Amid all the great revenue reports on the great sales tax revenues coming from Branson Landing (Landing) there appears to be some businesses, mostly the smaller independent owners or franchisees, who have some concerns. According to a credible source, who owns and operates one of the concerned businesses at the Landing, and wishes to remain anonymous at this point, there was a meeting last week at Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que attended by an estimated 15 Branson Landing businesses.
According to the source, the businesses primary concern relates to the high cost of doing business at the Landing particularly during the months of Jan. through Mar. when customer traffic is down. Those costs, among others, involve the high cost of rent, increased labor costs because of the hours they are required to be open, escalating Common Area Maintenance (CAM) and, for some, the high cost of trash removal.
Other areas of concern relate to what some of them consider the lack of adequate advertising by HCW and Urban to bring people to the Landing and how the money each business pays into a pool for marketing is spent. When it was pointed out that over 60 percent of all the people coming to Branson went down to the Landing last year, the source replied, “There’s a lot of people walking up and down the promenade but most of them aren’t carrying bags.”
The source went on to say that there was the possibility that William “Willey” Theisen, the retired owner of Godfather’s Pizza and the owner of a number of Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Ques, might be coming into town to advise and assist the group. Inquiry at the Landing’s Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que to get more information on its concerns and to verify if and when Theisen would be coming to Branson ended with a relayed message from an assistant manager that the manager was on vacation and was the only one who could discuss the matter.
Rick Huffman, President and CEO of HCW Development, LLC said that he had been in contact with some of the concerned businesses and representatives of Urban Retail Properties, LLC, who operates and manages the Landing for HCW, about the concerns. Representatives of Urban Retail indicated that they were aware of a pending meeting and had offered to attend. They said that they have had no meeting with the group but that its Landing management team would look forward to working, not only with the group, but any individual store having concerns, in addressing those concerns and trying to resolve them in a mutually satisfactory manner.
Not all businesses have the same concerns. On the way out of the Landing this reporter’s wife and daughter couldn’t resist a sale in the Yankee Candle store. During a discussion with Rose Vinson, the manager of the store since its opening, she said that she was very pleased with the way things were going and pointed out that the store was number eight out of 467 stores, in the chain, for overall excellence and number 20 in profitability in 2007. Chris Lemons, a manager at the Landings Cantina Laredo restaurant, said that their restaurant is doing extremely well and that they are very pleased with the way things are going at the Landing.
Furnished courtesy of the Branson Daily Independent. https://bransoncourier.com/view_article.php?news_ID=41
