Fran's Countdown (Continued)

Buzz Patterson sends another email he received from one of the many volunteers who made the dinners at Fran's happen:

I've sat back long enough biting my tongue and listening to the rhetoric coming from the Hilton Corp concerning the closure of Fran O'Brien's and I have finally had enough. I keep hearing that the closure of Fran O'Brien's was a business decision, what does that really mean? I can give you some insight on how the how and what the Hilton Corp considers a "business decision". Having been a volunteer in helping Hal and Marty for over two years, I have watched this unfold and it is very upsetting to see any company, not to mention one as large as the Hilton behave in such a manner.

Here is the history:

Hal and Marty contacted the Hilton Corp last year, one year in advance of their lease expiring to get things going for a new lease. In their original proposal Hal asked for some items that any normal human being would consider a landlord's responsibility. They asked for new carpet, some bathroom and other area upgrades, and the big kicker...an elevator or some other means to get patrons (not just military members) down to the restaurant without having to go through the crowded storage bowels of the basement where the current service elevators are. Hilton's response to Hal and Marty was that we are going to renew your lease, but the elevator is off the table and once YOU have made the area improvements that are being requested, we will sign a new lease. Let me make that clear, the Hilton wanted the new carpet, bathroom and other area improvements done by Hal and Marty BEFORE they would consider giving Hal a new lease. That's good business, right? Hal being the smart business man that he is, stated "let's sign the lease first then I'll make the upgrades", to which the Hilton said "let's talk about it" and stood behind their statement that they ARE going to renew the lease once it all gets worked out. Hal took them at their word, but was very smart not to make any upgrades until a lease was signed. Months go by and Hilton's position was, "we still want you there, but upgrade yourself before we sign a new lease for you."

In the meantime, the Hilton stopped paying Fran O'Brien's for the room service they provided to guests that were billed their hotel room. The Hilton continued to give different accounting excuses on why it could not be paid until more than 6 months had gone by and the amount owed exceeded the amount in one month's rent. Hal, being the smart business man that he is told the Hilton to use the money owed toward that month's rent. The Hilton came back saying no way and took it as a non-compliance of rent payment.

At about that time, the Hilton stopped all voice and email response to Hal's constant contact. The Fran O'Brien's lease was up at the beginning of 2006 and Hal repeated contacted the Hilton, but was never given the courtesy of a response either way. Because the lease expired and Fran O'Brien's was going month to month because no one told them otherwise, the Hilton Corp decided it was within their right to increase the rent 100%. That's right folks the Hilton Corp doubled the rent in an effort to force Fran O'Brien's out of business. When the Hilton finally saw that Hal and Marty were not folding, they sent them an eviction notice to be off the property within less than 30 days. That folks is Hilton's way of doing business.

Having said all that, business decisions have to be made, and sometimes they are not always what we want. But how you act and the integrity behind how you conduct that business is what really should be examined here, and the Hilton should suffer monetarily by losing business from angry people worldwide. They did not and continue not to have any form of integrity what so ever.

The Hilton continues to do damage control by making statements like they support the troops by moving the dinner to another restaurant and they have been there supporting the dinners all along. That people, really pisses me off. With the exception of this past Friday the Hilton has never helped out or been involved in any Friday Soldier dinner for the past 2 ½ years we have been doing this. It was comical this past week, they saved a parking spot for our bus, escorted us down to an elevator through a neatly cleaned coat closet and hallway where in the past we could barely get by because of all the mattresses and other hotel storage supplies in the way. The manger was even there holding an umbrella as wounded and family got off the bus. It was absolutely disgusting as I watched him look to see where the CBS and CNN cameras were pointing and run to get in the background to help like it was something he routinely did. Statements coming from the Hilton today hint to the event of Fran O'Brien's not paying their rent, well Hilton how about paying your own bills?

The Hilton before this past Friday night had never, and I repeat never had anything to do with the dinners, with the exception of one thing: The bell staff, who were always very polite and respectful for the injured troops would unlock the doors to the luggage/coat closet enabling us to get the wheelchair patients to the service elevators. That is the extent of it, and for them to say anything different is a flat out lie, but seeing how they conduct themselves, it is evident they are okay with lying to everyone in the name of damage control. And since the dinners have been put on by Fran O'Brien's and facilitated by numerous volunteers, the Hilton's offer to move it to the Twigs restaurant upstairs will never happen. If they don't fold and let Fran O'Brien's stay, we will never go back to that or any other Hilton. Note: In the 2½ years I have been helping to Fran O'Brien's, I have never seen more than 4 people in Twigs at a time. I always thought that it was closed. It's obvious what eatery in the hotel was of choice, since Fran's was always packed. Maybe the Hilton wanted Fran's out because they could gain back market share for their own restaurant, just something to think about.

Bottom line here is the Hilton did not want to pay for an elevator that would be a very expensive proposition. And in the long scheme of things that might have been a sound business decision for the Hilton, they may never have been able to recoup that cost. But the fact of the matter is that the way the Hilton Corp handed themselves very poorly with relation to communication and simple good business practices. For Fran O'Brien's and the 35 people who will soon be out of work, the Hilton's behavior and business practices is/are just wrong. They are an American corporation who should have high morale and civic values. They deserve all the bad publicity and loss of business they get. I for one will be turning my Hilton rewards card and taking the 20+ weekly room reservations my unit uses elsewhere, I will be passionately encouraging all my co-workers to do the same.

Andrew