there were a few, and none of the individuals would allow me to get closer than 30 feet. A couple were together, but most moved as individuals. This got me thinking these thoughts: 1. this seems to be an "opportunistic" species, but (through evolution) were they or their immediate ancestor species "opportunistic"? How did that "opportunism" evolve. Most species find a "niche" where they can live in the environment with other species, but not directly compete. This species seems able to live off of the scraps of industrialized society.

2. How did they come to be here? We have the great lakes, but we tend to think of gulls and the seas. Maybe this is wrong. Maybe gulls evolved along fresh water lakes, and spread to the shorelines of the seas. Speculation is fun, but I should do some research on this. Time to devle into the http://www.wikipedia.org/.

The above image is from "tekkbabe" who lives in this part of the country, and posts on http://www.flickr.com/. This species appears to be the "Herring Gull" (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Herring_Gull.html#coolfacts)

Rice King -A Good Take-out Lunch

This is a nice restaurant for lunch. This will probably go on http://www.yelp.com/. Call 419-255-3968. Lunch specials is 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Saturday. The store is also open on Sundays. Seating for about 12 (three tables with two benches each). Most people order out. The standard refrain is "10 minutes" for a meal to be picked up (though now some of the cashier-greeters have added another 5 minutes).

Egg rolls are normally a dollar, but you get one for 50 cents extra with the lunch. My favorite (along with mom) is the L4 Chicken w. Mixed Vegetables (and rice) for $4.85 with the egg roll. After the lunch hours the Combination Platters are available with the egg roll as part of the price.

Rating Toledo's Amenities

This site, http://www.yelp.com/, was recommended on http://www.toledotalk.com/ by TheTalentedMrC. A thread, http://swampbubbles.com/promotion_or_denegration, on http://www.swampbubbles.com/ was taking Mayor Carty Finkbeiner , Toledo, OH to task for paying a company for "secret shopper" reports about our downtown hotels. One, http://www.hotelseagate.com/, came through rather badly on a report which was published on the city administration's website, http://www.ci.toledo.oh.us/, so that prompted a question in my mind: how do we as citizens of Toledo make our services better? I too believe that the "secret shopper" is a cost that should be avoided. But are there practical alternatives?



How do you get information about a place before you commit to stay there. Sometimes it is not always practical to "see the room" before you commit to it. For example, if you show up late on a popular night you might have to accept this place (especially if you have reservations), and maybe try for a different room, or a refund of, at least, part of the cost.



An idea is forming in my mind that may or may not be practical. There are various sites such as http://www.yelp.com/ that allow people to rate places they live near, or have visited. Now what would be the mechanics of using such a system?



You'd want to make it convenient to people to use the system. Perhaps a workstation (or multiple workstations) in the lobby of the hotel to be used during the persons stay, or as they check out, to register complaints, or rate the services being provided.



Now, how do we get people to use these workstations? Perhaps a coupon could be made available to the person at the end of their stay good toward so much of a discount at participating restaurants. Maybe the coupon could be good nationwide for those who can't use local services, or even an added value if they use the coupon in Toledo or northwest Ohio. If we make it valuable enough then Toledo's administration would have a constant flow of information that people could log onto to find out how the services are before they take a trip. And if the flow is constant then the information would be "fresh". Toledo's administration might even to "partner" with various services so that costs to the city would be minimal.



Now how do you get services to participate (since a company with consistently poor service might not want to participate). Perhaps we could get the website where this information is accessed to list those companies by category that refuse to participate, perhaps with the title "Caveat Emptor ('Let the Buyer Beware')". Of course, there might be better ideas out there. I am hoping for comments.

Problems with this idea: 1. People may not be honest in their answers. This is the one that would have proprietors leery of this proposal. How do we keep a bunch of cranks from not drowning the system? I like to think that most people are honest in their dealings, but then you have people (who for whatever reason) want to twist the noses of others. How could people rely on such a system? Would the city, or owner of the website, have the "right" to preview, or edit, responses or comments about bad service? Or would we just rely on the "wisdom of crowds" to winnow out the "good advice" from the chaff?

2. Some owners, or managers, might find it worthwhile to "bribe" customers. For example, if a customer writes a bad review can the owner give him/her enough to make it "go away". Is it worth the owners' resources to offer more of a "bribe" than the city offers an "incentive" to give "honest" reviews. Could this system be "gamed" on a practical basis so that it becomes worthless?

Northwest Ohio Rib-Off

I decided to go to the rib-off sometime this morning but stayed on the computer until mid-afternoon. I took a shower, dressed in clean clothes (you'll read why that was a waste of time), and started out about 2:00 PM. I decided to use TARTA so that I wouldn't have to find a place to park my car (thuogh that looked like it was fairly easy once I saw people going to their cars).

I got to the bus stop in plenty of time (2:05 PM), and stood waiting (there was no bench). I was waiting at a bus stop west of the corner of South and Chapin Street until about 2:30 PM. I then went to the library to find a schedule to see what had gone wrong. I then decided to eat something after getting something to read, and not finding a schedule. I did check out the schedules on the Internet, and thought I could catch a bus about 3:20 PM. I ate a quarter pounder at McDonald's at Broadway and South, crossed the street, and began to wait again.

A young woman who came up said that the buses were late. She related how she had been shot in the knee and ankle in a drive-by shooting about a week ago, and they could not operate because the bullet might "explode". I wondered if I should move on, but she seemed as sane as people are from this part of town. I waited, chatted (when I couldn't avoid it; I notice one fellow who came up to hear this story immediately found other things to do about a block away), and helped her with one of her grocery bags when the bus finally came about 20 minutes later. We were off about 3:45 PM.

I am beginning to get some arthritis in my shoulder, and found it uncomfortable to hold onto the rail above my head. I used one of the vertical bars as I was jolted around on my way to this great event. We finally got close to where I thought I would be (it didn't matter because the driver said this was the last stop before the "lineup" anyways). I started toward the river, and then turned south on Summit Street. I crossed toward Portside, and went down various levels. I began to get the sense that I was headed toward a crowd. Then I saw the signs. I was there.

It was around 3:50 PM. I went through a barricade, had the back of my hand stamped, and went inside. Later, I found that I should have received a green ticket (to use to vote for my favorite ribs). I did a general sweep of the area, and finally went back to try "Fat Freddy's" "StickQ" ribs. I was not really hungry so I tried just a sampler ("three knuckles"). This seemed standard throughout the rib-off, and samplers all sold for $5.00 as far as I saw. I liked these (though I chickened out, and got just the mild sauce).

I then sat down at a table to eat (I didn't ask if they were "reserved"; I just sat and ate). I enjoyed them, and then headed out to look some more. I was trying to eat only ribs from Toledo, or, at least, northwest Ohio. My eyes closed on "Shorty's Ribs". The young woman manning the booth has just went out with a drink when she saw me. With a sigh she returned to her labors, and I ordered another "sampler". A young man was cooking (both himself and the ribs) over a grill. I tried these ribs with Shorty's original sauce. I again found a different table, and sat down unannounced, and uninvited. I ate in contentment.

As I ate the juicy mixture a piece dropped into the sauce, and splashed my clean shirt. So much for cleaning up before eating ribs. When I got home I washed my hands a second time, and put on a clean shirt. It had been a good day, and there was more to come.

The atmosphere of the rib-off was quiet. Maybe if I'd arrived at a different time things might have been different. I don't know how to estimate such things, but I guess there was about 1,000 people there during the time I was there (people may have come and gone, but the crowd did not swell or diminish). There was a band (probably well-known in the local clubs but not to me). People of different ages swayed and even danced to the music. They maintained a danceable beat during most of the time I was there, except for a brief break during which they talked but never really left the stage. There was no rowdy behavior. It was a "live" and "let live" atmosphere. Maybe people weren't supposed to smoke, but they did, and no one objected that I saw. Everyone let everyone else have their comforts.

I left about 4:50 PM, and didn't see anyone pushing the "Recall Carty" position, and I went to three of the entrances. I left by the one opposite the one I had come in at (near the river). I started to walk up the hill to Summit Street, and then turned south toward my end of town. I arrived at the bus stop on Broadway north of Williams Street. I sat down to wait, and read the copy of the "Toledo Free Press" that I had picked up at the South Branch of the Library. I tried to find out information about the rib-off, but there didn't seem to be any articles or announcements related directly to it in the edition that I held in my hands. I saw a familiar face coming toward me. It was a "casual" who worked at the Main Post Office before I retired. It was about 17:15 (old habits of keeping time die hard), and she was coming in to get ready for the start of her shift at 6:00 PM. We talked about changes in the place (some of which I had heard about), and I wished her well.

The bus for Route 34G (Glendale) came at 5:26 PM. I got on, paid my $1.00, and rode until 5:31:30 PM when I got off at Western and Chapin Streets. I passed two billboards listing Chris Myers for School Board (one on the fence that surrounded the parking lot of my former union hall in the old savings and loan at Broadway and Eastern). The second billboard was only a little further on in a parking lot beside a building that used to house a flowe shop.

Now this thought came to my mind, "Wouldn't you rather be doing this than marching stiff-legged down some street with your arm upraised in a stiff salute." Hell, yes, came my soulful reply.