Paul Bard our first customer to enjoy the Rib-diculous!
Many of you have written and I have even received a couple of phone calls on the new sign (temporary I must add) that has been seen on Route #3 in South China next to the Family Dollar store. This is my youngest son Kyle, a senior at Cony next year standing next to the sign of a former business on which we just stenciled new lettering.
Our intent is to open China Dine-ah Too in the Summer of 2013. We will be providing fried seafood, hand cut fries, burgers, onion rings, lobster rolls, and maybe a few surprises! It will be the exact same delicious food you have come to enjoy from the Dine-ah. We will have minimal indoor seating with an outdoor deck to capture the travelers headed Downeast. Our intent is to be a seasonal operation with no table service, utilizing paper products in lieu of dishes.
Once inside, we will have the opportunity to educate our customers that we also operate a full service family style restaurant just up the road with an extensive menu and great Maine home cooking. Over 2 million people per year visit Acadia National Park and there are primarily four ways to get there with one of those routes going right past this planned establishment. Having spent many thousands of dollars on promoting the Dine-ah, I feel this is a huge opportunity to have visibility on the main route that travels through China, Maine so close to our flagship store. I also believe this new location will enhance other eateries currently located in this corridor. Stay tuned for periodic updates of this project.
If all goes well, we should complete the exterior of the building and the new front deck area by snowfall, giving us the opportunity to do the inside work this winter. The intent is also to substantially complete the site work this fall with completion in the spring.
I am currently working with an engineer and will be presenting a plan to the town late summer. We are excited to once again work with the Town of China through the codes process. I am happy to report that this is an area that the town has designated for business growth. In fact, this building was originally a Cannon towel outlet, a small restaurant, a driving school and most recently a vacant building. When all is said and done the property will be upgraded and hopefully viewed as an asset to the community.
I'm off to Higgins Beach next week for our annual family vacation. Teresa, Derek, Kyle, and I will be joined by my former wife Priscilla, her husband Steve and our daughter Leslie, who is visiting from India. So looking forward to spending time with everyone. I must admit this year is going to be a little different with Derek and Kyle having summer jobs. I think there are going to be a lot of trips back and forth, as I also have a couple of commitments that are work related. I will do my best to relax and smell the roses or sea air as it may be.
Last year, if you remember, Steve was stuck in the Philippines after suffering a heart attack while on business and Derek had emergency appendectomy surgery during the same time. Let's hope this year is less eventful.
With any luck, next week I will be writing from Higgins and I wish you all a great week until I talk to you again, either at the Dine-ah or through this newsletter,
Norm
p.s.- I would like to thank our entire staff for their commitment to quality customer service and food preparation. This could not be possible without our dedicated staff and all of you our valued customers- THANK YOU!!