Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 2, 1994 TAG: 9408030022
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: C-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BETSY BIESENBACH STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
With its birds-eye view, the private club easily offers among the best views of the region's scenery of any other restaurant in Roanoke. But to see it, or to sample the cuisine, one had to be a member, or at least know somebody who is. That was the case until recently.
On weekdays since June, a club employee has been stationed at a pushcart downstairs, selling food and drinks to passers-by.
"It's meant to be a service for the tenants of the building," said Russ Curtis, manager of the club. Many of those tenants used to work for Dominion Bankshares Corp., which maintained a snack bar in the building until the company was acquired last year by First Union Corp. of Charlotte, N.C.
"It also raises our visibility" at a time when the private-club business is changing, Curtis said.
Recent changes in federal tax laws affected the deductibility of business expenses, such as entertaining clients in restaurants and clubs. The law has had an impact on some private clubs, Curtis said, though he declined to say whether it had affected his business.
"We do our best to give our members the best value for their money," he said, and the pushcart, like the club's catering service, is a way to diversify the club's offerings.
"We're being proactive," he said. If the pushcart service attracts more prospective members, he said, "that's fine, but it's mainly for our tenants."
On most days the cart is set up between the two sets of outside doors leading to the building's lobby. When the weather is bad, the cart is moved inside the lobby. Curtis said he hopes to continue the service during the winter.
Breakfast is available from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and features pastries, fresh juice and gourmet coffee specially blended by the club's chef. The coffee can be flavored with four kinds of syrups. They also are mixed with seltzer to make soft drinks. Most of the pastries are baked at the club.
Lunch is sold from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and features croissant sandwiches, soft drinks, tea and fresh-squeezed lemonade.
Coffee and soft drinks sell from 65 cents for a small coffee to $1.50 for some of the more exotic soft drinks. Pastries cost about $1, and the sandwiches are $3. Jefferson Club members can charge food and drinks to their accounts.
Business is good some days, and not so good other days, said Sieu Ngo, who runs the stand. Lunch is busier than breakfast, she said, and Curtis said the service "has been profitable to a certain extent," but declined to say how much revenue it generates.
Donna Hemenway works for First Union National Bank of Virginia and said she stops by the cart for coffee three or four times a week. "I think it's a really good idea," she said. "It's a great concept."
"They have great coffee," said Ann-Marie Fisher, another First Union employee, who stops by twice daily. "I wouldn't buy here if they didn't."
Ed Hall, whose Hall Associates Inc. manages the building, said there have been no complaints about the pushcart. "Anytime we can offer our tenants any amenities, we're glad to do it," he said."
by CNB