Yesterday I wrote about local businesses closing, and then today I got the news that the beloved pizza fixture in the Mesa – Deano’s Pizza is closing. Or may be closing – we’ll see.

We took this photo that’s posted on the window at Deano’s and here’s their facebook page. Let’s do what we can to help them out. I know the owner and he’s a great guy: a local firefighter who makes same damn good pizza!

According to the sign, a factor in their closure is as I had said yesterday – landlord greed. How can you double the rent within 6 years?!  If Deano’s does close, they will be missed.

I read recently on Santabarbara.com that in 2009 there was something like 30 restaurant closures in SB & Goleta. That’s crazy. At the same time, there were nearly 50 openings, and I’m wondering how many of the openings closed within the same year. I know I can think of at least 3.

An unfortunately familiar sign around town right now

The fact that so many small “mom & pop” places closed is really sad. I say “mom & pop” but actually a better term for such businesses that are small and local is “independents”.  It’s sad because I know many of these folks and I know how much money, time and emotion went into their attempt to open a restaurant. When you open a restaurant, whether you’re a seasoned restaurateur or first time entrepreneur – the statistics are against you. And statistics aside, its got to be one of the more tedious, all consuming businesses you could get in to. Not to mention the competition and low margins (from what I’ve learned, many restaurants barely make 10%).  If you know how tough it is to start a restaurant (or any business for that matter) – Hats off to those who’ve made a successful venture or at least have built an establishment that employs people and provides an income to the owner and his or her family.

When “independent” shops or restaurants close in our town it’s doubly sad because often the rent plays a major factor in their hardship. I think commercial landlords, not mine of course, have gotten so greedy that their actions are simply forcing people to close up. The ten percent someone was making is now gone because the rent doubled. If you’re fortunate enough to own State Street property, the income you can pull in from renting to a huge evil corporation like Starbucks is likely to be a lot more than you can get from renting to a little sandwich shop. Greedy landlords would prefer to raise rates, push the little guy out and wait for corporate America to sign a new lease.

This also sucks because if this continues, Santa Barbara (especially State Street) will look like Any Town USA. We live in such a great place, with such great people and great businesses that as a community we seriously can’t let this happen.

The take away here is this: shop local, support local because the “independent” stores and restaurants all over our town rely on you. Their kids go to school with your kids, their sales tax dollars paved the streets that you drive on every day, and their entrepreneurial efforts are what have made Santa Barbara so special.

Let’s hope that this year is a better year for “the little guy”.  I think it will be.

The other day, at the Hadsten House restaurant in Solvang, some friends and I were discussing any New Year Resolutions we may have.

I typically don’t make New Years resolutions simply because any resolution I can come up with probably should have and could have been implemented yesterday, or the day before, or last year.  I think a lot of people make New Year Resolutions and hope to better themselves somehow, but I don’t think those who make them stick with them.

A friend of mine, let’s call him Matt – also didn’t have any New Year resolutions but instead encouraged us to subscribe to the “Year of Yes”.  The concept, although not too hard to grasp is similar to the

Jim Carrey movie  Yes Man

He Should have said "No" to taking this job!

but to a lesser and more realistic degree.  It sounded good, especially after a few glasses of wine and we all committed to roll with it, at least for a while.   I don’t know if “yes” is always the way to go, but I think that “yes” leads to action and action leads to results – good or bad, results mean progress.

Now “Matt” is a smart guy who works locally with a very established and respected wealth management company. He doesn’t manage my wealth, because I don’t really have any yet but I decided to put him to to the test right there and then. So when the bill came I offered him his first opportunity to practice saying “yes” by asking if he’d pick up the entire tab. And guess what he said…“Yes”

I imagine he’ll give me an opportunity to say “yes” very soon. I can only hope that when it’s my turn the tab has a $25 Axxess discount on it like ours did that night!

Happy New Years & Good Luck with Your Resolutions!