LJ Davis is cool, but in-person might be better...

[bolopep.livejournal.com]

A few days ago I posted the note below in response to questions about Boloco on LJ Davis... i also offered to meet with any of you in person this Monday (today) at Boloco Davis Square at 4:30pm. Due to change in travel plans this Easter sunday (and the fact that United is a not-so-reliable airline!), i won't be able to be there... but i'd love it if any of you still interested would meet me this Friday at 4:30. Read below... all of the same applies (free burrito, book, open ears)

Until then,
John

---------------------------------
John Pepper (co-founder and CEO)
pepper@boloco.com





LJ Davis is cool, but in-person might be better...
bolopep
2007-04-03 02:49 am UTC (link)
Couldn’t help but notice the Boloco chatter… after all, I do spend most waking (and sleeping) moments thinking about the kinds of things you guys are debating.

Rather than go into lots of details on this post, I just wanted to make sure you all knew that we are listening, we do take your feedback really seriously and to heart, and we’ll continue doing our best to make Boloco something that really clicks for the Davis community. No one told us it would be easy, and we’ve always believed in earning loyalty… this will be no different.

I’ll be at the Davis Square Boloco next Monday (apr 9) from 4:30-6:30pm, and would love to meet with any of you who want to dig further into some of the comments/concerns/kudos/issues/comparisons to Anna's/Chipotle/Qdoba/bland food/spicy food/the weather/whatever it is. We are a very local company… nobody is telling us what to do except for you guys and, well, a handful or two (or more) of other customers as well :)

If any of you show up, I’d be happy to treat you to a burrito (yes, another free burrito!). I’ll be sitting over in the kids area with a book (in case no one shows up I'll want to look busy!) and open ears.

John

---------------------------------
John Pepper (co-founder and CEO)
pepper@boloco.com

Comments

Can't fool me

[cvs-is-king.livejournal.com]

Don't want you here and don't need you here.

Re: Can't fool me

[kpht.livejournal.com]

no wonder businesses don't stay in davis square. you guys are a bunch of fucking whiny old men. wahhh, things used to be different, get off my lawn.

[ron_newman]

I don't know who the previous commenter (cvs_is_king) is and I doubt that he represents the opinions of Davis Square residents generally.

I'm not sure I can be there Friday (and I definitely can't be there at 4:30), but a couple of suggestions:

- Please put back the bulletin board next to the restrooms, which both Carberry's and O'Naturals maintained. Notice boards are a good way to promote community. (We talked about this in person a few weeks ago.)

- Your decor feels rather spartan compared to the two previous tenants. Why not liven it up by showing the work of local artists? Diesel Cafe does this regularly, Starbucks does it occasionally, and Someday Cafe used to do it before they closed last year.

Re: Can't fool me

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

As a whiny old man, I take offense to that!

Based on what he's posted, cvs_is_king is right around 30 and one of the dispossessed former Someday Cafe-ers. So he's not a whiny old man: he's a whiny middle-aged hipster, and probably someone who's been banned under an earlier ID.

Take Heart, Boloco Guy. .

[shana-lyons.livejournal.com]

There are alot of people who are glad you're both here on the LJ community and in the Square. Your burritos are yummy and the perks on the Boloco card are delightful. Thank you.

Sweet

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

I like boloco every now and then. But I think the general consensus is that Anna's is the burrito that God eats. Granted, Bolocco has the great little flavored burritos, but Anna's is something special. Also it almost seems like Boloco is going to "free burrito" themselves out of business one of these days.

[journeystar.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, I like Bolocco, esp. the peanut butter and jelly wraps and smoothies. I agree with ron_newman, though: showcasing local artists would be a very cool step for Bolocco to take. Some friends and I would volunteer if you need a start with this.

Re: Sweet

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

"Also it almost seems like Boloco is going to "free burrito" themselves out of business one of these days."

It's just marketing and advertising (and it seems a pretty popular strategy these days). If one free burrito makes you come back and pay for one even once they've made money. The hardest part of starting a new restaurant is getting people to walk in the door.

Re: Sweet

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

What is so special about Anna's? I've tried it twice and never felt it was good at all.

Re: Can't fool me

[kpht.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine being so bitter about any restaurant closing. Life *does* go on, you know ;)

Re: Can't fool me

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

Someday inspires passion. They didn't lose their source for coffee: they lost their living room. They had the best times of their lives there, and now The Man has taken all that away.

And they're an activist bunch, too. I dunno if you were in Davis back then, but when the Starbucks first opened Someday patrons regularly defaced the new storefront with sentiments much the same as cvs_is_king is expressing. If LJ is providing an outlet, praise Allah for a less destructive alternative.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

Aww, man ... I'll be on a train to NYC.

Dear Mr. Pepper,

Though I don't like Dr. Pepper, one of my favorite people also has the last name "Pepper." Surnames aside, I LOVE BOLOCO. In fact, I've loved you guys since you were "The Wrap." While I feel there is overlap with burrito joints, I also feel like you definitely offer a diversity of options (mmm buffalo chicken wrap) and since we are still living in a captialist society it is ultimately up to you to decide where to locate your business and to assume the risk of competition with a similar product/business model, right? If you were truly unnecessary to the residents, you would go under due to severe lack of business and the capitalist drum would beat on, yes?

I admire your humility and your open-ness. Seems rather socialist to include the common folks to help guide your capitalist enterprise and since I like socialism and as mentioned above, your awesome eats, I applaud you.

Don't let the rabble get ya down.

Sincerely,
A Fan

Re: Sweet

[denonymous.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, we need to talk.

[denonymous.livejournal.com]

I swear the subject scanned as something about LL Cool J doing an in-store appearance.

While I'm here, I'll mention that I haven't yet tried Boloco, but I'm planning on doing so soon (a friend has been touting your praise since you came on as a sponsor for the Boston Underground Film Festival a year or two ago). This die-hard Anna's fan is open to alternatives.

Re: Sweet

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

Anna's is affordable, fast, basic, and reliable. It doesn't provide the variety Picante's did (or Boloco does), but the streamlined production with a few ingredients allows them to pump out a few items at a very good price at amazing speed.

It beat Picante's to death not because the food was tastier, but because it was faster and cheaper. Their main audience is the cheap, busy college and high school crowd.

If you try it once and don't like it, you'll never like it: they're very, very consistent.

Re: Sweet

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

That explains a lot - thanks for clarifying!

Re: Can't fool me

[billharnois.livejournal.com]

I'm un-inspired by anyone who defaces storefront property in the square. There's room for everyone in the square.

I like Boloco's enthusiasm. I wasn't crazy about their burritos at first, but after having a few free ones, I'm starting to get hooked.

Re: Can't fool me

[kpht.livejournal.com]

So it's like Manray except with coffee?

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

As suggested by the handle, "cvs_is_king" is a sock puppet -- the usual, account created a couple weeks ago, no posts, no friends, no bio/interests/groups besides "I Am Here To Defend Davis Square From The Evil Chain Stores" (probably would have used that as a handle, except it was too long). Might be someone who has another LJ name and doesn't want to associate it with insulting comments/controversial opinions, or it might just be someone who doesn't want or need use LJ for any purpose other than to offer an opinion on this topic. I mean, I'm sure it's a real person, and I guess their opinion is as valid as anyone else's. But either way, it's clearly not somebody interested in engaging in dialogue...

Re: Sweet

[pushupstairs.livejournal.com]

I am always happy to see that there is someone else who doesn't "get" the appeal of Anna's.

Anna's is ok, but there are much better places in Greater Bostonia, so I can't possibly understand why Anna's gets about 95% of the Mexican food hype.

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

Based on the writing style I suspect it is one of the banned people.

Re: Can't fool me

[ron_newman]

I'm a former Someday Cafe patron, and looking forward to their return in some form. But meanwhile, I'm quite happy to patronize Boloco.

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

Ha! Could be.

I noticed from the given birthdate and interests, you were spot on in your pinning this person as 30something and bitter about Someday -- were those just really good guesses, or did you look at the profile?

But hey, since when is 30 MIDDLE-AGED?? I mean, I'm 27, but you're not helping me be less nervous about approaching the dreaded age.

Re: Sweet

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, if I'm looking for Mexican/South American, I almost always make it myself or look for one of the smaller, family-owned places (like the ones in Union) - that's what I grew up on, and other stuff just doesn't appeal to me.

That said, I do get the occasional Taco Bell hankering, but I don't consider that Mexican at all.

Re: Sweet

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

The food is simple and has a broad based appeal. They have only one or two things Yankees would consider "weird" and those aren't big sellers (the pinapple thing and the chili verdi). You get the illusion of choice from a small number of options, none of them alien.

This is Anna's:

1 cheese type + 3 bean styles + 6 meat styles + 1 veg mix + 6 toppings in 3 presentations. The food is grilled or boiled.

There's some variety, but nothing crazy. That allows you to mass produce the food in large quantities at low prices. This is the same plan Taco Bell used back in the 1980s when they still prepared the food there.

Fancy isn't always the path to success. Fancy, in fact, narrows your market and makes your food more expensive.