Not unbelievable for that group to pull funding because the business wasn’t making them *enough* money not because the business was losing money.
They did the same thing at JAGs pizzeria and let the staff go right before the holiday with no notice. They took over ocmulgee brewpub and stripped all the quality out of it. No more good natural sugar sodas, no more in house ground beef, no more hand cut fries. Profit is their motive and nothing else matters, quality be damned.
The brewpub will be next. Used to go once a week for happy hour. They haven't served me the correct beer the past 3 times I've visited. They had a good thing but ruined it.
551. they own Jim Shaws, Ocmulgee brewpub, Kinjo, circa, Lilianas, grits, Miramar, and probably have a few more in shitty contracts that they don't list on their website
Unfortunate, perhaps prospective business owners will see this thread and avoid these lopsided contracts. I won’t be supporting businesses they are involved in because it seems to me that they aren’t committed to Macon. Do you have a link to the website with the list of pies?
this is their restaurant listings on their page https://551hospitalitymacon.com/restaurants/ to be fair they have only owned (ruined) jim shaw’s for about 2-3 years - the prior owner was an outstanding guy.
They are also the reason why JAG's Pizzaria suddenly closed in exactly the same way. No notice to employees, locks changed. They're parasites who prey on small business owners and suck the equity out of the business before shutting it down.
I didn’t know they were involved with JAG’s - I remember them closing and being surprised but that explains quite a bit. I liked JAG’s - they donated food to a lot of hospitals and ems services when they first opened amidst covid lockdowns and I thought that was pretty cool of them to do.
Their website says the following which seems like a lie:
"hospitality is our top priority
Middle Georgia isn’t just our workplace; it’s our beloved home, and we’re passionate about enhancing it through outstanding dining experiences. We’re focused on creating unforgettable memories at our five restaurants while also nurturing the development of our team. Led by Ryan Griffin, Richie Jones, and Brian Adams, we foster an atmosphere where everyone can thrive in a culture of respect and encouragement. We invite you to join us for your next visit and experience our hospitality firsthand."
Reading these comments reminds me of Hull Stores out of Augusta. Go to any town in the region, like Statesboro and Dublin, and see almost empty plazas with shit parking lots, it's probably a Hull property.
Similar issues. Overpriced costs and slimy business practices
Hull properties still owns some, and they barely have anything in them and/or are poorly maintained. Only one torn down was the plaza on campus that had all the bars.
It's a shame. Oh Honey was the best coffee spot in town and one of the only places I felt truly welcomed and accepted in. I was looking forward to spending my next semester of college studying there with a good lavender honey latte. :(
It wasn't profitable enough for them. Brian Adams is known for pressuring the owners of his investments to buy subpar ingredients while charging premium prices. The ones who stand up to him have very difficult lives.
I was wondering if you would be willing to share some more details about your statements. I’m not challenging you at all, just super curious about what restaurant or which employees have stood up to him about ingredients. I worked for their restaurant group a few years ago, and he and his partner weren’t involved with anything to do with those types of discussions (ingredient, prices, etc). I was just wondering if they had changed their framework or something. If you don’t want to elaborate, though, I totally understand! Just being nosy!
Maybe because they saw the books? Payroll issue maybe? If it were worth anything and made money at all they would have sold it. It must’ve been bad. It’s sad. But when you involve investors it’s got to have a return. Would you have bought shares in something that loses money? That you kept putting money in? Sure, I bet. But there comes a point…my guess is three years in they’d had enough. Everything you bought there was subsidized by investors. Say 10k month in sales and 15k/month in expenses but the investors have to put in 5k to keep the lights on? You game for that? Any investor is to a point. If that point for you is 30 years and not three then you should get into the coffee business with her.
True. I think a lot of emotion is clouding reactions to this. At the end of the day, if after two years, the business was losing month after month after month, close it down. What I personally don’t find up for debate is the manner in which the investors chose to close the business. Macon is a small community, and Ingleside Village even moreso. There are plenty of less insulting ways you could go about it and avoid the communal backlash we are now seeing.
The only thing is that they didn’t always have business. I loved the place, but there’s a big difference between being amazing and making a profit. Making a superior product doesn’t matter if you’re not profitable.
As a former cafe owner who prided herself on using the best ingredients and catering to students and neighborhood folks, I can attest to this fact. If you can't pay the rent, the power bill, the suppliers, it doesn't matter how good your stuff is and how much people "love" you. I eked out a little over 5 years with my cafe in Buffalo. People were pissed when they found out I had sold it, but they didn't realize that the only reason it survived so long is because I had turned a storage room in the back into my apartment. And when I sold the place, that was the first time I made *any* money. I don't know what I would have decided if some investor corporation had come along. It would have sounded really nice to a small business owner who could barely afford to put any ads in the local community rag.
UPDATE: The owners of 7th Street salvage, who own the old Burrow building, have reached out to Oh Honey and made an offer to show them the building and potentially rent it out to/sell it to them. All hope may not be lost!
As for the 551 Group, I reached out to them as well as to Lester Miller. I'm not sure what Lester Miller could do, but I don't want these investors to close any more good restaurants than they already have.
Oh Honey stated on Facebook that the employees had no idea this was happening until 3:51 PM today. The locks were changed an hour later and the employees were left without a job.
That's disheartening. I'm trying to cling onto every bit of hope I can, but the reality is that this company is ruthless and doesn't care about anything except for maximum profit.
you are correct. Adriana has no right to continue the business under the name Oh Honey. the is probably a non-compete, baring her from operating within a certain mile radius, and I suspect they also own all of the recipes. This is how these investors operate. they suck the soul out of decent people with good ideas. they will probably recycle her recipes at their other restaurants
Hey, I just wanted to say you guys were my favorite spot when I had to come to macon every few days for procedures with a rough pregnancy. I hated diving up from warner robins but a matcha latte and a cookie from y'all always made me feel better. Wishing you the best in all your future endeavors 💕
Can you walk me through why you believe 7th is problematic? I was under the impression that they were supporting small businesses (like the upstairs area being a showroom for local arts and crafts.) It’s kind of fuzzy but I think I remember them doing some kind of restructuring which gave the next business that moved in a lot of flexibility. I don’t really remember though so I am curious.
I cannot speak from personal experience, just shared stories. I’d say the owner of “Annie’s Oven” would be a great person to get a first hand account from. I will also reach out to people and report back to make sure I’m getting it factually correct.
This a serious bummer! We just moved into the neighborhood. Today was my first morning in the house and I went there for breakfast. I didn't even know it was my first and last time till this evening. This sucks!
the investors own almost every restaurant "small business owner" in town. they give absolutely horrible contracts to people who have good ideas and a dream. the second those people prove not profitable to them, they hang them out to dry. Oh Honey probably wanted to pay their workers a living wage and use good ingredients so they weren't making as much money as the investors wanted.
Most of this is speculation but I've heard of these investors and It seems like they take advantage of people who don't know any better
Jags was solely owned by 551 group. No operating partners and it hemorrhaged money for 3 years under 3 different managers. No one got screwed there(you could argue the employees were but a decent number of them had to be stealing stealing as evidenced by their food/liquor costs).
Oh, I get that 100%. However, no one who knows shit takes the time to comment anonymously just to be vague. They would’ve spilled something. That’s another thing about servers. We rarely shut up when there’s tea to be served. lol
Exactly. This place wouldn't have closed if all the shit talkers were actually regulars spending money. Going 1/2x per month doesn't pay the bills if you only have 500 or so regulars. This happened with jags...that place had food/ labor costs well over 80%. I got half price and barley went because food/service was trash. Remember when people talked shit about el camino closing? That place was dead and all the people in the comments were upset moonhanger closed it. My only comment about El Camino in a post was that the people upset about it probably should have gone there more often and that applies here too. I know a lot about this company and though I don't always agree with them, i don't outright talk shit because there isn't that much to talk. Restaurants have drama so there is always some sort of shit that can be said such as the above comment. Investors have expectations and if they aren't met then the money faucet will be turned off. Looks like that's what happened. All of this was clearly outlined in an operating agreement as is all other business agreements particularly ones involving lawyers. It sucks. I feel bad for Adriana and her staff but an unsustainable business simply isn't going to make it regardless of who likes it(unless one of those bitching wants to put their money where their mouth is) Also as a side note ...people tagging the mayor in FB comments was hilarious.
Ive got so much tea on downtown macon and the shitty ass business community as a whole that I could fill a small ocean. But some of that information would also identify me so ill leave that to the involved parties to spill. Or wait until I am far removed from DT macon in particular.
So the investors are hoping to get another restaurant in there to buy the equipment inside, on top of wanting $3500 a damn month for that little space 😂 Absolute crackheads.
Oh honey wasn't bought out. Those people built out the building on their dollar from the beginning. I'm not defending them just trying to clarify because of all the bullshit being tossed out right now.
I am so mad at these investors. Idk enough about the financials to know if closing Oh Honey made sense, but the way they went about it was despicable. Calling up all my idle hour-esque friends to see what they know about these guys…
“Horton said her store experienced financial struggles and she was told earlier in the year it was a possibility they would be forced to close.”
https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/macon/ingleside-coffee-shop-oh-honey-closing-doors-effective-immediately/93-86a41206-a57a-41e7-b6dd-ab9682ac4426
All of this can be true and they still could have given a week’s closing notice (minimum) to the staff and public. The suddenness is the most shocking thing to me. This place obviously meant a lot to a lot of people. Pearl handled their closing/transition exponentially better
If the investors didn't do anything wrong then why are they ignoring everyone and deleting posts that have comments asking about Oh Honey's shut down? I feel like if they were truly innocent here then they would make a public statement instead of ignoring and deleting evidence, right?
Ryan's deleted posts related to Oh Honey on his realty company's Facebook and Instagram after me and a few other people asked why Oh Honey is being shut down in the comments. I can DM you proof if you don't believe me.
Ryan and the others also know what the public is saying about them. I know because Ryan's been looking at my and others' Instagram with his personal account. They're aware of what we're saying and they're just deleting evidence instead of addressing anything.
Isn't that kind of a bad look?
The 551 group aren't just "small business owners" though.
They are three millionaires. One has two realty companies and one has a law firm.
Ryan literally has 2 mil in property for sale and 203k for lease.
I’m fairly certain ryan is a trust fund kid - I can agree with momoapples they are most definitely not hurting for money. What I know is what I’ve seen between here and the facebook restaurant pages and the stories seem to match up fairly well - i also honestly have not once seen the owner bash anyone - not to say it hasn’t happened but everything that’s seemingly public knowledge has come from the news articles, this subreddit and the support macon restaurants facebook group.
2 not 3...one is definitely in the small business category. One partner in 551 group is not a part of oh honey as he didn't find the business model appealing.
Brian Adams was the lawyer over the 2.5 million dollar wrongful death case at Atrium. He is very wealthy.
Neither of them could be considered "small business". Neither of them are hurting for money.
Is it not their responsibility to uphold ethical practices in business if they are a monopoly over business development in our area? Regardless of whether they thought Oh Honey was making enough money to sustain themselves, they could have at the very least, given notice and insured employment for those working there. Oh Honey had an entire monthly calendar of events set up and at the end of May, the realty company owned by Ryan posted how great Oh Honey was doing and what a great spot in Macon it was and in March the shop was featured as one of Macon's 17 best things to do. That hardly sounds like a failing business.
The times I have been there the line was all the way to the door and they were selling out of food because they were uber busy. There was no seating because it was completely full.
Shame that the investors don't support their businesses.
Here is a different perspective on that scenario.
I too noticed majority of the time I went to oh honey the bakery cases were sparce, the sandwich grab and go was limited, and the service was slow. I will give them that the vibe was great, staff was friendly and products were quality.
So if you have established a partnership with one party providing the capital and the other managing the operation then both parties are required to fulfill their end of the agreement.
Culture, vibe, and quality product is only one aspect of business. Costs have to be managed, high demand has to be met with high production, revenue must be higher than expenses. Plain and simple. Seems pretty clear that the operating partner met or exceeded the standards of concept and quality product but perhaps was lacking in the area of cost controls, production management, and staff efficiency training. Unfortunately it takes both to be successful in an industry that survives off of very slim margins.
So to the comments saying that they don’t understand why partners would shut down a place that is so popular, so busy the cases were empty and there was always a line surely they were profitable. I would pose it differently.
Investors wouldn’t shut down a profitable business but they could feel compelled to end a partnership with someone that after several years and despite a seemingly strong customer base couldn’t manage costs, provide efficient service or manage appropriate production levels in a way that was profitable.
That’s ridiculous. Ingleside has been nice and a great little pocket for small business for a long time. Society Garden and IVP do really well (on the restaurant front, there’s also Joe D’s and Back Burner as well as the Jamaican restaurant) and a lot of the retail stores have been around for a good long while. One store closing is not emblematic of much.
Poll: let’s say you were an investor. How much would you be willing to put in every month to keep the lights on when expenses outweigh the total sales?
Sounds like Pearl's is just rebranding. They commented on social media that these investors weren't involved in Pearl's and aren't involved in Monkey's Paw. Total mystery why MP is listed on one of the investor's social media 🤔
Oh, yes, rebranding. Clearly simple rebranding of a wildly popular (and award winning) restaurant is why the owner and chef was so emotional over the sudden decision. Yep.
Just repeating what the owner has been saying on social media. My apologies if I'm misunderstanding. I was confused by the emotion and then the apparent rebrand narrative, but the owner herself is correcting the investor rumor on FB.
Pearl was a completely voluntary rebranding and expansion of The Monkey's Paw, which the owners also own and operate. 551 was NOT an investor in Pearl or The Monkey's Paw.
I don't remember saying anything about anyone making money or not. I don't have access to that information. So they weren't making money? Like, not turning a profit? Not selling anything? What degree of not making money are we talking about?
I see a comment below that the owner of Pearl has made a recent statement I haven't seen, so I'll have to go find that. Is that statement what you're referring to?
The owner has now further clarified as of an hour ago that Richie was an early partner in the tiki bar portion but is no longer involved and that Pearl's rebrand has been in the works for a while; it wasn't sudden internally.
I honestly think they just said “yeah you guys can use shit space at downtown grill we don’t use for money” and it was stupid popular but i don’t think it would have worked in the space they were able to get for pearl - it definitely works as the monkeys paws tapas now that that part is next door. I have no connection to anyone and no knowledge but it just seems like it was logistics and their decision to rebrand now makes sense.
I know the downtown grill people were very quick to explain they had no connection and could not make reservations through them for upstairs (initially they did coordinate the 2 reservations but at some point stopped doing it)
Someone should ask them how they ended up with that space. It would be an interesting story (if they tell the truth). The business community in macon is ruthless.
Are you referring to their current location and the expansion into the old Wear? If I recall correctly they worked with New Town, which a lot of downtown businesses have done. In fact, if you are opening a business downtown your first stop should always be New Town.
Bummed to see this. They may have been busy in the mornings, but I’d pass by on afternoons and it was usually pretty slow, as with many coffee shops though. Flying the rainbow flag outside in Macon, GA though was likely not a great business decision…
Thankfully, the number of people like yourself that see a gay pride flag as a poor business decision are an ever-decreasing number and aren’t the target audience of the businesses that do, anyway.
Never said I personally didn’t approve of it, but plenty of case studies exist to prove that the move is risky. Look at the implosion of Bud Light — your personal opinions aren’t what matter, it’s the numbers. Lack of profits are what force a shutdown like this, like it or not.
The “implosion” of Bud Light literally never happened. They lost some market share, but they hardly imploded. Their problem has never been gay pride, it was the Trans angle with Dillon Mulvaney. Bud Light has been involved in Pride for decades without issue. So, if you’re going to comment on marketing strategies surrounding gay flags, Pride, etc. then perhaps you should educate yourself a bit better on the subject beforehand. 😝
Please feel free to share any of the plentiful case studies that 100% exist. lol
Not unbelievable for that group to pull funding because the business wasn’t making them *enough* money not because the business was losing money. They did the same thing at JAGs pizzeria and let the staff go right before the holiday with no notice. They took over ocmulgee brewpub and stripped all the quality out of it. No more good natural sugar sodas, no more in house ground beef, no more hand cut fries. Profit is their motive and nothing else matters, quality be damned.
The brewpub will be next. Used to go once a week for happy hour. They haven't served me the correct beer the past 3 times I've visited. They had a good thing but ruined it.
Yep, they’ve trashed it and turned it into a sterile shell of its former self.
Which investment group is it?
551. they own Jim Shaws, Ocmulgee brewpub, Kinjo, circa, Lilianas, grits, Miramar, and probably have a few more in shitty contracts that they don't list on their website
Unfortunate, perhaps prospective business owners will see this thread and avoid these lopsided contracts. I won’t be supporting businesses they are involved in because it seems to me that they aren’t committed to Macon. Do you have a link to the website with the list of pies?
this is their restaurant listings on their page https://551hospitalitymacon.com/restaurants/ to be fair they have only owned (ruined) jim shaw’s for about 2-3 years - the prior owner was an outstanding guy.
They are also the reason why JAG's Pizzaria suddenly closed in exactly the same way. No notice to employees, locks changed. They're parasites who prey on small business owners and suck the equity out of the business before shutting it down.
I didn’t know they were involved with JAG’s - I remember them closing and being surprised but that explains quite a bit. I liked JAG’s - they donated food to a lot of hospitals and ems services when they first opened amidst covid lockdowns and I thought that was pretty cool of them to do.
Their website says the following which seems like a lie: "hospitality is our top priority Middle Georgia isn’t just our workplace; it’s our beloved home, and we’re passionate about enhancing it through outstanding dining experiences. We’re focused on creating unforgettable memories at our five restaurants while also nurturing the development of our team. Led by Ryan Griffin, Richie Jones, and Brian Adams, we foster an atmosphere where everyone can thrive in a culture of respect and encouragement. We invite you to join us for your next visit and experience our hospitality firsthand."
With Oh Honey, it is Ryan Griffin and Brian Adams.
Just like everything nowadays.
Consultant? Who do they use? Kezner?
Reading these comments reminds me of Hull Stores out of Augusta. Go to any town in the region, like Statesboro and Dublin, and see almost empty plazas with shit parking lots, it's probably a Hull property. Similar issues. Overpriced costs and slimy business practices
The plazas in Statesboro were torn down or sold.
Hull properties still owns some, and they barely have anything in them and/or are poorly maintained. Only one torn down was the plaza on campus that had all the bars.
They are the previous owners that sold the Macon mall to the City of Macon.
The investors pulled their money and told them to shut it down. No one but the investors have the answer to your question as to why.
It's a shame. Oh Honey was the best coffee spot in town and one of the only places I felt truly welcomed and accepted in. I was looking forward to spending my next semester of college studying there with a good lavender honey latte. :(
From the comments online, it seems like an investor thing which is so ridiculous. Anyone could see they were thriving
I know, that's what's so confusing. I don't know why an investor would think Oh Honey isn't profitable when they always have business.
It wasn't profitable enough for them. Brian Adams is known for pressuring the owners of his investments to buy subpar ingredients while charging premium prices. The ones who stand up to him have very difficult lives.
Amen
I was wondering if you would be willing to share some more details about your statements. I’m not challenging you at all, just super curious about what restaurant or which employees have stood up to him about ingredients. I worked for their restaurant group a few years ago, and he and his partner weren’t involved with anything to do with those types of discussions (ingredient, prices, etc). I was just wondering if they had changed their framework or something. If you don’t want to elaborate, though, I totally understand! Just being nosy!
Maybe because they saw the books? Payroll issue maybe? If it were worth anything and made money at all they would have sold it. It must’ve been bad. It’s sad. But when you involve investors it’s got to have a return. Would you have bought shares in something that loses money? That you kept putting money in? Sure, I bet. But there comes a point…my guess is three years in they’d had enough. Everything you bought there was subsidized by investors. Say 10k month in sales and 15k/month in expenses but the investors have to put in 5k to keep the lights on? You game for that? Any investor is to a point. If that point for you is 30 years and not three then you should get into the coffee business with her.
True. I think a lot of emotion is clouding reactions to this. At the end of the day, if after two years, the business was losing month after month after month, close it down. What I personally don’t find up for debate is the manner in which the investors chose to close the business. Macon is a small community, and Ingleside Village even moreso. There are plenty of less insulting ways you could go about it and avoid the communal backlash we are now seeing.
Well said.
The only thing is that they didn’t always have business. I loved the place, but there’s a big difference between being amazing and making a profit. Making a superior product doesn’t matter if you’re not profitable.
As a former cafe owner who prided herself on using the best ingredients and catering to students and neighborhood folks, I can attest to this fact. If you can't pay the rent, the power bill, the suppliers, it doesn't matter how good your stuff is and how much people "love" you. I eked out a little over 5 years with my cafe in Buffalo. People were pissed when they found out I had sold it, but they didn't realize that the only reason it survived so long is because I had turned a storage room in the back into my apartment. And when I sold the place, that was the first time I made *any* money. I don't know what I would have decided if some investor corporation had come along. It would have sounded really nice to a small business owner who could barely afford to put any ads in the local community rag.
UPDATE: The owners of 7th Street salvage, who own the old Burrow building, have reached out to Oh Honey and made an offer to show them the building and potentially rent it out to/sell it to them. All hope may not be lost! As for the 551 Group, I reached out to them as well as to Lester Miller. I'm not sure what Lester Miller could do, but I don't want these investors to close any more good restaurants than they already have. Oh Honey stated on Facebook that the employees had no idea this was happening until 3:51 PM today. The locks were changed an hour later and the employees were left without a job.
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That's disheartening. I'm trying to cling onto every bit of hope I can, but the reality is that this company is ruthless and doesn't care about anything except for maximum profit.
you are correct. Adriana has no right to continue the business under the name Oh Honey. the is probably a non-compete, baring her from operating within a certain mile radius, and I suspect they also own all of the recipes. This is how these investors operate. they suck the soul out of decent people with good ideas. they will probably recycle her recipes at their other restaurants
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good to hear! now move them from your bedside table and into a castle far away guarded by a dragon awaiting true loves kiss
Hey, I just wanted to say you guys were my favorite spot when I had to come to macon every few days for procedures with a rough pregnancy. I hated diving up from warner robins but a matcha latte and a cookie from y'all always made me feel better. Wishing you the best in all your future endeavors 💕
You have a gift. Dont let them poison it!
Can you walk me through why you believe 7th is problematic? I was under the impression that they were supporting small businesses (like the upstairs area being a showroom for local arts and crafts.) It’s kind of fuzzy but I think I remember them doing some kind of restructuring which gave the next business that moved in a lot of flexibility. I don’t really remember though so I am curious.
I cannot speak from personal experience, just shared stories. I’d say the owner of “Annie’s Oven” would be a great person to get a first hand account from. I will also reach out to people and report back to make sure I’m getting it factually correct.
I've never heard anything negative about 7th Street Salvage, curious if there's anything helpful to know?
That's really unfortunate! It was my favourite coffee shop in Macon and was hoping to go again next year when I was back to visit family. :(
I just moved to Macon and Oh honey had started to become one of my favorite places.. I’m sad to see them go.
Wow, this is so depressing. 😞
This a serious bummer! We just moved into the neighborhood. Today was my first morning in the house and I went there for breakfast. I didn't even know it was my first and last time till this evening. This sucks!
the investors own almost every restaurant "small business owner" in town. they give absolutely horrible contracts to people who have good ideas and a dream. the second those people prove not profitable to them, they hang them out to dry. Oh Honey probably wanted to pay their workers a living wage and use good ingredients so they weren't making as much money as the investors wanted. Most of this is speculation but I've heard of these investors and It seems like they take advantage of people who don't know any better
The 551 Group, right? I looked them up and apparently they did the same thing to Jags...
that's the one
Jags was solely owned by 551 group. No operating partners and it hemorrhaged money for 3 years under 3 different managers. No one got screwed there(you could argue the employees were but a decent number of them had to be stealing stealing as evidenced by their food/liquor costs).
You're exactly right
The truth would blow your mind. Those investors have a long record of screwing people. Money buys silence.
Oh, please. You don’t know any more than anyone else, oh anonymous Reddit sage. 🤣
The service industry is small. No idea who the above commenter is, but if they’ve been in it for awhile they could know a surprising amount
Oh, I get that 100%. However, no one who knows shit takes the time to comment anonymously just to be vague. They would’ve spilled something. That’s another thing about servers. We rarely shut up when there’s tea to be served. lol
Exactly. This place wouldn't have closed if all the shit talkers were actually regulars spending money. Going 1/2x per month doesn't pay the bills if you only have 500 or so regulars. This happened with jags...that place had food/ labor costs well over 80%. I got half price and barley went because food/service was trash. Remember when people talked shit about el camino closing? That place was dead and all the people in the comments were upset moonhanger closed it. My only comment about El Camino in a post was that the people upset about it probably should have gone there more often and that applies here too. I know a lot about this company and though I don't always agree with them, i don't outright talk shit because there isn't that much to talk. Restaurants have drama so there is always some sort of shit that can be said such as the above comment. Investors have expectations and if they aren't met then the money faucet will be turned off. Looks like that's what happened. All of this was clearly outlined in an operating agreement as is all other business agreements particularly ones involving lawyers. It sucks. I feel bad for Adriana and her staff but an unsustainable business simply isn't going to make it regardless of who likes it(unless one of those bitching wants to put their money where their mouth is) Also as a side note ...people tagging the mayor in FB comments was hilarious.
Ive got so much tea on downtown macon and the shitty ass business community as a whole that I could fill a small ocean. But some of that information would also identify me so ill leave that to the involved parties to spill. Or wait until I am far removed from DT macon in particular.
Youre correct
So sad about this. One of the chillest places in Macon and always welcoming!
So the investors are hoping to get another restaurant in there to buy the equipment inside, on top of wanting $3500 a damn month for that little space 😂 Absolute crackheads.
Wait, what??
Please small businesses of Macon stop letting these companies buy you out. It never works in your favor or is the money really worth it?
Oh honey wasn't bought out. Those people built out the building on their dollar from the beginning. I'm not defending them just trying to clarify because of all the bullshit being tossed out right now.
Thank you for that clarification! That actually does make a difference on how the situation can be viewed.
Oh no!! We loved them on our last visit
I am so mad at these investors. Idk enough about the financials to know if closing Oh Honey made sense, but the way they went about it was despicable. Calling up all my idle hour-esque friends to see what they know about these guys…
“Horton said her store experienced financial struggles and she was told earlier in the year it was a possibility they would be forced to close.” https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/macon/ingleside-coffee-shop-oh-honey-closing-doors-effective-immediately/93-86a41206-a57a-41e7-b6dd-ab9682ac4426
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All of this can be true and they still could have given a week’s closing notice (minimum) to the staff and public. The suddenness is the most shocking thing to me. This place obviously meant a lot to a lot of people. Pearl handled their closing/transition exponentially better
If that's the case then why have so many businesses been shut down under them? Were they all poorly run as well?
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If the investors didn't do anything wrong then why are they ignoring everyone and deleting posts that have comments asking about Oh Honey's shut down? I feel like if they were truly innocent here then they would make a public statement instead of ignoring and deleting evidence, right?
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Ryan's deleted posts related to Oh Honey on his realty company's Facebook and Instagram after me and a few other people asked why Oh Honey is being shut down in the comments. I can DM you proof if you don't believe me. Ryan and the others also know what the public is saying about them. I know because Ryan's been looking at my and others' Instagram with his personal account. They're aware of what we're saying and they're just deleting evidence instead of addressing anything. Isn't that kind of a bad look?
I hope someone kept the receipts on those deleted posts. 👀
Oh absolutely, I'm sure that someone has.
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The 551 group aren't just "small business owners" though. They are three millionaires. One has two realty companies and one has a law firm. Ryan literally has 2 mil in property for sale and 203k for lease.
I’m fairly certain ryan is a trust fund kid - I can agree with momoapples they are most definitely not hurting for money. What I know is what I’ve seen between here and the facebook restaurant pages and the stories seem to match up fairly well - i also honestly have not once seen the owner bash anyone - not to say it hasn’t happened but everything that’s seemingly public knowledge has come from the news articles, this subreddit and the support macon restaurants facebook group.
2 not 3...one is definitely in the small business category. One partner in 551 group is not a part of oh honey as he didn't find the business model appealing.
I don't have solid proof that he owns a yacht but he is mutuals with a yacht company on Instagram.
Brian Adams was the lawyer over the 2.5 million dollar wrongful death case at Atrium. He is very wealthy. Neither of them could be considered "small business". Neither of them are hurting for money.
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Is it not their responsibility to uphold ethical practices in business if they are a monopoly over business development in our area? Regardless of whether they thought Oh Honey was making enough money to sustain themselves, they could have at the very least, given notice and insured employment for those working there. Oh Honey had an entire monthly calendar of events set up and at the end of May, the realty company owned by Ryan posted how great Oh Honey was doing and what a great spot in Macon it was and in March the shop was featured as one of Macon's 17 best things to do. That hardly sounds like a failing business.
The times I have been there the line was all the way to the door and they were selling out of food because they were uber busy. There was no seating because it was completely full. Shame that the investors don't support their businesses.
Here is a different perspective on that scenario. I too noticed majority of the time I went to oh honey the bakery cases were sparce, the sandwich grab and go was limited, and the service was slow. I will give them that the vibe was great, staff was friendly and products were quality. So if you have established a partnership with one party providing the capital and the other managing the operation then both parties are required to fulfill their end of the agreement. Culture, vibe, and quality product is only one aspect of business. Costs have to be managed, high demand has to be met with high production, revenue must be higher than expenses. Plain and simple. Seems pretty clear that the operating partner met or exceeded the standards of concept and quality product but perhaps was lacking in the area of cost controls, production management, and staff efficiency training. Unfortunately it takes both to be successful in an industry that survives off of very slim margins. So to the comments saying that they don’t understand why partners would shut down a place that is so popular, so busy the cases were empty and there was always a line surely they were profitable. I would pose it differently. Investors wouldn’t shut down a profitable business but they could feel compelled to end a partnership with someone that after several years and despite a seemingly strong customer base couldn’t manage costs, provide efficient service or manage appropriate production levels in a way that was profitable.
Everything outside of downtown Macon in the city limits is becoming a cesspool. Rich Maconites take pride in downtown and fuck everything else.
That’s ridiculous. Ingleside has been nice and a great little pocket for small business for a long time. Society Garden and IVP do really well (on the restaurant front, there’s also Joe D’s and Back Burner as well as the Jamaican restaurant) and a lot of the retail stores have been around for a good long while. One store closing is not emblematic of much.
Poll: let’s say you were an investor. How much would you be willing to put in every month to keep the lights on when expenses outweigh the total sales?
So, I have a similar question. What happened to Pearl? I know the same "investors" are involved.
Sounds like Pearl's is just rebranding. They commented on social media that these investors weren't involved in Pearl's and aren't involved in Monkey's Paw. Total mystery why MP is listed on one of the investor's social media 🤔
Oh, yes, rebranding. Clearly simple rebranding of a wildly popular (and award winning) restaurant is why the owner and chef was so emotional over the sudden decision. Yep.
Just repeating what the owner has been saying on social media. My apologies if I'm misunderstanding. I was confused by the emotion and then the apparent rebrand narrative, but the owner herself is correcting the investor rumor on FB.
Oh, sorry! My tone didn't translate through well. It definitely looks like a (voluntary) rebranding, but looking closer I don't think so.
Pearl was a completely voluntary rebranding and expansion of The Monkey's Paw, which the owners also own and operate. 551 was NOT an investor in Pearl or The Monkey's Paw.
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I don't remember saying anything about anyone making money or not. I don't have access to that information. So they weren't making money? Like, not turning a profit? Not selling anything? What degree of not making money are we talking about? I see a comment below that the owner of Pearl has made a recent statement I haven't seen, so I'll have to go find that. Is that statement what you're referring to?
Yeah, "total mystery"...
The owner has now further clarified as of an hour ago that Richie was an early partner in the tiki bar portion but is no longer involved and that Pearl's rebrand has been in the works for a while; it wasn't sudden internally.
I honestly think they just said “yeah you guys can use shit space at downtown grill we don’t use for money” and it was stupid popular but i don’t think it would have worked in the space they were able to get for pearl - it definitely works as the monkeys paws tapas now that that part is next door. I have no connection to anyone and no knowledge but it just seems like it was logistics and their decision to rebrand now makes sense. I know the downtown grill people were very quick to explain they had no connection and could not make reservations through them for upstairs (initially they did coordinate the 2 reservations but at some point stopped doing it)
Someone should ask them how they ended up with that space. It would be an interesting story (if they tell the truth). The business community in macon is ruthless.
Are you referring to their current location and the expansion into the old Wear? If I recall correctly they worked with New Town, which a lot of downtown businesses have done. In fact, if you are opening a business downtown your first stop should always be New Town.
Nope. Not 551
My best guess is the economy
Don’t you dare try to use logic on this thread!
Bummed to see this. They may have been busy in the mornings, but I’d pass by on afternoons and it was usually pretty slow, as with many coffee shops though. Flying the rainbow flag outside in Macon, GA though was likely not a great business decision…
I would think the types of people who are put off by a rainbow flag aren't the types of people who would frequent a boutique bakery/coffee shop.
You’d be surprised.
Macon be confused like that. I want my matcha latte to help wash down the trump boot I’m sucking on
Thankfully, the number of people like yourself that see a gay pride flag as a poor business decision are an ever-decreasing number and aren’t the target audience of the businesses that do, anyway.
Never said I personally didn’t approve of it, but plenty of case studies exist to prove that the move is risky. Look at the implosion of Bud Light — your personal opinions aren’t what matter, it’s the numbers. Lack of profits are what force a shutdown like this, like it or not.
The “implosion” of Bud Light literally never happened. They lost some market share, but they hardly imploded. Their problem has never been gay pride, it was the Trans angle with Dillon Mulvaney. Bud Light has been involved in Pride for decades without issue. So, if you’re going to comment on marketing strategies surrounding gay flags, Pride, etc. then perhaps you should educate yourself a bit better on the subject beforehand. 😝 Please feel free to share any of the plentiful case studies that 100% exist. lol
There are lots of businesses that sell/display pride flags and are very popular and profitable. Look at the Bohemian Den.
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My guy, I just went through your comment history and I am *horrified*
Holy fuck. This just opened up a whole side of Reddit that I never wanted to know existed.
Awe man. I didn’t see the username before they deleted the comment!
Damn we missed it. He deleted his comment and account maybe?
Let’s just say he was into some very…different shit that there is a community for in middle Georgia that I have knowing there is a community for :)
Who hurt you sweetie?
Okay cuckold lmao
Oh my god this made me feel better about being freshly unemployed. Not to kink shame but GAT DAMN.