Congratulations to you West Coast Leather (featured in this photo), you’ve won first place for fully exploiting the Euro!

Since we’ve moved into our new Union Square office 3-months ago, you’ve been “going out of business.”

Your “GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE SALE” sign has been up so long that it is as faded as that fashion-forward faded eggplant leather belt you’re selling, for 35% percent off.

You’ve officially made Leather wearing a new trend in Europe.

You’ve put your own countdown till closing on a sign. Yesterday it read “4-days until closing.” Today, it read “6-days until closing.” While we may not understand your mathematics, we sure do respect them.

Cattle across the country are running (or grazing) scared.

West Coast Leather, we salute you and crown you King of Euro Exploitation.

This picture was taken on Friday, July 18. In this photo, you’ll see Steve holding the July 18 – 24 edition of AsianWeek as a date indicator (it was in a free newspaper kiosk next to the shop). We’ll continue to monitor West Coast Leather to see when, and if, they ever shut their doors.

As our newest team member, Joe Kowalke, put it yesterday “America is on sale.” Some business are exploiting this, others are simply boarding up their windows with plywood and throwing in the towel.

How will your business reinvent themselves to fight this struggling economy?

I’m just returning from the first weekly Wednesday “Casual Italian BBQ” at Ducca. Nice coverage on it in today’s SF Chronicle:

“A slew of recent warms nights has prompted San Franciscans to take advantage of alfresco dining, and Ducca is responding in kind.

Tonight, Chronicle Rising Star chef Rick Corbo starts a weekly “casual Italian barbecue” on the restaurant’s expansive patio – complete with grilled house-made sausages, meats, vegetables and seafood. The kickoff event will feature a whole, spit-roasted pig.

The weekly dinners will run from 4-7 p.m. through at least September.”

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I was talking to executive chef Richard Corbo at “the Q” today, and he gave me a heads up that he sees “grilling” making a come back. With that info, we set the trend watch to Wednesday, July 16th 2008.

Lets see when/if “grilling” actually starts making its way back to our restaurants…..

When you’re selling more tequila than any restaurant in the United States, it’s little surprise that the distilleries show their gratitude by hosting a private visit. After a year of “subtly” letting my client know that I’m available to make the trip, Tres Agaves finally invited their publicist to come along ☺

Tres Agaves has clear tequila bragging rights as their staff has personally visited the distillery of every tequila they carry. Like the rise of wine consumption which began it’s annual 2.1% growth beginning in 2005, look for tequila to grow in popularity next year.

Just as you don’t need to know the hundreds of grape varietals to be considered a wine connoisseur, you don’t need to know the entire process of tequila making to begin appreciating this wonderful spirit. It does help however to know the basics, so here’s the Pinot, Cab and Chardonnay of tequila:
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