What businesses are learning from MGMDate: 9/5/2018 I took a walk downtown to MGM last Friday night after I had finished my cigar at Smokey Joe’s, just to see what the crowd was like.
To say I was flabbergasted is an understatement.
The place was mobbed – I didn’t lollygag as I don’t like big crowds and headed back to my usual Friday night spot – and only a nincompoop couldn’t see what it was doing to the city: bringing in a lot of people who normally wouldn’t be here.
And I saw no shenanigans for those people concerned with public safety – not even a kerfuffle.
That’s no malarkey and that’s the whole purpose in this exercise in economic development.
Other first hand reports I heard was there were lines at downtown restaurants, meaning once casino customers understood the casino restaurants were busy they realized there was a variety of other fine eateries from which to choose and they skedaddled over.
So, at least for now, the inside-out design of this casino is working, as exactly it should. I’m happy to write we weren’t bamboozled.
My friend Dave Glantz at Buckeye Brothers Smoke Shop is a wise man and when I spoke to him about the economic impact so far he said businesses in the South End need to reinvent themselves to capitalize on goods and services the casino does not sell.
In his case, it’s tobacco products.
The storefronts that are available close to the casino complex should be considered as venues for supplemental businesses. Don’t try to compete with that the casino provides, Dave said. See what they don’t provide and fill in the gap.
It’s a strategy I think would work. It got me thinking: what would work there? A beer and wine store would be handy for those people looking for those products. How about a place that sells products made in the region? There are plenty of craftspeople, farmers, etc. who produce items that would be great souvenirs.
How about a place that sells items for travelers, those things you forget to pack but need? You know how your trip can suddenly turn cattywampus when you forget to pack something? There could be a convenience store of a different nature.
What would your business idea be? There’s money to be made!
A modest proposal
A quick note to various public relations people and elected officials: when the thermometer hits 85 degrees and up, it may be a good idea to move your event, even if the optics for TV are outside, to a cooler more civilized location.
I don’t want to start a brouhaha, but I can assure you nobody wants to be sweating profusely at such an event.
Yes, I’m old
Recently on Facebook I bemoaned the fact that grown people are using texting lexicon such as “ur” for “you are” and emojis instead of words for posts on Facebook.
It especially gripes me to see contemporaries attempting to be hip by adopting such practices.
George Lenker, a fellow veteran ink-stained scribe, offered his opinion why this cheeses me so much:
“Because it represents a change from the standards you grew up with and you view (maybe even correctly) those standards as somewhat sacred. Also, these types of changes are a sign that we are getting older and the world is marching on to a new beat, and even the most open-minded among us cling to the past because at some point, we can no longer keep up with the spiral of change enveloping us.”
Too true, it’s difficult with keeping up with change, especially when in matters of expression each new generation of emojis is met with fanfare by younger generations.
I wonder if, in the future, if English will be seen as a semi-pictographic language. I wonder if I will live that long to see an emoji for a word such as “pumpernickel.”
A tip of the hat to Steve Cary who I believe owes me a beverage or something. Your challenge didn’t discombobulate me!
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