Cavin focused on the ages of the owners and paid attention to which ones sounded tired or worn out from a long year.Most talked about how business boomed in the summer, but that wintertime brought along a different story.Nearly everyone noted the sales uptick the holidays offered, but many mentioned that once foot traffic dropped off in January, the little town slowed down drastically.The locals would shop some but not enough to remain open full-time.Most shops would then run on limited days and hours until the tourist season kicked in come spring.
Cavin listened intently to these familiar stories.Most of the small coastal towns he visited dealt with the feast and famine that the weather promised.Some business owners could handle it, and others couldn’t.He made careful notes about his first impressions knowing his predictions often proved true.On the ground, he also began mapping out which properties he wanted to acquire most.The parking lot next to the candy shop interested him more than anything he saw so far, and the Beaufort Candy Company building and the connected structures were high on the list as well.The more land and buildings he could acquire on adjacent properties, the more opportunities they would bring.
A large, carefully designed hotel would be a wonderful addition to the waterfront area.Cavin imagined an aesthetically pleasing parking deck at the street level, shops and restaurants accessible from the outside and inside on the second floor, and rooms from the third up.About six stories would probably allow the new structure to fit in well with the town’s current charm, and the location would demand a premium room rate.
Cavin ate lunch at Clawson’s 1905 Restaurant & Pub with Luther Perkins, the owner of a prospective property.The guy talked his ear off in his store earlier, and when Cavin asked about a good place to eat, the man invited him to have lunch.In his mid-sixties or so, Luther clearly indulged in many meals.He wore large glasses and the top of his head was completely bald, reminding Cavin that he never understood why people like Luther didn’t just shave off all their hair rather than leaving the remnants on the side, but he didn’t dare ask.
“The first place anyone new to Beaufort should eat is Clawson’s,” Luther insisted with a thick southern drawl.
Cavin instantly recognized the name of the restaurant as the one he’d hoped served breakfast.The popular establishment with classic hardwood floors, brick walls, nostalgic décor, and high-backed wooden booths proved to be as charming as the town itself.Teaming with customers, Cavin figured he and his new friend settled into the last open booth just after the busboy wiped it down for them.Cavin felt certain this place would make his top ten favorite spots in Beaufort.
“What is the story behind this building?”Cavin inquired, still taking in the warm, homey, and Christmassy surroundings.
“Clawson’s began as a grocery store in the late 1800s.”
“Really?”Cavin interjected, trying to imagine what this space might have looked like over 200 years ago filled with aisles of food.He knew for sure the products on the shelves wouldn’t have included all the dyes and preservatives found in the middle aisles of the grocery stores these days.When shopping for meals and snacks, Cavin tried his best to stick to the outer edges of the store in order to keep himself healthy which reminded him that he needed to find a gym to utilize during this trip.This was the type of thing he needed his own assistant to handle.
Luther noticed Cavin’s wandering eyes.“This location isn’t the original Clawson’s,” he pointed out.“The grocery store was across the street on the waterfront.It was destroyed by a hurricane, unfortunately, and later rebuilt in this spot.There’s a brick building out behind this place which can’t be seen from Front Street, and it is said to be the oldest standing structure in Beaufort.It was Clawson’s bakery.”
“Does every business in this town have a bakery?”Cavin asked with a hint of laughter under his breath.“I visited the candy store and the coffee shop this morning, and both offer baked goods.”
Chewing a piece of popcorn shrimp, Luther laughed through his nose.“The old bakery is now Backstreet Pub,” he eventually revealed.
“So pubs and bakeries are the town theme, huh?”Cavin replied with a gentle smile.
“We love to eat and drink around here,” Luther admitted rubbing his oversized belly while forking another bite off his plate.
“Who doesn’t?”Cavin offered in agreement.“I imagine hurricanes have relocated a lot of businesses in Beaufort over the years.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Does it ever concern you that a hurricane could take out the business you have built?”Cavin inquired knowing the risk of hurricanes often weighed heavily in the minds of coastal business owners, especially small businesses.
“Not really,” Luther replied.“What bothers me is the rising cost of insurance.”
Cavin chuckled at the serious joke.“Cheers to that,” he acknowledged, holding up his half-full glass of iced cold water.
Luther picked up his nearly empty soda and tapped glasses with a heavy hand; however, with all the white noise circling the enchanting environment, no one else seemed to notice.
While Cavin savored the taste of Mahi Mahi served over rice and perfectly seasoned veggies, he asked Luther well-thought-out questions.In return Luther spilled the beans on local politics, pointed out all the people he knew in the restaurant, and introduced Cavin to several locals.
“Cavin Dawson works for a firm in Atlanta in business development,” Luther told each one of them.
Cavin carefully crafted those words years ago and repeated them to Luther and everyone else he met today.He steered clear of phrases like real estate and land acquisition management, knowing that they often raised red flags, especially the latter.Most people didn’t like change at least not until he could show them the dollar signs that came with improving their town.
“Cavin is here on vacation, but he likes to mix business with pleasure,” was another phrase Luther took in earlier and spat out a few times to his friends which often brought on smiles and seemed to set others at ease.Cavin almost scrapped the line for this trip because every time he said or heard it, his mind went to Cancun where he should be right now lying on a beach next to beautiful women in bikinis.
Cavin geared his conversations toward helping businesses reach their potential while maximizing profits.In order to do that, he needed to know as many details as possible, and when business owners realized he was willing to offer them complimentary advice while they became friends, they often opened the corporate books, business plans, marketing strategies, and all the rest.In fact Cavin made plans to play golf tomorrow with a well-respected banker who had been at the restaurant’s bar having a few drinks on his day off until Luther waved him over.
“It’s a great day to have banker’s hours,” Cavin offered with a grin when Luther introduced them.
“It’s almost as nice as being on vacation,” the clever fellow replied.
“You have one-upped me there, Jeff,” Cavin laughed while the waitress cleared the plates.
Jeff sat down with them after standing beside their table for several minutes in conversation.While that might have seemed rude in a fancy Atlanta restaurant, in a small town that’s what people did, and it usually worked in Cavin’s favor.The more friends he could make, the better.He found out that Jeff was a scratch golfer which he appreciated.Now he wouldn’t have to let the guy win purposely.
“Luther, would you like to play eighteen holes with us?”Cavin asked.
