Great care at the Forsyth Care Center!

On an overcast day in late December, I discovered a friend of mine named Pat Betz, (who had recently undergone a series of surgeries at  Springfield hospital)  had been moved to the Forsyth Nursing and Rehab Center located in Forsyth MO, in order that he could mend and recuperate. I had called him and we agreed to meet for a lunch at the cafeteria they had located on the premises.

As it had been some time since I had visited this care center, I was happy to see that it was still operating at a high level of efficiency. (The site offers a full spectrum of healing services including; IV therapy, rehabilitation, housekeeping and laundry just to name a few). Their full service cafeteria also puts out abroad selection of meals that can be customized to any special dietary needs!

Pat appeared to be in great spirits and looked forward to only short stay as on site therapists got him back into full health.The care center is located at 477 Coy Blvd, Forsyth, MO 65653 and can be reached by calling  (417) 546-6337!

Lunch at Forsyth's Subway!

At some point last summer, I stopped at a Subway located near my home in Forsyth Missouri and fell in love with their Cold Cut Combo 6” meal deal! (A great lunch time selection and hopefully a healthy addiction over time)!

And so it was on one of the coldest mornings of the 2016- 2017 winter, that I stopped at the 14974 US Hwy 160 venue (a location that was just to the north of small town of Forsyth Missouri), to grab a midday lunch! And, yes, I knew exactly what I wanted to chow down on!

Their Cold Cut Combo is just one of many sandwich offerings to be found at Subway, but it had tickled my fancy mostly because it was a healthy combo of veggies and meats on bread - simple and wholesome, just like myself. [OK. So, maybe I'm just simple].

I arrived at the popular eatery early on a Tuesday morning, at around about11:30 AM, in order to skirt the crowds that always seem to show up right at about the noon hour. I ambled into the always spotless eatery and found that there was only one person at the order counter. Perfect! But, now a word of caution! When you approach the counter of any Subway in the US, there is most always a great looking display of 'chips-in-bags', just begging to be snatched up. But, don't do it! These little bags of joy are actually 'caloric weight bombs'! And when they detonate, they can wreck even the most carefully devised diet! Thus, as I approached the counter that morning... I quickly grabbed myself a bag of Lays chips! [So, go ahead and sue me]!

Bag in hand, I then got the attention of the person I like to call the 'Facilitator'. (That's the guy or girl who assembles your sandwich according to your instructions). From a strictly procedural standpoint, you first call out the base and style of the sandwich. 'White bread, 6 inch cold cut combo,' I stated assertively that morning. The Facilitator eyed me casually and then asked, 'Ya'll want that toasted?' 'Yes, I do', I answered back. (My mouth had began to drool a bit, at that point. A troubling, but well understood development from past visits).

That chore accomplished, the last item in the order process was what most always got me flustered. My 'virginal white bun' had just come out of the flash oven and it smelled terrific! It was hot-to-trot and merely awaited my personal selection of veggies from what looked to be a cornucopia of mouth watering selection bins that contained every condiment imaginable. (On this day, however, excessive drooling forced me to forego normal speech in favor of a cannibalistic form of grunting and pointing. Thankfully, the Facilitator interpreted these strange gyrations correctly). [FYI - I prefer hot peppers, mayo, lettuce and onion on my cold cut combo]. In no time, the meal was expertly 'wrapped up' and I then paid up.

OK, just a word about Subway and the cost of their food. It's atrocious! Seriously, I sometimes feel like an addict scoring some drug for a hundred dollars. OK, may be not as bad as all that. Still, the 6 inch sub and the bag of chips cost $5.25 including tax! Personally, I think that a little costly! But hey, I'm a true culinary addict, like I said...

Critique: Fat Daddy's Piglet Pork meal!

Forsyth MO. - Nestled along Hwy 160 in a small town located in southwest Missouri is a restaurant that I enjoy eating at. The place is called Fat Daddy's and for someone on a diet, you'd think I'd avoid something like that like the plague! And while Fat Daddy's does offer up a host of man-sized meals, they also have very tasty creations available that have much smaller caloric footprints!

 One such place you can find more 'sensible' meals is in the section they call their 'Lil' Piglet Meals'. In that section you can choose from a number of offerings that all taste great, but do so with perhaps a little less adding to the old waistline. One selection I choose fairly often is the Piglet Pork which is a quarter pound of smoked pulled pork in a bun with a medium order of French Fries. There are sauces available at each table so you can slather on your could of mild and hot varieties. For myself, I like the hot stuff!

Above is an estimate only

As you can see from the graphic at right, this meal won't break the diet budget and at just $4.99, it's very affordable also!

Hair's the Place owner has moved!

Forsyth MO. - Colleen Barnes, long time proprietor of Hair's the Place, recently moved to 233 Main Street in Forsyth, just across from City Hall where she joined forces with the other professionals at the Town and Country Salon. I'd been a long time customer, and so followed her over to her new location when it came time for a haircut.

Colleen is always is a good mood and it was nice getting my haircut at a location right in the center of town! Customers can reach her to make an appointment by calling 417-546-3039 during normal business hours.

Area gasoline prices declining!

Forsyth MO. – In what would be good news for many who commute, I've noticed a steady decline in the cost of a gallon of gas over the past few weeks. Back in September the cost was at about $1.95 per gallon for standard while on the day of this post we had dropped to $1.85! And, while a ten cent drop doesn't mean all that much, it's the trend that counts!

A tale of two eateries!

Following is a short comparison of two hypothetical eateries that opened across the street from each other. One eatery prospered while the other not so much so;

Charlupa's Meat and Such!

Charlupa's owner pretty much has his head up his ass and so everyone suffers. He opened a rather nice looking steak joint that was all show and no go! Chuck is his name and other than that, the elevator didn't go up very high.

When Chuck opened his place, things went well for a while. But after some time, that wasn't so much the case. You see Chuck didn't really seem to care about his customer base. He didn't bother collecting and building an email file on those who ate at his venue nor did he bother to advertise in print or on the net. His menu was rather lackluster with no photos of his 'wonderful' signature dishes... which he never really bothered to tell anyone about. His staff, while hard working, lacked direction, goals or even a playbook for success. In a word, the place was blase to the point of boredom. I understand his people began to refer to him as Upchuck behind his back....

Herbs Steak and Potato Joint!

Herb's restaurant was run by a guy name Herb. He was there all the time and made it a point to greet his customers at the door. Yet Herb was also lazy and so hired on an intelligent and motivated staff. Herb knew how to delegate responsibilities and how to incentivise his people. Every week, Herb offered his staff monetary incentives to push slow moving or high profit foods. He trained them on how to build up a loyal clientele following via email and social sites. He changed his menu every six months to keep it fresh and made sure to go the extra distance to include mouth-watering photos of items he was proud to serve. Yes, Herb was a busy man and he was a happy man as he watched the profits roll on in.

Someone once told me that it was almost impossible to fail in the eatery business. I'm betting old Chuck is giving that idea a run for its money!

Rockaway and Merriam Woods join forces!

Oct 7. – In order to further the protection and safety of its citizens, the cities of Rockaway Beach and Merriam Woods elected to join their police forces together to bring that number to four. Almost from the get go, there were numerous arrests as the police executed an intense 'crackdown' via a saturation patrol.

Now, while that sounds good on the surface. I cannot help but wonder what the effect of this action will have over the long haul. Unless something is done to improve the business atmosphere, I'm afraid both areas will become ghost towns.

Charlie's in Forsyth to offer extended breakfast!

Forsyth MO - Effective as of October the 10th, 2016 - Charlie's Ribs, Steak and Ale will be offering their breakfast menu from opening at 7:30 AM until 2PM on Saturday's and Sunday's! Specifically, they will be offering:

B&G and More - $6
Two eggs, two biscuits with hash browns!

The Works - $6
Two eggs, choice of meat, hash browns and choice of bread!

Steak & Eggs Platter - $10
7 oz sirloin, two eggs, hash browns and choice of bread!

Country Fried Steak and Eggs - $10
6 oz breaded steak topped with gravy, two eggs, hash browns and choice of bread!

For more details, you can reach Charlie's at 417-546-2011 during normal business hours!

Arvest Bank branch in Forsyth to close!

Forsyth MO. - Representatives from Arvest Banking headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas; with branches in Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri announced that the branch located in Forsyth Missouri will be closing its doors on December 30, 2016. The drive through will remain open for customers to make and withdraw money and there are two locations; one in Hollister and another in Branson that offer full banking services.

Fat Daddy's LiL' Piglet meals!

Forsyth MO – A recent visit to Fat Daddy's for a luncheon engagement dealt out a nice surprise for this overweight gnome. I went there with a friend named Mary to eat, but didn't really look forward to yet overly large meal that would better suit a younger and trimmer working man. Just too many calories! Actually, any meal over 700 calories would be pushing my self imposed limits. Losing weight, for us older people, can be a real challenge. No, I wanted something that was modest and after asking my server, I discovered it! Down towards the bottom of my menu was a section called LiL' Piglet Meals. In that section was an item called 'Piglet Pork'. A small hamburger sized portion contain ¼ pound of smoked pork, along with a side of fries for about $5. Wow! The taste was awesome, I didn't destroy my diet (~650 calories) and the whole meal deal was very affordable! Next time your over that way, please give this selection a try!

Hong Kong Express opening in Forsyth in November!

What is it with Forsyth Missouri and eateries? At my casual estimate, there were eight places to eat in a town of just over two thousand! Now we will have another 'oriental styled' venue come later in the fall.

As a venue, I admit to avoiding any type of restaurant that serves a buffet styled menu. I'm a bit leery of food that sits for hours and hours before someone comes along. Some food must be kept cool while others have to be maintained at certain levels of heat. Either way, things can (and do) go wrong. Thus, I do not plan to go to this location very often unless someone I'm taking to lunch insists!

As Forsyth has had a Oriental/Mexican restaurant for some time now, I could not help but wonder at the apparent duplication. I would have preferred to see something like a Wendy's or even a Shorty Small's as they offer a few pasta dishes that are excellent.

Well, time will tell, as they say. I hope to visit this venue after they open and will make a followup report.

The Mouse Pad for all your computer needs!

Mouse Pad, 113 Main St, Forsyth MO 65653

Over the years, the Mouse Pad has been located in a number of sports. I first noticed this business on Hwy 160 next to the White River Plaza. It was then relocated to a spot on Hwy 160 near Charlie's restaurant. Today, this rather 'mobile' enterprise is situated right across from Save Alot at 113 Main Street in Forsyth!

I was able to talk briefly with the owner, a man named Jamie Johnson, and he informed me that they do all sorts of general computer maintenance and repair along including computers sales at great prices!

The Mouse Pad can be reached by calling 417-546-2648 during normal business hours. Jamie can also be reached on his cell phone at 417-207-6776 in case of emergencies.

Disclaimer: All data & info provided on this site is for informational & Entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site makes no representations whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any material presented here & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or for any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.
 

Best burger and fries in Forsyth MO!

In my view, an old fashioned hamburger and fries is tough to beat almost any old time. And, the 'Kountry Burger' served up at the Long Horn Family Dining venue might just qualify as the best of the best offered up in my small town of Forsyth Missouri!

The Longhorn Family Dining restaurant is open seven days a week at this time, from 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM, although I would call them at 417-546-9751 to confirm, just in case.

Update: Sadly, the Long Horn's renters decided to quit and so the business was once again shut down.

Economy Screen Printing in Forsyth MO!

Economy Screen Printing, 163 Main Street, Forsyth MO.

A recently opened shop located at 163 Main Street in Forsyth MO. called Economy Screen Printing, does professional screen printing on T-Shirts and all sorts of other object like cups, hats mementos and more! The store is run by Martha Rudnick and Susan Lawrence both of  which can reproduce custom designs and logos; either from material a customer might bring in or from scratch. The cater to everyone; from individuals up to and including companies or organizations that might need to orders exceeding one thousand pieces. As you can see from the pictures of these T-shirts, almost anything can be created and at very reasonable prices!I was very impressed with just how detailed and beautiful the work that they do is close up!

In the near future, I was told that a customer will even be able to come in and create their own custom T-shirt and then print it on the spot! That would be very cool indeed!

Also, the shop can make available limited spaces for aspiring artists to set up shop and display their creations on a monthly rental basis. (And, while I decided not to post that amount here, I was very impressed with how low it was)! Note that this will not be a flea shop concept, but rather a place for a select group of artists to gain exposure. For the limited few people who can take advantage of this opportunity, ( I think I was told that there are only about 6 to 8 spaces available), they will need to act promptly as the spaces are already being reserved. as for advertising, I was told that the owners may even consider an open house type of event to help draw in additional traffic! If you have an interest in this, or would like additional information, the shop can be reached at 417-546-0631 during normal business hours.

In closing, I gained the impression that this business will likely do very well. The equipment I saw located there appeared to be top end. At the time of my visit, they were getting ready to fulfill an order consisting of a thousand t-shirts!

Please make it a point to stop in and to check them out. There were many very interesting items on display that I didn't cover here, but hope to in the future...

Disclaimer: All data & info provided on this site is for informational & Entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site makes no representations whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any material presented here & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or for any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

Forsyth Fun Day 2016!

Unlike the Fair this past June, this very popular event will be at the Shadowrock Park, one of my favorite locations. This event is sponsored by the City of Forsyth and is one of the real highlights of the summer! Two bands will supply awesome sounds, vendors will be doing their thing as a dedicated group of professional BBQ'ers go head to head to produce the most succulent culinary creations to be had on this planet! In the midst of all this will be the craziness that can only be found in cardboard boat races! Bring some chairs and blankets and make it a day to remember!

Complete Service Repair - D's Auto!

Forsyth MO. - Dennis Renteria, owner of D's Auto recently opened for business performing oil changes, engine work, transmissions and brakes not to mention preventative maintenance work. All this work is performed at 180 Kelly Ave in Forsyth Mo. at affordable prices!

It's great to know that getting your oil changed can still be done right in town. When I stopped by, Dennis and his crew were busy with numerous customers. While I was there, a customer by the name of Debbie, had traveled all the way from Branson West, where she works as a lead at Silver Dollar City, just to get an opinion about a problem she was having with her auto. That told me a lot!  Please give Dennis a call at 417-230-6090 to schedule an appointment any time 8-5PM Monday through Friday! You can also email Dennis at DennisRay2117@Gmail.com! I plan to get my next oil change done at this venue and will plan to do a followup report at that time!

Forsyth Fun Day 2016 coming September 10th!

Looks of grilling!

Forsyth MO. - Coming to ya, Saturday, September 10th will be an event that I personally have always enjoyed. Forsyth Fun Day has always been held in Shadowrock Park, (whenever it wasn't flooded). The day features fun events for the kids and centers around an area wide BBQ style cook off with awards going to the best prepared of a number of BBQ'd meats that the public gets to enjoy! I did a short video way back in 2009 that tried to capture the experience. The bottom line for me is the awesome food along with the chance to run into folks you might not have seen for a while.

Update: More info now available at http://forsythkid.blogspot.com/2016/08/forsyth-fun-day-saturday-september-11.html

Critique: The Tire Crew LLC in Forsyth Mo!

Forsyth MO. – Every so often in ones life, I've run into exceptional individuals working at improbable occupations. When I look back over the years at my experiences with auto repair facilities, I've generally walked away disappointed for one reason or another. That business sector has been often populated by practitioners that could best be described as somewhat shady. That was definitely not the case at the Tire Crew located at 13149 Hwy 160 just to the north of Forsyth Missouri! The owner, Don Goodman who is ex-military, runs a very 'tight ship'. I felt I was treated very promptly and in a professional manner.

While waiting for an oil change, I was impressed with the amount of activity going on. Mr. Goodman was on the phone with a local parts supplier who had promised that a part would be there early Monday, but which was not. When he discovered that there was another duplicate part over in Branson West, he dispatched his daughter in law, Heather, to go fetch it for two customers who were there waiting patiently at the facility for that part to repair their vehicle. I found that sort of 'get it done' attitude to be rather impressive.

The Tire Crew does just about everything right, be it new tires, oil changes, brakes, exhaust systems, batteries or just about whatever needs to be done. They even have a towing service and can pick up a customer when their vehicle is ready to go! Add that to the fact that their invoices are itemized with fair pricing and I think I will be a customer of theirs for years to come! The Tire Crew shop can be reached at 417-546-7435!

Roy Blunt's staff to visit Forsyth MO!

Senator Roy Blunt's staff will be at Forsyth City Hall on Tuesday, July 12. This will likely be your only opportunity (ever again) to meet with Blunt's staff mono a mono. They will arrive in a mobile office and will graciously receive the public, one at a time, for sixty minutes from 1:30 to 2:30 PM. Citizens are asked to please keep a civil tongue and to refrain from the tossing of rotten fruit.

Rockaway Beach offers up a couple of new venues!

While it's true that businesses open up all the time in my southwestern town of Forsyth Missouri, it's still good to see something happening in the neighboring town of Rockaway Beach!

In mid June 2016, what have been the Taneycomo Market was transformed from a convenience store slash gas island into a sports bar slash gas island. Now going bay the name of White River Sports Bar and Grill, owner Al Patel decided to go ahead and thrown the dice and try something new! In a recent post on Forsythkid, I went into some additional detail and hoped that this change will result in success for a hard working couple from India.....

In addition to a new bar, I was also informed that there would soon be cab service! That's supposed to open soon.

Improving efficiency should always be a business goal!

Most any business has some inefficiency built into its day to day operation. Some run much better than others depending on staffing requirements, the work environment and skill levels needed. I find restaurants are a good model to look at as they offer a full menu of areas than can be improved (excuse the pun).

For this post, I decided to take a look at a situation similar to the one I've drawn below:

In the schematic you have a bar area with dining tables on two sides. (You can assume that the kitchen is located towards the back area). Please notice that there are two cash registers areas; one located by the entrance and a second over behind the bar. Typically, bar patrons pay at the bar register while diners amble over to the register located by the entrance after they've finished dining. Note that on any given day there will be on average two servers, a cook and a bartender/manager. Now, while everyone is pretty much cross trained at all the positions, it is typically the bartender who serves as the main cashier at both register locations. He or she is also responsible to make sure new arrivals are cordially greeted and seated after which a server takes over.

Next, let's take a look at some potential inefficiencies in this scenario. Note that the bartender is most likely to be found behind the bar as a typical starting point. Second, let's assume that on a typical day our theoretical establishment will ring up about 100 tickets. (This would imply that the four employees present, during any one shift, are all kept pretty busy). Third, let's make an assumption that of the 100 tickets rung up each day, 60 are at the entrance register and 40 are at the bar. All things being equal, one could then reasonably extrapolate that the bartender will make quite a few trips to the entrance register during the course of a normal business day. Next, for the purpose of argument, let's estimate those trips to be about 30 per day. Furthermore, that each trip would require the employee to navigate from position X over to the entrance register/greeting area. (Now, while that person can take one of two possible routes, let's average it out and say that the distance covered is about 40 feet for one round trip). Summarizing, forty trips at forty feet per would equal ~1600 feet traversed each day. That figure can then be used to estimate that the distance walked would be roughly 11,200 feet per week which would come to something like 548,200 feet a year

(that's just about 110 miles)! Now, assuming that the person(s) walked at 2 mph, the time spent going back and forth would come to 55 hours of time per year. Wow!

OK, now let's change a couple of small things:

 

Note that; 1) an access way has be inserted in the main bar and 2) the entrance register has also been moved to that general location. Additionally, the old register booth was now being used for merchandise which makes that square footage a cash producer (potentially)! The bartender/manager now only needs to walk a few feet, in either direction to service either the bar customers or the diners. This series of changes will result in three positive changes for the owner;

1. A significant number of man hours could  be saved each year
2. Patrons coming in to the establishment could be greeted a minute, or so, faster
3. Square footage was freed up for new income potential

What's really happened her? A quantifiable increase in efficiency at little infrastructural cost.