Sun, Nov 22, 2009
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USHER'S WINE BAR CLOSES SHOP: Grape franchise opened three years ago in Inman Park.
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Name:
MOTHERSHIP
Comment: At least he knew when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. In this climate where established 100 plus year old companies are folding, then Ursh was wise to just cut his losses.
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Name:
Teigh
Comment: I read that Lil John has a vinyard and makes various wines. The Chardonay has gotten raves but I haven't been able to find out where in NY it's sold. Usher lost his fan base when he got married. Either make adult music (ala Luther Vandross) that hole has not been filled (not sure if Usher can fill it but he can try)or take some time out and be a dad.
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Name:
MOTHERSHIP
Comment: Teigh, you got that right.
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Name:
huey
Comment: the idea always seemed wack on its surface. why would i go drink wine in a wine bar when i can drink wine AND brown juice in any number of hot spots from the atl to philly? maybe im just ignent, so ive been told a time of too, but who hasnt? so sue me.
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Name:
MOTHERSHIP
Comment: Huey, or in the comfort of ya own home which seems hella logical in these times.
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Name:
huey
Comment: MOTHERSHIP ---exactly.
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Name:
Cappaucino
Comment: The name was too pop corn, It sounds like a juice bar for teenagers or a faux hang out on that's so raven
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: Damn..I had high hopes for this was Usher. Great, classy idea.
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Name:
huey
Comment: this idea was doomed from the start, anyone with any business acumen knows that restaurant ventures (and thats what this is, a trumped up restaurant) are one of the worst businesses that one can go into. the likely hood of failure on the part of these types of businesses has one of the highest failure rates. u can historically go back through the laundry list of failed ventures similar to this opened by big named stars and atheletes. and they usually fail within the first five years. im not sure about ushers business savvy but this one seemed like a flop out of the starting blocks. and the likelyhood of failure in this bad economy quadrupled with the quickness.
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Name:
DCGG
Comment: dumb azz rappers, singers, actors don't have one bit of business sense...clothing lines, restaurants, clubs or booze only to close down in no time, I think a basketball player or something opened a chain of barbershops, that to me is a lucrative idea...
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Name:
McNasty
Comment: He doesn't have a head for business nor the time to invest.
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Name:
huey
Comment: my guess would be, next victim of the falling economy in the atl, jermain dupries club.....i shall wait and see.
and whatever happened to usher and the cleveland cavaliers? he was pumping his fist in the air at the games at one point, kinda looking like he was making some decisions, what happened to that?
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Name:
Angel
Comment: The Grape has been around long before Usher bought a franchise. I was going to the Grape in Vinings back in 99 and it was always packed. It's very popular especially among the professional white crowd, but with this economy people are spending money on wine. Also, the food at The Grape needs revamping. While I love their Greek salad and the Cream Cheese Brownie, I always got the feeling that if I went in the kitchen, all I would find was a George Foreman grill, a toaster oven and a microwave. LOL
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Name:
Angel
Comment: That should say "people AREN'T spending money on wine"
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Name:
Angel
Comment: huey - Actually I thought it was a great idea the first time I went and I continue to go regularly. If you don't know much about wine but want to learn it is a great non intimidating experience. I use to go sometimes after work to their wine tastings or you can do your own mini wine tasting sitting at the wine bar. The sommolier (wine "bartender") would walk you through the experience. My girlfriends and I hang out there all the time learning about wine. But hey, if you just want to get your drink on and prefer the brown stuff, then you should skip this spot. LOL
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Name:
Southernbelle
Comment: @ Mothership, cosign. This is just not a good time for fivolous spending by consumers. And yes, spending dough on over priced liquor is frivolous. Especially when you can have the same liquor at home for 1/2 the cost. Hopefully, his perfume is doing okay. I'm sure Ursh ain't hurting for anything and maybe sometime later he can pursue this venture. If this is something he's really enjoys.
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Name:
huey
Comment: Angel ---good points indeed, but the problem with the business model is that wine, like cigars by and large tend to be explored by a select few, hence, the needed another draw. now,i have never been so i can only hypothesise. i am a wine drinker and have a decent sized collection as well as a cigar aficianado. for this place to have survived or to even have had a chance of survival, especially in this economy was to have another draw in addtition to wine and food. did they have live music? how big was it? was there room for a nice jazz quartet. could they have maybe places a cigar bar in a separate area not to disturb other non smoking customers? im sure usher had the money to do these things. im just guessing. or did the customer just go, sit, grab a bite to eat, learn about and sip wine?
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Name:
Angel
Comment: Huey - They have live music and regularly scheduled events. I found it a nice spot just to meet up after work with clients or friends. The one near me is always packed at night during the workweek when I go, so I don't know if this one is just doing a lot better than Usher's or the rest of the The Grapes for that matter since they are reorganizing under Chap. 11. But you are right, the business model is primarily focused on wine and is limited, especially since the food won't be winning any awards since it is a lighter fare, primarily hors devours (sp?) type menu. In this economy, folks have better things to spend their money on...and you can go online and learn about wine. I hope the Grape near me survives....
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: Thanks Angel, I've been to the Grape myself and always enjoyed it. It's gud to have people who are familiar w/the franchise (obviously excluding Huey) to speak about it. Like visiting a vineyard, you go the Grape for the experience. Had it not been for the economy, it probably would have done as well as some of the other franchises have. It's something I would have liked to open here in DC if I had the resources. This isn't a 'new' venture per se but buying into a franchise. Robeks is another franchise that seems to be doing well despite the economy. One thing for sure, there are still people making money in this economy who aren't millionaires.
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: Angel..don't know how long u've been in the ATL but did u ever go the "Martini Bar" off of Peachtree round the corner from where club kaya used to be?
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Name:
huey
Comment: hey herbs...shi77 head, if u didnt read my post i clearly stated i was hypothesising on the demise of his restaurant and clearly stated that i had never been there. did i not? so mind yo bitness u bucket of shi77. now, back to what i was talking bout with Angel. Angel, what are the locations like in the other areas? heavely travelled?
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Name:
TesticAl
Comment: Huey, about Usher and the Cavaliers. Usher is a minority owner like Jay-Z and Nelly. They all own very small pieces of the team and they have no say in any decisions regarding the team. I hope that helps.
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: uhmm..ur right and wut u ALSO said was that the idea was doomed from the start because who wants to go to a bar and sip wine obviously not knowing that wine bars (like cigar rooms) exist and are quite popular in large cities. That was said obviously ignorant of the fact that this he purchased a franchise. Maybe u should have looked into the business itself b4 u started to criticize it. It's like waking up from a coma in 2012 and belaboring the idea that there would never be a black president..only to find out tha we already have one.
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Name:
Mas90
Comment: Herbs a bucket of shiit!!!!! LOL! Huey u funny
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Name:
Mas90
Comment: Usher should invested in something more guaranteed like US Bonds. Not no damn grape. His record label went under, grapes went SMASHED!, his fans based left out the door, his marriage is fake, OOPS! I mean it's real......ly going grape, I mean great!
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Name:
Angel
Comment: Musb - I'm in Charlotte now and no longer in Atlanta, but I do remember the Martini Bar. A bunch of mofos perpetrating. LOL Huey, Charlotte has a couple of Grapes. The 2 I frequent seem to be doing well, but they are fairly new so they still could be living off hype...only a few years old, if that long.
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Name:
huey
Comment: herbs --shi77 for brains...anyone with the slightest bit of business savvy and a class in business 101 would still determine that the model is flawed u effn non business minded schumk...what a dumb azz.
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Name:
adifferentpath
Comment: what's going on up in heya? grapes, martinis, shyt- dayum! ....sounds like a good combo! LOL
Yea, restaurants/bars have high failure rates so, Ursh can take it all in stride. we'll still see him wizzing up and down 400 with the top down on the porsche.
I went in the Grape at Atlantic Station...and came right back out. I was tryna go across the way to the other little spot they got with the bomb cheesecake - PJ's Coffee & Lounge.
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: a flawed business model would not have success. Apparently, the Grape has done well in some of their other franchises so maybe the model isn't flawed as you erroneously suggest. There is life beyond TGIF that many people are all the more willing to njoy. Your personal attacks don't negate the obvious ignorance on this particular subject. Contuining to spew them don't make u right..just appear as u are...lacking.
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Name:
bigchassie
Comment: there was a Grape in my building. i think it lasted only a year. i work in Midtown ATL and the Grape was just too high priced for most of the people here. when they go out to eat, they normally go and get the regular fare for lunch. it was nice there though. it was so pretty. but it did not play with the locals too much.
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Name:
huey
Comment: herbs---u bucket of ape shi77, u continue to try and discredit someone who obviously knows what they are talking about. try this on for size u fuccn schumk. starbucks....some of thier franchises are still doing well, yet, the stock now trades down at 8.95/share from 40/shares. why u ask, the business model became, what u ask, "flawed" u effn putz. it happens. even to conglomerates such as starbucks. they failed to forcast. they grew to fast, didnt see the economic downturn, people were not willing to pay 4 bucks/latte. they didnt have the expendable income. can starbucks recover? we shall see. but the reality is the business model was flawed u effn stoopit bastard. i refuse to school your dumb azz anymore because u seek to try to discredit people in this forum and u dont know thier professional backgrounds. or u assume because they call u names like pisswad or bytchboy then they must not be too bright. well, im a multitasking hating intelli-thug u fuccn box of dirty snot rags. over
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: Angel...fah real? That was one of my favorite spots to visit in ATL. It was always white people there when I went. the first time they had Michael Franks playing and i thought it was great..lol Huey the problem w/your diatribe is that the only criticism u gave of this particular business model is that it's something YOU would not njoy doing. That's not an intelligent analysis nor an informed opinion. It's u doing what you usually do..talk shyt out yo mouth and think it won't smell like a newborn babies green-hued bowel movement. Well it does. Starbucks getting greedy is completely separate from your criticism of starting a Grape franchise. Most industry reports suggest that entreprenuers would benefit from opening a franchise vs. a new company from scratch. IF you know what you are talking about..it's nothing wrong w/demonstrating it. Other than that, you sound like a fewl..an old azz fewl at that. No amount of negative adjectives would change that..only being informed will. Try it...u may even surprise urself.
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: BTW..did u just call urself an intelli-thug? LMMFBAO! Wut kind of 40+yr old man calls himself a "thug." A thug who blogs? Nygga please...go sat yo fat, asthmae having..heaving breath azz down and find a better argument. Don't u realize that this is a lose..lose for you. U can never match me pops.
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Name:
huey
Comment: herbs, u are dumber than i thought u were, but then again, i thought u were pretty dumb to begin with, but i digress..."Most industry reports suggest that entreprenuers would benefit from opening a franchise vs. a new company from scratch"....it depends on the type of business u stoopit bastard. thats first. secondly as pertains to the starbucks/grape business model. if the business model is flawed, it just that, flawed. it dont matter if it was yesterday, last week, or last year, stoopit. the objective is to right the ship. but, on that note, as my grandma use to say, dont argue with a fool, people might not no the difference. and clearly im arguing with a fool. u have no idea what the he11 u are talking about. i knew that when u said and i quote "It's something I would have liked to open here in DC if I had the resources." only a fool would do that. or a dumb azz with a lot of money to waste. u would be better off franching with chick-fil-a, u effn non business minded bytch.
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Name:
Angel
Comment: Musb - Before it closed, you would see the same group of tired folks on Friday for happy hour wearing suits/tie and ish. Most folks have casual fridays at work so it would be obvious which dudes went home and took off their jumpsuit and put on a suit like they were a dayum lawyer or something. They come and talk to you, grammar all jacked up, trying to convince you of some made up career. As soon as you dug deeper, their face would be all cracked because they couldn't even answer basic questions about their "career". We finally quit hanging there and started hanging out at Cosmopolitans around the corner. LOL
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: It depends on the type of business u stoopit bastard? Really? Who would've ever guessed that? Any business is subject to the prons/cons often found w/in that particular industry. You've offered no intelligent insight on that one. Then again, what's new? So Mr. Black gums and rotten, baby teeth, there is nothing provided which demonstrates that having a Grape franchise is a bad idea. Your opinion does not translate to fact..especially since u've demonstrated that you've never heard of it. Yo grandma should've told u to learn to brush ya nasty mouth...u get less canker sores that way. it's always the ugly, fat, or insecure ones who talk shyt. Look at Katt Williams..lil azz nygga got a perm and still talk shyt. I told u before gramps..u r no match. Take a couple dozen geritols and call me next week.
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Name:
huey
Comment: i will leave u with this genius, since u want to loose your hard earned money. the article clearly states that Grape Enterprise Group Inc has filed for chapter 11. sounds like a great place to dump cash wouldnt u say u economic rocket scientist. since u are so bright and u cant seem to understand basic business principles.
some bytches dont understand shy77 till u break the fraction down to its lcd. do u know what an lcd is? let us pray.
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: Nope u worse genuis. I read that in the article as well as when Angel repeated it. Neither stated what the flaw in the business model was. Just face it gramps, u didn't know that it was a franchise, u didn't know that there are people who actually njoy wine bars, and had no knowledge about what forced this company into Chapter11 which is rather important if you suggest that any person attempting to open one is dumb. I would imagine that it wasn't in chapter11 when Usher franchised back in 2006. Let us pray that you learn not to engage in an intellectual discourse w/me. Understand that Jerome w/ya cheesy azz teef. "Jerome, Jeromee Rome, I say Jerome's in the house..betta watch ya mouf!! LMAO!!!
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Name:
Southernbelle
Comment: Oh my, I wonder if Usher's having a "going out of business" sale. I could use a drink.
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Name:
DCGG
Comment: @ Huey, ya made me proud today (wiping a tear from my eye)...
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Name:
huey
Comment: musbdherbs --if u read the article and u knew it was filing chapter 11 then why did u say and i quote ""It's something I would have liked to open here in DC if I had the resources." ??
check mate. i tire of this discussion. u dont know business and its not fun talking to. over
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Name:
huey
Comment: thanks DCGG, i try hard to never even acknowledge that fuccn putz but he's like some kinda got dayum rodent. he likes to try to argue points but half the time he doesnt know a got dayum thing about half the shi77 he's talking about. so he wedges his way into discussions between other posters just to see if he can get a bite, and if he does, he begins the process of debate. i get the feeling he's jacking off at home to this fuccn eur board. he seems to find waaaayyy to much joy in it.
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: Nope...no straw man here gramps. I can say that I would've liked to open up a Starbucks or own a Chrysler or own shares of Citigroup if I had the resources. In english I think "would've" indicates the verb being used in 1st person singular w/the verb expansion in present perf. progre. + modal forms. U should've (2nd person PPP+modal) tired of having to find a new point to disagree w/after ur original is disproven. I've been consistent w/what I've said. BTW, I'm azzuming that DCGG was referring to your ability to use "her" sort of language rather than "who" the language was directed towards. And there u going again gramps...imagining me engaging in sex acts. WTF? U seem to njoy that visual waaaaaaay 2 much.
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Name:
TesticAl
Comment: LMFAO! Damn, I missed the shots fired.
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Name:
DCGG
Comment: (peeking out from behind trash dumpster)...looks both ways...bust off a couple rounds just for the fuvk of it...duck back behind dumpster...LMMFAO!!!
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Name:
TesticAl
Comment: DC, you know the dumpster is my spot. LOL!
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Name:
musbdherbs
Comment: LOL@DC...Waddup Al
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Name:
TesticAl
Comment: Whut up my nig. I see things have taken a turn for the worst in this bich. LOL!
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