Signs of the times

I think it should be required under penalty of removing your toenails with pliers for you to remove your signs from a building when you shut down and cease operations.  How many times has it happened that you are cruising along in a new neighborhood and go down a new and interesting street only to find that store that looked so cute on the outside; well, it is shut down?

The worst part to me is where they leave the "Welcome, We are Open!!" sign in the window.  They aren't open.  They haven't been open in the 6 + years I have lived here.  It fools me every time!  I see it and my heart jumps and then I remember, "Oh yeah, this is that shitty place that left their signage up and has been lying to me for 6 years.  Those dastardly dogs."

In the last couple of years since the economy has been tanking it has taken many small businesses and restaurants with it.  A sure way to make sure your new little restaurant will go under?  Just open it in a building where the last 3 or 43 attempts at a restaurant right in that very spot have failed in under six months.  It's almost like there is a jinx on it, a hex, some bad ju-ju.  Or it could be that the first place had really crappy food/service and every try since then has been met with resistance from the customers to walk back in there.  Who knows?

There is a cute little L-shaped shopping place near us that has a donut shop on the end that used to be a Dunkin Donuts and now is some clone making the exact same stuff.  Next to that is a place that originally was a Schlotzsky's.  They lost their franchise and dropped the "Schlotz" off the sign and became Sky's sandwiches. After that a really nice couple from Spain tried it as a Spanish restaurant complete with flamenco dancers on Saturday nights.  They had fabulous food, paella, tapas, Sangria, the whole kit and kaboodle.  Six months later they were gone.  Since then it has been reincarnated as 3 different Mexican restaurants.  Who by the way are competing with the Mexican restaurant down at the other end of the L-shaped building.  Now who exactly cursed the Schlotzsky-sandwich-paella-Mexican place?

I don't know.  But someone should go through there smudging the hell out of it with some sage or cedar or whatever it is that removes all the bad stuff.  Because I want my small neighborhood places to stay open.  I want to be able to wander over there and know who they are and have them remember me as well.

What's interesting about this is that a couple doors down, like in the middle of the L, there is a small Thai restaurant.  That place?  Does business like you can't believe!  Busy all the frigging time!  Even at night. It's not just a crowded lunch place.  They also do a booming business at night.  And get this!  NO LIQUOR LICENSE!!  Can you believe that?  It is unheard of for a restaurant to stay in business very long without selling liquor.  This place doesn't.  They just make good Thai food and serve you some water or iced tea and that is that.

This is why I think it all goes back to a curse or a hex or something.  Certain things just don't make sense but there they are.

I noticed yesterday that a local Applebee's is now called Bikinis Sports Bar.  I don't care for Applebee's and never went in that place, and from the sign on the Bikinis place; I highly doubt I will ever darken their doors either!

Anyone else notice this phenomenon?