As I was writing the post about Michael Costa getting evicted from The Office Grill, Teresa Gubbins at PegasusNews received a press release from Costa. The Spin Doctor begins with: “In case you didn’t get the memo…” Oh my…jump.
UPDATE: I received a voice mail from Richard Chamberlain. “Michael Costa worked for us briefly 16 years ago,” he said. “In his release he insinuates he is associated with us and that is not the case.”
PRESS RELEASE:
In case you didn’t get the memo, The Office Grill is coming to a neighborhood near you…and soon! Dallas-based veteran restaurateur Michael Costa’s Rainmaker Group (Chamberlain’s, Popolo’s, Mediterraneo, Toscana, Fish, Riviera, and Nobu, to name a few) is in final discussions with a national restaurant consortium whose two chains are a household name and in negotiations with a few other developers to share the Office concept on a much larger scale. On the eve of it’s one-year anniversary, the Office Grill has decided to shut the doors on their North Dallas location to focus on developing the concept for a regional roll-out. “Although we have been so blessed with a great group of patrons, and we’ve made a lot of life-long friends that we hope to see in a few months at our central location, we knew from the onset that this location had some major challenges, if only from the fact that a decade of near-misses preceded us. What this year has given us is the time and the venue to test and tweak The Office Concept into something with broad viability and a strong economic engine. Sometimes it takes pulling back and re-evaluating before you can ramp up for growth of this nature,” says Costa. With an overall vision of closing deals while eating meals, The Office Concept fits perfectly with busy lifestyles, and provides, as one writer put it, “a perfect escape from cubicle hell.” This virtual office offers amenities that allow guests to truly make the office “their own”, such as wifi, printer/copier capabilities, and even a notary to help in sealing the deal. There are also lockers available in the Boardroom for those wanting to leave computers, letterhead, or even their own stapler in-house. “As with any strong brand, the power of the concept is the engine that drives it. It’s no secret that we’ve had a rough year with our lack of landlord support in our present location, but the idea and passion behind the Office Concept has proven consistent with current trending and our culture. People today are busy, and who else is creating a place where one doesn’t mind staying late at the Office?” Costa says. “We are very excited about the opportunity to roll the concept of turning work into play out in more communities in 2012.” Initial plans include the finalization of the locations for an Office Grill near downtown Dallas and in Houston and San Antonio. For more information, contact Michael Costa at 214.402.7357.
I am speechless.
