Margate Cigar Shop offers locals special smoke
Match a fine cigar with a glass of Pinot Noir -- or maybe a Chimay; a creamy Belgian Ale handcrafted by Trappist Monks.
Find it all at Margate's Smoke Inn VI located at 7328 Royal Palm Boulevard where partners Marc Weiss and Salvatore Russo have constructed a cigar lover’s paradise ala walk-in humidor, corporate smoking lounge and reasonably priced fine wines and beers.
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Margate CRA fraught with tenant issues
Margate’s Community Redevelopment Agency, landlord to commercial tenants in the Ace Hardware and Chevy Chase Plazas, have had a rough time of it lately, not only getting tenants to pay their rent, but trying to keep businesses in the plazas from leaving.
“One one hand when we try to be nice and try to help the businesses out, we take a beating,” said MCRA Executive Director, Frank Porcella, “and then when help the businesses out--we take a beating. It’s like a no win,” Porcella posited at the MCRA meeting March 8.
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Vendor Report: Festival Marketing
The majority of vendors attending this year’s 2nd Annual Margate Street Festival a week ago Sunday reported success in varying degrees. Some, like Laura Kerr of Margate's Hair Refuge, did extremely well, she said.
“It’s all in how you work it.”
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Commissioner McLean says MargateNews.net got it wrong
Margate City Commissioner, David McLean, said allegations made by MargateNews.net that his bar was closed by the Florida Division of Alcohol, Beverage and Tobacco were false.
Yes, he was on the state's no sale list, McLean told MargateNews.net outside city chambers Wednesday night and yes, his bar is now closed.
No, he wasn’t shut down.
“I sold it,” McLean said.
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Margate Chamber of Commerce under New Leadership
Long-time Margate Chamber of Commerce board member John Francis of famed Mr. G’s Restaurant has been elected the Chamber's new President. Formed in 2003, the Margate Chamber of Commerce is poised to be a driving force behind Margate small business moving forward.
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Margate Psychic: Couldn’t they see it coming?
No one likes to see a small business fail. But some do, and from each failure comes a lesson for the rest of us. In the case of the now defunct Margate Psychic Shop, the lesson is that we have to continually plan, whether we’re a start up or have been in business for years.
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SCORE sets up shop in Margate
SCORE, America’s Small Business Counselors of the SBA, has set up shop in Margate and is providing small business workshops to area entrepreneurs in search of improving operational efficiencies and boosting marketing efforts.
The Margate Community Redevelopment Agency (MCRA) has donated office and workshop space in kind to SCORE, enabling the organization to expand its scope of services to North Broward businesses.
SCORE now shares space with the Margate Chamber of Commerce in the Thrift Addiction shopping center at the east end of Margate Boulevard. Call 954-356-7263 for more information.
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Business Interruption Insurance
With the worst of hurricane season ahead of us, not behind us, and violent storms swirling in the tropics right now, Margate insurance agent Rick Waldman asks small business owners in the city:
“With the economy the way it is, can you and your employees afford to unexpectedly close for a week, maybe two?”
Storm Tracker
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Small Business Lending Drying Up
The Small Business Office of Advocacy has recently released its report to the President and it isn’t very rosy. Small Business lending remains tight, and although SBA loan guarantees have increased, fewer local lenders are participating in SBA loan programs.
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State of the Restaurant Economy
The restaurant business is changing fast, say marketing analysts. Customer demographics are shifting, and operators looking at long term success need to read the writing on the wall ASAP.
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Margate Commissioner Buys Local Bar
Once the proud owner of Margate’s Ale House Rock Café, Margate Commissioner Dave McClean recently purchased the Recovery Room Beer & Music Hall at 2160 Mears Parkway in Margate.
McClean was well-known in the area for his Friday night Elvis Review at Ale House Rock, drawing Elvis impersonator fans from all over Broward County. He owned it for a few years until Margate’s Community Redevelopment Agency (MCRA) purchased the plaza where the bar was located, presenting a conflict of interest to a city commissioner who also sat on the MCRA Board as a landlord to the property.
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Luxury RVs could stimulate Margate economy
Margate may a get break in an otherwise downtrodden economy if the city approves a luxury RV resort at the vacant Aztec Estates mobile home park on State Road 7 just south of Southgate Boulevard.
RV parcels in the proposed 106-acre, 646 lot community will sell for between $110,000 and $300,000, bringing much needed ad valorem tax dollars to Margate and a significant boost in business to area restaurants, retail and professional services. RVs occupying the lots will be Class A, ranging in price from $200,000 to $2 million.
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Margate Ace is the Place
We caught Pete Toemmes coming out of Margate’s Ace Hardware on what first glance is a fascinating transportation alternative to both motorcycles and cars.
It’s a Cam Am Spyder, says Pete, a “reverse trike” available from Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) out of Canada. Pete said he used to ride a Harley but the wife would never get on back. Things have changed since he introduced a Spyder into their relationship, and with ABS brakes, vehicle stability control and electric assist power steering, they’re both riding around town having fun.
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What's in the Stimulus for Margate Business?
Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the Stimulus) allocates roughly $20 billion to the SBA (Small Business Administration) to lend to American small business. Relief will come in the form of fee reductions for existing SBA loans, higher SBA guarantee limits and help with existing debt payments. SBA loan expansions include grants for technology, more funding to the microloan program and a build-out of the SBA’s flagship 7(a) and 504 loan programs for hard assets like real estate.
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How Not to Run your Business
St. Phelomene Botanica appears to be some kind of religious artifact / worship establishment that has been doing business for some time in what is now the Payless Food plaza at the end of Margate Blvd. Neighboring business owners are at a loss for words over what exactly this business does. “I hardly ever see anyone in there,” said one local.
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Survival of the Fittest
The down economy is pounding Margate small business like a hammer. From restaurants to retail, professional office to healthcare, Margate entrepreneurs are challenged with guarding market share, improving efficiencies and exploring new ways to generate revenue. Who will rise from the rubble when the dust clears? This depends on your strategy, say analysts.
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