SUSAN OWENS
TAMPA, FL (USA)
Role(s):
Founder/Owner/Principal
Susan's Cafe & Deli, Inc
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Startup
Location:
tampa
Industry:
Retail/Clothing
Year Founded:
2009
Number Employees:
1-10 people
Business Stage:
Decline
Entity Type:
"S" Corporation
Description:
Hello there, my name is Susan Owens, owner/president of Susan's Cafe & Deli, Inc. I "was" located at (URL removed)nklin St, Tampa, Fla 33602. I had originally bought the C C'S bAGELS & DELI BACK IN MAY OF 2009. THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS ORDERED TO REPAIR THE A/C UNIT AND SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS FOR ME, SO THAT MY BUSINESS WOULD OPERATE PROPERLY. WELL HE DIDNT. I WAS FORCED TO USE MY NESTEGG TO REPAIR THE A/C UNIT WHICH I FOUND OUT DIDNT NEED REPAIRING. I ALSO HAD SOME ELECTRICAL SOCKETS FIXED BECAUSE THEY WERE HANGING OUT OF THE WALLS. WHEN I BOUGHT THE BUSINESS, I HAD BOUGHT EVERYTHING IN THAT SPACE WHICH INCLUDED THE WALKIN FREEZER, COOLER, AND 6 SHELVE REVOLVING GAS OVEN. IT WAS UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT MY BUSINESS LICENSE WOULD FOLLOW AFTER I BOUGHT THE BUSINESS, AND THE PREVIOUS OWNER SAID I COULD USE HIS LICENSE. BUT FOUND OUT I COULDNT BECAUSE I CHANGED THE NAME OF THE (URL removed) OCT 1ST,2009, WHEN I HADNT RECEIVED MY LICENSE, I WAS SHUT DOWN TEMPORARILY, BUT WAS TOLD IF I REAPPLY AND PAY FOR IT, THAT I COULD GET A TEMPORARY LICENSE ON MONDAY OCT.4TH. WELL ON MONDAY SOMETHING TOLD ME TO CALL THE DEPT I DID. I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD SENT IN THE WRONG AMOUNT, WHICH WAS $150 AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE $(URL removed)L SINCE I HAD USED MY NESTEGG, I HAD NO MORE MONEY, BECAUSE OF NOT RUNNING MY CAFE. I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL MY HUSBAND GOT HIS SSD CHECK THE FOLLOWING MONTH. I FINALLY SENT IN THE $162 AND THEN RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THEY RECEIVED THE $150 AND WAS PROCESSING MY LICENSE BUT COULD NOT FINISH UNTIL THEY RECEIVED THE $162, WHICH WAS ALREADY ON ITS WAY TO THEM. THEY TOLD ME TO WAIT A WEEK AND THEN CALL. I DID. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE HEALTH INSPECTOR HAD MY LICENSE ON HER AND THAT I HAD TO CALL HER. I DID. SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD TO INSPECT THE EQUIPMENT AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE RUNNING PROPERLY, WHICH SHE ALREADY KNEW THEY WERE. BUT BECAUSE OF ME GETTING SHUT DOWN, ALL THE UTILITIES WERE CUT OFF SO SHE COULD NOT INSPECT THEM, PLUS THE LANDLORD HAD CHANGED THE LOCKS ON ME. THIS HAS BEEN MY DREAM OF 30 YEARS TO HAVE A CAFE LIKE THIS ONE. IT WAS THE PERFECT SPOT FOR ME. RIGHT DOWNTOWN TAMPA IN THE FOOD COURT. EVERYONE DOWN TOWN LOVED MY FOOD AND PRICES. THEY WOULD EVEN WALK UP 3 BLOCKS FROM THE COURTHOUSE JUST TO COME TO MY CAFE. EVERYONE WANTS ME BACK THERE, BUT THE LANDLORD SAID BECAUSE OF MY RENTAL COSTS THEY DIDNT WANT ME BACK THERE. I HAD GOTTEN A SECURITY SYSTEM THERE ALSO, WHICH WAS A DVR PLAYER AND MONITOR,AND 4 CAMERAS ON THE CEILING.
I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR FINANCING SINCE OCTOBER (URL removed)H NO SUCCESS. I KNOW THIS ECONOMY IS BAD FOR EVERYONE, BUT THERE HAS TO BE SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP ME GET MY CAFE GOING AGAIN. I GOT APPROVED AT ONE TIME WHICH I TOLD MY LANDLORD AND HE WAS VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO WAIT 3 WEEKS. WELL AT THE END OF 3 WEEKS I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THEY COULDNT HELP ME AT THAT TIME, THEY HAD TO GO WITH BIGGER DEALS. I WAS SO DEVASTATED. HERE MY DREAM IS LEAVING ME. SO THEN I THOUGHT I COULD POSSIBLY FIND FINANCING IN BUYING THE BUILDING. SO I CALLED MY LANDLORD AND HE SAID THAT I COULDNT AFFORD THE MORTGAGE PAYMENT. WELL HOW DOES HE KNOW THAT? I WAS DOING VERY WELL WHEN I FIRST STARTED UNTIL I HAD TO USE MY NESTEGG. THAT IS WHAT HURT ME. PAYING FOR UNNECESSARY REPAIRS. I FOUND OUR THAT THE VALUE OF THE BUILDING IS APPROX.$326,000. I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO BUY THE BUILDING WITH SOME FUNDING AND THEN I WILL HAVE MY WALKING FREEZER, COOLER AND OVEN ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT BELONGS TO ME. MAYBE IT WOULD BE BETTER TO TALK TO SOMEONE THEN TO WRITE THIS LENGTHY (URL removed)ASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME AT:(Phone # removed). PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF ON THE CALLER ID. I WILL PICK UP THE PHONE THEN. IF YOU CAN HELP ME GET STARTED AGAIN I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SINCERELY, SUSAN OWENS