When I lived near Downer Avenue at the start of the ‘90s I worked second shift. So, I spent a lot of time drinking coffee at Webster's and the Coffee Trader and doing laundry in what is now Café Hollander. And when I looked around, I felt pretty much alone in my ability to patronize most of the businesses on the street.
That's because most were open 10-5 Monday through Saturday, which meant, for the most part, most people who worked for a living had very little opportunity to shop in those stores.
Yesterday I passed a mom and pop shop in town and noticed the sign that said, "open 9-5 Friday and Saturday." The business has been there for years. How do they do it?
Near Southridge, there was a large furniture shop that was closed on Sundays, too. Maybe it's just me, but because I have a full-time job, I find that Saturdays and Sundays are the only time I have to spend in places like furniture shops. It would make more sense to be closed Mondays and open on Sundays, wouldn't it?
On Friday, I stopped to check out a relatively new shop in town and one banking heavily on what, these days, we call "old media." I entered to find the place entirely empty of customers. I said hello to the man behind the counter and he grunted a hi back.
During my 10 minutes looking around, he did not utter a single word. And when I left and said goodbye and thanks, I got another grunt.
Not once did he ask if I was looking for something specific, if there was something he could help me find or maybe even order for me.
In a shop that hardly looks like it's swimming during this economic tidal wave -- and that, arguably, would be touch and go even in a boom time -- it might make sense to get a feel for what your potential customers are searching for.
Nope, he was much too busy tinkering with his computer (I could hear that distinctive "ping" sound of someone dragging and dropping on a Mac) to worry about how he'd pay rent on the shop this month.
Maybe he won't have to worry about it at all next month.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
