GOOD EATS, GOOD LUCK SMALL CHAINS PLAN EXPANSIONS.Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer While larger retail operations feel the bite of a hungry economic slowdown, some restaurants are munching munching - Exploration of security holes of someone else's computer for thrills, notoriety or to annoy the system manager. Compare cracker. See also hacked off. on fat profits. A jumpy economy has not been kind to corporate outfits such as Prandium, parent of Koo Koo Roo and former operator of El Torito The format developed by Phoenix Technologies and IBM that has become the standard for creating bootable CD-ROMs on the Intel platform. El Torito provides only the format. In order to make a CD-ROM bootable, the correct boot images must be placed on the disc, and the target computer must , whose stock closed Tuesday at $0.26. Even perpetual retail juggernaut Juggernaut, India: see Puri. Juggernaut (Jagannath) huge idol of Krishna drawn through streets annually, occasionally rolling over devotees. [Hindu Rel.: EB, V: 499] See : Destruction McDonald's slowed somewhat, posting only a 1.5-percent gain in income in 2000. Neighborhood-oriented restaurants aren't seeing a slowdown, however. Yolanda's, a Ventura County favorite since 1982 is launching its third branch in Camarillo, to open this summer. The Habit, long a cherished spot in Goleta for hungry college students, is stepping up even more dramatically, expanding from one location in 1999 to as many as 12 by next year, including planned spots in Newbury Park, Valencia and the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . Their secret, along with that of other successful small chains is cultivating a core following and finding a comfortable spot. Armed with these, these smaller operations can often avoid the major hits that slap the rest of the retail sector. ``We're in that little niche, where when times are good people want to come,'' said Habit co-owner Brent Reichard. ``People don't mind spending a little more to go here, and when times are bad, we're not going to get hurt either. People who eat out are willing to spend $5.'' Reichard was involved in the Habit's original branch for 30 years, signing on as a worker at the age of 16 and eventually buying it with his brother Bruce. In that time, they carefully crafted their formula, adding fresh ingredients and new menu items, all while cultivating a steady customer base. With these in place, expansion posed few problems. ``It's baby steps leading to an evolution,'' said Richard Martin The name Richard Martin can refer to different people:
New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . ``When the concept is young, you work out how to most efficiently operate the business. With each new unit, you hone it just a little bit more, and you have all the start-up hassles out of the way.'' Brent Reichard saw this in action as his community-oriented chain crept crept v. Past tense and past participle of creep. crept Verb the past of creep crept creep southward south·ward adv. & adj. Toward, to, or in the south. n. A southward direction, point, or region. south . Operating multiple locations allowed the Habit to fill its new branches with veteran employees who knew the ins and outs ins and outs pl.n. 1. The intricate details of a situation, decision, or process. 2. The windings of a road or path. of customer service. ``Coming in with a few seasoned guys on the staff from each location really smooths things out,'' he said. ``If you have the systems and structure in place, it definitely gets easier.'' By retaining control of each operation, the Habit's owners have been able to keep it molded in its original form. In staying focused, they have avoided the general state of the rest of the industry - troubled, but holding on. ``The restaurant industry is experiencing a slowdown compared with the last couple of years,'' said Becky Warren, spokeswoman for the California Restaurant Association. ``With tourism dollars still strong, restaurants are still doing OK.'' The Habit and Yolanda's may be exceptions to the rule - according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Nation's Restaurant News, the odds are staggeringly stacked against any restaurant prospering - but by sticking to their fundamentals, they continue to prosper. ``You could put the best minds together to make a successful restaurant, and it would still be a roll of the dice to see whether it works,'' Martin said. ``And when they do, it's certainly something to see.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Yolanda's Mexican Cafe has announced plans to open a new eatery in the Las Posas Plaza in Camarillo. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
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