Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

When Dave Tuthill tasted Wingstop chicken wings in Las Vegas last year, he saw a recipe for a business opportunity.

A new Wingstop restaurant in the Tri-Cities would add more flavor to the local dining scene, the Kennewick High grad thought, and he soon found partners among family and friends to invest about $600,000 for a franchise.

“Ours will be the first Wingstop in Washington,” said Tuthill, who plans to open the restaurant in mid-June in the spot formerly occupied by Wheat Montana Deli on Gage Boulevard.

Wingstop is a Texas-based chain that offers fresh–not frozen–chicken wings cooked in nine flavors with a variety of side dishes.

The proposed opening of the new eatery says something positive about our community, said Lori Mattson, president and chief executive officer of the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce.

In a tough economy, consumers and business owners need to avoid the “bunker mentality” and keep the economy going by supporting local businesses and restaurants, Mattson said.

Even in a slow economy, people like to eat out, and when they get value for their money, like they will at Wingstop, Tuthill believes, they’ll never stop coming. Because he has worked in the food industry for about 10 years, he can speak from experience.

The Tri-Cities doesn’t seem to be much affected economically, said Jeff Brown, Tuthills’ brother-in-law and partner. “You drive by all the restaurants, and they are all full,” said Brown who grew up in Las Vegas.

Both of them say they’re banking on Wingstop’s superior product to create a loyal customer base. “Once they try it, they’ll come back,” they both said. A lot of people who go to Applebee’s will be drawn to Wingstop, forecasts Ed Mulhausen, who owns Burger Ranch restaurants in Kennewick and Pasco. Fresh chicken wings will be a unique concept to the area, and that’ll help get the restaurant the initial draw, he said.

The restaurant will do alright because there’s a market for what it offers, and the Tri-Cities’ economy still is OK, compared with many areas in the country, Mulhausen said.

The quick casual segment of the restaurant industry, which is what Wingstop is, showed the strongest sales results in January, with 41 percent reporting positive same store sales, he said, quoting from the National Restaurant Association’s latest monthly report.

Wingstop customers don’t have to pay a tip, because it’s a counter service, and about 75 percent of the company’s business is take-out. That means consumers add their own drinks and side orders to enhance the value of their purchase.

The cost of an average meal will be $8 for wings, fries and a fountain drink, Tuthill said. he also plans to sell bottled beer.

Tuthill and his partners have signed a 10-year lease for the property. Gage Boulevard is a happening area, said Tuthill, who plans to quit his job as a rural carrier for the Post Office once the restaurant gets going. He’ll also hire about 20 workers for the 44-seat restaurant.

But Bacon said he’ll continue working as a driver for UPS while business takes root. He said his partners plan to open a second Wingstop in the Tri-Cities within 18 months of opening the first restaurant, he said. “I’m nervous and excited, but more excited,” Bacon said.

The recently-passed economic stimulus package increased the first time home buyers credit to $8000.00. To qualify you must be a first time home buyer or have not purchased or sold your primary home in the last 3 years. To capitalize on this benefit you must purchase your home this year January 1, 2009-December 31, 2009. The money does not have to be paid back as long as you live in the home 3 years. Just think about how large your your 2009 tax return could be with this $8000.00 tax Credit.

In the Tri-cities the home inventory is good, the interest rate is lower than it has been in years and sellers are ready to deal. There has never been a better time to buy. Call me for more information or if you want to buy or sell a home.

Sid Hodge

Your neighborhood Realtor

With the real estate market going through some highs and lows some sellers are approaching the pricing of their homes very aggressively. In those situations there is a strong likelyhood, in a not-so-down-market such as ours, that multiple offers can result. Make sure your agent explains the ramifications of multiple offers, what it means to the buyer/seller, and what is the best approach in such a situation. Also ask how an Acceleration Clause works and how it might benefit your situation. BUYERS…. take care not to get caught up in the auction atmosphere of multiple offers…know ahead of time what your highest and best offer will be. SELLERS…. be careful not to get too greedy as many buyers will back away when they find out they’re competing with others

The time is nearing and now with the snowy weather here in the Tri-Cities, more and more little people will be staying indoors and readying themselves for Christmas. Is there a new baby in your family? If the little one is mobile, you might want to rethink some of your old decorations – like all those sparkles and lights? Those special sparkly things will draw a baby in like nobody’s business! Just take a few extra precautions to prevent an accident.  Check out these few tips:

The Tree

If you’ll have a Christmas tree this season be careful with what’s in reach of crawlers or toddlers. Keep glass or sharp ornaments off the bottom of the tree, with only plastic or wooden ornaments on the (lower branches). Keep in mind too that branches are also easy things to grab. You certainly don’t want the whole tree tumbling down. Suggested by the founder of Positive Parent Coaching Inc., is for the first few years, buy a four-foot tree and placed in on a table atop a pretty cloth. That was it is festive but out of reach, and if you can’t sacrifice the 8-foot tall sparkling wonder – baby gates are an option.

The accessories

There’s no need to throw out all of your festive decor, but make sure you aren’t placing anything dangerous within the baby’s grasp. Check garlands and wreaths for small things that could be ripped off and eaten, and if you’re buying dreidels, make sure they’re too big for baby’s mouth. Also, be wary of older strands of lights that might get very hot. Candles should be kept out of reach too. Mistletoe and holly can be toxic, so secure them where they can’t be easily knocked loose.

The gifts

If your holidays are usually punctuated by mounds of packaging, just keep an eye out for anything that could be too sharp or too small. While a wad of wrapping paper can actually make for a decent toddler distraction, we’ll warn you that ribbons and bows can be wrapped around baby’s neck or even eaten, which is especially dangerous if held together by a staple. Also, quickly toss any plastic packaging left lying around when gifts are opened, which can be a suffocation hazard.

The goodies

Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas – there is one thing that pretty much all holidays have in common – lots of food!  Watch out for hot dishes or pans. When you lay out the buffet do a quick check to push anything back that a baby or toddler could reach and possibly get burned from. Consider setting up a special baby-safe room, away from the hustle and bustle of the kitchen, where holidays games, crafts or silly toys will keep the little ones away from potential accidents.

The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping the old ones!!                                                               **John Meynard Keynes**

Wordy phrases kill copy and dilute messages.

The No Bull! business blog identifies 26 such phrases and offers superior alternatives, like using:

*   “about” instead of “pertaining to”

*    “indicates” instead of “is indicative of”, and

*     “therefore” instead of “with this in mind.”

For a copy of the entire reference guide, visit: 

http://pbp.typepad.com/nobull/2008/06/26-phrases-you-should-never-use-in-writing.html