GBHardeeCommercial.Com

GBHardee Commercial specializes in Charlotte, NC, Mecklenburg County, NC and the surrounding counties and towns (such as Gaston, Iredell, Cabarrus, York and Union counties) for the leasing or purchase of real estate for both users and investors.

We can offer you top notch brokerage services for a wide range of properties and projects.

Our philosophy is anchored in the core values of collaboration, market knowledge and experience to get the job done.

We provide high quality personal and customized service for your individual real estate goals and requirements.

And … We are backed by an agile and creative support team.

If you require retail space, an office lease, a commercial or warehouse building, in the Charlotte / Mecklenburg or surrounding counties market, you need only call GBHardee Commercial at 704) 491-7563.

It’s all in the Details Folks! It’s all in the Details!

by Greg Hardee, a Commercial Broker and Consultant for Charlotte / Mecklenburg, NC and surrounding counties …

Okay it’s finally time to let the beans spill about one of the most potent opportunities in the South East. If you are interested in getting serious enough to take advantage of the proven labors of a few, who are either too tired or too mired to capture the next and most rewarding step, then please read on.

To demonstrate I offer the following tale of two parallel ventures; the one high, haughty and ignorant of the other. And the second, while genuine and un-presuming, is very aware of the first’s every move.

Imagine with me something as all-American as apple pie. Hmmmm! Everyone loves a really fresh pie, and one region of the country has come to pride itself on caring more about the particulars of apple pie than any other. As a matter of fact, the particulars are so particular that you are never expected to know or care as much as they do. So trust them — these folks in the first venture — they know!

Some of the more enterprising ones have turned this passion for pies into successful ventures in the market; but not just their market, our market too. Combining our national need for the pie with an incredible ability to brand, they have captured most of us. And since we know that they care more about our experience with these pies than we do, we as a nation have indeed come to trust them — completely! (Ironically, even though we may be too caught up to realize it, most of us wonder if we actually like their pies.)

Now all of this activity has, yes, blessed the second venture by proving that our taste for apple pies are even more American than we might have ever imagined, and confirming that we have a romantic association in our culture for these pies no matter who serves them. And so it goes that for good or for bad, lots of ordinary folks are also serving every imaginable rendition of these pies to a primed public that definitely trusts those professional pies but still yearns for a personalized one.

Now one such Mom and Pop pie business in our region really started getting this pie thing right. They TOO understand those pie particulars and have produced pies for the last twenty years that have consistently met every pie standard. They have taken their contribution seriously enough to brand with Mom and Pop logos, Mom and Pop packaging and a tight Mom and Pop distribution system. In the region, they sell the pies wholesale and to retail shops, which are freestanding and independently owned stores that pay a small licensing fee to tie them to the proper way to sell the Mom and Pop pies.

All of this sounds GREAT except! ——- these independent affiliates are all over the map! You can’t just serve great pies, you’ve got to create a full-on hospitality experience. Image is about a lot more than packaging and logos. And Mom and Pop? Their image is uncontrollably being drug through the dust, with experiences that range from tepid to almost abusive .

What does this show us?

1. That if a product is really good, patrons will put up with an incredible range of experience to get to it.

2. That there is a need and a place in the market for a second tier player to the big national player. On a national level, a professional pie store can expect annual sales of $770,000 while a decent mom and pop pie store can expect $330,000.

I’ve talked with Mom and Pop. I’ve told them of my concerns and observations, that if they don’t get all of it right then someone, in a really American way, will take that second-tier spot away. They see it, oh yes, but you know, there are tired, stretched and maxed out. But! they’ve got the pies, and they are willing to sell them!

So here’s your opportunity.

I have a great, sought after and sustainable product!, a craze that’s not leaving!, and the expertise to help someone begin the journey into this second tier position.

So now we are calling all professional investors! hard working second career visionaries! and and dreamy hospitality entrepreneurs!

Mom and Pop have had the time to demonstrate their intentions. They need help. They’ll sell us the product and we’ll produce the experience that provides the professional alternative to the national pies that our public appreciates and deserves.

How? We’ll set up an independent Mom and Pop store. Set the bar and begin buying out the other depressed shops, increasing customer loyalty and finishing the job that has been started by Mom and Pop.

It’s all in the details folks. It’s ALL in the DETAILS.

G B H a r d e e C o m m e r c i a l

You can contact me at greg@gbhardeecommercial.com. Be prepared to sign a non-disclosure form and let’s begin the journey. Use pies in the subject line.

by Greg Hardee, a Commercial Broker and Hospitality Consultant for Charlotte / Mecklenburg, NC and surrounding counties …

It seems lately that I have been running across a contemporary version of the romantic notion that the restaurant business is a fun and glamorous business to be in. This contemporary version says, how much fun would it be to have a coffee shop? I mean we all are about coffee these days, so much so that we may find a barista at the local fast food in the near future.

It is true that in the U.S. alone the coffee house business is an 11 billion dollar a year industry. And while the big players rake up $7.7 billion of that, it does leave another $3.3 billion for the rest of the roughly 10,000 independent coffee house operators. Another words, an average of $330,000 in annual sales.

Since this sounds fulfilling and simple enough, why is it that so many of these businesses seem tepid at best? Rarely do I find an independent coffee shop that lives up to the standards of an equally engaging atmosphere, product and knowledgeable “coffee culture” service, not to mention feeling welcome, relaxed and taken care of. And rarely do the sales reflect the industry’s potential because rarely do the businesses competently communicate hospitality.

In speaking with a recent client who wants to get it right, we have talked about this phenomenon of so many amateurs entering into the coffee house business. The truth is that I have yet to meet anyone in this business from the traditional side of the hospitality industry, i.e., restaurants and hotels. That’s probably because for most of them, where a typical restaurant or hotel runs on several hundred details, the coffee house business tops out at no more than 99, meaning that there is hardly a challenge there.

So who is buying into, and who working in the independent coffee house industry?

My experiences show that many new owner/operators are second career folks who dream of a low level entry into small business. Add to that a number of burned-out Star Bucks trained free-wheeling baristas out there who feel called to stick with the industry. Don’t get me wrong, Star Bucks has professionally standardized the concept and proven that coffee houses are here to stay, but we are still waiting for all of those independents to professionally personalize the concept.

That’s what we are here for. We are eager to assist the second career, barista dreaming entrepreneur, the one who rightly sees both the opportunities and the need to get the 99 details right.

It’s all in the details folks. It’s ALL in the DETAILS.

G B H a r d e e C o m m e r c i a l

Commercial Brokering and Consultanting for Charlotte / Mecklenburg, NC and surrounding counties …

by Greg Hardee, a Commercial Broker and Consultant for Charlotte / Mecklenburg, NC and surrounding counties …

A note about hospitality. Maybe you will see a little of yourself here.

What is it that the large franchises do for the public? Not that we mind, but everyday they set a baseline of mediocrity that has become massive. So where do we venture when we need to exercise our individuality? We turn to the other American way, small businesses.

Why? Because we love the entrepreneur and the potential that we sense when we see someone’s dream at work.

But so often our hope is misplaced. How many small businesses do you encounter that make you want say, “Wow, that’s what I’m talking about!”?

Because we rightly imagine that the lone entrepreneur is thinking about their business
ALL OF THE TIME, we hope that they really get it right. But unlike those professional franchise planners, our entrepreneur is most likely an amateur.

And what is it that we demand of our small businesses? We demand that they at least meet that mass baseline standard, you know; soft often so-so service, unremarkable product and an anesthetizing atmosphere.

So how hard can it be to top that baseline?

Most of the time a free standing business will reflect the strength and passion of its owner, which can be great in one area and most often lousy in others. Its the lousy part that dooms the business. It’s the lousy parts that cool our pursuit and send us back to the plans of those guys in the franchise offices.

Be sure that your dream, your work and hard earned money don’t evaporate, leaving ripe pickings for the next would be entrepreneur to bring along not only his dream BUT the experts to really get it right.

We at GBHardee Consulting offer training and in-house reviews for small businesses to help them set the details and procedures that place them securely above the rest.

                          It’s all in the details folks. It’s ALL in the DETAILS!

G B H a r d e e C o m m m e r c i a l 

Commercial Brokering and Consultanting for Charlotte / Mecklenburg, NC and surrounding counties … 

by Greg Hardee, a Commercial Broker and Consultant for Charlotte / Mecklenburg, NC and surrounding counties …

The Consulting page on this site mentions a disheartening phenomenon, our apparent addiction to million dollar mediocrity!

Of course just when I’m looking for the fodder to flesh these concepts out, along comes a prime example. But before I expose this, can I make this one broad statement? If you are going to go into the restaurant business you’d better get EXPERT ADVICE!!! Not only in the Charlotte Market , but any market no matter how large or how small.

Yes, the restaurant business is a rewarding and romantic business, but even if you have the right formula and business is good, it really pays to have a solid idea of the details that make for your GOOD IMAGE before you go and tamper with the wrong assets.

Case in point, here’s a  little Charlotte hospitality story that you already know the ending to.

Some months ago, and because of a third party recommendation I was called into a domestic/business mess, uh struggle. A great little Charlotte restaurant was having behind the scenes problems that fortunately had not yet spilled into the quaint little dining room, but was causing a marital and therefore a business split. She with the capital and he the extortionist, Mr. Restaurant was boldly “walking out” and I was to help the femme fatale with the transition to keep the quaint image intact.

While I was feeling her pain she found out that the “jerk” had not only secretly pledged all of the monies from their Charlotte business towards another bigger, better and shinier location, but he had already begun the up-fitting and construction on the new site.

After a night of trying to detach from my sympathetic wounds, I discovered the next morning that she had not only completely reconciled with her nemesis but was eager to show me the new place.

I held my breath as I followed them over to to see these new opulent digs in a trendy new area of Charlotte. Even though the look, with its 20 foot windows, flowing drapes, stuccoed walls and sculpted wine racks, would easily have made a nice Architectural Digest cover, the nice elements simply were not loud enough to speak to their customer’s most basic hospitality needs. It looked more like a ball room than a dining room, actually more like a football field. Somehow he, Mr. Restaurant, (the former Mr. Jerk) believed that his customers were more loyal to him than to their on experiences (a very egotistical and COMMON mistake that small businesses make.) 

Well because I had sided with her the evening before, gladly Mr. Restaurant wanted nothing to do… with me. And even though they had spent a lot of money without the right kind of advice. In my gut I knew … it’s only a matter of time!

(Months later …)

 So I drove through their trendy Charlotte neighborhood this evening. If you think that you would’ve liked to join them this evening… their space is available. Another million dollars down the drain. If you don’t understand your image then you don’t understand your business.

It’s all in the details folks. It’s ALL in the DETAILS.

G B H a r d e e C o m m e r c i a l 

                     Commercial Brokering and Hospitalitty Consuling for Charlotte / Mecklenburg, NC and surrounding counties …

by Greg Hardee, a Commercial Broker and Consultant for Charlotte / Mecklenburg, NC and surrounding counties …

Today I was out with my 15 year old daughter visiting an alterations shop in an unfamiliar part of Charlotte when we passed a bakery (that I had previously had planned to find) closed for business; gone, lost, and probably damaged beyond recovery.

However, I had once stopped into their second store in Matthews, brought in by the combined trio punch of just happening to pass by, having heard a lot of upbeat advertising and a weakness for my long quest to find good pastries. My expectations were further heightened by the North Eastern / New Jersey approach that they touted, especially since my wife hails from that region. I mean I was really ready.

Now the following list of infractions may seem slight to you. But understand this premise;

Every business has an image.

The image of a business creates expectations.

The expectations create hope for a good experience.

And the experience is backed up with the details.

Therefore;

The Image is in the Details.

1. Okay, out of a pastry case of probably 40 products they only sold two. How do I know? Because the sticky bun that I bought was one of the two that they talked about. Yes it WAS good but when I decided in my enthusiasm to take an assortment of recognizable New Jersey pastries to my wife, all but the two that they talk about where really a stretch, meaning not fresh and disappointing.

2. Secondly, there were no prices on anything. When I asked why no prices, they said just ask. So I guess if you have to ask you can’t afford to be there. Of course my pride told me I could handle it, so when I checked out I was quite surprised at the steep ticket, but hey they must be really good. Can you guess? We are back to that disappointing stretch again.

3. Lastly they had tepid coffee. Even with a hot coffee sign in the front window and knowing that even many of the most rudimentary service stations attempt to offer some version of an dazzling coffee, I was really underwhelmed by the unitary selection of a very old-school generic brew in a STYROFOAM cup. Isn’t a bakery sort of like a coffee shop?

Now I tried to conclude that perhaps this being the second “expansion” store, maybe it just wasn’t receiving the attention of the original owner operated flagship store, besides there were a couple of real Yankees in there chowing down on sticky buns.

Well store number two closed within two months of my visit and I kinda had it in the back of my mind that I would visit the original visionary outpost someday soon, the one meeting the needs of many of our North Eastern transplants. Well I was too late. Apparently the needy figured after all that they really weren’t .

And so another really good idea, promising concept, reading the market, everyone says we should, small business crashed.

It’s all in the details folks. It’s ALL in the DETAILS.

G B H a r d e e C o m m e r c i a l

Commercial Broker and Hospitality Consulting for Charlotte / Mecklenburg, NC and surrounding counties … 

Are you tired of Million Dollar Mediocrity? Has the search for excellence vanished? Have we come to believe that all that shines IS gold?

I have a deep desire to fight the tide, to connect dreamers to the skills that lead to success, and above all, to ENCOURAGE QUALITY.

So let’s look forward to a series of discussions about reclaiming and recommiting ourselves to excellence.

Your Friend,

Greg