Just read an article in Pacific Business News "Donald Goo receives rare honor." A retired Chairman of WATG, an architectural firm, only 6 other Hawaii architects have been honored including Ossipoff . . .

How do you "be lucky"?

   You just do it one day at a time, quoting Daniel Burnham, "Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir men's blood." You have to think about the big stuff. I think I deal in hypothesis, what could be.

   It's one day at a time! There were 5 of us, everybody was busy, so they made me president, and we met to make a plan, since I didn't know how to arrange an organization. The thing that came out of it was, "Go where the action is." Went to London in 1990 and the market crashed. We got a job in California and the economy crashed. So we were successful two times in a row! (laughs).  

   Prominent projects include: Royal Hawaiian Resort (1946), Hotel Bora Bora (1961), Palace of the Lost City in South Africa (1992), the Venetian in Las Vegas (1999) and the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi (2005)

   Any training in business? 

   No.  Architects never do things easily. They can design but...learn about business? Nah. We took care of our clients and they took care of us...and we were fortunate. We were in at the beginning of the hospitality industry growth in the world. So you know, being lucky is even better than being skillful.

   Realizing he had no pattern to follow, he contacted a business publication and got 3 names of East Coast firms, got on a plane and went...and they had no clue about ownership succession. They were successful, but no clue. "Well, I'm just going to have to make it up." You have to have smart people and they have to be entrepreneurial and not uniform in their thinking. 

   He sees himself doing a paper on tourism after 60 years. The state has a marketing arm, they try to get us customers from all over the world. But that's not necessarily...what tourism is all about. ...A lot of tourism is so artificial. ...The secret of the next wave of tourism is being able to discover how to reconnect the visitor and the resident in a substantive way.  They'll come into a coffeeshop and strike up a conversation with someone who is obviously local...that will change something, and maybe you'll exchange Christmas cards. To me that's tourism.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

   I'm glad I read that article. I feel like I hear Donald Goo's calm laughing voice, about tourism, and I totally agree with him that no one wants an artificial experience. I travel not to bring home trinkets, but to experience how the locals live. What wines they drink, foods they eat, farmers' markets they go to watch them flirt with each other...which speaks to me about hospitality and the restaurant business. I know half a year went by in a whizz but for me in slow motion without Pete. Friends had come to the restaurant and I wasn't there, and so I missed my opportunity to share sorrow and laughter those past months. But, I'm back, and I've been meeting a lot of new as well as friendly repeats lately, and taking their pictures and getting their names, so I can recognize them again and spread hospitality, one person at as time, to give recognition, and receive it.

   Thinking big, has made me "lucky" so far. Meeting Pete, buying our first brand new leasehold condo in Hawaii Kai together, and selling at the perfect time, to move into town into a fee simple condo just a mile away from Greens & Vines. Buying investments and property and putting my foot into the door as "Raw Vegan Gourmet" restaurateur. With so many people looking for tasty gourmet healthy alternatives our lucky wave is rising.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

LABOR DAY, SEPTEMBER 7th, Monday, we are closed.  

Pre-Order a Cheesecake to give your party table a SPLASH of color with a 3 layer cheese-less "cheesecake" and decorative edible flowers and herbal flowers. Please call 536-9680 to order.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Secrets of Syl's Recipes

SEPTEMBER 13, SUNDAY, 12-3pm

Please call 536-9680 to reserve your place at the Greens & Vines Counter. Come ready to participate in making the stuff.  More fun that way. $65/person

Appetizer:
Apples & "Cheez"

Dinner Salad:

Caesar Salad (Baby Romaine, Sunflower Seed Croutons, Garlic Zucchini CaesarDressing, Balsamic Reduction & Nori)

Dessert:

Fruits of the day (cheese-less) "Cheesecake" 

 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

DOWN TO EARTH FARMERS' MARKET Celebration

SEPTEMBER 20, SUNDAY

We'll be out at Kapolei at DOWN TO EARTH's Farmers Market going from 9am to 11:30 am. 

PRE-ORDER A MEAL PLAN and PICK UP AT THE FARMERS' MARKET

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Meal Plan Delivery

Wherever Room Service in Paradise or Aloha To Go delivers, they can deliver your Meal Plan bag to your home (with an extra gas fee and tip). Call us to put your order in for that week, then, call for Delivery from the two delivery businesses. You will pay them for the Meals same time as the delivery. Now with the rail going in, and freeway expansion, that's a hard job...but you'll be set for the week.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A REAL TURN-ON!

Vichy Catalan Mineral Water from Spain!

This bubbly mineral water from the heart of the earth will feed your brain (waking up the electrodes) without any calories. High in magnesium and potassium, etc... and natural electrolytes.

                    Small bottle 16.9 fluid oz - $5.50

                  Large bottle 1qt/1.8 fluid oz - $7.00

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Happy Hour

Monday-Saturday, 5-7pm

Take advantage of our 5 different flights of wine (tasting pours) and the mega list of WINES BY THE GLASS (even high end Jadot, Corton Charlemagne, 2009).  Where you gonna find that!!!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _