We admit it. We’re big fans of Ken Kelley. In case you’ve forgotten, or never knew, Ken owns Scandals Saloon, a local favorite of the line-dance crowd where cowboy hats and boots are considered de rigueur; as well as The Stable, the intimate levi/leather club in Oakland Park.
We watched as Ken mourned the death of his partner in life and business, Lloyd Pagels, last February. They were together for 35 years—nearly ten of which was spent running the two clubs—so “tragic loss” would seem an understatement.
In March, Ken received the double whammy when he got the news that he was suffering from follicular lymphoma. Fortunately, after six rounds of chemo, he is recovering nicely.
Since we all know that everything comes in “threes,” the Scandals/Stable regulars were just waiting for the final shoe to drop. They didn’t have to wait long for news surfaced in the past few months that WalMart had purchased the K-Mart store across the street from Scandals Saloon and was planning on building a SuperCenter on the property.
Scandals Saloon has long used the K-Mart parking lot for its overflow, so the idea that the lot was about to be shut to traffic meant more potential drama. As with all things Scandals, however, there’s a blessing around every corner.
Beginning October 1 (my father’s birthday, in case you want to buy Big Joe a present), you’ll notice the signs showing up for Tim Higgins’ East Coast Valet Inc. Yes, valet.
Now, before you see $$ signs in a cartoon balloon over your heads, rest easy. While there will be a $5.00 fee for parking, your claim stub will get you two free well drinks or two domestic beers, or one premium drink just by showing one of the happy bartenders tending the Salon. With Happy Hour pricing until 9 p.m. daily and all day on Sunday, you’ll actually end up gaining 50 cents on the deal. Clever Ken.
As far as K-Mart is concerned, here’s the skinny. You’ve got until November 2 until the place is cleared out, right down to the shelving. The building will then be totally gutted, such as has been done to the old Holsum Bakery Outlet store next door. (Check out the east side of the parking lot and look for a lawn green enough for croquet.)
Then, you can expect a good six to eight months of building on the site, and another month to stock the store. All of which means that sometime before Thanksgiving of 2015, the mood of the neighborhood on the corner of NE 6th Avenue and Oakland Park Boulevard is going to change.
That’s plenty of time for all the WalMart haters to get on their soapboxes and wax poetic about the doom and gloom that the mega-retailer will bring to the surrounding mom and pops. No question that WalMart has an image problem, particularly after last year’s spontaneous employee picketing before its Black Friday sales event.
It matters little if you are the nation’s largest retailer, or that’s you’ve managed to make $11 billion profit in the past year—particularly not if you’ve done it on the beaten backs of mistreated employees and wage inequities.
For all its clout, WalMart still gets sued 5,000 times a year—or 17 times every day. That makes for a lot of unhappy employees.
All of which brings us back to Ken Kelley, with his Scandals Saloon front and center right across the street. The bar is full of happy customers and smiling line-dancers—each one a potential WalMart customer. Save Money. Live Better. Visit Scandals (and The Stable too)….Until next week….
Photo of Scandals by Big Dewitte
