I walked into the Pete's coffee shop at Alhambra and Folsom Blvd on Saturday afternoon and saw a friendly familiar face that I recognized. It was none other than Sac Press' Editor in Chief David Barton just enjoying life with a cup of something and a newspaper(of course). I re-introduced myself to him and sat down with my coffee at a table across the room. I really wanted to talk "news" with him but I didn't want to interrupt his down time.

As I sat there at my table enjoying that great Pete's coffee, I found myself looking at the building that is kitty-corner from Pete's. It is the old Andiamo restaurant that has been recently updated. This was suppose to be the site of the Good Eats Grocer?  Whatever happened to the Good Eats place? A couple of weeks ago I went to the Good Eats offices on 20th Street to ask Mike Teel some questions. He wasn’t there and the very sweet gal at the desk said that he doesn’t hardly ever come into the office. I went ahead and left my name and number with her to have Teel give me a call but I never heard back from him. I decided to do some research because I am sure there are people who want to know whatever happened to the grandiose company started by Mike Teel, son of Jim and Joyce Raley Teel.

Information dated July 28, 2008 on the Good Eats Grocer website states : "Good Eats Grocer, Inc., a local start-up enterprise based in Sacramento, has begun the renovation and construction its first location at the 3145 Folsom Boulevard site, the former Andiamo Restaurant and Rosemont Grille. Good Eats Kitchen Bar & Grille, a distinctive new offering in the East Sacramento restaurant-scape, is slated for a year-end 2008 opening." 
Wait a minute. Did that say year-end 2008? I have never seen a small business take almost two years to build, even from the ground up. What is taking so long to get this business open?

I think troubles started at Good Eats when it appeared that Mike Teel underhandedly tried to force Darrel Corti out of his longtime location at 5810 Folsom Blvd by covertly striking a deal with Corti's landlord to lease his location right out from under him. According to the Sacwiki website it stated: "The landlord realized Good Eats was willing to pay twice the rent that Corti Brothers pays so the landlord decided to terminate the Corti Brothers lease." 

When I did a Google search for "Good Eats Corti Brothers", one listing took me straight to  "Good Eats" web page that had this posted: "Meals prepared fresh daily at the Good Eats Kitchen will be available for dine in, take out and will also be sold through Good Eats Grocer stores as early as next Summer when the company opens its first market location at 5810 Folsom Blvd."  Even with the uproar of the community at the bad taste of the Mike Teel's/Good Eats business fiasco, they still have on their web site they are moving into the Corti Bros location at 5810 Folsom Blvd.

Instead of trying to find another location locally, the Good Eats gang fled to Phoenix Arizona to open their first Good Eats Grocery store/ restaurant. Perhaps that was a good idea so that they could do a test market 800 miles away. I guess if people in a struggling economy are not ready for overpriced food in a fancy environment, testing your concept far-far away where your family, friends and critics are not watching is a smart business idea. I will give Teel credit for that. I just feel horrible for the others he took with him to wander out in the desert.
 
Testing your concept market that is sandwiched and surrounded by stores like the Sacramento Food Co-op, Corti Brothers, Safeway and countless other fast food chains, you are bound to have to rethink your business plan really fast. Maybe even before you open your doors.

In October (09) the Sacramento Bee reported that Julie Rollofson was the new CEO of Good Eats and she was also Teel's fiancé.  After doing some checking at the CA Secretary of State's Office, Good Eats Grocer filed in November (after the October Bob Shallit article in The Bee) corporation papers showing Teel as CEO, Rollofson Secretary and Robert Teel as COO, and all listing addresses owned by Mike Teel or the Teel family trust.  Is that just bad reporting on the Bee's part or did Mike just tell Julie she was CEO to make her feel important and so he could get some? Probably both!

The Bee should investigate the facts before it publishes a story unless it is just a “puppet paper” for Raley’s and the Teel’s and has to print whatever they are told to print. It seems like they are because every time we read something about Raley’s or the Teel’s, the information is not always supported by provable facts.
 
The Shallit article in October also stated this new Good Eats would be opening in January of this new year and may have been printed to convince Bee readers things are running smooth for Teel and his new fiancé.
 
Then it started to occur to me that maybe Bob Shallit's article in October was just a set-up article for Teel to make it appear like things are moving along just fine with the grand opening set for January and all along knowing that mom and dad are also setting it up for him to become Raley's CEO.  What timing for Raley's to announce in The Bee at the end of October that Bill Coyne (personal friend of Mike Teel) had abruptly quit his position as the CEO of Raley's.
 
After looking at Teel's business history, he cannot afford to have one more black mark on his résumé. In my opinion, It might be best if Teel's mom and dad give him the CEO position at Raley's "once again" so that he can avoid having to face the embarrassment of another losing business venture.  This one being Good Eats. Who will say anything if Rollofson has to take the fall with it?  Would even Mike Teel do that to his fiancé?  Maybe Teel has plans for her at Raley's if he becomes Raley's CEO?

When I drove around the street I noticed that the sign that once announced the “Coming Soon” is now laying against the dumpster across the street from the unsigned and unused store. Perhaps it is just a matter of time before the coming soon sign and the store idea are both cast by the wayside.  A store idea maybe ahead of its time. The same excuse Raley's gave for its failing "Miracle Mart" stores back in the '60s.
 
Something seems kind of fishy about all the hoopla The Bee gave Mike Teel and the four or five Good Eats eateries that would soon open up in the Sacramento area.  I bet other legitimate small businesses locally would appreciate the kind of attention The Bee gave Teel.  
 
Maybe Teel was also looking for investors(including his mom and dad)  to jump into his new business venture and when he found none he decided it was time for him to jump out too. In my opinion the smartest jump he has ever made. The negative publicity and community disdain he and Good Eats got from the Corti shenanigan they tried to pull probably sealed their coffin on any investors possibly interested in this as an investment.   
 
How does Good Eats identify its kind of business with the Secretary of State's Office? Retail or Restaurant? No, it is listed as an "Investment Business." At the rate Good Eats is going, maybe all of Mike Teel’s investment businesses are all long term investments, very long term.

I have been dying for Good Eats for quite some time. I just don’t want to die holding my breath waiting for it. Maybe Jim and Joyce Teel will go ahead and decide to open it up in spite of this article. It is Good Eats or good ridden? Either way I feel it is a win-win situation.