Making My Mark

by Mark Cavaliere

Umbrella Market Place - your online store for the finest custom-crafted patio, market, commercial and beach umbrellas

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I’m the owner of Tony’s Coffee and Sandwich Shop which many people find strange because my name’s Mark. But it was my pop, Tony Cavaliere, who started the place in the 80s, and I took it over last year.

My old man always turned a profit on it, but it was pretty small profit and we lived mostly off what my mom made as a nurse. I don’t have a wife (yet), so when he retired and left it to me, I had to find some way of making a living.

Pop mostly used to count on word of mouth to get business -- except he ran one tiny ad in the paper each week that said “Tony’s Coffee and Sandwich Shop. Stop in on your way to work and for lunch but not for dinner because we’re closed. We’re across the street from Borders Books.” Not your Nike commercial.

So one day I’m talking with this weird looking guy named Harry who always comes in for his daily latte. “Harry,” I said, “you work at an ad agency. Give me some advice and your latte’s on me.”

He thought about it for a while, looking around through his weird little glasses and said, “You know how many people walk and drive by here everyday? Trash those umbrellas you got on your outside tables. They look like crap (but he didn’t say “crap”). Get some new ones, bright red and put your logo on them. It’ll cost you up front, but from then on it’ll be your best free advertising.”

He was right. It did cost me up front. It was a huge bite but the place looks a lot better, and people keep telling me they like the umbrellas. It’s too early to tell how much business has picked up, but last week I noticed that in the Border’s Books ad they say “Across the street from Tony’s.”