Pat O'Brien

Hearthstone vs Panera

After much anticipation the Metrocom (NE Cities around San Antonio) area got a Panera. My family in Virginia has had them for years and loved them. I never totally got why they liked them so much and it was clear to me today.

By the lines, Panera, is a great place to eat with lots of customer loyalty, but also in the Forum is Hearthstone Bakery and Cafe. Hearthstone's owner and main chef created the concept from the ground up and you can tell in everything you eat there. My favorite is the Turkey Artichoke Panini and it is amazing. The Panera one is good, but Hearthstone's has you thinking about when you can come back and try it again. Penera has tea; Hearthstone has really good TEA! Hearthstone also servers Beer and Wine. I love good beer and they have a great selection!

As a small business owner (sometimes my business is smaller than I would like) I also tend to favor other small business owners over chains. This is an easy choice for me, because the only bad thing at Hearthstone is that you sometimes have a line and that goes for both places.

And if you are wondering on price, my impression is the Hearthstone in addition to being better tasting, it is also cheaper! See the link below and visit them.

If you like Panera, you will love Hearthstone! A great welcome to Panera you are good, but I am afraid you will be my second choice.

Check them out! You will not be sorry. They have two locations, the original in the Forum and the newest one in Olmos.

http://www.hearthstonebakerycafe.com

But, because March 18th is the 3rd Thursday, I will have to work this year year on the 18th of March.

Another one of RE/MAX Access's Cold Drinks and Hot Topics! We put these classes on primarily for the Real Estate Community and have had agents from as far as Northern Virginia attend. We like an RSVP, which you can do with a comment here, but even if you find that you are free, come join us with a charged laptop!

Kristin Moran was written up in the Express-News and has done training for the Broker/Owners with RE/MAX of Texas. Why pay for a class, when you can get the best here in San Antonio, for free! SPACE is limited so those that RSVP will get the desks first. LIMITED PLUGS, so please bring a charged Laptop. Fairfield Inn & Suites in Schertz is our sponsor and they supply the WIFI for us too!

Many times you use a company because of a relationship. I have been selling real estate for 15 years and had a first last night. I got home at 10:30 after doing a presentation for the Lonestar Chapter of the National MS Society (my yearly personal Charity, CMN is my work Charity) and found a very toasty house and a panting little Schnauzer.

Long story short after checking all the knuckle head things, my compressor is DEAD. 3 or more years ago Glenda Shulz, with First American, explained why I not only needed to sell her Home Protection Plans, but get one for my house. I signed up and paid what now seems like a very reasonable fee and never made a call. Last night, I made my first call and emailed Glenda to let her know! The company wasn't able to fit me in today, but after a call from Glenda's office I am first on their schedule tomorrow. With the heat, there are stories of people waiting 2 to 4 days to get an AC checked.

Glenda, although it is still toasty, knowing that they will be here first thing really helps.

I will continue to update the progress, but to all you out there that own homes, especially if you are agents that encourage your clients to get these plans, right now the piece of mind that my bill will not exceed, $55 makes it not seem so hot in here!

Thanks Glenda for being a great sales person and for the long term relation ship you have had with both of my offices!!!! Glenda works the San Antonio Market.

As the Chair of the local chamber I write an article in our weekly paper. This is my draft for my Monday deadline. I usually am positive and try to find the good news about our area, so this will be a departure. Thought I would put it here too. Although not real estate related this type of gubernatorial veto doesn't put us into a great light with the rest of the world. In Texas the veto is final because only the Governor can call a special session to overturn his veto. Don't see that happening.

Draft of this weeks article...

I have written mostly positive articles for over a year now about both our region and our state. Last week, the Christian Science Monitor published a report that San Antonio is the MOST recession proof city in the country and that four of the top five recession proof cities are in Texas. Yet, something else last week overshadowed this good news. Gov. Perry vetoed SB488, the safe passage bill which would require motorists to give 3' of clearance to pedestrians, wheelchairs, cyclists, etc. He did this at the end of the day Friday, so many of you may have missed it. There are people who don't believe that the roads are for anything other than trucks and cars. As a cyclist, I have been shot at (yes, I heard the pop out of a truck and the thud in the embankment next to me,) I have fought dogs that the police and sheriff's office don't have the resources to go after, and have had people yell and throw things at my friends and me. My brother has suffered broken bones from getting hit. This last weekend, on the kick-off ride for the MS Valero Ride to the River, a driver pulling a 40+ foot long trailer came within one foot of my single file group, and we watched as this driver did the same to two other groups.

This is not just about a recreational activity. Our children ride bikes, and many commute on foot, bicycles, motorcycles and mopeds to help the environment, exercise, or for any number of reasons. This bill protected them, too, as taken directly from the Governor's Website: "These vulnerable road users would include pedestrians; highway construction and maintenance workers; tow truck operators; stranded motorists or passengers; people on horseback; bicyclists; motorcyclists; moped riders; and other similar road users." I hope all in these categories join the cycling community in demanding an explanation of this veto!

The metro area is getting great accolades, yet to the rest of the country, this will be complied with the articles proclaiming San Antonio one of the fattest cities in the country and start to erode all the great press and truly wonderful aspects of living in this area. Gov. Perry has announced that he wants to be re-elected. We need to remember this if he decides to run again for governor (or another office) or throws his support behind someone else. For the record, Senators Wentworth and Zaffirni both supported this bill. Please reach out and thank them!

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I am posting this for a few reasons. First, just to see the response before I push send on the editors copy. Second, to promote awareness, I don't understand that less than 50% of the people in this country vote. Third, to get the word out on an issue that I am passionate about. I involved in many cycling activities to include helping the MS society and their local ride.

All comments welcome