Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By Larry Mogelonsky, President and Founder, LMA Communications Inc.

Hotel room coffee1My morning coffee is a perpetual delight in my life, warming my insides, prickling my nose with its soothing aroma and sparking my brain for the day ahead. It's a simple pleasure, a momentary respite and a ritual I do not take lightly. I bet many of you are in the same boat! All subtle addictions aside, coffee is an essential part of many people's lives and as such, it merits your attention both at home and at work.

In this case, let's assume your place of work is a hotel or related to a hospitality setting in some manner or another. But that doesn't mean that the home coffee experience is not applicable; quite the opposite in fact. We want our guests to 'feel at home', and any actions we can take to better emulate a person's image of the ideal daily caffeine ritual with be greatly appreciated. With this in mind, I ask you to give your own honest opinion (as a traveler and not as a hotelier proud of his or her place of work): do you actually like in-room coffee? Do you get the same sense of solace and rejuvenation from a hotel cup as you do at home? Does anyone for that matter? Coffeemakers in guestrooms are all but mandatory design elements, but many properties only pay them lip service. Hence, whatever you can do to augment this micro-experience will do wonders towards guest satisfactions because it will come as unexpected.

It's critical that you reassess your caffeinated endeavors at this juncture because our collective appreciation of these beverages continues to climb through the roof. Call it the 'Starbuckification' of coffee as ever since this chain broke out in the 90s, we've all come to respect and crave a superior quality brew. This is coming, of course, from a North American perspective as many parts of Europe, Africa and Asia have upheld a high caliber of coffee-making for many decades or centuries prior to this company's worldwide expansion. Regardless of any oldfangled customs, nowadays Starbucks and its ilk represent somewhat of a gold standard for coffee excellence; if you can't match what they are doing then you're failing to impress guests in this regard.

Another important note on diction used is that I am talking about improving the overall 'coffee experience' and not just the actual coffeemaker. In this sense, we are talking a bit broader, encompassing in-room possibilities as well as anything pertaining to the 'club lounge' or 'social station' model. While augmenting in both areas will see results, you need only devote your energies to just one of the twosome, to the point where it becomes a feature worthy of praise.

As it stands right now, most in-room coffeemakers aren't total eyesores, but they aren't doing the room any favors either. Their designs often don't match the room's theme or color tones, nor are the most common accessories such as plastic wrappings, cardboard sleeves and Styrofoam cups very appetizing either, especially for our inner germaphobes. Chic, new and easy-to-use models like those offered by Nespresso or Keurig present a viable option for upgrading your in-room coffee selections. Apart from a few drawbacks such as restocking issues, these single-cup brewing machines provide guests with a variety of delicious flavors beyond stock packets of ground beans, thus adding to the perceived value. Moreover, you can investigate other niche coffee apparatuses like a French press or a cold brew system anything to differentiate your services and leave an impression with guests.

The other main area to explore pertains to tea. If you aren't a tea drinker, give it a shot; those three letters will change your life! Green, white, black, oolong, herbal and all in-between, there are so many different types of tea for you to choose from above the normal offerings you see on menus everywhere else. With teas you must also take into account the wide range of accompanying fragrances, which contribute to the extraordinary nature of each individual experience. Yes, give guests one or two familiar options so they don't feel completely blindsided, but then go for a few esoteric varieties to heighten the sense of surprise and interactivity (that is, unfamiliar or exotic tea bag labels can spur guests' curiosity by prompting them to read). All the better if your hotel already has its own private label or has partnered with a company that does just that.

Jumping over to the other side of the fence is the break room or social station concept. Often 24-hours in operation, these are perpetually restocked common areas where guests can procure their choice of caffeinated beverages in addition to other food items like fresh croissants, specialty pastries or sweet, savory cookies. Although a topic for a whole other discussion, let's just say that such companion treats have a tremendous compounding effect on one's coffee experience and they represent a great boon for differentiating a hotel's petit dejeuner.

The obvious shortcoming of favoring these lounge concepts over in-room coffee is that guests have to journey beyond their own rooms in order to take advantage of these complimentary treats. Despite this inconvenience, there are far too many advantages to this system for me to side with any in-room partisans, so much so that one could easily see how in-room hotel coffeemakers will become extinct within a matter of years.

First, by catering to everyone at once, it allows you to source a more complex coffee or espresso machine, delivering a far better brew but at the cost of regular maintenance and intimidating a few tenderfoot guests. Next, this lounge style encourages a social environment, which is oh-so-important to today's grab-and-go, millennial-centric culture. And heaven forbid you don't offer free WiFi at these locations. Third, with well-placed signage, such stations can become highly educational (who doesn't want to learn about what they put in their bodies?), transforming a quick coffee break into an interactive mixology event.

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Room to brew the future of in-room coffee | By Larry Mogelonsky

LINCOLN, Neb. The seventh annual Lincoln Wine and Food Experience returns in 2015 to offer wine lovers the opportunity to try different vintages and varieties. The event, presented by Russs Market, is the largest annual fundraiser for the Lincoln Community Playhouse and will be held at the Embassy Suites on Friday, Feb. 27 from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Lincoln Wine and Food Experience has become a must-attend event for people who love fine wine and food. The layout of booths has changed for 2015 to create more space for attendees, and the Reserve Room will be moved to the Atrium outside the main ballroom. Nebraska wines and foods will be showcased in the Nebraska Room, with sparkling wines featured in the Bubbly Room.

Approximately 90 booths will fill the main ballroom, offering an international selection of wines. Foodies can sample fine cheeses, Nebraska beef, gourmet desserts and other unique items. Russs Market Stone Hearth breads will be baked fresh at the event. In addition to the main ballroom, reserve room guests will enjoy an exclusive selection of reserve wines and a buffet prepared by Russs Market Catering to You.

Since its inception, the Lincoln Wine and Food Experience has raised more than $200,000 for the Lincoln Community Playhouse. This years goal is $40,000. General admission tickets for the main ballroom are $40 in advance, $50 at the door. Tickets for the Reserve Room are $60 in advance, $70 at the door. Those holding Reserve Room tickets may enjoy both the main ballroom and reserve room beginning at 4 p.m. Tickets are on sale at Russs Market locations in Lincoln.

The Wine and Food Experience has become an event that Lincoln looks forward to every year, said Pat Raybould, president of B&R Stores, Inc. Were glad that Russs Market can help the playhouse provide entertainment and education programs for our community.

WHAT: Lincoln Wine and Food Experience

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 27, 2015

48 p.m. with Reserve Room tickets

58 p.m. with general admission tickets

WHERE: Embassy Suites, 1040 P St.

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Russ's Market Hosts Annual Lincoln Food And Wine Experience

Last call is looming for longtime waterfront restaurant Sinbad's.

The restaurant's landlord, the Port of San Francisco, wants Sinbad's gone from its prime location on Pier 2 near the Ferry Building by March 21.

With its unmatched views of the Bay Bridge, Sinbad's has been a waterfront institution in The City since the 1970s. Despite decidedly mixed reviews from diners along with repeated warnings from the Public Health Department about food-safety issues the restaurant is a popular cocktail destination for service-industry workers, locals and tourists.

Sinbad's has also been a thorn in the Port's side, documents show.

It has often been late with rent payments and has bounced checks at one time the eatery owed the Port $220,000. Sinbad's also has caused at least five sewage leaks into San Francisco Bay over the past six years, the most recent of which was in January, according to a Port memo.

The restaurant is currently in the clear with its rent after paying $142,000 to the Port. But other major agencies along the waterfront say it is past time for Sinbad's to go.

The Port is on notice from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, which oversees waterfront activity, to demolish Pier 2 entirely by March, a deadline agreed to during the negotiations leading up to the America's Cup regatta in 2013.

An expansion of The City's downtown ferry terminal is also on hold until the restaurant leaves. That terminal is a vital transit hub for the Water Emergency Transportation Agency, which is tasked with figuring out how to evacuate San Francisco via water in the event of a disaster that knocks out the Bay Bridge and/or BART Transbay Tube.

Sinbad's owners, the Stinson brothers, agreed to go.

The restaurant said in 2012 it would close by Dec. 31, 2014. At that time, co-owner Tom Stinson thanked the Port for allowing the restaurant to stay until then. But last summer, Sinbad's asked for and received an extension from the Port to stay until March 21 of this year, with the stipulation that there would be no more extensions.

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Port of SF tells longtime SF waterfront restaurant Sinbads its time to go

Published 11:37am Thursday, February 26, 2015

Hardees is coming back to Austin.

Company representatives for the Northland Restaurant Group confirmed Thursday they hoped to build a new Hardees restaurant near Interstate 90 at 1406 of Fourth St. NW.

We have the best burgers in town and cant wait to come back to Austin, Dan Cole, marketing manager for Northland Restaurant Group, said.

If all goes well, company officials believe they could break ground on the restaurant in April, finish construction after about 90 days, and open the store with about 70 employees soon after.

Cole said Northland is looking to expand the Hardees brand throughout the Midwest and called the Austin location prime territory for a Hardees restaurant.

There used to be two Hardees locations in Austin, but both closed in recent years. A Hardees restaurant at West Oakland Avenue and Fourth Street closed in 2004 and another at 1300 14th Street Northwest closed in 2008.

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Hardees restaurant coming to Austin

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Branchburg, NJ (PRWEB) February 26, 2015

Somerville Aluminum, one of the largest home remodeling contractors in central New Jersey, has earned the service industrys coveted Angies List Super Service Award, reflecting an exemplary year of service provided to members of the local services marketplace and consumer review site in 2014.

Only about 5 percent of the remodeling companies in the New York/Tri-State area have performed so consistently well enough to earn our Super Service Award, said Angies List Founder Angie Hicks. Its a really high standard.

Angies List Super Service Award 2014 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include an A rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade; the company must be in good standing with Angies List, pass a background check and abide by Angies List operational guidelines.

Service company ratings are updated daily on Angies List. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in areas ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality.

We are honored to receive such a coveted distinction from Angies List, said Gary Shiman, co-owner of Somerville Aluminum. The heart of our operation is our customers and providing them with the highest level of customer service is always our top priority.

About Angies List Angie's List helps facilitate happy transactions between nearly 3 million consumers nationwide and its collection of highly rated service providers in 720 categories of service, ranging from home improvement to health care. Built on a foundation of authentic reviews of local service, Angie's List connects consumers directly to its online marketplace of services from member-reviewed providers, and offers unique tools and support designed to improve the local service experience for both consumers and service professionals.

About Somerville Aluminum Go with the Pro: Somerville Aluminum is the areas largest full service home remodeling company with a 5,000 square foot showroom and design center in Branchburg staffed with on-site kitchen and bath designers and a team of home remodeling experts ready to plan and guide central NJ homeowners through any home renovation project, big or small. Built on three generations of reliability, integrity and experience, Somerville Aluminum has a solid reputation as a trusted source for any and all home remodeling needs.

Media Contact: Jodi Mayo Alessandri MG Media, LLC 856 US Hwy 206, Suite B11 Hillsborough, NJ 08844 (908) 874-9200 x111

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Somerville Aluminum Earns Esteemed 2014 Angies List Super Service Award

WATERLOO | Hawkeye Community College is laying the groundwork for some construction this spring.

The Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved publishing notices the college would be accepting bids for three different projects. They include remodeling of restrooms on both levels of Hawkeye Center, waterproofing and storm sewer replacement at Black Hawk Hall and relocating the colleges child care center to Black Hawk Hall. Work will get underway on the projects in April or May and be finished in August.

The men's and women's restrooms on the first floor of Hawkeye Center would be completely demolished as part of the project and replaced with three individual unisex facilities, each with a baby-changing station. The second floor restrooms will be completely remodeled with plumbing and electrical upgrades plus ceiling and lighting improvements.

The remodeling "will not only make them more modern, but it will make them ADA compliant," said Dan Gillen, Hawkeye's vice president of the administration and finance. "We are continuously trying to improve the facilities." The Americans with Disabilities Act includes standards that ensure access to a restroom for people facing mobility issues, such as using a wheelchair.

Dan Channer of Struxture Architects, who is overseeing design of the plans, said the number of restroom fixtures will be reduced by the remodeling. They will go from six to three on the first floor and 11 to eight on the second floor. Fewer are needed because less people use the restrooms since the cafeteria moved out when the Brock Student Center opened in 2008.

Waterproofing is deteriorating on some of the original parts of Black Hawk Hall that were built in 1974. The west wall and portions of the north wall will be excavated to fix those age-related problems, which have resulted in water leaking into the lower levels of the building. In addition, a retaining wall will be constructed to alleviate heavy water flow at the south entrance.

Channer said during big rainstorms water "is coming around the existing retaining wall and it manages to make its way into the building."

Hawkeye's childhood development center, located in a building across Orange Road from campus, would be expanded as it moves into Black Hawk Hall. Gillen said it will begin serving children from the early infant stage to 18 months old and increase the space available for toddlers and other preschoolers. Nearly 50 children will be served in the facility, up from a little more than 30 now.

The project entails renovating four upper-level classrooms in the northwest corner of the building. Along with four age-appropriate classrooms, the center will have a kitchen, office space and restrooms. The 4,500-square-foot space now contains interior design classrooms and a computer lab. The area is available because the program is ending.

Early childhood education students will be involved with the program. "It's actually a wonderful realignment of our space," said Hawkeye President Linda Allen.

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Hawkeye Community College planning construction projects this spring

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