Mr. Quick, Part 3
They closed the deal on the store in a little over 2 months and Rick started the process of getting it ready for business. “Wham bam thank you ma’am” as Rick’s buddies used to say with an all too knowing chuckle. Mr. Knackers as it turned out was close to 65 and thinking of retiring “any day now”. Because Mr. Knackers had such a stately and business demeanor, the joke never even crossed Rick’s mind once the negotiations had begun. As half-assed as Rick could be about life in general, he got his whole ass in on getting this store. The unsuspecting business bug had bit him hard again, and even after all his let downs from the previous "Rick’s Tire Emporium", he was excited to try something new and different that seemed to fit his laid back style better. Mr. Knackers made him feel like a real businessman, and he started to act like one. Jokes could wait till after 5 o'clock.
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“Quick-In & Out” opened it doors on a stifling hot day in early September 2002. Rick chose the name under the pretenses that a bad name attracted attention just as easily as a good one. Plus, it had an unmistakable sexual undertone that tickled his largest customer base; teenagers and immature adults, to a pleasant shade of “pig skin pink.” Rick expanded the cooler section to include the largest selection of drinks in the small town including all large domestic beers and 10 different imports. He had a large selection of candy and ice cream and a soda fountain/slushee machine styled directly after 7-11 with cups so big you could easily bathe an infant in cool crisp Mountain Dew. Rick also carried a few household supermarket items, local products like jam, baked goods and produce. He even made a few home-made sandwiches that he kept simple and fresh. It was a corporate level convenience store with a few small town touches and it was even open 24 hours a day and had fair prices on gas.
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Business was great from the start which continued at a nice steady pace throughout the winter due to Rick’s great collection of hot beverages. He worked the 10PM-6AM night shift, so on his downtime, he often tinkered to find new coffee blends and preparation/serving method to cater the morning rush. He hired Cindy, an ex-mom whose final kids had gone off to college to work the 6AM -3PM shift, and Dave, a retired exterminator to work the 2PM – 10PM shift. This worked wonders for the next 4 years. As a sign of trust, he gave them an unlimited budget to take what they wanted off the shelves, knowing full well that they wouldn’t, and if they did get out of hand, Rick would know when to reign them in as he took care of all inventory and ordering. Rick knew he got lucky to find good small town people who did their jobs well, were friendly to the customers, and always showed up and on time. He covered their shift when they needed off and let them work their shifts under their own responsibility for the comings and goings of the store during that time. Discipline was a non-existent word in Rick’s vocabulary when it came to Cindy and Dave. Life was simple for them, work was pleasant, their boss was distant but caring trust-worthy. They loved their simple jobs, seeing their friends and family in the low stress atmosphere and got plenty of physical activity making sure the shelves were stocked and organizing the delivered goods. They had no reason to cause trouble for Rick, and it put a new hop in their "not so old yet!" steps.
.
But neither of them ever worked the night shift.......
.
“Quick-In & Out” opened it doors on a stifling hot day in early September 2002. Rick chose the name under the pretenses that a bad name attracted attention just as easily as a good one. Plus, it had an unmistakable sexual undertone that tickled his largest customer base; teenagers and immature adults, to a pleasant shade of “pig skin pink.” Rick expanded the cooler section to include the largest selection of drinks in the small town including all large domestic beers and 10 different imports. He had a large selection of candy and ice cream and a soda fountain/slushee machine styled directly after 7-11 with cups so big you could easily bathe an infant in cool crisp Mountain Dew. Rick also carried a few household supermarket items, local products like jam, baked goods and produce. He even made a few home-made sandwiches that he kept simple and fresh. It was a corporate level convenience store with a few small town touches and it was even open 24 hours a day and had fair prices on gas.
.
Business was great from the start which continued at a nice steady pace throughout the winter due to Rick’s great collection of hot beverages. He worked the 10PM-6AM night shift, so on his downtime, he often tinkered to find new coffee blends and preparation/serving method to cater the morning rush. He hired Cindy, an ex-mom whose final kids had gone off to college to work the 6AM -3PM shift, and Dave, a retired exterminator to work the 2PM – 10PM shift. This worked wonders for the next 4 years. As a sign of trust, he gave them an unlimited budget to take what they wanted off the shelves, knowing full well that they wouldn’t, and if they did get out of hand, Rick would know when to reign them in as he took care of all inventory and ordering. Rick knew he got lucky to find good small town people who did their jobs well, were friendly to the customers, and always showed up and on time. He covered their shift when they needed off and let them work their shifts under their own responsibility for the comings and goings of the store during that time. Discipline was a non-existent word in Rick’s vocabulary when it came to Cindy and Dave. Life was simple for them, work was pleasant, their boss was distant but caring trust-worthy. They loved their simple jobs, seeing their friends and family in the low stress atmosphere and got plenty of physical activity making sure the shelves were stocked and organizing the delivered goods. They had no reason to cause trouble for Rick, and it put a new hop in their "not so old yet!" steps.
.
But neither of them ever worked the night shift.......
more to come.
1 comment:
Not the gum drop buttons!!!!! muhahahaha muhahahaha
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