David's Anthem Journal

Restaurant Innovations Continue

The new management of Anthem View Restaurant, formerly Tirzo’s Bistro, continues to introduce new menu items and dining options as preparations continue for the official “grand re-opening” celebration over the Independence Day weekend.

Happy Hour specials are being offered daily from 4 to 6 pm in the bar and lounge areas, including $4 house wine and $2 draft beer.

On Mondays through Thursdays, also from 4 to 6 pm, there are two-for-one drink specials AND, if you dine between those hours Mondays through Thursdays, the 10% resident discount on food increases to 20%.

Twenty-percent-off dining continues on days when there are shows at Sun City Anthem and you present either your show ticket (before) or your ticket stub (after) for a performance.

A selection of refreshing fruit smoothies priced at $3.75 has been added to the menu. Tasting samples have been offered to restaurant patrons, as well as to residents using the outdoor pool, where I’m told they were received very well.

Some Restaurant Musings …

As I see the new Anthem View Restaurant management moving rapidly to bring changes to the operation of this community amenity, I think it is worth commenting on two items I’ve seen discussed on other blogs.

Item 1: It was claimed on another blog that something in the range of $200,000 was spent to prepare the restaurant specifically for the benefit of Tirzo Hernandez, whose TNF Holdings became the new tenant. The argument goes, apparently, that lowering the minimum monthly rent to $1,000 means that it will take many years to recoup this expense.

This is not correct. I’m not sure what the exact amount was, but the $200,000 figure, while it may or may not be in the ballpark, was not spent specifically for the benefit of this operator.

The amount spent was actually planned, in the Association reserve account, for scheduled restaurant rehabbing, just as SCA allocates reserve funds for such things as replacing furniture, carpeting, etc., throughout the common-interest property.

The money would have been spent regardless of the restaurant tenant, and in fact was spent prior to even negotiating with Tirzo, in order to make the restaurant available for the December 31, 2008, New Year’s Eve celebration which was handled by an outside caterer.

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Item 2: While there has been much gnashing of teeth over a “giveaway” in the form of lowering the rent from $7,000 per month to $1,000 per month, plus utilities, it seemed impossible from the start to bring in a tenant under a lease requiring a monthly payment of about $11,000 (including utilities) and have that restaurant succeed. I think this was a mistake on the part of the Board of Directors to think that situation would work, and a mistake on the part of Tirzo to think he could make it work.

But here’s why I think the Association is likely to make a substantial profit under the new arrangement:

The new managing partner is already implementing aggressive plans to increase restaurant patronage and, most importantly, to reach out to customers throughout the Las Vegas Valley and bring in vastly increased catering business.

The S&D operators, previous restaurant tenants, at one time bragged that they were taking in several million dollars per annum.

If Anthem View Restaurant/catering generates taxable monthly revenues of just $200,000 per month, a realistically attainable figure, do you know how much rent SCA will receive under the terms of the recently amended lease?

The answer: $10,000 per month, plus utilities.

At the $150,000 per month level, the rent would still be a respectable $4,500.

 

New Salads at Anthem View Restaurant

This weekend, Anthem View Restaurant (formerly Tirzo’s Bistro) introduced several new salads, which seem to be very popular with diners.

Two of the four salads are pictured below, first the Spinach Salad with Walnuts and next the Asian Chicken Salad.

Here are details on the new salads. Prices are before the member discount:

Attacks on the Restaurant Partner

Unfortunately, the same regular poster on Rana Goodman’s blog, whose adolescent mentality won’t let him get past the fact that new majority TNF Holdings partner Audra Tubin is an attractive woman, has now decided that he will refer to the 35-year-old Mrs. Tubin as a “teeny-bopper.”

This “teeny-bopper” would be the 35-year-old woman who is not only a smart and aggressive businesswoman, but who stepped up to the plate and poured more than $60,000 of her own money into the coffers to satisfy all the tenant’s arrearages.

Isn’t that what some had demanded, an investor with deep pockets to assure that the tenant would meet its financial obligations?

This child in adult clothing also went out to Facebook and, finding a photo of Audra sitting enticingly on a man’s lap, made a wisecrack about that.

Too bad the coward didn’t accept Audra’s invitation to come to her directly with his questions and concerns. Had he done so, he might have learned that the photo is of Audra and her husband, taken during a Roaring 20s-themed/costumed fundraiser for a local Montessori school.

I have great confidence that the fair-minded residents of our community will be pleased that the restaurant has been rescued and that in Audra and Tirzo we now have the makings of a great team.

As for the gentleman whose second childhood won’t let his mind get out of the gutter, he’s probably just hyperventilating after hearing the news that Playboy Magazine’s June centerfield will be in 3-D.

 

Coming This Weekend: Meet The New Restaurant Partner

Mindful of the misinformation being circulated on other blogs about her background and qualifications to be the controlling partner in Tirzo’s Bistro, Audra Tubin sat down with this reporter on May 13th for an exclusive interview.

This first interview will be followed up by a video conversation with Audra which, if all goes well, will be posted on this blog.

“I plan to be completely accessible to Sun City Anthem residents,” she told me, “in order to hear directly from them what they like and don’t like about the restaurant, and what ideas they would like to see implemented.”

She added, “I am an honest and direct person, perhaps sometimes more than I probably should be. So it would be only fair, I think, if those who would criticize without knowing me would first come by for a chat and tell me what’s on their minds. I would hope that’s not too much to ask.” 

 

Board Votes to Amend Restaurant Lease

By a vote of 6-1, with director Carl Weinstein opposed, the Board of Directors today (May 13) approved an amendment to the lease with TNF Holdings, doing business as Tirzo’s Bistro.

The amended lease, retroactive to May 1st, became effective immediately after the Board meeting, having been signed by authorized representatives of the tenant and the Association.

The new majority partner/investor in TNF Holdings is 35-year-old Audra Tubin (below), who will serve as that company’s president and sole director. She will be the primary restaurant manager while Tirzo Hernandez, who remains a partner, focuses on food preparation.

Before taking its vote in front of an audience of about 30 residents, the Board conducted a lively discussion.

President Jack Troia began by reviewing past presentations at Board meetings that discussed the restaurant’s status. He noted that the Board had moved from a “profit center” model to deciding that the restaurant must be treated as an amenity if it is to succeed. He said the amended lease, which provides for a minimum rent of $1,000 per month, payment of all utilities by the tenant, and additional rent on a graduated scale based on gross sales, will be effective until September 30, 2012, with renewal at that time conditioned in part on renegotiating the monthly rent and other charges. Troia also said that business and operational concerns raised by the Board and some residents have been addressed.

As the new controlling partner, Troia said, Audra Tubin has provided the requested financial guarantees and disclosed the sources of her funding.

Noting that the gambling polling agreement remains part of the amended lease, director John Waterhouse asked who will pay for the polling when it is conducted, including the cost of inserting the poll in the Spirit. Troia replied that the entire cost will be borne by TNF Holdings.

Waterhouse also asked either Vice President Roz Berman or Treasurer Dan Forgeron to comment on an executive summary the Board had been given relating to catering. Berman said they were satisfied with the information they had received regarding planned changes in marketing, personnel, bidding on catering jobs, and relations with clients.

Director Carl Weinstein said he supports the need for a lease modification, but said he questioned the manner in which the process was handled. And he asked if Mrs. Tubin has the knowledge to perform as expected in managing the restaurant.

Weinstein went on to say that he was concerned what guarantees exist about whether the restaurant will have the funds in the future to operate. Troia replied that Mrs. Tubin has shown she has the funds today, but that the future can’t be guaranteed. And Troia said that the financial projections reviewed by Berman and Forgeron “appear to be reasonable.”

Weinstein said he was concerned that four of the Board members had been “kept in the dark” about the dealings with Tubin. He said he “hasn’t seen a receipt” for the payments that have been recently made.

Troia replied that all the Board members had been sent the complete details of the proposed lease amendment on Tuesday of this week, and noted that Weinstein had not expressed concern about the proposal or requested to see any additional documentation, which Troia said Weinstein could have received upon request.

“If we wanted an experienced restaurant person,” Weinstein said, “how did we end up with someone who owns a janitorial business.” “We’re looking for a combination of management skills in our restaurant operators,” Troia answered.

Director Ann Small cautioned that a vote against the amended lease would be “extremely foolish,” saying that if the Board does not want this tenant to be the restaurant operator, it creates the risk of once again going for an extended period with a closed restaurant.

Discussing the vetting that took place after Mrs. Tubin stepped forward, Dan Forgeron said, “The blogs are not privy to all the details we considered.” He added that his judgments are based on his many years of experience overseeing a very large collegiate food-service operation. In addition, he said, “the RAC (Restaurant Advisory Committee) spent two and a half hours this week looking at proposed menu changes and hearing about other plans for the restaurant. We’re moving forward based on what we’ve seen,” he said, adding that Audra Tubin has already spent more than $60,000 of her funds to clear all arrearages and pay delinquent sales taxes. “Audra will control the business practices,” he said.

Immediately prior to the 6-1 vote, Jack Troia said, “This restaurant cannot support a rent of $7,000 per month.”

During Member Comment Period, blogger Ron Johnson said he and his wife have been “happily” and frequently eating at Tirzo’s Bistro, but he said he is concerned about the source of the funding. Johnson also asked if a guarantee letter received from Mrs. Tubin would be made public. Troia replied that  the Tubin letter will be made available to residents. Some information received from Tubin is based on confidential personal and business records, he added, and an agreement requires that such information remain confidential.

Breaking News: Board Votes to Start Eviction of Restaurant Operator

The Board of Directors voted this afternoon (Apr. 8) to begin the process of evicting the Association’s restaurant tenant, TNF Holdings, doing business as Tirzo’s Bistro.

The vote was unanimous.

Summarizing the reason for the action, Board President Jack Troia said the tenant had failed to meet all the terms it was required to comply with by March 31st in order to cure the existing default and be entitled to enter into a revised lease.

Troia indicated the amount of money owed is the $7,000 monthly rent for March and April (plus penalties), along with the utilities bill for February. In addition, Troia said, the full amount owed in unpaid sales taxes has not been paid.

The Board also voted unanimously to allow the restaurant to stay open until the eviction process is complete, thus avoiding an immediate shut-down.

Asked by a resident if a recent counter-proposal had been submitted by the tenant, Troia said there has been no counter-proposal, but that if the default is cured before the eviction process is complete, there could then be discussions about the lease revision that has been on the table.

Troia noted that the eviction action must go before a judge, meaning actual eviction would not take place for perhaps “five to seven days.” Editor’s Note: Eviction papers could probably not be filed until early next week, due to the fact that the Henderson courts are on a four-day week and are closed on Fridays.

“To assume Tirzo is out is not a proper presumption,” Troia said. “There is still time for them to figure out a way to stay in there,” he said, adding that Tirzo’s investor maintains an interest in working something out. 

 

News From Tirzo’s Bistro

Here is some news from Tirzo’s Bistro:

This is SCA Customer Appreciation Month, so presentation of your Member ID Card entitles you to 20% off food and drink for the entire month, except for Happy Hour drinks, which are already discounted.

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Weekday breakfast at Tirzo’s is not drawing enough business, so Monday through Friday breakfast will be discontinued effective April 12th. The restaurant will open for business at 11:00 a.m. on those days and stay open until closing. Breakfast will continue to be offered on Saturdays and Sundays.

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SALSA

Join your friends and neighbors for free SALSA Dance Lessons on Monday, April 12.

Lessons begin at 5:00 p.m., followed by dancing until 8:00 p.m. Have dinner at Tirzo’s and enjoy your 20% discount.

 

Easter Brunch at Tirzo’s

Here are some photos taken during the sold-out Easter Brunch at Tirzo’s Bistro. The outside lounge area was used for the buffet set-up so that maximum seating could be provided in the restaurant.

In one photo below, you will see Tirzo himself taking a turn at the omelet station.

Added Tirzo’s Discount for April

For the entire month of April, Tirzo’s Bistro is offering a 20% discount to all Sun City Anthem residents on food and liquor, with the exception of drinks during Happy Hour and food & beverage on Easter Sunday.

This provides an especially excellent opportunity for those who have not yet dined at Tirzo’s to give it a try, and perhaps some who have been disappointed with previous experiences will also be willing to revisit the restaurant.

I found this “reaching out” to our residents a nice gesture on Tirzo’s part in view of the change in the amended agreement that does not even bind him to offer a resident discount.