Typical Day
At 8:00AM, Rex heaves a huge sigh of relief. The final tile in the lobby of America's newest Laze 'n Graze B&B, just ten minutes from an amazing water park and resort, was laid last night. It's prime real estate, and it's sure to bring in lots of guests—just as soon as the building passes inspection. That might seem like an "easier said than done" situation, but Rex hires all the best contractors and is sure they'll pass.
Still, it takes some serious moxie to schedule the grand opening on the same day as the final inspection. But as is illustrated by the funky-patterned yellow and black suit Rex selected for the occasion, he has moxie to spare. The inspector will arrive promptly at 9:00AM, and the first guests have already made their reservations for the 3:00PM grand opening.
Rex unwraps the breakfast sandwich that he grabbed on the way to the hotel and eats it at the shiny new counter, being careful not to get crumbs everywhere. This place is a huge step up from the original Laze 'n Graze, which was a refurbished Victorian home.
That first one had been a huge risk for Rex to take on. Fed up with the contractor's life, he saw the old Victorian mansion and was immediately convinced he could turn it into a successful B&B. He didn't want to build hotels; he wanted to own them. Lots of them. He quit his job and sank his savings into the house, ready to live his dream.
Turned out his dream was pretty expensive. After putting his whole savings into the renovations and taking out tons of money in loans, he and his crew finally held the grand opening. But for the first few months, he didn't even have enough guests to make a profit and could barely afford to keep the lights on. If it hadn't been for some serious marketing campaigns—and a couple pinches of good luck—the first Laze 'n Graze would probably have shut down within its first year or two.
It's almost funny to think about that first Laze 'n Graze, which is now a tourist attraction for Laze 'n' Graze devotees. It looks nothing like the Laze 'n Grazes that are all over the country. The new ones are big hotels with swimming pools and spa lounges. They still retain a quaint Victorian feel, but nobody has to deal with quaint Victorian plumbing.
Back in the present day, 9:00AM arrives and so does Trisha, the inspector. Tall and thin, with hawkish features and a deadly serious demeanor, she begins to scrutinize every inch of the hotel.
Trisha walks briskly through the halls, clicking her pen incessantly and scribbling notes on her clipboard while Rex follows at a respectful distance. He's been through this routine before: be friendly, be very on point with all the details she might ask about, but don't be too eager to please. His suit is already loud enough, he doesn't need to add much to the proceedings.
Nothing seems amiss, and after three hours of looking at outlets and measuring hallways, Trisha shakes Rex's hand and tells him he's good to go. Rex thanks her politely, waits until she's out of earshot, and then whoops with delight. Hello, new hotel.
Rex decides to treat himself to lunch. He gets into his car—the latest Porsche, which he imported straight from Germany—and goes over to the nearest five-star restaurant, where he orders the most expensive steak they have on the menu. Over lunch, he calls the new hotel's manager and tells him to get everybody to the new Laze 'n Graze, stat. The doors will open at 3:00PM sharp and the staff needs to be there at least an hour early.
After lunch, Rex heads back over to the hotel and freshens up before all the employees show up. Once everybody has arrived, looking smart in their polo shirts, Rex raises his voice. "Hey, everybody! You all ready for the big day?"
"Hey...yeah," the group replies, tepidly. Sometimes Rex has to remind himself that his millions-of-dollars investment isn't as lucrative or exciting for everyone else around him.
"This here," he announces, "is the latest and greatest Laze 'n Graze in America! In just one hour, those doors will be open and we'll be welcoming guests from all around the world. We want to give them the best experience possible, so let's really stay on the ball tonight. Big smiles, firm handshakes, lots of eye contact—and don't forget, once the front desk closes for the night, there's a staff party to celebrate a great first day. Cake and refreshments are on me, of course!"
That gets people smiling. Rex tells the staff to scatter around the hotel and get acquainted with it. Many of them have been to a Laze 'n Graze before, some have even worked at other locations. So they'll have a pretty good idea of where everything is, but it's fun to run around a brand-new hotel. Rex calls it the informal "yes you can actually run around, but don't mess anything up" rule.
Finally, the big moment arrives. At 3:00PM, Rex unlocks the revolving glass doors and the first customers burst in. All the marketing has really paid off: there are plenty of people anxious to get into their new rooms so that they can get changed and go to the water park. Rex checks them in personally and thanks them for their business. Lots of happy faces, lots of suit compliments from the guests. A promising start.
He doesn't get away from the desk until 11:00PM when it officially closes for the night. There's the staff party in the dining room, but Rex hangs back just a few minutes so he can email his investors about the great first day he's had. Once they've been mollified, he goes and gets some cake. He's earned it.