Real Music & Real Estate . . .

Yiddishe Cup’s bandleader, Bert Stratton, is Klezmer Guy.
 

He knows about the band biz and – check this out – the real estate biz, too.
 

You may not care about the real estate biz. Hey, you may not care about the band biz. (See you.)
 

This is a blog with a gamy twist. It features tenants with snakes and skunks, and musicians with smoked fish in their pockets.
 

Stratton has written op-eds for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post.


 
 

FOR WHOM THE T-BELL TOLLS

While waiting in line at Taco Bell, I tried to unlock the mystery of the restaurant’s warning: “Time Delay/Time-Lock” safe can not be opened for 10 minutes and up to 18 hours.

I couldn’t unlock it.

The other drawback — and a big one — to my West Side T-Bell hangout was the manager locked the restrooms because of vandalism.  I had to ask for a key. The manager lost some of my business because of that.  Please, can I go?  I didn’t like repeating first grade.

I was at Taco Bell when the founder, Glen Bell Jr., died.  I hadn’t known a Mr. Bell existed until I read his obit.  A customer broke the news to me — not about Bell’s death — but about the manager not locking the restroom door anymore.  In memory of Glen Bell Jr.?   In the obit, Bell said customer service was paramount.

Hallelujah for the new open door policy, Brother Bell.

The customer in front of me said, “They finally got smart here.  People come in here after hours on the road, and they have to go!”

I frequented  T-Bell more often because of the new restroom policy.  And I developed a new T-Bell hang-up — a musical one.  I asked the young cashier to name the horrible song playing.  She couldn’t.  Name the artist?  “It’s satellite,” she said.

Put cilantro on that satellite radio station, hon.  Quash the piped-in Lady Gaga music.  The customer comes first.

2 of 2 posts for 4/21/10

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4 comments

1 Teddy { 04.21.10 at 1:50 pm }

It was slightly different. Not only did you have to ask to use the restroom, they had to go down and unlock it for you. Then you had walk past them, holding the door to the restroom open for you. AWKWARD.

2 MARC { 04.21.10 at 1:52 pm }

Come on, Bert. Can’t you find a better place to eat?

3 Bert { 04.21.10 at 2:39 pm }

To Marc:

You can’t beat two bean burritos and a water for $2.14.

4 dp { 04.22.10 at 7:25 pm }

Back when the Bell had 50 cent beans and cheese, it was a go-to dinner option. Now, everyone has the under-a-buck thing down, other than Roy Roger’s. Gotta check out Grubgrade.

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