It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

We can either reap the reward of good decisions
or face the dire consequences of bad ones.

                                                      Consequences

     On September 9, 1965, Hurricane Betsy hit the city of New Orleans.  This hurricane was one of the deadliest and costliest storms to make landfall in the U. S.  Betsy killed 75 people and was the first storm to cause over a billion dollars in damages -- inflation has it between 10 - 12 billion by today's values.

     Levees along the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) and the Industrial Canal breeched, flooding the Upper and Lower Ninth Ward, part of Gentilly, as well as Arabi and part of Chalmette in St. Bernard Parish.  Eight oil platforms were destroyed.  Two of them, a Shell platform and an oil rig owned by George H. W. Bush's Zapata Corporation, the Maverick, disappeared into the Gulf of Mexico and not seen again.  The name Betsy was retired from the list of storm names.

     At the time, my family lived in Arabi and had to be rescued by boat.  There was no flood insurance in 1965.  Betsy was the storm that created the National Flood Program.  I watched my parents rebuild our home and the hardships they endured.

     Katrina was far worse.  My dad, 91 years old at the time, didn't have the strength to rebuild, again.  My family decided not to return to Louisiana.  After spending a month at my sister's home in Keystone, we realized if we were to stay in Colorado, we would have to find a place of our own.

     We drove to the Red Cross location in Colorado Springs.  Our extended family moved into a large apartment complex on the westside of town and began looking for jobs.

     We soon discovered why the cost of living and housing was so affordable in such a desirable location.  Most jobs don't pay much but we had hitched our Pikes Peak or Bust sign to our little rental car (we were on vacation when Katrina hit, losing our home and all possessions, including our vehicles) and we were determined to make it here.

     If salaries were insufficient, maybe we could start a business.  (When your entire community is wiped out by a natural disaster, your support system is gone, too; when it comes to making decisions....you're on your own and many decisions are made in a panic).

     We contacted a business broker and checked out several existing businesses, including a couple of franchises.  The businesses were either too expensive, out of our range of expertise, or didn't meet our financial needs.  The franchises had transfer fees, mandates to renovate in addition to the cost of the business.  It made more sense to purchase a new franchise.

     I searched for new franchises online and discovered one based on the Soup Nazi's Soup Kitchen in Manhattan.  Yes, this is Seinfeld's Soup Nazi.  The character was based on a real person and this was his soups.  It not only seemed like a good idea at the time -- it seemed like a great one.

     This new franchise had name recognition.  People would be curious to try the soup and if it lived up to its legend, well, we'd sell a lot of soup.  

     My husband David was traveling back and forth to Louisiana, helping restore the oil refinery where he worked.  The company provided the employees with trailers and docked a barge along the levee to provide meals.  Everyone had to commute at this time, many like David, from long distances.  They worked seven days on, then seven days off.

     The appointed "Soup Day" to meet with the franchisor fell in the week David worked in Louisiana. My youngest daughter traveled with me to New York to investigate the franchise and its infamous soup.  

     We were treated to three of the fifty-five varieties.  The soup delivered.  There was some trepidation about the franchisor but the soup overpowered any 'gut' feelings.

     So, we took our insurance money, bought a small house in Colorado Springs and an Original SoupMan franchise.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.

                                                                                                      .....to be continued