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SanDisk Releases Its 64GB Ultra SDXC Card

derrich — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:39:15 +0000

Imagine storing up to 8 hours of HD-quality video on one memory card. Well look no further. SanDisk just announced the release of its 64GB SanDisk Ultra® SDXC™ flash memory card.

On the plus side, this SD 3.0 card reads at speeds up to 15 MB/sec. And thanks to exFAT file structure, this card will undoubtedly improve rapid shooting of still images not to mention the increased capacity for HD video.

If there is a downside to this memory card, it would be the limited number of devices that are currently compatible with the SDXC** (SD eXtended Capacity) format. That includes the recently-announced camcorders from Panasonic, the Canon PowerShot SX210IS, and likely the Samsung TL350 just to name a few. SDXC devices will eventually include a handful of HDTVs, Blu-ray recorders/players, camcorders, cameras, mobile phones, navigation systems and computers yet to hit the streets.

The card is available immediately on SanDisk.com for $349.99.

**The SD Association lists some important points for early adopters to be aware of when using SDXC cards.

Whataburger ’12 Days Of Whataburger’ Coupons Not Valid

derrich — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:22:11 +0000

I’m not a huge fan of fast food, but I do have my moments. I will say that among the fast food burger joints in any region, Whataburger is hands down the best burger. It’s the closest thing to a real hamburger (as opposed to rubbery, fast food burgers). For those of you not in the South…well, you have no clue what I’m talking about. But if you make it down here, give it a try.

This morning I received an email from a friend containing 12 coupons to Whataburger. The coupons were for a vareity of items to be given away free. They included fried pie, medium french fries, breakfast on a bun, a 20 oz drink, and a burger. While it sounds like a good deal, the coupons are not valid.

It has come to Whataburgerâ€™s attention that an unauthorized, unreleased version of a proposed internet coupon promotion called the “12 Days of Whataburger” has been circulated via email. These are NOT valid coupons and will not be honored at Whataburger restaurants.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your understanding.

Here’s an example of one of those coupons.

Some things are just too good to be true.

Find & Share Coupon Codes at Deal Locker

RETOX BAR Gets Its First Review

derrich — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:47:52 +0000

Well. The first unbiased, to-the-point review. Despite having heard primarily positive comments from friends, family, and strangers alike, Hector Saldaña of the San Antonio Express News gives a very objective point of view.

Hector Saldaña/Express-News

My only gripe with the review is the fact that RETOX is spelled “ReTox”. Clearly unimportant. I’m definitely happy with the review. I found Hector’s description of the bar interesting: “back-to-the-future, casual 70′s vibe”. Cool. It’s definitely different for San Antonio. The rock face bar and the lighting are certainly focal points. But you can’t ignore the 120″ wide screen, which is in HD. The cool thing is that the screen doubles as a curtain for the live music acts. When the game buzzer sounds, up goes the screen…and voila…a band. He also hit the nail on the head with regard to the overall feel. RETOX BAR is “…not trying to be fancy or pretentious…”. Ain’t that the truth. We definitely believe we’ve created a happy medium: not an ultra lounge, but not a dive either. In case you missed it, I posted a few photos at RETOX last week.

To read the rest of the RETOX review, click here. Thank you, Hector, for an excellent review.

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RETOX BAR is Almost Complete

derrich — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:54:27 +0000

For those of you that are curious to know how my bar is coming along…let’s just say we’re almost there. Needless to say< i've learned alot about this process. In a ense, we've made it longer than it should have been by cutting corners.

The bar is set and ready to go. However, there are 2 obstacles that prevent us from opening on time. We’ve encountered a finicky health inspector. He has found every little detail to shove back in our face. After disagreeing on several “requirements”, he kindly offered to bring his supervisor along, which I had no problems with. The supervisor was quick to notice our inspector’s behavior and set the record straight on a number of things. I was relieved. We’re addressing all of the issues, and let me tell you…RETOX will be the cleanest bar in San Antonio.

Second, and most importantly, our bar isn’t dry. Isn’t dry? Well, we chose a tile top covered with an epoxy which was supposed to take 48 to 72 hours to dry. It’s been 10 days and it’s probably 40% dry. Not good. Even as I type, my partner, Eddie, is removing it. At this rate it would take another 2 weeks to dry, and we don’t have that kind of time. The bad part is that’s about $600 down the drain. When put into perspective, each day we wait for it to dry is more expensive as we forego potential income. And each day we postpone our opening, we also put off bands and those aren’t relationships that we wish to mar.

RETOX Review
Last night while we worked diligently to address the health inspector’s checklist, our GM decided to invite a number of the bands in town to tour the bar. This proved to be a good move. You see…we took over an old “legend” bar called Iguana Bay. The place was known for having top notch bands and a great crowd…in the mid to late 90s. By early 2000, it had begun to take a dive, which led to its eventual demise. Many of the bands assumed that we did little to change the ambiance and layout of the place. So our GM, Dave, made a great decision to have them come see the new digs for themselves…something we should have done a long time ago.

One of the vocalists for one the bands decided to posit his own thoughts of our fair RETOX. Despite the fact that my partner and I got no mention as the actual owners, and that my Tour of Texas trip in which I treked down I-10 to El Paso round trip to pick up our blue velvet booths from Las Vegas, Scottie did us proud. Thanks for your detailed review of RETOX BAR in San Antonio.

…and don’t worry. Pictures coming soon.

Pour 5: Live Music In San Antonio! Tonight!

derrich — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:53:50 +0000

Take Your Music Events and Promotions From Idea To Reality.

Well, not yet. But soon. Part of the planning for a solid grand opening of Retox Bar is the musical talent. While Austin is known for its great live music…original live music…San Antonio bars seem to thrive when enlisting the services of a lively cover band. Many have a faithful following, which will obviously help bring people to your establishment.

The concern comes after your doors are open. How are we going to set ourselves apart from the rest of the neighborhood bars that feature cover bands? Well, we’ve certainly got some ideas. Weekends will likely continue to feature cover bands. Competing with other bars for prime acts will be a challenge. After Retox Bar up and running, we will have a better idea of which nights need a boost. Its safe to say that Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest followed by Thursday. So, the key will be to establish another night as a special night at your bar. Some do it with cheap drink specials, or open mic night…or some combination.

A few years ago, a local bar featured dodgeball in its parking lot. They had the backing of one of the radio stations. Eventually they were known for selling more Dos Equis than any other bar in the United States. That fad didn’t last beyond that summer, but it was a great idea. For the last few years, a local BBQ restaurant draws its crowd with a Wedensday night music series featuring Texas Country acts, which is extremely popular throughout Texas. Admission is free with a canned good donation to the San Antonio Food Bank. It is consistently packed.

We already know that we will set Retox Bar apart from similar bars in town by adding Texas Country artists to our lineup on occasion, but coming up with a successful “gimmick” like those mentioned above will be something to consider.

How To Prepare For Your Plan.

ASCAP. No, that’s not a derogatory term for someone you can’t stand. It stands for The American Society of Authors, Composers, and Publishers. It’s possible that you need to obtain licensing from ASCAP particularly for cover bands. It’s a good idea to check with your local ASCAP representative to be sure. Any public performances are fair game for fines.
Get Organized. Don’t just mark it on the calendar. Include pricing and a ledger of your expenses related to that event. If it is just a band, your details should be limited. But for an event, it will be more detailed. That should include advertising expenses…as well as a date you plan to begin that advertising.
Budget. Once you have a game plan, be sure to budget for the entire month. If you are running a special promotion, budget for the duration of that promotion. It is easy to rely on the profits from your daily operations to fund your acts and events, but don’t get caught up in that web. Be sure you can pay for everything in the worst case scenario.

We have a couple of things in mind already. But I think I’ll refrain from giving those ideas away…just in case the competition is reading. Speaking of reading, be sure to check out the past posts in the “Pour” series (say that real fast 3 times).

Pour 1 â€” Can I Buy You A Drink?
Pour 2 â€” Realize Your Business Goals. Do Your Research.
Pour 3 â€” Choosing A Name That Sticks.
Pour 4: Getting The Word Out.

Pour 4: Getting The Word Out.

derrich — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 19:43:49 +0000

Ludacris knows all about Word of Mouf.

As I mentioned in Choosing A Name That Sticks, we have already fought half the battle by choosing a catchy name that people will remember. Now comes the part It’s where we get that name in front of people…and ultimately into RETOX BAR. It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to figure out that marketing is an ongoing process. As you reinvent yourself and adapt to seasonality (football season, summer, music), marketing has to change accordingly. But first things first…and that’s getting the word out.

I am personally going to enjoy this part of the bar owning experience. While doing my due diligence with regard to advertising, I discovered that media advertising didn’t realize the results you would think. It seems as though the buzz generated comes from word-of-mouth. The natural solution for me and my partner is MySpace. The first thing we did was setup a MySpace account for RETOX BAR. We browsed the city for women between the ages of 21 and 25 and asked current “friends” to pass the word along in the form of a bulletin. So far, we have over 300 friends in about 3 weeks time.

Planning special promotions and events are also key. While we haven’t discussed promotions in great detail. But we have planned our music line up for the remainder of 2007, and of course football season is upon us. We plan to capitalize on this by offering specials for Sunday and Monday nights. And we will be showing NFL games on a large HD projector and other TVs.

A large part of our demographic audience includes college students. Austin-based Study Breaks Magazine provides a great opportunity to reach students in our area. When I was in college, I remember picking up each edition (released monthly) to see the latest SB Girl and daily drink specials. This, if any, will provide the best form of advertising for us in any print media. In a single ad we can promote drink specials, our offering of high-definition NFL games, and a list of major musical acts.

If you have any ideas on how to promote RETOX BAR…I’m all ears. With 2 months left before we open our doors, the window of opportunity is closing. And in case you missed the rest of the “Pour” posts, take a look:

Pour 1 â€” Can I Buy You A Drink?
Pour 2 â€” Realize Your Business Goals. Do Your Research.
Pour 3 â€” Choosing A Name That Sticks.

Pour 3 — Choosing A Name That Sticks.

derrich — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:39:44 +0000

Naming a bar calls for a large amount of creativity and planning. I mean…it’s all about branding, right? Choose something catchy and unique. About 4 years ago when the thought of opening a bar first entered my mind, I probably filled up about 3 napkins with names I thought were catchy and unique. After all, its the name itself that is perhaps the greatest form of advertisement. However, you can’t just have a great name and attach it to an unrelated concept. A name like Bitter End doesn’t fit a martini/wine bar or ultra lounge, does it? That’s what those pretentious one-word names are for.

If I ever opened a bar, it would be a so-called neighborhood bar with live music. A place for a solid happy hour with co-workers, and a place for great friends to hang out together in the evening. I took the names on my napkin, and did a search for them on Google. I was shooting for unique. I didn’t want to copy a cool name that a hundred other bars had already taken. Only a handful of the names I wrote down returned fewer than 10 results…and luckily in different cities.

Becoming A Reality
Four years later, this pipe dream is becoming a reality. I have a business partner I trust with a similar concept of what this bar should be. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my napkins anymore. But I did remember the few that stood out.

My friend, Brian, owns a T-Shirt from the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. It is from the Rehab pool party on Sundays. I liked everything about the name, the logo (which features the “Rx” symbol), and the suggestive meaning behind the name itself. So, for a few days we were set on trying to make that name work. Then one night, I thought “Detox” would be neat with the “Rx” symbol as a watermark in the background. And then it came to me…

Retox Barâ„¢, San Antonio, TX

No “Rx”, but a catchy name nonetheless. I’ve gotten nothing but compliments about the name choice. There are 3 bars I could find with the name “Retox” in it: retoxbar in London, Retox Rock Bar in New York, and Retox Lounge in San Francisco. We are currently trying to come up with a logo. The logo above, I created in about 5 minutes. My brother came up with a few good ones that would make great TShirts, but we need simplicity for the logo. Here’s another example of something I threw out there. It’s definitely more colorful and has a certain draw to it, but the partial “recycle” logo doesn’t really fit. So, it was tossed from consideration.

Retox Barâ„¢, San Antonio, TX

Anyway, I’d like to know what you think…about the name, the logo, and anything else you want to throw in there. For you Photoshop-minded folks, any submissions are welcome.

If you missed Pour 1 & 2, be sure to check them out.
Pour 1 â€” Can I Buy You A Drink?
Pour 2 â€” Realize Your Business Goals. Do Your Research.
RETOX BAR SAN ANTONIO

Pour 2 — Realize Your Business Goals. Do Your Research.

derrich — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:27:33 +0000

Going into this venture, I’m realizing some things off the bat. Owning a bar means long hours, attention to detail, and sacrificing vacations and weekends. But I’m certain that it will result in a financially successful venture. My confidence stems from the fact that my partner and I each have a large network of friends to rely on. We’re both great with people, and definitely outgoing. I just hope those characteristics help translate into a steady stream of income for our operation.

Do The Due…Diligence
This is easy for me to say. The location we found was previously a bar, and a bar that did well at that. However, the viability of the location is somewhat debatable (I’ll explain more below). But the fact that it will require less capital to get off the ground and that it was an established bar is a huge plus…so much so that I’m betting it will offset any doubts about our selection. Here are some things we considered before settling on the spot.

Know Your Customer. The demographics of your surroundings is an important factor. It is really important to know the area well. The leasing company provided us with some demographic information, but determining its plausibility is really up to you. If you’re unfamiliar with the area, drive around and see what audience you could potentially bring. Focus on your target audience to develop your theme. Our desired clientele are young professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 with incomes of $30,000 and greater. (In San Antonio, that may be equivalent to $50,000 and greater in another market…the cost of living here is relatively low).
Know Your Competition. They May Hold The Key. In some cases you can incorporate ideas from your competition. Choose a few bars that will act as benchmarks. It is also a good idea to know what kind of sales you can expect to generate. Usually sales information is public. We used that to create sales projections. In Texas, bars and restaurants are required to pay 14% on gross receipts. So, we simply divided the number in their records by 0.14 to get a “gross receipts” number. We averaged those revenues from bars we thought we could match, and rounded down to be conservative.
Location, Location, Location. Earlier I mentioned that the “location is somewhat debatable”. Well, the bar is located on the edge of an affluent area of town. Just down the street, there are some low [not Section 8] to middle income apartments. While it’s not cool to make assumptions about the people that live there, you have to. Focus on the image you want to keep and cater to that “ideal” crowd. Our location has a huge patio and a great area for live music. These were important factors in our decision as well.
Surround Yourself With Experience. Nevermind my 3 summers’ worth of experience waiting tables…that’s not knowing how to operate a bar. Neither my partner nor I have experience in the bar industry. We were lucky enough to hire someone with over 20 years of experience managing bars and restaurants. Needless to say, we will rely on him almost completely. It is also a good idea to communicate with suppliers. They can provide valuable information about your customers and what they like to drink.
Licensing. It is important to be aware of every piece of red tape involved in obtaining a license. We chose to commission the services of a liquor licensing agency to complete this task. We did so at the suggestion of my bar owner friend. While you pay a fee for the service, you save time and it ensures the process is completed correctly. The one we used happened to offer to help with the formation of our LLC.
Inventory, Equipment, Operations & Budgeting. In addition to the experience of our general manager, we “hired” a good friend of mine who happens to be an architect. He has been involved in the design and organization of over 15 bars. His experience included knowledge of codes, health compliance, equipment placement and logistics, and of course design budget. He gave us a relatively accurate estimate of how much we may spend giving our bar a facelift and optimizing space behind the bar. His advice also included a 20% buffer to account for unexpected expenses.

According to the several months of research we have invested into this plan, these are the most important steps to getting started. To date, my partner and I have formed an LLC and opened a bank account that is ready for our initial investment. We have yet to sign a formal lease agreement, but our Letter of Intent has been signed and submitted. Once our location is certain, our licensing agency will begin the approval process for our liquor license which will take approximately 60 days.

If you missed Part 1…excuse me, Pour 1 of this series…check it out:
Pour 1: Can I Buy You A Drink

Pour 1 — Can I Buy You A Drink?

derrich — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 06:50:38 +0000

After much consideration and a little motivation from friends and family, my good friend and I have decided to couple our financial resources to open a bar. The process has been tedious and getting answers to questions has been more of a chore than anything else…and we haven’t even opened the doors yet.

Family First! No Exceptions.
Many things have crossed my mind as we embark on this journey. First and foremost is family. I hesitated at first because this would mean spending time with my son would be a more challenging feat. And I refuse to even give him any inclination that “daddy owns a bar”. My goals are short term: open a great bar, grow it into a self-sufficient machine, and sell my interest. My intentions are financial. I’ve always been interested in commercial real estate. I am confident that doing this will allow me to explore new opportunities with less of a stigma attached…not that I’m really worried about it in the first place, or I wouldn’t be doing this. But it definitely raises concern. Just not something I want my son (and future children) to be associated with.

Friend = Partner
Second is my friendship with my partner. We’ve been good friends for a long time now. And I would be an idiot to think we are going to see eye to eye on everything. The good thing is that we do trust one another. Without that, we would be headed for certain disaster. Partnerships are hard. Partnerships with friends are even more difficult. There’s more at stake. But we’re focused on a similar goal, and we both have alot on the line…personally and financially. Every decision counts.

Friend = Competition
Another concern is that we each have friends that own bars. Now we’re going to become the competition. Friendly…but still competitive. Part of the planning process is your theme. While we aren’t going to have a blatant theme to go with our catchy name (more on that another time), we will still cater to the same audience as our “competition”: the young, social career-oriented professional. I do know that we plan to offer one additional aspect to our establishment. But I’ll expand on that a little more in another “Pour” down the line (don’t want to give all our secrets away just yet). So, back to our friends…I don’t think its naive of me to think that we can work together. In fact, one of these friends, whom I’ve known since 7th grade, has been gracious enough to help us get going. When you bascially know the same network of people, his help becomes somewhat of a sacrifice…and is greatly appreciated.

So, I’ll leave you with this. But look for “Pour 2″ (versus “Part 2″…thought it was catchy) soon in which I’ll discuss the importance of doing your due diligence. While this is important with any business, we found it to be critical for our purposes.