Newspaper Page Text
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Tuesday. Nov. IS. IMU
The Red and Black
Pages
Money Matters
■i ' vj
Ji»lrrn Harvr> Th«* K«*d and Hlack
The Michael Brothers building, home of Park Plaza
Park Plaza opens in
By JOLEEN HARVEY
Special to The Hed and Hlack
Park Plaza, formerly Davison's
department store, should be open
when the dogwoods bloom this
spring, according to one of the
building's ow ners
Park Plaza is located in the
Michael Brothers Building, a
Renaissance Revival structure
designed by Neel Reid in 1921. and is
listed as an official historic building
Because of its historic status,
regulations concerning restoration
are very strict U>ef said conflicts
with regulations have pushed the
opening back (o the spring of 1984
“We have not been allowed to
adjust the high ceiling, so we will
need to construct the restaurant
with multiple tiers looking out over
the shops and out the large windows,
and this has taken a lot of time,"
Loef said.
State fire codes also conflicted
with historic regulations, taking up
more lime than originally planned,
said Rosann Davis, liie development
coordinator for Park Plaza
Stan Topol, a nationally
recognized designer, has been hired
by Loef and co-owner Bob Blumburg
to complete the Park Plaza
renovation
“Sian has brought this project
together, and he wouldn't have done
il if he didn't love (he building. " Loef
said
“I am charmed with this city,"
Topol said "What you have in
Athens already is what so many
people in Atlanta are trying to
create."
Said Loef: “The Michael Brothers
Building is an exciting building and
we plan on adding shops that have
different methods of marketing
compared to the oilier shops in
town."
People can come in and shop and
then sit down to a nice meal at a
restaurant, instead of a crowded
court, Loef said.
Most of the upper floors, which are
being used for office space, have
been leased out. he said Bui only
Alexanders, a catafhg showroom.
spring
and one restaurant have signed on in
the shopping area
"There has been a lot of interest
from merchandisers wanting to rent
out the shop areas, but developers
haven't completely decided what
they want to put in." Davis said.
The first level will contain a
reatauranl with continental cuisine,
possibly a flower shop, tobacco
shop, cheese shop and a mens and
ladies clothing store.
The upper level, which may be
entered from Jackson Street, will
house I he majority of the food
establishments
"It’s the beginning of the
renaissance in Athens,” Topol said
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[T] In t Km* li(*art of Georgia Square
e. .An ..Ax • Tum I C AT lA Ail A Ail Cilkinitf 1 A. O A A
Russo cooks up his successful cafe recipe
By Rt SAN <;\MRHKI.I.
Itnt am! HU< k Staff Wnirf
He never received a high
school diploma, much less
pursued a college degree
But he acquired all the
essential ingredients for a
recipe of success
Ambition coupled with
experience in a variety of
occupations was Bob
Russo's key to success
The 35-year old
businessman, who grew up
in Brooklyn. N Y began
working in restaurants as a
teenager and drove a cab at
night to supplement his
salary
i moonlighted as a hack
and saved money to eal and
pay rent. Russo said “I
spent my summers living in
a lent on Rockaway Beach
It was a very confusing time
for me because of the
Vietnam War. so the beach
was a thoughtful place for
me ”
Russo grew restless in
New York and at 20, he
traded in his cab and cafe
positions for a job as an alibi.
or gambling agent, with a
carnival.
For eight months he
Womens 36.99
Mens 39.99
Lamar Lewis Co.
AfMINV LAkCtf'tT »MOt BOM
131 E. Clayton St.
Downtown Athens
traveled throughout the East
and operated a gambling
lent until he realized life
with the earnival wasn't his
dream
When the carnival loured
in Florida he quit and got a
job as an oil rigger in the
Florida swamps
But Russo had other in
tends
“I learned about Southern
cooking and gardening I fell
in love with the culture and
I he laid-backness," he said
Husso became disen
chanted with the oil rigging
business and packed his
bags Traveling in a 195(1
blue pick-up truck, he
headed lor Athens to visit a
friend
On his first day in Athens.
Russo s truck broke down,
his funds ran nut and he had
no place to live
Rul despite the bad luck he
encountered. Russo decided
to plant his roots in the city
Thai was eight years ago
Living in a three-room
shack furnished from the
Clarke County junkyard, ho
worked at a restaurant to
pay the $45 monthly rent on
the house "I saved every
dime I earned for three
years." he said
During his fourth year in
Athens. Russo had saved
enough money to open what
was to be the most suc
cessful business in his life
Russo's Gyro, located on
Broad Street, had enough
unusual charm to make il in
Athens "It was an instant
success because of the
unique concept It's a cozy
hole in the wall,” he said
Russo later sold the Gyro
Shop and opened another
cate just dow n the street
The Grill, which opened
two and a half years ago,
was almost a catastrophe,
according lo Russo “I lost a
lot of money the first year
People thought The Grill was
just another hamburger
place," he said
What gol The Grill on its
feel' 1
Sportseasler Howard
Cosell was visiting Alhens to
interview Herschel Walker
when he decided lo have a
burger at The Grill "Cnscll
indicated on the air that The
Grill s burgers were the best
he'd ever had
SEBAGO
"The Grill is presently the
highest grossing restaurant
within a 50-mile radius per
square foot," Russo said.
Once again, a cafe turned to
gold and Russo sold
Seven months ago he
opened a restaurant on East
Clayton Slreel named Chow
Goldstein s Unlike his other
cafes, this one is having a
difficult time.
Russo has new ideas that
he feels with make his
business as successful as I he
other two
"1 predict success within
‘People thought The Grill was just
another hamburger place’
— Bob Russo
three months,” he said.
Chow (ioldstein's is a
sleeping giant ready to be
awakened ”
Steve Lovett, one of
Russo’s former employees,
doesn't doubt Russo's ability
to achieve success “He's
tough, ambitious and ex
pects and wants perfection,”
Lovett said
If Chow Cioldstein's suc
ceeds, Russo said he may go
to Atlanta and open a cafe.
However, he said he won’t
sell the local cafe
Russo's successes have
not gone unrewarded ‘I
bought myself a trophy.” he
said He pointed to the
parking lot and said, “It’s
that big, blue Cadillac."
t.rah Chamhlrr THe Kwi and Hlack
Russo speaks at City Hall