The I Love CVille Show With Jerry Miller! - Cracker Barrel Rebrand Faces Big-Time Backlash; Other Rebrands Of Significance In CVille Area?

Episode Date: August 22, 2025

The I Love CVille Show headlines: Cracker Barrel Rebrand Faces Big-Time Backlash Other Rebrands Of Significance In CVille Area? Soccer Bar & Club Coming To Hollymead Town Center Texas Firm Wants To Build 11-Story Apts On W Main Will More Apartments Tower Over Westhaven? CVille Ranked In Top 5 Underrated Vacation Spots How Will Fed Rate Cuts Impact CVille Real Estate? 2 Of 3 Car Charger Stations Shut Down By EVgo UVA Releases Non-Conference Hoops Schedule Exec Offices For Rent ($350 – $2000), Contact Jerry Read Viewer & Listener Comments Live On-Air The I Love CVille Show airs live Monday – Friday from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm on The I Love CVille Network. Watch and listen to The I Love CVille Show on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, iTunes, Apple Podcast, YouTube, Spotify, Fountain, Amazon Music, Audible, Rumble and iLoveCVille.com.

Definitely not that. Welcome to the I Love Seville Show. My name is Jerry Miller. Thank you kindly for joining us on the I Love Seville Network and its flagship show. We are located in our building, the Macklin Building, on Market Street. We do a number of things out of this office and with our firm. We're most known for this I Love Seville brand because of the consistency of the content that we create across all social media and podcasting platforms, across all platforms.

The I Love Seville brand has the second largest following of any in Central Virginia. UVA is number one, and then it's us. We're talking reach across all platforms. And we're able to utilize that reach and that influence for a number of things. We do it for keeping our 24 rental. property is full, and we do a really good job of that. We do that with business and deal brokerage. We do that with raising capital for things, clients and our own professional pursuits. We do that. We utilize that influence and that reach with helping clients get awareness and driving

incremental revenue, finding more eyeballs and customers. I like what we do. It's creative, it's different, It's problem solving. And good gosh, I learned so much. One day we could be touring in an eight-story building and kicking the tires on it. And the next day, we could be helping a small business owner come to market with an omnip experiential business model where he has had trouble finding a location for it for an extended period of time. And then the next day we could be, you know, playing racket sports and talking about the political and economic climate from a macro standpoint and how it could trickle down to Charlottesville. Like, here's a good question for you.

You know, with the Fed looking like, I mean, it's all over financial, the financial news right now, looking like September cut is really realistic and more cuts later this year are likely. how will Fed cuts, rate cuts, impact the Charlottesville economy and its market and the supply chain that we call real estate, goodness gracious. If rates start falling and ladies and gentlemen, we know mortgage rates are closely, mortgage rates closely track the 10-year treasury yields. If rates start falling and we start seeing a point or more in savings in the next six to nine months, what's that due to the economy and the real estate market that's really throttled right now from an inventory standpoint inventory is so pinched it seems like the residential real estate market

has really quicksand itself i mean it's so slow moving how how will a change in rates impact that market a lot i want to cover i'm going to ask you the viewer and listener to this question have you been following the and the rebranding of cracker barrel the uh Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is a publicly traded company, this restaurant. And goodness gracious, its stock is so volatile right now. It's like the Loch Ness Monster or Big Bad Wolf at Bush Gardens, just an up and down roller coaster ride. It's stock chart.

And Crackle Barrow has a rich history of country hospitality. I would say that's very fair. A rich history of country hospitality. But its CEO and its C-suite team have done. decided to take an institutional southern brand, crackle barrel, and its tagline, Old Country Store, and its branding elements, an old guy perched on a rocker with his elbow on a barrel, and remove it all together. The old country store tagline is gone, and if you look at the logo, the old timer, who's having a good sit on a rocker with his elbow,

on a barrel have been taken away from the brand. And the C-suite of Cracker Barrel has said, goodness gracious, we want to depoliticize our brand. We want to appeal to customers in a different way that's not just breakfast, try to revitalize and uplift the logo. Depending on who you talk to, they've got a different reason for the rebrand. We'll talk about that with Judah. We'll talk about it with you, the viewer and listener.

I want to ask you what you make of this. Why change an icon? Or is that part of being leadership, huffing new life into a business to keep it heading in the right direction as the political and economic climate changes on a everyday basis? And then I'm going to transition the rebranding of Cracker Barrel to Charlottesville and Central Virginia. I'm going to ask you, the viewer and listener, speaking of rebranding and branding transition, which local businesses have rebranded and transition well? or transition poorly. One that's rebranded and transitioned very well is alcohol distributor J.W. Sieg, who is now known as Virginia Eagle distributing.

Man, did their branding transition perform admirably. A distributor that was owned and operated by an established family locally, very wealthy family, the Sieg family, is now known as Virginia Eagle. and from a distribution standpoint, the most market share locally. Scott Warner and Keith Clark and some of these guys of Virginia Eagle, just local icons, guys that you'll see around restaurants and, you know, just outgoing charismatic fellas. I'd say that transition's gone well.

Another transition rebranding, refresh that's gone really well is, one, we were actively a part of our firm and some of the council and consultation we provide a client of ours who owns a number of restaurants local, Andy McClure, who is the second most prolific restaurant owner locally. I think our other client, Kit Ashy, who might be watching the program right now, is now the most prolific restaurant owner in Charlottesville and Almore County. And we help her, and it's her news to break and get out there,

but we helped Kit and her team broker the purchase of another restaurant that will soon open in another strategic location. We've helped with two acquisitions and two broker deals and her empire. But number two, from a volume standpoint, or from a noteworthy standpoint, especially since Wilson Ritchie has passed away, the late great Wilson Ritchie, is Annie McClure. And Annie McClure, who's most known for Citizen Burger Bar, he at one time owned the Biltmore, that's now Ellie's Country Club. He owned three and Jabber Walkie, which is now like a student union on the UVA corner.

He owned West Main Restaurant. He opened Citizen Burger Bar. We helped him with the launch of Citizen Burger Bar down to the design of the logo. And he approached us, Andy, about taverting, about West Main and rebranding the institutional watering hole West Main, which was a locals pub, almost a dive bar, but a beloved. loved pub, West Main, that used to be awful Arthur's. And he said, I want to uplift it. I want to raise its perception, its brand. I want to elevate it. And Taverting Grocery was the pursuit. We help with that rebrand down to the logo design.

We help with Lausaint down to the logo design and the relaunch of the business. Our firm did. I'd say Andy's idea to transition West Main to Taverton, Grocery, and Law Sain was flawlessly executed. We're proud to be a part of that. Now owned by Ashley Sieg, Tavern and Grocery and Law Sain. She purchased Tavern and Grocery and LaSaint from Annie McClure. And interestingly, Ashley Sieg, of the Sieg family that owned J.W. Sieg, the distributorship, that's now Virginia Eagle distributing. How about Tomas, the face of Mastapas at one time, who launches Quality Pie, Quality Pie, the old Spudnuts location, right? The old Sputnuts location. He recently rebranded Quality Pie Bar Tomas. Tomas is a talented chef. Boy,

oh boy, can that guy cook? And boy, oh boy, does Tomas know restaurants? He knows restaurants like the Pope knows Holy Water. Like Judah Wickhauer knows flannel and 100 degree heat in the summer. I mean, few people know flannel and 100 degree heat in the summer like Judah Wickhauer does. He even wears denim in a hundred degree heat in the summer. And he does it cooler than the other side of the pillow. You're wearing denim, are you not?

You're not wearing denim right now? When was the last time I had a flannel shirt? Okay. You wear a button-down shirt with an undershirt, jeans, socks, and shoes when it's 100 plus degrees outside. Yeah, and we're not outside, are we?

I'm getting in the weeds here. Bart Tomas is the new venture and the new extension of quality pie. I never understood the brand quality pie because what he was serving at quality pie was significantly more than just pie. Yeah, I think that's why the rebrand. Then the repositioned to Bartomas, homage to his first name, while also giving an example that it's not just pie that's being served here. So viewers and listeners, what rebrands have happened? locally, that have been executed well or poorly. I just gave you three.

J.W.C. to Virginia Eagle. West Main Restaurant to Tavern and Grocery with a speakeasy law saint in the basement. And quality pie rebranded to Bar Tomas. Viewers and listeners, any other rebrandings of significant that we should highlight on the show, whether well done or executed poorly? Curious of your thoughts on the show.

Judah Wickhauer on a two-shot, Charlottesville Sanitary Supply is 61 years in business, Judah. Man, when you're 61 years in business, you don't need a rebrand at all. Charlottesville Sanitary Supply online at Charlottesville Sanitary Supply.com, located on High Street. If you have sanitary needs, any cleaning needs, any cleaning supply needs, Charlottesville Sanitary Supply is who you support. If you need your pool, the water check, the water tested, Charlottesville Sanitary Supply does swimming pool water testing they have a mechanic on site

that can repair your vacuums and they're expensive now get them fixed if you can repairs vacuums repairs pool bots repairs all kinds of stuff mechanic on site and the most education knowledge

offered to you the customer in a communicative free way these guys know what's up 61 years in business five generations in Almaro County and business owners that are three generations in strong Charlottesville Sanitary Supply. I mentioned four rebrandings, actually.

I think three that have been done flawlessly. J.W. Sieg to Virginia Eagle. Was that, but was that a company change or just, did they just change their logo? I think it was tied, it was tied to the exit of the owner. The owner, the Sieg family, looking to grow the brand, exiting. And Keith and Scott Warner and the Virginia Eagle team that watches this program routinely offer some insight here if you don't mind. But the Sieg family, I believe sold either the majority stake, the entire stake, or a controlling position in the company.

And then it became Virginia Eagle. Yeah. That's a rebrand. Clear refresh rebrand. Another example was West Main becoming tavern and grocery up top and Los Angeles the Speakeasy. Another example was quality pie rebranding to Barron. Tomas. I think all those three have been done extremely well, and I think one that was not done very well, was rebranding the Biltmore to Ellie's Country Club, and that's just my personal take.

That's just my personal take. And why we're talking about this is Cracker Barrel. Put the two lower throats that I suggested to put on screen. Have you seen the national news, ladies and gentleman, that Cracker Barrel, the beloved country store that is institutional in its brand equity for southern country hospitality, has chosen a different approach to its brand and its image, completely gutted it from my standpoint. They removed the tagline old country store. That's the thing of the past. They changed the first. They changed the first. font, and then they change elements of the logo, specifically the old guy sitting on a rocking chair with his elbow perched on a barrel.

Yeah. I think a lot of this story is buried and obscured by, you know, by talk about the logo, because I think that's definitely part of it. but their refreshes a lot more than just their logo. Yeah, it's changing hours of operation. It's changing menus served. I believe now selling booze. Yeah, they're going to sell booze.

They've changed their interiors for a more modern look. Yeah. So, you know, saying that the backlash is all about the logo change is a little bit disingenuous. Not that, you know. What's disingenuous? I disagree. completely with you. The backlash to the logo change is tangible and palpable. It's not disingenuous. Part of that backlash is also a part of the restaurant and dining experience

changing. And you would say that center-iseled and or right-wing consumers that are now saying go woke, go broke. And making reference to Bud Light, for example, I think, think Target or Walmart got stuck up on this as well. Many clear examples of going broke that are out there now. But I apologize for interrupting you. Go ahead. I just think that the drop in, you know, the drop in their stock price, all that, to say that it's simply because of a logo change is missing the mark on a lot of the much larger changes that they've made, including what we've talked about. I believe I heard that they're changing their music selection, less country and Christian music. And so there's, you know, the backlash is not just, because I don't think their new logo

is woke. I don't think there's anything really wrong with it. It's not great. There was no reason viewers and listeners, let us know your thoughts and put them in the feet. You take away the old guy that's sitting on a rocking chair with his elbow perched on a barrel. Yeah, that's not woke to remove him. You take away the old country store tagline and you make the logo

I would say run-of-the-mill borderline generic. Yeah. And taking away its charm and it's nostalgia. Yeah. And you don't think this strategy you don't think this strategy is that as in is at all backed in political neutrality with its refresh or rebrand backed in you don't think this rebrand judah in any capacity

is rooted in a political neutrality analysis or thinking you think they're trying to be more neutral by removing an old guy from their logo potentially You don't think that? Am I, I mean, I respectfully, you know, I will agree to disagree with you on that. I'll hear you out. But you don't think that in this rebrand and refresh with Crackle Barrel that they thought taking out the old timer sitting on a rocking chair with his elbow perched on a barrel, when the name of the restaurant is Cracker.

So you're saying the, you're saying the Cracker is for the white guy? Are we living in today's world? Of course, that's what I'm... You don't think... You think that's how they named the... Okay. But you've never heard of that illusion? It's called Cracker.

Isn't there a slur on a white person, a Cracker? Yeah. And so it would seem to me that some folks associate the brand with a barrel of crackers. Associations is not the same thing as the reason why they named it that. You're 100% right. But associations go along. way. Do they not? Sure. So if the brand is cracker, a white slur and barrel, meaning whether

associated, meaning whether straight up or associated, a collection of crackers, and then they remove the white guy that's on a rocking chair with his elbow on a barrel, you don't think there's strategy with that? I mean, come on you, you've worked in this industry a long time. I don't doubt that they wanted to, you know, maybe just yeah, take away some of that association and just leave the name. But

if it had just, if they had changed nothing else but the logo, I don't think there would have been even a fraction of the backlash that the rest of their changes have brought. What's odd to me

is the Cracker Barrel locations are strategically positioned in the south. They're southern positions. Okay. This is, from my standpoint, not understanding your audience and your consumer, and it brings back memories for me of Bud Light Anheuser-Busch MBEV and the backlash they face with the Bud Light collaboration in 2023, with social influencer.

Dylan Mulvine, who is transgender. And the Bud Light consumers were floored, flabbergasted, angered when InBev, Anheiser Bush used a flag-carrying LBGTQ activist and proponent as the endorser or as the face of the Bud Light brand and advertising campaigns. And my commentary here is not about LBGTQ. I do whatever you want. I support anybody. Do whatever you want.

My commentary here is not understanding your customer base and knowing that the Bud Light drinker is a center-iseled to right-isled individual that is more conservative in ideology, probably largely

majority heterosexual and their sexuality. and they did not identify with the endorser that was a part of this campaign and as a result, Bud Light hit the shitter big time. Excuse my language. Sorry for using profanity. But for a long period, and still hasn't frankly recovered.

Still hasn't recovered. What are your thoughts? Conan Owen watching the program, he knows the thing or two about brand identity and logos. He's the CEO and owner of Sir Speedy of Central Virginia. have a logo and you need an application or you want to scale it and drive visibility for it, Sir Speedy of Central Virginia can do t-shirts, merchandise, window decals, signage, direct mail. This banner that's behind me, the step and repeat banners, Conan Owen and

Sir Speedy of Central Virginia. He's a darting graduate, he's a business development wizard and he's all around smart guy. Sir Speedy of Central Virginia is a great point of contact for you if you need visibility for your logo from a tangible 2D, 1D, 3D, direct mail capacity. He says the new logo is boring. Without the image, it could be crate and barrel. I agree if they left a logo alone, no one would be saying much, though country music is a huge part of their identity. No doubt.

The whole country store experience is a part of their identity. Yeah. going and hanging out in the country store while you wait for your name to be called because they're often busy. A huge part of their country experience is having a good sit on a rocker while outside the store on the covered porch. Oh, yeah. A huge part of the experience is the large checker boards they have around the restaurant. You and your brother, and goodness gracious, my brother and I, many checkers match

while our parents and I were waiting for a table at Cracker Barrel. I'm trying to tie this into Charlottesville. Which rebrands have made sense that have been strategic. I think Barthomas is the clearest example of a good job. I guess it remains to be seen how well it does locally with people stopping in. But as you mentioned earlier, it was unclear what they were before. and, you know, I went in there one time hoping to get, like, you know, some of those savory pies that the pie guy sells, and all they had were dessert pies. So I was a little disappointed at the time.

And, yeah, other than that, I didn't know what they were pies, their main focus. so at least now it's a little less ambiguous and I hope them much success with the rebranding. Bill McChesney says don't forget that golf tea game that they have on

the tables where you have the teas on a wooden block that has holes pegged in them and you're competing against somebody or you're competing against yourself and your game plan is to just have one tea that's left on the wooden block that's pegged with holes. Love that game. Well said at Bill McChesed. And he says the old country store you bought,

in the old country store you bought your crackers from bulk barrels, not and neatly packaged boxes like saltines are today. Sit around the stove and whittle and chew the fat. Have a good sit. James Watson, I respect his opinion tremendously. He has this, James's photo on screen. You will see the best rebranding is not from a business in our area, but it is the new Charlottesville Middle School. Transitioning from Beaufort. So far, the building is absolutely beautiful, state-of-the-art classroom facilities, brand, new gym, climbing wall, engineering, labs, and plenty of light, and still under construction. James Watson, love James Watson. Bufour Middle School is now Charlottesville Middle School. And by all counts, the construction for Charlottesville Middle School has been state-of-the-art and absolutely

gorgeously executed. I never had beef with the need to change Bufur Middle School and to reconfigure it into Charlottesville Middle School, my beef with this project was, A, the price tag, B, how long it took to execute, and C, that they crapped on the West Main Streetscape project, shut it down to reposition dollars to this school rebranding. That's what my beef was. When the West Main Streetscape Project had dollars contributed by the University of Virginia and by VDOT, that's what my beef was, free money. ended up giving back.

Which we ended up giving back, free money. And still nothing has happened with the West Main Streetscape Project, which is arguably the most important streetscape in all of the city of Charlottesville because it connects the university to downtown. And speaking of downtown, my wife has a friend that's visiting here from Massachusetts. She is in town my wife's friend. Her name's Katie. She's a fabulous person, Katie.

She's in town because Katie's sister is in a wedding. and Katie's sister has, I believe, two kids, young kids, babies. Or maybe one, Katie is looking after her sister's baby and somebody else's baby. So she's basically in town for the long weekend to be a nanny as her sister is in a wedding at a high dollar venue. I won't say which one. Pippin Hill. Go ahead and say it.

High dollar venue. And they're in town Thursday through the weekend. Katie, my wife's friend. was one of the bridesmaids in our wedding. And we got married locally here as Kluge was transitioning to Trump and at the Almorra estate. What a beautiful view it was. We've been married, my wife and I,

well, don't mess this up. Almost eight, no, eight years in change. And Katie says this last night as we're hanging out. I'm drinking beers. The ladies are drinking wine at the house. Goodness gracious, I went downtown. I remember the downtown mall when I was here for your wedding, Jerry. And the downtown mall was hopping. It was buzzing in 2017. We parted here. We closed down the bars. It was just a great spot. She went downtown last night for the first time since she was here for our wedding. And she said she didn't even recognize it. She said she was overwhelmed with the homeless, and it almost looked like as if the downtown

mall was having economic difficulty with some of the storefronts being boarded up and the homeless everywhere. She was floored with the state of the mall after remembering it in the summer of 2017. Yeah. She says, it's fallen mightily. Her words, not mine. Sometimes you're so in, like, in it that you don't realize how far it's fallen or how much it's improved because you're just so

in it. And then you hear it from someone you trust who last was on the mall in June of 2017 who said she don't even recognize it. Yeah. Slow incremental changes creep up on you and before you know it something can

look totally different but you're just accustomed to the daily changes. Comments coming in here. Let's go to Janus Boyce Trevillian. I thought the cracker barrel, she says, had to do with the cheese in that market. I never thought of white slang. I agree they will lose customers,

the older folks and conservatives, patronizing their business. Travis Hackworth watching the program in Danville, Virginia. Huge difference between updating and just crapping all over your customer base. Barbara Becker-Tilly watching the program, her comments. Terrible, dumb marketing decisions.

You could have easily upgraded without changing the old Americana perception, they will lose a huge following, Barbara Becker-Tilly. Bill McChesney watching the program. He says the Lewis Clark and Sakajia statue still sits in an intersection that has been talked about for years. VDOT is currently putting out public inquiries and feedback for it. where is it i thought the lewis and clark

sacchia statue was taken down am i wrong it is it's gone all this left is the plinth that it was on oh sorry okay i apologize he says the lewis clark and sacchia statue plinth still sits in an intersection that has talked about for years v dot is currently putting out public

inquiries for feedback dude i literally this is the first time in my entire life i've heard the word plinth i did not so the plinth is what holds the statue the base? I did not know that. Bill McChesney and you just taught me a word for the first time.

Plinth. It's great. It's genuinely telling you the truth. Did not know the word plinth. Now, if you ever use that word again, I have to attribute it to you. I mean, the word plinth, plinth is not going to come up often in conversation.

Probably not. The plinth of the Sacajawea, Lewis and Clark statue is still there. Yeah, it's still there. and the statue is gone and just another Charlottesvilleism. Yeah, that is quintessential Charlottesvilleism. Taking down the statue, but leaving the plinth

and the entire area the same except for the statue. Yeah. Think about that. That is quintessential Charlottesville. Viewers and listeners, let us know your thoughts. Logan Wals-Cla-Lay-Loh, welcome to the broadcast. Viewers and listeners of all shapes, sizes, sexes, and skin colors watching the program.

right now, which we love that. We're a water cooler of conversation. John Blair, number two in the family. As someone in the business, I guess my question is this. Do you need a rebrand if your sales keep increasing year over year? Crackle barrel is not in some sort of declining sales situation. That's another good point. Yeah, yeah. That's why, this is my whole issue with the Biltmore Ellie's Country Club. One of the key managers in the Andy McClure restaurant empire purchased the Biltmore from Andy McClure. And one of the first things she did was rebrand an institution, the Biltmore, that is literally a corner institution, a generational customer base, and do a play on Ellywood Avenue with

Ellie's country club. Why make that change? Why rebrand something if business year over years doing well? A good example is West Main, West Main Restaurant on West Main Street. It had plateaued. West Main Restaurant had plateaued in its customer base, its engagement, its foot traffic, it had plateaued. So to strategically huff life into West Main Restaurant and rebranded as Tavern and Grocery and Lawsaint to Speak Easy in the basement and raise and make it an elevated experience, which you then can change the ingredients, the price points. I mean, they changed everything.

It was a completely new restaurant. Yeah. Yeah. Different price point. It went from borderline dive bar to a classy, elevated experience. That kind of rebrand makes sense. The quality pie rebrand makes sense.

Never understood the brand quality pie. Never understood that. Thank you, Bill McChesney for Plinth. He's putting the muscle emoji on the comment section because he taught me a word. Judah did too. Judah gets credit as well. All right.

viewers and listeners, rebrands or branding transitions that have been executed well locally or poorly locally? Let us know your take, put them in the feed, we'll relay them live on air. I think this crackle barrel rebrand is going to go the way of the dodo bird, which was Bud Light, having a transgender evangelist be the spokesperson of an advertising campaign. Of a beer that's largely associated with NASCAR and with center aisle if not conservatives

if not rednecks if not working class yeah Holly's Diner has had quite a few

rebrands that's a great one used to be the lunchbox Holly's Diner that's excellent Judah

it was called the lunchbox at one time of client of ours at one time now Holly's Diner so that's changed hands

but I believe I believe the current owner has changed the name at least once, which I always found curious. If Aaron King is watching this program, she's a key team member with the Feast,

Mary Mill Vineyard Team. I've worked alongside Aaron King for a long period of time. I watched her be a key team member at Commonwealth Sky Bar with Justin Butler, where they had a badass restaurant and were crushing it when Commonwealth Skybar was in its heyday. Aaron King knows branding inside and out. and restaurant business inside and out. If you're watching Aaron, any insight you can put in on this,

I would find extremely valuable. Holly's Diner, Tavern and Grocery, West Main. I've had many a drink with Aaron King at West Main Restaurant. Holly's diner is a good example, the lunchbox transition. Any other ones that come to mine? Ragged Mountain

adds, Ragged Mountain running shop to Ragged Mountain, or running and walking shop, not necessarily a rebrand, but they add walking in there as their customers age out of running to walking. Any other rebrands that come to mind, viewers and listeners.

And if we don't have that answer now, we can table this discussion to another, Vanessa Parkill, welcome to the broadcast, print radio and television, Holly Foster, and Henryko. She says, I don't care about that logo. I just go to enjoy the breakfast. And Marlene Jones says, Charlottesville Middle School has adopted the Charlottesville

High School sports branding. Thank you, Marlene Jones. Bill McChesney says, now they've got Peyton Manning trying to bring Bud Light back to life. And he says, a plinth also applies to column bases and a block

at the bottom of a piece of molding trim. Yeah. Bill McChesney, if he was here, I'd give that man a flying chess bump. Jeremy Wilson is watching in Eastern Tennessee. He says, trust me, here in Tennessee, the crackle barrel rebranding is backfiring in a huge way. He's watching in Eastern Tennessee in Cookville, Cookville.

Oh, man, I'm getting text messages from, well, I just leased another office here. one of my one of the $585 a month offices we have we just got a confirmation via text nice

fantastic all right that's a great way to start the show next headline Judahwick Kerr at the 111 marker as I now have to get a lease well it's a boilerplate so just have to substitute some things in and out

what headline am we going to talk about here on the show soccer bar and club oh this is a good one this was in uh sean tubs is uh charltsville community substack there's a brick and mortar business um coming to holly mead town center it's a soccer bar and business club and it's going to be called the fox den sean tubs is reporting um soccer watch parties, restaurant, bar, retail, and a place for events. So it's going to be a soccer-focused restaurant and bar in the Hollymead Town Center called Fox Den. Interesting. There is a, especially since the Shabin closed, there are few dedicated viewing spots for the Premier League

international soccer that has a massive following here three-notch has filled that void in some way I think Scott Roth and George Kassanite do a fantastic job Derek, Dave Warwick at three-notch. They have filled that

niche with soccer and viewing especially their Ix location that is massive and has TVs everywhere but the Shabine for example was a go-to spot. McGrady's was a go-to spot and now you in the Holly Meade Town Center have a business called

Fox Den opening which I'll follow closely. Rent is not cheap in the Holly Meade Town Center ladies and gentlemen. Not cheap at all. Next headline, Judah Woodcar, what do you got? Next up, we have

Will Texas firm wants to build 11-story student apartments on West Main. They own the land where if you know the blue corrugated, the small blue corrugated building at the center of, I believe it's actually two parking lots owned by two separate entities, or formerly owned, I don't know. And there is some, there's some rumbling in the West Haven residence who I believe, I believe,

the problem is not so much with this enormous apartment that is being planned, but it's more with the desire to reopen one of the streets. There was a street, I think, between somewhere on that land that connected West Main to the West Haven apartments. And there's a pretty interesting, if you find the article, there are some pretty interesting layouts and renderings of the proposed building and the surrounding area as well as what I believe they want, the Public Housing Association of Residents calling for a memory walk in the place of a proposed 11-story apartment complex on Charlottesville's West Main Street. And there's a pretty cool rendering. I mean, this is, you know, every once in a while I mention Savannah, Georgia.

They love Savannah, Georgia. I do. Savannah, Georgia should pay you. It's a great place. I don't doubt it. I know. I mean, they've got, they've got walkability down to a science. And, and, uh, I believe, uh, what was the acronym for the ability to booze and walk outside? Adora, designated outdoor refreshment area at Dora. Downtown Mall needs to become Adora. The downtown mall needs to become

a designated outdoor refreshment area where from the Omni Hotel to the Ting Pavilion and all the way to South Street or maybe three notch at Ix Park, it should be a designated outdoor refreshment area where you're able to booze, walk, eat, drink,

patronize, live, experience, and enjoy life. You want to bring back the effing downtown mall, city council, and Sam Sanders. Make the downtown mall from Main Street to South Street or Main Street to Alan Cajin to Ludwig Kootenor's Ix Art Park, a designated outdoor refreshment area. You will immediately drive real estate values. You will immediately drive meals tax. You will immediately drive a lodging tax. You will immediately drive tourism engagement, locals engagement, you will immediately drive student engagement.

You will revitalize and huff life into a flat line, critically important corridor and epicenter of a region. Think outside the box city council and Charlottesville City Hall and stop just looking at life through a lens

of activism and equity. While they're extremely important, consider a lens of economic development. and innovation, please. Because that is, from my standpoint, the expectation as a taxpayer. And all I've seen since post-COVID is lends policy and governance through activism and equity without considering economic development as well.

And I find that to be short-sighted. Thank you. I was going to use some nastier language. Short-sighted. Short-sighted at best. How's that? Sam Sanders has an opportunity right now as the city manager to really have a legacy and have a lasting imprint on Charlottesville. Charlottesville, the city, to say it's in transition right now is a huge understatement. It's transition, it still hasn't gotten out of its COVID funk.

Charlottesville City is hung over still with COVID in the pandemic. And I don't know if Sam Sanders needs the proverbial hair of the dog for Charlottesville City where in the morning after boozing hard, you have to rip a shot to get back on the horse and get things going. Maybe it's problematic. Do what you've got to do. Maybe he needs the two eggs cracked in a glass like Rocky Balboa does when he chugs it in the morning to get his day going.

Maybe Sam needs the creatine and the protein shake to get rocket and rolling. But goodness gracious, get us out of this COVID pandemic hangover, please, city manager Sanders. This West Main project, here's my issue with the West Main project, okay? The issue with the West Main project is a lot of the people that are saying housing, housing, housing, we need more housing, are now showing signs of friction and resistance for housing next to them. And that's hypocrisy. Now, I will say this, the public housing known as West Haven, West Haven, has, goodness great, had apartment towers built all around them.

The flats, the standard, this one. I remember when Curtis Shaver owned Peloton Station, Curtis Shaver, Bill Hamilton and that team owned Peloton Station, where Guajeros is now. Greg was a partner there. Love Curtis Shaver. Loved Peloton Station. Go watch Peloton Station.

Go to the Peloton Station to see Curtis to have the fried pickles. happy hour, drink beer, watch sports. Love the sandwich is a great spot. One of my favorite spots. Sad to see it closed. Terrible timing for Peloton Station when it opened in the pandemic. Phenomenal brand. Phenomenal.

But it was next to West Haven. So from time to time, we'd see West Haven residents and West Haven kids, especially when school was out, just coming to Peloton Station, they'd ask for stuff, like tools to fix their bikes, or they'd ask if they could use the Peloton Station mechanical equipment to improve their bikes or free waters and, free sodas and Curtis and the staff would just in friendly capacity accommodate them. Like, here's a soda, dude. Go pump tires up on your bike. No, we're not going to charge you.

Oh, you're hanging out here again. Right? It's almost like leaving milk out in the back alley. And next thing you know, when you leave milk out in the back alley, people keep coming back and keep coming back and keep coming back. Okay? Maybe that's a terrible reference, but you get what I'm doing right there. Okay. But I'd get to know some of these guys that were coming in, from West Haven. Got to know them, recognized them, first name basis, talking to them all the time. And you know what they would say to me? They would say this to me. They would say to this to me. You don't realize what it's like living in this public housing where these apartment towers that are two, three, four thousand dollars a month are towering over us. And when we grow up in West Haven as kids and we're running

around on this playground, these streets of West Haven playing kickball or dodgeball or tag like kids would do, they look up to these towers around the public housing and they say it has an impact from a psychology standpoint, a psychological impact. Here we are in public housing looking up to these big city towers that are towering over us, blocking the sun and shading over our public housing, knowing that these are expensive and high dollar apartments.

Literally, I'm sitting over there having beers with them and they're like, those towers have a psychological impact, generational impact of feeling suppressed depressed here's another one but the development's got to happen it's 10.2 square miles

you're restricted with where you can develop and I said from day one deep throat said it from day one John Blair said it from day one this development these projects it's going to happen where the land is cheap not where the land's expensive Yeah.

It was never going to happen in North Downtown or Barracks Road, rugby, parts of Belmont. Yeah, nobody was going to buy Locust Grove houses to tear down and turn into, you know, a three-level house with an apartment on each level? And think about where the historically marginalized pockets of real estate are in the city. the historically marginalized pockets of real estate in the city are what off south street friendship court near the downtown mall yeah west haven fifeville these are in the urban core and doing the development in the urban core makes sense because of public transportation walk and bikeability to employment and nightlife yeah live work play it was never going to happen in the rich areas, ladies and gentlemen.

I'm pointing the finger at you, livable Seville. I've got to get my livable Seville digs in when I can. Not a fan of livable Seville, if you haven't realized. Next headline, where you got? Let's see. Seville ranked by someone again. Rob Neal watching the program. He says,

Random Row does a good job with football and soccer. Good timing to launch a couple. launch a concept with the World Cup coming to North America next summer. Rob Neal's got a great head for business. Another ranking for the city of Charlottesville. What's this one? This one is from a luxury vacation rental service called Wander.

They have listed the Charlottesville area among the top five most underrated vacation spots in America. We're now underrated? That's a good thing. I thought it was the top place to vacation. Top place to retire. Top schools.

Best music scene. Restaurant scene. Hiking, outdoor scene. Well, if you're going to come up with a new ranking, you've got to come up with a new name for it. This is rebranding. This is Crackle Barrel here? Yeah, no, I just mean that, you know,

you've got how many, you know, random magazines making lists about, best this and best that. And all they're doing is trying to drive traffic to their website. Rather than retread. They're extremely smart because they use keywords that show up in search. We do this professionally. And they know people are going to type in best this.

So why not title it and metadata it, which is what they're doing? This is literally what we do for clients. So this one is rather than just top vacation spot, it's the top, one of the top underrated vacation spots. Which is fine. I'd rather be that than overrated. Marlene Jones. I think getting a well-engineered walking path from West Haven to the main to Main Street would help. Residents should have to walk miles to get the Main Street to catch a bus or getting to work. I have no problem with that.

I think it would be great too. I mean, that's, you know, Charlottesville, despite a small area, is just not a walkable city. Because the city was designed so long ago. And I don't think it was designed with a whole lot of. plans in mind. Definitely not. People just kept adding things here, adding something there. Let's public transport sucks. The walkability sucks.

The public transport, the bikeability sucks. Yeah. I mean, like the new bridge. Every time I go over it, I think, man, what a waste of opportunity. Which new bridge? The new bridge behind the pavilion. It's just kind of a concrete

bridge. It could have been executed so much better. It makes me want to keep driving. It makes me want to get off of it because there's, you know, obviously trees can grow. You're not going to start a new bridge with, you know, 20 foot tall trees. But at the same time, there's no space for green growth. There's no benches. Like, I used to like walking across that bridge.

It was nice looking, looking out over, you know, know, the, what is it, the Mowen building, the, Lexus, Nexus? Just, yeah, you know, you get to walk over the train tracks, look down the, look down the tracks. You get to see, you know, what was champion. There's a nice green lawn over there. And now it's just, you know, it's just this concrete through way to wherever else you you're going. Top five underrated vacation spots, Charlottesville City, another ranking. Next headline, Judah, what do you got? I got about four and a half minutes left here before I got to get

this lease out. How will the rate cuts affect Seville real estate? All right, here's something to get started, okay? I try to take a macro headline and localize it to Charlottesville. Fed Chair Jerome Powell hinted at a possible interest rate cut in the very near future in his speech today. As you know or may not know, mortgage rates closely track the 10-year treasury yields. These yields are sensitive to changes in the economy, including monetary policy decisions. If the Fed does an interest rate cut in September, there could be some implications on mortgage interest rates, whether that's refunds, financing and or, more importantly, jump-starting more inventory listed on the market. Many folks still have that COVID rate.

So as the delta or the spread between the COVID rate and today's rate narrows, those who secured the COVID rate are more likely to list their home because they have stacks and stacks of equity that they've earned and accumulated. So as that spreader delta between COVID rate and current rate gets closer, we should conceivably have more inventory listed. Furthermore, we should conceivably have more buying power because it's more affordable with a lower rate. And if there's more inventory listed and buyers have more buying potential or power to cover monthly debt service, that should jumpstart a quicksand real estate market. everyone's got a prediction my prediction is if it goes the way it's supposed to early

2026 into that spring market could see some more momentum because boy oh boy has that momentum stalled and boy oh boy does the real estate market and i'm not just talking agents i'm talking lenders and inspectors and photographers boy oh boy are they chomping at the bit to get back back to back on the stick. Yeah, no doubt. Next headline, what do you got? Let's see, we have... Boy, oh, boy.

How many times have I said, boy, oh, boy, I'm turning into my father. I'm turning into my grandfather. Boy, oh, boy. Boy, oh, boy, lickety split. I'm going to get to school uphill, barefoot in the snow on time. And you, laddie, can't even make it to school on time on that whippersnapper bicycle of yours. What am I turning into? What's the next headline? The car charger company, EV Go.

This is your headline. You set the stage here. They've removed two of three charging areas, and I believe the last one is over by Mill Creek and down to just two charging stations. Now, do you pay for these charging stations to use, I would imagine? Yeah, I would imagine as well. I don't have an electric vehicle, so I don't know, but I can't imagine they're giving it away for free. It doesn't make a good business model.

But if they are charging for it, then I would have to surmise that getting rid of two of three of them means that they weren't making much off of them. And I think the implication here is that if Charlottesville wants more electric vehicles, for their, you know, for their green initiative or whatever you want to call it, then they're going to have to come up with a way to entice, um, um, entice car,

you know, electric charging companies to, uh, to come to our area. It's, and it's a lot because I see Tesla's all over the road. But those people have the money to, you know, oh,

you think they got their home, the charging stations at home. Yeah, good point. Yeah. Good point. Those people. Those horrible people. Those people, good Lord. Next headline, Judah, what are you got?

Wouldn't that be nice, though? Imagine if you had your own little gas station right next to you, right next to where you park your car. Well, it's a Tesla charger. No, I know, but for those of us still driving. The last thing I want is a gas station next to my house after what happened in Glemour. What? I'm obviously joking here. I'm terrified that I have a propane tank underground in my house.

Who's still terrified? that they have a propane tank buried in the ground of their house, ladies and gentlemen. Put your hand in the air if you're terrified that you have a buried propane tank next to your house. I am. We all do. What headline you got? Are we done? I think we got

I got a least ratified here. Your last headline about Jerry's going into geyser mode. Non-conference hoop schedule. What? Non-conference hoop schedule. All right. This is I'll spend 30 seconds on this.

The University of Virginia has released its non-conference basketball schedule. Jerry Ratcliffe.com has fantastic reporting. Virginia Sports Hall of Famer, Houdie Rackliff. Jerry Rackleff.com. Tuesdays at 10.15 a.m. on the I Love Seville Show, the Jerry and Jerry Show. That in the business is called a plug. Ladies and gentlemen.

The Virginia men's basketball announced its 2025, 2026 non-conference schedule. 13 games on that schedule, including eight home games. The Cavaliers non-conference home schedule is highlighted by a December 20th contest against former ACCC rival, Maryland at JPJ. The Hoos also hosts Ryder, North Carolina, Central, Hampton, Marshall, Queens, Maryland, Eastern Shore, and American. That's such a crappy whole non-conference schedule, except for Maryland.

UVA battles Northwestern and Butler at the Greenbrier Tip-off in West Virginia, and the Cavaliers play Dayton, Ohio State, and New York. central site contests, and then the Cavaliers travel to Texas for the ACC SEC SEC Challenge. Really out-of-conference schedule that lacks chutzpah and Genesee-Quah. This is where Judah gives me a zing for using Genesee-Quah. As I'll follow it with crackle barrel. What are the other words I mess up on? Throw them all together. Genesee-qua, crackle barrel. What else?

I need to add that to... Oh, you have a list? What's on the list? I don't know if I actually have a list. Let me see. Crackle barrel? Let's see. Genesee qua? Death nail.

Death Nail. That's a good one. Death Nail. Crackle. That's his... Beryl. The C-suite of Crackle Barrel deft nailed its business model.

Let's see. Oh, yeah, yeah. Hit the nose on the head. The C-suite of Crackle Barrel did not hit the nose on the head. In fact, a deaf-nailed. It's business model because it lacks Genesee qua. Oh, wow. I mean, you're not

you're not saying Geneseequa wrong. It's just your usage is a little bit. And I still don't know what you're talking about. But I do know what a plinth is. Perculate? Perculate. I'll percolate you, Sonny. There's no you. It's percolate.

I'm percolate you, sonny. All right. I got to go to work. We've got to go make some money. I need to go make some money. That's the Friday edition. Judah Wickhauer, yours truly, Jerry Miller. Thank you kindly for joining us. If you like the show, tell somebody about the show. Can you share it?

Hit the like button. Tell us good job. We work hard for you. That's the only thing we ask in return. So long, friends. Thank you.