There are signs of light (electricity permitting)

15 October 2001 by
There are signs of light (electricity permitting)

There is some light at the end of the tunnel. Lynne is making an excellent recovery from her operation and should be back running Scunthorpe this month; Sharon has joined us in Louth and is making good progress; in Lincoln the team is gearing up to cover planned holiday absences; and we've had to send Linda, an assistant manager in Lincoln, to Scunthorpe for a few days to allow Dee to attend a family wedding. All very complicated but we're getting there.

We have been buying our electricity from Swalec for three years but since its merger with Southern Electricity in February service has deteriorated, and it is seeking a 16% increase in price. We feel it's time to move on.

As Chamber of Commerce members, we have access to an energy consultancy and so are using its services to source the cheapest supplier. It has come up with a name I've never heard of, but as long as the lights come on I don't suppose it matters too much.

There's good news and bad news on the trading front. In Lincoln, we have seen the closure of a Bakers Oven and an independent café fairly close to us, and that appears to have boosted our sales.

However, in Scunthorpe, the town centre is being ripped apart for a new shopping centre. That is short-term bad news. The car parks closest to the restaurant have been closed, the bus station has been moved and access to the area has been restricted.

We have every confidence in the long term, but it's a bit worrying just now.

Traditionally, we have redecorated every two years, so we are beginning plans for a modest refurbishment next February, the dog month.

We also want to install air conditioning in Louth and Scunthorpe after seeing the vast improvement it made to our team and customers in Lincoln. The Scunthorpe installation should be relatively straightforward, but Louth operates from a listed building - enter the conservation officer and all his requirements.

Finally, Susan and I have just been to Dublin for a long weekend to help a friend celebrate his 50th birthday. It's certainly a very beautiful and vibrant city - made even more so by the obligatory drop or two of the black stuff.

JOHN DOWNS is managing director of Lincoln-based Jay-Dees Family Restaurants

Next diary from John Downs: 15 November

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