In our first blog post we touched on the controversial in the smallest way. In this entry we go local -- touring an optimal route through smAlbany -- it's sights, it's sounds, it's people.
Today I had dinner at Blue Spice Restaurant. You may not know it, but the nice folks at Blue Spice Restaurant have moved from their former location at 1619 Central Ave (former home of The Empress Diner --which I want to add was the best diner for years in smAlbany) to the former home of Garcia's Mexican Restaurant across the street at 1614 Central Ave Ave in Colonie.
What is interesting to me is that the former bar area at the new Blue Something seemed empty and barely occupied. This makes sense as the Blue Thai restaurant may not have a liquor license, or it isn't as focused on selling a bar business as was Garcia's Mexican Restaurant. In fact many restaurants rely heavily on their bar trade.
So I see an occupied bar and I think "can I have a BNI mixer here with the Delmar chapter," and serve tea as compared with going to our usual joints Uncommon Grounds and Professor JAVA. I have to wonder how much Blue Spice Restaurant could "blow up their business" by making this space available to rent out for meetings and events.
Then I ask myself: Will Blue Spice Restaurant "blow up its business" by moving across the street to the larger, more updated location? Is “moving across the street" the smallest change a small business can make is to "blowup their business?" I my mind this could be a relatively small change that could pay off big.
And by the way: Do you know of any other underutilized public spaces where we can hold pre- or post events to support smAlbany 2010 or www.albanygolftour.com?
How did you -- or do you -- try to "blow up your business"? We'd like to hear from you, we'd all like to know.
