Jarek and Susan Wysocki, Culinary Institute of America alumni, are among the thousands of business persons fighting the good fight in a bad economy.
When they bought a small café near Vassar College seven years ago, using equity from their city of Poughkeepsie home to do it, good food and reasonable prices ”“ as well as Jarek”™s signature pastries ”“became a hit among locals and Vassar students.
In 2005, the couple decided to expand Babycakes, tripling it in size and adding dinner to their menu, applying for a liquor license in the process to become a full-service restaurant. A healthy influx of students from Vassar benefited local businesses during the school year, and people were “still dining out and spending,” said Susan. “Summers were slow, but we had tourists coming in. When September rolled around, we counted on students who liked to have lunch off campus, just as other local restaurants did.”
Unfortunately, 2005 was the same September that the state Dept. of Transportation started reconstruction on College Avenue, putting in needed improvements. “Essentially, the streets became a mini-war zone,” said Susan. “Construction lasted for months, and this became an area to avoid. We still had our college students coming in, but as far as bringing in people from the surrounding areas, business had definitely fallen off.”
Roadwork is done and the roundabouts are in, but the economy started going south just as the Wysockis had finished expanding Babycakes. Susan, who had taken a leave of absence at the CIA, went back to her teaching job. “We had to do with less part-time help, which hurt the kids we used to hire. Jarek and I started putting in extra hours to make up that loss: The restaurant is open six days a week.
“Mondays are no longer a day off. Now, it”™s the day my husband does the major cleaning ”“ we can”™t afford a cleaning service ”“ and all the shopping for the week.
“Prices have gone up dramatically. The cost of flour is prohibitive and nothing is going down, so we”™ve had to shop smart and have made price watching part of our lives,” said Susan. Between the two of them, they are averaging 150 hours a week of work ”¦ and taking care of two children.
In today”™s economy, it”™s either fight or flight. Flight means shutting doors and creating yet another empty space on Main Street. The Wysockis decided to fight.
They joined the Dutchess Regional Chamber of Commerce, taking advantage of any free advertising available and started a student night that offers music and entertainment. “The kids who go to Vassar are wonderful and so talented,” said Susan. “This is not a rowdy crowd, and they are glad to have something to do off campus. The students who are into music have a nice venue to play in; it”™s great for them to have an outlet that”™s a safe environment and it”™s great for us because it brings in business. As the economy continues to spiral, we are just trying to be more creative and innovative, taking advantage of whatever”™s out there to help us.” On weekends, the music goes from today”™s hits to “retro ”™70s and ”™80s style and jazz for an older crowd,” said Susan.
This past September, however, the Wysockis and other local businesses, got an unpleasant surprise. Vassar changed the students”™ cafeteria policy, and the Wysockis and their restaurant neighbors saw a significant source of revenue disappear as students started eating more meals on campus and dining out less.
“We understand that everyone is having a hard time, and I”™m sure it is no different for the vendors who service the college,” said Susan. “But for us, it has really made us scramble to try to keep afloat. I know the students enjoyed getting off campus and eating locally, but they have told local business owners that since the school”™s policy has changed, they”™ve had to change their dining habits.”
Ken Oldehoff, director of marketing and sustainability in Vassar’s campus dining department, said the college”™s change in meal plans didn”™t take into account the fact that it would impact its local neighbors negatively. “We made the change strictly because we have a wonderful vendor who is providing excellent quality meals to our students, more ”˜restaurant”™ type offerings. No one from the business community has approached us, so we were not aware of their predicament. One thing I can tell you is that Vassar is very supportive of local business and we”™ll definitely discuss this situation with our team and try to come up with ways to support our community. We pride ourselves on being a community-minded college, and we are going to address this problem immediately and see what we can do to help.”
The downside to the scenario ”“ besides the financial strain and worries about what”™s coming next in the marketplace ”“ is that husband and wife are “like ships in the night, Jarek is here at the restaurant all day, and as soon as I home from work, the kids get home from school, I get them settled down and fed; as soon as Jarek gets home, I leave and stay at the restaurant till closing.”
Still, the Wysockis are continuing to come up with ways to get people in the door and are determined to “keep on keepin”™ on,” despite the doom and gloom they read daily and watch as businesses around them close doors.
“When we see the millions being spent to rescue banks and other institutions that did everything wrong, it”™s really a shame for the business owners and regular Joes who paid their bills and did everything right all these years,” said Susan. “Nobody is bailing us out. We are only going to end up paying to bail out huge companies that are making record profits.”
