Around Main St. Newmarket - The Last Video Store

Timothy St off Main St. Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

Fairy Lake Falls by Main

Main St has become a pawn of the candidates of the local elections, containing such sensitive balancing acts as shopping, housing, construction and historic sites - to events to parking - the latter always being a sore point with any concerned it seems.

Even the Town Clock Tower, once declared a great example of how we could use historic buildings and maintain their integrity whilst usefully using them was deemed semi-expendable for a time. Little did we know the ultimate goal was to develop condos there and move seniors from their homes!

And not just residents, with the same Markham based development group having bought the town clock block of 4 buildings, forcing all store owners and residents out, save one, ironically called "The Last Video Store" which was given until Oct 15 2014 to also be out! They plan to stay beyond that date, with no where to go, and a development staging company ready, willing, and apparently able, to board up those stores and leave them boarded until the town agrees to their development conditions, while meantime displaced business owners and turfed residents are left in their wake.

I know Matt the video store owner has felt alone though this process, and I'm sure not too thrilled when,  at the same time he's being told to leave, up the street, the Mayor meantime was posing for pics with a Magna CEO and pushing " Life Is Good T-shirts - reading " Life is Good Newmarket". Not for this business owner it isn't. Still another Main St business is suing the town for allowing "illegal construction" and obstructing their businesses access while doing said work. Oh boy.

Another lawsuit against town, owner, & conservation authorities

Of course,  these are things that are not really in control of Councillors - Mayors perhaps more so, but when they run into landlord and tenant issues law for example, or the push for development, these businesses need some protections. And I don't mean by adding another layer of power to " bylaws" departments. I mean both the Heritage Act and the Planning Act need amending.

And how much development would be deemed too much? Everyone it seems has an opinion, but one thing remains - no real growth plan for Main St. And where's the B.I.A. in this?

Right now, as we sit, I feel Newmarket actually already has the most picturesque, yet functional, Main St. in York Region - outdistancing Unionville by far in my opinion, with the additional outing option of nearby Fairy Lake Park / Trails, and sometimes events at Riverwalk Commons Square as well - such as the weekly Farmer's Market.

She is a thing of picturesque beauty Main St., Newmarket, Ontario is, yet she has some holes that need filling.

View to Town Clock Tower, now empty

Most observers will agree that Main St, at least the main vein of her, which would be the stretch from Roadhouse & Rose Funeral Home, south to Water St., has had some interesting new stores, services and shops open up in the past few years but where some turnover has also occurred - sometimes not having the right mix - like too many coffee shops!

Riverwalk Commons & Stadium opened during current council

Restaurants in the area have really taken on a life in the past few years with the success of Cachet, and later Made in Mexico spurring that growth on. Rawlicious, Brewhops Pub, Suchi, and The Goulash House joined the existing fast food Pizzeria and Chinese Food restaurants and soon to come fish & chip shop and Italian restaurant as well as 2 new locations featuring baked goods, round out the "in the near future" bill. Toss in some "lunch only" locations, upscale coffee, baked goods and tea-houses, and Main has hospitality pretty well covered!

Replaced old arena

This being said, there are some holes to fill, and you don't fill them by opening similar businesses to compete against each other unless there's a demand for that, via having a bad existing similar product / service, which I don't see. What we could use are offices filled with people, or doctor's offices, health services etc. such as in the same building the food bank is now located, and also the unit that was formerly a children's day care, now sitting empty. I believe Anne Martin, running for council in the ward, owned the business once called Teddy Bear's Picnic. An elect her sign now sits in the window instead.

A challenger, John Heckbert thinks he has the answers and has studied other top downtown communities to bring that to his vision. He's new and brings new ideas but would they do justice to her history?

Vs Wildlife behind Main

Of course also running in the ward is the incumbent Joe Sponga who's in hung tough through a pretty tough job to juggle town construction woes vs plans for Main, along with business and tenant concerns, in a part time job. Joe has a big heart and means well, and is living proof why Newmarket Councilors' jobs should be full time. This town is getting too large and indeed it's downtown and heritage too important, for us to have councilors concerned with it all only part time. Joe has his fans and share of detractors, but, like any incumbent, will be tough to beat I think regardless.

But that doesn't mean side bars such as a disgruntled Main St store owner suing for having their property access tampered with - illegally as far as they are concerned - can't come out to play. We'll have to wait for this one to come out though...after the election! Stay Tuned for...(insert cheesy soap opera theme music here).. The Edge.. of Newmarket!

Building Owner slash Candidate

At any rate, Main Street needs a plan of attack for sustained growth, and to that end, I would suggest a plan to target types of businesses Main St wants, not gets. Take stock of what is there now, and actively pursue businesses from a wish list created, and offer a rebate incentive to give them a shot at survival. Beats having units empty.

WISH LIST

The General Store - A hardware store / printers / souvenirs store - Perhaps these days a full out  hardware store cannot be feasible on Main, but a good old fashioned " General Store", modernized, would be cool - complete with old coke machine for drinks. As well, no more Printers for photo-copying seem to exist on Main St so they could also offer that service from a copier machine.. and souvenirs are a given with all the movies now shot here, as well as Canada stuff!

Really? They should create one for them here behind Main!

A New Market - Whatever happened to selling fresh fruit and vegetables? Add some garden plants and flowers to the mix. With the farmer's market connection this should be a given. Add groceries too with competitive prices and you have a workable grocer's type business.

Butcher Shop - Classic Main St staple - emphasizing fresh, offer organic options

Record Stores - They have the cool factor. Vinyl records are at a 40 year high in sales and with Newmarket's boomer population new & used records would fly, and attract people to Main St! Recently CanadaT.com, which is Main's last manufacturer, featured some in-house promo of records and print art, and sales were very good!

Thriving Main St business being forced out by developers

Printing Shop - Hard copy printing specialist could survive - approach an existing one!

Thrift Shop - Trade-in used goods, furniture, clothing, and books - always a draw

Arts - Visual - A number of art galleries would add balance and create ambiance

Antiques - Always an attraction

High Tech Internet Cafe - I'm surprised there's not one already. Big screen gaming too.


Rental Housing: The Town Clock is already set up for housing since seniors were housed there recently...just saying...

Nooks & Crannies

Preservation work

One of the new Restaurants at Newmarket's Main St

Still In Style after all these years! Long time success story on Main St...Oh, and did I mention it's for sale?!

Coming Soon

Google Canada Rewards Newmarket Businesses with E-town Award

As mentioned in a photo-op / Era newspaper article, Google Canada visited the Town of Newmarket Ontario, Canada recently to congratulate the town's businesses and present an E-town award, having been singled out as one of five communities from across the nation as top users of web based technologies, applications and social media to better their businesses.

The Town's Mayor as well as select invited guests,  I'm assuming at behest of the mayor since we hadn't been informed even though TPE is a registered Google+ business  which most chamber's businesses are not yet, were invited to be so recognised. Nice, however it left out 90% of the businesses which Google were honouring and recognizing. In fact, most chambers of commerce would traditionally encourage options within their own group which may not necessarily be the best option, so Mayor Van bynen is in no position to credit anyone with anything,  
Google already did that.

Entry - Newmarket - for Myers Costumes wall mural contest

So don't be smoke screened by the town's mayor taking credit or crediting the chamber of commerce either, as it is to the businesses using the technology  for furthering their value to which Google is referring in it's tribute to the town's businesses, most of which actually work outside the chamber or don't even sport a physical address for doing transactions but maintain a web address that's registered to a Newmarket land address. The chamber's model, with it's parameters, works well in-house. Google's Search engines and Google+ don't "disseminate" however, and include all - especially if they are registered with Google+ as a business.


...And the town supports technology use? Ha, the legal department threatened to sue for (Google) blogging about an event I volunteered at! Of course they did stop when I revealed a staffer had encouraged me to.


I recall Newmarket's longest running family owned business, Myers Costumes on Main, being ignored in her pleas to have temporary costume stores from popping up on every corner at Halloween. Her family was here helping during the war fronting hungry people.... Now we ticket her for youth graffitiing up her place.

Stellar Hall formerly known as D.C. Hall

The internet's online ordering saved them no doubt, but no thanks to the town.


To give a simple demonstration on how the Google thing works, it's like this, Google has massive "search engines" with wide reach, and their web reach includes owning blog and video host sites now. It's not enough to have a website if you want to increase traffic / visitors, they must be interrelated online and you need to have interesting, relevant, related, "intelligent" info added regularly. It is all relatively simple to do and self maintain after it's set up and linked together. 

How does Increased Search Engine Recognition affect a business?

Example: When TPE first got involved with Delihouse Catering in Newmarket a little over a year ago for our online streamlining service, D.H. ranked sporadically in computer engine searches. By adjusting the website's word content and titling, then adding / attaching blogs & Videos, combined with the added ability to add new relevant content regularly, and by using effective titles, we created more awareness and qualified online traffic; and so now if you do a web search for Newmarket for Catering, they rank 1 or 2 regularly...

Should management have time from all the extra business to also blog or add more facebook and other content than they currently do, they could maintain # 1 likely, and rank even higher for relative search terms. To ease the load, Deli House Catering were recently recognised as a Google + business through TPE's application on their behalf 6 months ago. This gives them an alternate URL address, as well as Deli House Catering will now also enjoy increased search engine recognition. That's something you can gauge also.


The next challenge D.H.C. has is the branding of their hall as STELLAR HALL where TPE has seen, booked or promoted many of an event already at this stellar, live venue and banquets hall facility! TPE can even backtrack blogs which are already written to stand to test of time and add relevant links or change names like adding Stellar Hall as TP's blogs are read 2-300 hundred times a day naturally by people who want to - just like you just did!

New Year's Eve revelers at Stellar Hall in Newmarket

It's one thing to have a wonderful website or one set up steam-lined and ready to do business, but wouldn't you want your company / product / website being the one that comes up in searches or stumbled upon naturally, and not just when someone is tricked or you've sent them there?

It only makes sense. In fact, I guarantee it does.

TP Out!

Branding You! Marketing your project / self to the world

Through various means, such as Jazzled, a youth oriented social networking site I'm working on as a Project Manager when I can, and just online banter, I get quite a few inquiries from young musicians, singers, actors, even visual artists wondering how they can either break into "The Biz" or would like to take the branding of themselves or their band / idea to the next level.

Recently, one such example was a person looking to develop her idea for a t.v. and needed " a business plan Writer for a TV show" as he put it. Her wording told me she was likely green to 
"The Biz", often a challenge, however I decided to take a look at it anyway. Ouch!@

Elvis was the ultimate brander!

I knew instantly upon glimpsing her attachments that this was much more involved than simply writing some plan if she truly wanted her idea to succeed, or at least have a shot at it, still I agreed to a fee for " Writing her business plan" all the while brainstorming on how to approach this. I wasn't about to just take her money and have her fail, so what I agreed to do was stay on the project until completion and act as adviser until then - in addition to agreeing to put together a production budget and marketing / distribution plan. To seal the deal, I revamped the marketing materials she sent me in minutes switching the format and lingo to read more in-line with the industry standards, although I still do need additional info to complete it. Below an excerpt.

Although the target market is a diverse, male and female audience between 26 and 40 years of age, anyone can benefit from the entertaining, informational stories "The Journey" reveals.

Part of today's plan for any marketable item - whether person, production or project, need also have an online footprint to increase the value to the search engines, and create awareness through "Online Branding". 

 The earlier you can an get entity set up online, whether through a blog, or website, or tweeting, or You tube etc - and they need all connect back to one another - the better, so when you launch you already have an internet search engine recognized product(ion), already serving those choosing to search the subject or company or entity to view it.

The wrong head shot can delay your image branding

You can then tailor FAQ's or solicit feedback through your easy to set up blogs and other social networking sites like Face Book where you can also post links to your blog and open a related profile page.

This is all standard advice I give, and sometimes it takes sitting down with people and physically helping them set it up, but once in place they can pretty much self- manage it by adding updates on occasion which , again, lends more credibility to the computer search engines.

That being said, I  can only take them so far as in the end the talent has to be there or the ability to get the job done. An old boss of mine, David Borg, an Executive Producer of feature films such as Hansel and Gretel, who was very into motivational speakers and the like used to tell me,

" All you have to do is get them excited about it!"

"You've already qualified them that they can afford the investment, now they need an incentive to act.
All you have to do now is get them excited about it!"

And that, my friends, is the key.Now here's a really cool original graffiti  / artists and band...Enjoy!

TP out

Youth Mural Art Contest - July 1st Newmarket

 There is still room for entries to the Youth Mural Art Canada Day contest at Main St Newmarket!

As we do our last minute scurrying to get everything ready it looks like the 2012 Youth Mural Art Contest being held July 1st at 37 Main S South in Newmarket, Myers Costumes on Main, is shaping up!

The event wouldn't have happened if not for sponsors such as Home Depot who is covering the painting supplies, as well as Covernotes on Main who is sponsoring a couple gift certificate prizes as

is Touching Soles Travelling Spa, and Myers Costumes is feeding the volunteer performers while TPE Productions provided the network marketing and on site strategics.Covernotes also supplies the farmer's market with fresh coffee & tea as seen in above video.

What we plan to do is allow youths to paint a large square on the wall as representative of what they could do on a full wall. Entries online or on canvass or other form can also be submitted up until July 1st. Your entry will be photographed and whited over until another entry. Each entry will be judged.

11 year old William Oliver is already an accomplished Artist, having won several competitions previously.

 

11 year old William Oliver, already an accomplished artist and provincially ranked martial artist at the ripe old age, has entered two pieces for the contest. One depicts the general theme the (Myers) store manager has communicated she'd like to see, depicting old Newmarket and modern day, with the Artist choosing an abstract-like technique.

 The second entry, William felt strongly that since it's a costume house wall, then Stonehenge which has spooky elements to its "image" to begin with and emanates from Oliver's piece, might be considered as well!

Young William is unable to attend July 1st which is why he's submitting early, but you can view his work on location at Myers Costumes on July 1st or view some fabulous on site youth artwork that day and see all the designs that form while listening to some live, youthful, entertainment and enjoying some BBQ!

Good Luck William and everyone!

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It's not good enough just having a web site. Main Street businesses need to establish their own web presence and drive in targeted traffic to their web pages. Acquire qualified visitors (those searching for your products or services) drawing from search engine traffic and the social media circles. Easily keep control of your own content through easy to use but powerfully optimized platforms. Set up and training is quick, inexpensive and the results are immediate.

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We've been speaking with Main Street Newmarket businesses and they're fed up with the limited number of Internet marketing options. Think low-budget marketing geniuses. Think TPE next time you sink your dough into an ineffective but expensive Internet marketing strategy for your Main ST business promotion.

Deli House Catering and Wedding Hall

Inside Deli House Catering's banquet and events facility with natural lighting

  Promotion and branding of course go hand in hand and sometimes you can add sales to that mix when all three merge at times such as the case when I attended a 'Bridal Show" recently representing Deli House Catering's interests. I like to think I know a little about branding having worked on projects as an Associate Producer with a Co-Executive Producer named Lou Pearlman (Supercross The Movie, Timothy Dolan's scripted Red Riding Hood musical version) who wrote " Bands, Brands and Billions and is considered the inventor of "Boy Bands". Of course that was all before he was jailed for tax evasion or something!

Deli House Catering's Rockin Deli Nights starts Feb 25! See link provided for details!
  The Timpano formals run wedding show was held at the beautiful Roman Palace banquet hall in Newmarket and featured the usual gamut of caterers, decorators, cake makers, photographers and the like but this one also had a couple questionable booths such as an exercise machine booth??? It seems insurance companies have also managed to squeeze into the mix somehow. The only other experience I've had at wedding shows really - other than perhaps when I got married (& later divorced) so many years ago it seems...sigh..was putting together a same sex wedding show which is a whole blog in itself!

  Anyway my bridal show partner Nick and I managed to get set up in anticipation of the rush that never really materialized and ended up instead chatting a fair bit with the other neighbouring businesses mostly and giving out free food samples to anyone who did happen our way.

Deli House's Nick at Timpano's Bridal show at the Roman Palace in Newmarket

  I mozied on down at one point to see what the "other Nick" had going on food-wise, as in Nick Co-owner Chef of the Roman Palace banquet hall as many moons ago I used to do gigs for his father and Nick Sabino was the DJ...now he's the Chef and I must admit his pasta dish was pretty good. Zesty sauce..noodles el dente. the old man must have taught him a few secrets before he was so cruelly taken away from this life by a drunk driver some years back.I hadn't seen Nick or his sister in a few years so it was good to see them again.Salute.

  I also ran into lovely Rita a long time Newmarket area resident and business owner and friends with a buddy of mine who isn't speaking with me right now.. for why I know not ha..but Rita's a Decorator and Events Planner with Abovo and we happened to need one for a Deli House event so we connected at least and maybe they can each help each other out.I also connected with Russo Photography for some possible video work..but where were the brides!? So a tad networking went on.

  In the interim I got into a bit of a "discussion" with the lady from Wayne Jones DJ services, as I told her I thought that Jack & Jills were something that women invented to eliminate the stag (they also specialized in Jack & Jill packages). I told her stags originally were money makers for the couple not Jack & Jills as there was no such thing, while she insisted that stags were only for "strippers etc. I repeated that they outdated the creation of Jack & Jills and were always as money makers for the man... then pulled out quietly and left. Ha!

  Anyway the show itself as a marketing tool was a disappointment as the turnout was low, although the fashion show was well done it seemed. At one point I heard this song with lyrics like, " I'm sexy,  whose sexy, I'm sexy etc and turned around expecting women - but it was the guys! Ha! Egads!

  After we did our thing and handled the half dozen perhaps real prospects that came our way, the candy lady behind me from Old Time Confections ( they provided mints and candies located in Georgian Mall Barrie) mentioned perhaps I should ask about a list of all the attendees which is standard procedure I'm told at most of these, and so I did, but was told they didn't do that for their shows. He went on to explain that they would be sending all attendees an email on our behalf etc and I stopped him and said,

  'You know I did a google search of this show and it didn't even come up, but Barrie's Timpano show did."

He said it would take awhile that they  had not been in Newmarket for some time but would again catch on in time...blah blah blah...

  In time? Whose money is he spending whilst he waits? Get an SEO on it buddy so the show comes up immediately! It doesn't take time it takes a little effort, and yes spending a few bucks! That's why all these people paid for booths for your show!

As We used to say in grade school...Duh!!!

Tom out!

Live Acts, Singles Dances, DJ Services Ideas for New Year

 For TP Entertainment or any live acts, this time of year can be good or bad for those in the entertainment industry. On one hand the hospitality industry typically does well through New Years thus they can afford performers when they may not normally whether that be a DJ or band or even a comedy or dinner show, but if you didn't get lucky yet and are not working New Years Eve many of you could be S.O.L. for a spell as January-March are the slowest times in their yearly calendar statistically.

Don Cherry is a popular spoof character great for B-days.. have him bring hubby a case of Canadian and rant!

  What I've done over the years is to try and find niches to supplement my income. My first paid job as a performer I was actually hired by my mom who was Promotions Coordinator for the Aurora Shopping Centre at the time who hired me as Santa Claus only to fire me the next day! Apparently the owner of the Metropolitan department store didn't think I was hohohoing enough. Ha. At any rate, a friend of mine who had actually hit puberty by then did the job instead. Recently, in the past several years, I've been putting myself out (tramp!) as the Grinch! Which is way cooler than Santa any day! Ha! And allows for  more diversity of choices for marketing - as even an adult party wanting to stand out can use a Grinch - who has a change of heart of course and dishes out good cheer and presents if available! Bring along a partner/dog Max too, and act / sing the book out for full effect (and an excuse to have someone helping)! Play to the audience and pick out a "Cindy Loo Who" to pat on the head. Of course, get too big and Dr Seuss may want a cut..but so long as you are not charging a cover for such events or showing the movie for a charge there should be little worries of that.

TP Entertainment & Productions is no Grinch to local industry suppliers

Myers Costumes On Main St Newmarket has all the fixings for Celeb Makeovers like the Don Cherry apparel above!

  Once I created an interactive show called "Wackyoke" which incorporated humour into karaoke basically by introducing props, impersonating singers, acting wacky, some stand-up, and allowed people to come up and sing their choice of karoke song. Should they be bad singers was my thinking, I'd ham it up a bit and do background vocals, air guitar, whatever it took to get a laugh. Hey it worked pretty well except one time way up north in Ontario, near Orillia, where they take their Elvis seriously. Serious Elvii fans don't take too much to mocking him, but luckily I can croon Elvis passably so they let me live. Ha.

  The idea for Wackyoke actually came to me from having seen a group of 2 guys called Krazy Karaoke several years prior at a Fox and Fiddle in Mississauga and later in Richmond Hill, which I'd thought was brilliantly innovative at the time, and the fact that the local Karaoke guy was like a bump on a log as a host. I figured anyone putting any effort at all could compete with that and I was right. I got quite a few compliments and laughs with that show and actually started a promotion for Easter Seals called 'Sing a Tune for a Twoney" wherein by paying a twoney every time you got up to sing you'd be judged and get a chance to make the finals whilst raising funds for the cause. I incorporated several bars into the mix and tied it in with the Great York Region Restaurant Race (raised $100,000) at the time. TP Entertainment had prizes like cash, recording time, and a Flare Modelling School scholarship.This was in 1994. I wide-eyed envisioned it working Canada-wide, but at that time didn't have the wear-with-all. Some Years later Canadian Idol came out....Just saying! Also a guy that rents karaoke and games for stags etc in Toronto whom I gave the Sing-a-tune- for- a- twoney idea to while attending a friends Jack & Jill, still uses it in his rental package today as a way to raise funds for the groom etc at stag and J&J parties..Thank-you!! Thank-you very much!

TP Entertainment handled Good Times Grand Opening having packed the place, provided the 1st band(s) and was 1st to bring karaoke , Elvis, and live entertainment nights. Live nights and karaoke remain their bread and butter in 2012.We also advised them to drop the donuts...they did. Thank -you, Thank-you very much

  Elvis- o- grams or fave performer-a-grams can work too...I once did a job where i went in and sang two Elvis songs to a lady at a table - all getupped up of course - and walked out with $300. Took all of 15 minutes.Thank-you..Thank-you Vera much!

 The idea came to me when I got bored after being single a number of years. Who'd want me?!Ha.. and noticing the limited options for entertainment or nightclubs for patrons over 30 in the York Region area let alone singles, except the local Aurora's Greystones has anything close to catering to an older crowd in the area, but they are only open Saturday nights, usually for dancing only, and after awhile it becomes a little like the movie, "Groundhog Day' - although I must admit some pretty nice ladies can be found there on occasion dancing up a storm and there is/was a particular bartender I'm sweet on.

D.J. Hungarian Pepper sets up before bringing the house down with her latest dance mixes!

  But to me, I like a little more variety..for entertainment that is! Get your mind out of the gutter! Perhaps a step back into memory lane via old TV show intros etc on the screens instead of always sports and with a table of munchies as well like wings and finger foods with some 60's,70's, 80's tunes going at a level you can talk...then have it morph into a 45 minute set of live entertainment (duo / trio musical / standup / dinner theatre) which all spans 7-9 PM and finally a DJ/dance at 9:30 with the latest and some classic rock and pop tunes mixed in to try to appease the masses..Well that's exactly what I did, and it was fun for a time as I put them on once a month for a year with a regular group of about 120 people attending. The biggest problem was location / dates followed by it was hard to make any money - which in all fairness I never expected to get rich - but I did come close to losing a few nights in the beginning and you always feel like you need to add prizes and such. I actually had a live The Dating Game show complete with theme music and chose 3 bachelors and a lucky bachelorette to play and I'd do my worst Gary Newbanks impersonation!! Prizes like 2 steaks, salad fixin's, and a bottle of wine or dinners out for two etc were given out and people loved it, but was always a slight gamble and a lot of work for little return and you still had the whiners to deal with. However I did get to have some awesome entertainment and really made it an atmosphere I liked and enjoyed - and hoped the majority would too. Which they did.

  I stopped doing them after some owners left a sour taste in my mouth such as ironically a Fox location who's upstairs hall room we rented who tried to continue the event like it was theirs when I packed it up and took it to another location, when he began to get too greedy, to the Upstairs at the White Rabbit on Main St. where another guy promised me the upstairs to do with whatever I wished only to renege and try to also continue it without me essentially.He still owes me $800. Both places are closed down in 2011. That's what happens when you fuck people my friends..eventually you pay the price and fucking over a guy like me (and others I'm sure) who can bring you lots of business, isn't wise. Ha! That was the sound of someone getting the last laugh.

People start arriving and enjoying refreshments, music, and nostalgic videos onscreen at a TPE 30Plus singles night

  Anyhow, I raise this last point because recently someone who I gave their start into paid DJ gighood, a lady DJ called Hungarian Pepper, who doubles as a special effects make-up artist, and knows all the latest dance tunes but is old enough to know the classics too, has been asking me if I'd thought about doing parties again..And then I remembered my buddy Johnny Cutrone at Deli House Catering in Newmarket, for whom I've done many a "gig" going back some years now, has a new banquet hall facility in a location which years ago was the local nightclub called Club Spotlight was - and before that even used to house live bands in then 50's and 60's - so it has some cool history and is the perfect size and set up for one of TP events - with one side great for entertainment and a 3/4 wall separating another area with smaller tables good to talk in or eat at away from the action. Next I met another buddy of a mutual acquaintance, Gary Cocking, who has played the El Mocambo recently in Toronto and is an awesome guitar player, lives locally, and might be available to be our house musician for in between times, so, hey! Maybe I'll get one going again! I am getting bored after all and 30PLUS Night aged patrons will go out in these cold months if we give them a reason too! Hell, couples would too if its done well enough! And besides...Johnny likes the idea! He also likes the idea of an party for single parents / kids next year xmas eve..a Sunday..and throw in the place to help out! What a guy!

  Until Next Time!


  Happy New Year from TP!

  Tom Pearson
  President, TPE & Productions
  www.tpeproductions.com

Canadian Labour Congress Video Contest

                          

Canadian Labour Congress Video Contest

TP Entertainment & Productions is happy to announce the TP written & produced one minute video contest production - "One Paycheck Away" the adspotlike short with the documentary feel has been chosen as ONE of Only FIVE FINALISTS from entries from across Canada. The assignment was to show the growing gap between the rich and everyone else in 60 seconds. Congratulations to the TP Production team!


Now it's up to the public to decide.Check out our entry video One Paycheck Away  - then vote for it here! In fact keep voting for it right up until up until the deadline on Jan 20 2011. The contest is being run by the Canadian Labour Congress. 5 finalist were chosen on Dec 16 and now it's up to you to vote for TP everyday until dead-line date on January 20 4pm!

Tom Pearson himself narrates this no bells and whistles production done with still photographs and voice-over ...some good imagery and messages which are supposed to depict the growing gap between the rich and everyone else in 60 seconds!

This video never made the final five but some liked it better than the entry that did. Spoof of 60 minutes in 60 seconds!


Tom Out!

Lone Star Texas Grill Opening

I got an opportunity to check out the grand opening, well preopening anyway, of the newest hospitality player in town (of Newmarket) Lone Star Texas Grill located on Yonge St.'s North East corner across the lotway from Lowes.

Newmarket's Newest player opened Monday

I know the industry well, having been in hospitality at one time, first as a kitchen manager with Pat & Marios Restaurants which was Canada's first chain concept to combine dining and bar/dancing w DJ as well as assisting to open other Toronto locations including high volume locals at Front & Church, Airport Road and Yonge & Eglinton. They had been a spin-off of the Mothers Pizza franchise and Casey's Restaurants all owned at that time by Yesac corporation, which I followed with stints at Mr Grummps downtown by the Eaton Centre, opening O'tooles Restaurants and on, eventually G.M.ing restaurants & nightclubs with live entertainment. I also wrote columns and produced Cable TV shows for Rogers and Shaw Cable that included me visiting various restaurants which was a predecessor to today's Rogers TV show models. Each Show - called "Out & About" would include a segment I entitled "On A Serious Note", which focused on a good cause every show which often would include a restaurant attachment of some sort.

At Pat & Marios, to save labour cost when the doorman wasn't there, I'd fill in alongside the ever whiny- voiced G.M. Bernie, or the fat man as some referred to him as behind his back. I'll never forget when a cook was giving him an excuse regarding why an order had screwed up and he yelled,

"If I want excuses I'll talk to Tom!"
 
We all howled! I learned a lot there however including how to talk to people and deescalate explosive situations. It didn't help we were located right across from "the projects", a maze of Toronto housing units ripe with drugs. I got sucker punched in the bar area one night by a local nutbar who was always trouble, leading to his banishment and my wake-up call as to the type of crazies that are out there and how a touch too much alcohol on some can be lethal.That all began in the 80's, those were the days! Ha!
Now back to my dinner!

I'd been given some tables to put local bodies in to eat free, part of a typical procedure that every Lone Star Texas Grill now does when they open a new one, a very cool concept. In order to get prepared before opening to the paying public, it's quite common to have a mock run through whereby 1/2 the restaurant staff would greet, seat, cook & serve, while the other half would act as ordering patrons. Sometimes the menu would be preset as to what you could order to ensure the staff got practice on all the dishes. Lone Star does this but they also hold another evening wherein members of the community have been contacted and invited in  with allowances for up to 4 people per table to order off the menu which gives the staff additional experience before they actually open. Lone Star does even one more preopening event as well, as part of their "Texas Charm", by hosting one last rehearsal service before opening to the public for a local charity, which is certainly an innovative idea...but hey never mind the chatter..let's eat!

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Upon our arrival we were greeted by some young countryesque hostesses and an attending manager who saw to it we were given a warm welcome - something I've often found lacking in Newmarket - particularly with some complacent chains who's managers are never close enough to the action to gauge how their customers really feel. Everyone thought East Side Marios would be here forever but they're not, because ultimately if value is relatively the same then a competing welcoming and fun atmosphere will win out every time, and frankly that place had the worst service in town and a non-caring attitude for the most part which, to that end, the staff at the new Lone Star in Newmarket seem to be a very enthusiastic crew. A quick look around and the staff was always in perpetual motion, whether singing at a table or playfully tossing bread at customers, it seems to be a prerequisite there to engage the patrons..and often! Our waiter Chris or Wild One as he's known in-house, although a little green, gave probably the best service I've had in all the years I've been in Newmarket - which is 20+. He would be right there as soon as an appetizer was done, kept on table maintenance like clock-work, checked in when appropriate, and had another fresh basket of fresh hot crisp nacho chips with cool tomato salsa, not too spicy but yummy, as soon as we were done. We were also served up a delicious conqueso tangy cheese dip splashed with jalapenos, without prompting..Mmm...These things I notice, having been a waiter / manager, and was almost floored when he told me it was his first job waitering! As it turned out he'd been working back of the house in kitchens for some time in other restaurants which really gives him superior food knowledge too a definite asset..easy attitude not phony..He got 4 stars from me out of 5 and a cool $20 on the side later that we insisted on! ha!

                                          Video includes visit to Lone Star by the Duke Himself!

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