07/10/2023
Twenty-two months ago, I was approached with a proposition to take over ownership of The Magnolia Bar & Grill. At the time I had only been there a couple times as The Magnolia, but I had enjoyed some quality meals back when it was called The Tree. I was at first reluctant, knowing that it had developed a bit of a negative image with the public and I already had my hands full with W.O.’s down in Village Mills. I felt that “The Mag” as it was called then was, for the most part a bar that served food which I did not think was the best format for Woodville. But, after some discussions with friends that were closer to the situation, I agreed to give it a try. I did this despite Misti’s strong objections, but I did it for what I felt were valid reasons and because I believed that it could again be that upscale casual dining experience that is lacking in the Woodville area. I had owned a similar restaurant in another state back in the early 2000s and had been reasonably successful (until divorce carried me to Texas) so figured I could salvage this one for the community.
Anybody that has ever owned a restaurant knows how difficult it is. Even in ideal conditions, the chances of being profitable are iffy at best. Unfortunately, we saw record inflation in 2022 with sudden and dramatic increases in the cost of everything, from electricity to styrofoam. When you factor in the post-covid labor shortages due to inflated unemployment benefits, along with the already limited labor pool of a small rural town (without a university or college within commuting distance) and you have exactly what we have experienced for the first year and a half, heavy losses. And it didn’t help matters that I suffered a significant financial hit at W.O.’s in late 2022 from which I have not yet recovered.
The bottom line is that I have reached a point where I just simply don’t need this expense & aggravation any longer. I have invested far more time and money into this restaurant than I should have, it’s time to move on and focus all my energy on Misti, my retirement and W.O.’s. The Magnolia will close at midnight on Wednesday, July 12th, and reopen on a yet to be determined date under new management with a new brand. We have identified a group of individuals that are far better positioned than I am to give this community what it deserves, a quality upscale casual dining experience. My understanding is that they will take some time to make some of the physical improvements to the facility that I couldn’t and will hopefully get a fresh start in the community. I am very excited and looking forward to seeing what they “bring to the table”.
Misti and I, on behalf of Ricky & Sharon would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the fine folks here in Woodville who have helped us along the way, folks like Gil Tubb & Casey Tucker, The Woodville Chamber of Commerce, The Tyler County Booster, Walling Signs, Stellar Bank, Cajun Tax Service and I’m sure many others that I can’t think of right now. We also want to thank all our loyal customers, especially the ones that kept coming back time after time again, even when things weren’t the best. But most of all, we want to thank our employees. We’ve become attached to so many of you and we will truly miss our own personal “reality show”. We wish you all the best!
I do want to tie up one loose end though; Sal Baldovinos, there is one very simple and legitimate reason why you never got the apology that you seem to crave so much. You were never man enough to come get it face-to-face, instead you had to run back to your keyboard and whine over and over again as you so often do. The reality is that you had a less than positive experience in a post-covid, rural, small-town restaurant, get over it dude! You don’t have to trash every restaurant in town to promote your buddy’s diner.
